Heart Health - Newsbytes

Menstuff® is actively compiling information, books and resources on the issue of the heart. For years I've asked men if they knew the first warning sign of a heart attack. Virtually no one can answer the question correctly. It isn't severe pain in the chest, loss of mobility on one side of the body, etc., etc. The first sign is "Death". One out of three Americans have Hypertension and over 100,000 people will die unnessisaryly this year of Hypertension. Add it up. More people die from sudden cardiac arrest each year than from breast cancer, prostate cancer, AIDS, handguns, house fires, and traffic accidents combined. Don't wait for "symptoms."  Change your health habits now before the first warning sign hits!


Your guide to hypertension

Men and Women's Hearts Age Differently

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have found that men and women's hearts age differently.

After looking at almost 3,000 people with heart disease over a 10 year period, they found that men's hearts tend to get heavier and hold less blood, while women's hearts don't get heavier – in fact, the mass of the left ventricle actually decreased in women, while it increased in men.

The study authors think this may be a factor in why women tend to develop high blood pressure less frequently than men, but more research is needed. Here’s what we do know.
Source: eMail

Depressed Men With ED at Risk for Heart Problems

New research links erectile dysfunction and depression with an increased risk for cardiovascular problems.

Lead researcher Elisa Bandini and her team from the University of Florence interviewed 2,000 men for sexual dysfunction and depressive symptoms.

It's been understood that both ED and depression independently elevate a man's risk for developing heart disease or experiencing a heart attack, but the study, which appears in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that depressive symptoms in men with sexual dysfunction made for the presence of especially likely cardiovascular problems.

Researchers noted that depression is common in men with ED, but results showed that taking antidepressants didn't weaken the relationship between depression symptoms, ED and the potential for heart attacks.

"Recognizing depressive symptoms in subjects with erectile dysfunction is mandatory not only for improving their sexual life, but also for preventing cardiovascular diseases," Bandini said in a statement.

Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sexual Medicine and director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, said the results of this study should impact the way we perceive sexual dysfunction and its causes.

"What is important about this study is the broader concept of the sexual medicine problem no longer being just about a man's performance in the bedroom, but about his psychological mood and his cardiovascular health," he said. "This is a valid reason for a woman to encourage her partner to seek help for his erectile dysfunction."
Source: www.aolhealth.com/2010/07/13/depressed-men-with-ed-at-risk-for-heart-problems/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl3|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2F2010%2F07%2F13%2Fdepressed-men-with-ed-at-risk-for-heart-problems%2F

Chemical Turns Stem Cells Into Beating Heart Cells

Scientists have found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into beating heart muscle cells - a result that could lead to the use of embryonic stem cells in cardiac therapy, and possibly even drugs that can prompt the body to regenerate heart cells on its own.
Source: American Chemical Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/376204.html?d=dmtICNNews

The High Cost of Heart Health: How Much Should You Pay for Fish Oil?

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are an important component of any heart disease prevention program: reduced triglycerides, correction of several causes of heart disease, and dramatic reduction of heart attack.

How much should we pay for these extraordinary benefits? Should we pay $2 a month, $5 a month, $10 . . . $280?

I suppose that it's difficult to put a price on health. But what if there's a choice? What if we have the ability to choose from the entire spectrum of cost?

Lovaza® is drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline's prescription fish oil, an ethyl ester modification that permits a greater concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA + DHA, per capsule. Each capsule of Lovaza® contains 840 mg EPA + DHA.

Lovaza® is FDA-approved for treatment of high triglycerides (>500 mg/dl). In their marketing, they claim that, "unlike Lovaza, dietary supplements are not FDA approved to treat any disease." They also highlight the "patented five-step" purification process that eliminates any concerns over mercury or pesticide residues.

What does Lovaza® cost? In several pharmacies in my area, Lovaza® costs about $70 per capsule per month (PCPM). Most people are taking four capsules per day: $280 per month, or $3360 per year to obtain 3360 mg of EPA + DHA per day.

That's $3360 per year, just for one person to take Lovaza®.

What if I instead went to Costco and bought their high-potency fish oil. This is also an ethyl ester form. It costs $14.99 for 180 capsules, or $2.50 PCPM; each capsule contains 684 mg EPA + DHA. I would therefore have to take five capsules per day to obtain the same 3360 mg EPA + DHA per day. This would cost me 5 x $2.50 = $12.50 per month, or $150 per year.

$3360 per year vs. $150 per year to obtain the same dose of omega-3 fatty acids, a 22.4-fold (2240%) difference.

This would be the same magnitude of difference if, for example, you were to pay $5 per pound for salmon at one grocery, $112 per pound at another. Is there really a 22.4-fold difference?

Although Lovaza® is FDA-approved for reducing high triglycerides, I am seeing more and more people take it for other reasons at this four-capsule-per-day dose. Regardless, this "drug" is adding $3360 per year costs to our healthcare. A schoolteacher, for instance, recently commented to me that she didn't care about the costs, since her insurance covers Lovaza®. I've heard this same comment from other people: insurance covers it, so they don't care how much it costs.

Guess who eventually has to pay the $3360 per year per person costs? That's right: you and me. We all complain about the cost of healthcare and health insurance, but many of us are more than willing to shift the cost to our friends and neighbors to save a few bucks.

Keep in mind that $3360 per year is just for fish oil. It's not for surgery, it's not for hospital care, it's just for fish oil.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/1435/52535/heart-health?ic=6046

Heart Healthy Eating Through the Holidays

One major holiday down, one to go! So, how did you do sticking with your plan to be heart healthy and lose weight? Not so good, well don't worry it's not too late to redeem yourself.

Most people gain an average of 1 pound every holiday season. Now, what's one pound? Doesn't seem like that big of an issue, but the problem is most do not lose this extra weight. The pounds simply continue to add up year after year. It may take several years before you look at yourself and wonder "what happened?"

To prevent this (or reverse past events!), you must take steps to counteract all the extra calories that go along with the holidays. How? Increase your physical activity these next 4-6 weeks. Extra walks, longer workouts, increased intensity levels.

Adding an extra 120 minutes of activity each week (that's less than 20 additional minutes/day), will burn an extra ~600 calories/week. That's an extra 3600 calories burned over six weeks to compensate for the pecan pie, cookies, and alcohol. Of course, 3600 calories only goes so far. You must make wise decisions with the holiday meals, so you're not consuming 3000-5000 calories in one day!

Tips for a Healthier Holiday:

The holidays can be a big hurdle in a weight loss and heart health plan. Holidays don't mean you can't enjoy the good food and desserts, but do so wisely!

Be sure to check out our holiday eating quiz, too!

If you are ready to be heart healthy and end your weight loss struggle, sign up for The Heart of Health ezine and the free e-course "8 Essential Steps to Lower Cholesterol Naturally". Watch for a special Holiday Recipe and Tip Guide to help you be heart healthy this holiday season!
Source: www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/45112/51788/holidays?ic=6046

Long-Lived Parents = Low Heart Risk

Parents Who Live to Age 85+ Bequeath Heart Health to Descendants
Source: www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20070312/long-lived-parents-low-heart-risk?ecd=wnl_gid_031507

Irregular Heartbeats

An irregular heart beat is more common among men but much more hazardous when it occurs in women, according to the first major study to examine gender differences in the ailment.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/33000/368974.html?d=dmtICNNews

Hostility, Depression May Boost Heart Disease Protein Level

Mild to moderate levels of depression symptoms combined with feelings of hostility in healthy men may raise their levels of a protein that is associated with clogged arteries and a greater risk of heart attack, according to new research in Psychosomatic Medicine.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/20780/367550.html?d=dmtICNNews

Guidelines for Heart Treatment Benefit Patients

Better results, fewer complications when recommendations are followed, study finds
Source: www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/528829.html

Health Tip: Coughing Can Help During Heart Attack

It can push blood through your system.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/528833.html

Aggressive Treatment No Better for Acute Coronary Syndrome

The latest study focusing on a bundle of heart problems known as acute coronary syndrome found no particular advantage to aggressive treatment of the condition.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/8011/432076.html?d=dmtICNNews

Pain Relievers and High Blood Pressure

Frequent use of over-the-counter pain relievers has been linked to high blood pressure in women. But new research fails to show the same association in men.

Findings show that men who regularly took the pain relievers were no more likely than those who didn't to have persistent high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

So do men and women really have different risks? Probably not.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/111/110142.htm

High Blood Pressure and Your Sex Life

Are you having problems in the bedroom? Find out if high blood pressure might be to blame.
Source: www.webmd.com/content/pages/24/112124.htm

A Strong Heart Can Take You Far -- Learn and Live

Source: healthmanager.webmd.com/webmd/advhq/AHALearnNLive/default.aspx?toolid=555

Happy Home Eases Job's Blood Pressure Toll

The negative affect of job strain on your blood pressure may be eased if you have a supportive spouse at home.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/112/110472.htm

When Should I Take My Aspirin?

Taking aspirin at night may help lower blood pressure more than taking aspirin in the morning, new research shows. It's the first finding of its kind.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/111/110194.htm

Dark Chocolate May Have Benefit

A small study suggests that eating dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure -- a delicious instance in which something that tastes good might, for a change, be good for you, too.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/28815/368712.html?d=dmtICNNews

PET Scans Show Cigarette Smoke Affects Peripheral Organs

It is well known that smoking cigarettes can directly and often fatally damage the lungs. But new research, with support from the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, shows that cigarette smoke also decreases levels of a critical enzyme called monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) in the kidneys, heart, lungs, and spleen. Too much or too little of this crucial enzyme can have an effect on a person's mental or physical health.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20788/369125.html?d=dmtICNNews

Fruits And Vegetables May Protect Against Major Types Of Stroke

Eating fruits and green or yellow vegetables daily may protect against both major types of stroke, according to a study of Japanese people reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/24524/369669.html?d=dmtICNNews

Infants Can Adjust To Heart Transplants

Infants receiving heart transplants from donors with a different blood type can learn to tolerate the foreign tissue, possibly expanding the pool of organs available to babies who might otherwise die on the waiting list, researchers say.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21343/403533.html?d=dmtICNNews

Test Own Blood Pressure, Stop Meds

Letting patients measure their own blood pressure at home could help detect "white coat hypertension" -- a high reading that occurs only in the doctor's office -- and enable many people to get off medication, a study found.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/376430.html?d=dmtICNNews

Anger Linked To Stroke Risk In Men

Hotheaded men who explode with anger seem to be at greater risk of having a stroke or dying, new research shows. Their risk is even greater than men who are simply stressed-out Type A personalities.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20792/376610.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Reason For Heart Failure Patients To Exercise

Exercise reduces the levels of inflammatory factors that are linked to skeletal muscle loss and fatigue in heart failure patients, according to the first study of its kind, which is reported in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC272/333/344/368949.html

Erectile Trouble May Signal Heart Disease

Studies suggest men with Erectile Dysfunction (ED) get checked for vascular problems
Source: www.healthscout.com/news/1/525905/main.html

Fruits, Vegetables Overlooked By Healing Heart Patients

Even after the jolt of a heart attack or bypass operation, some cardiac rehabilitation patients may 'just say no' not only to obviously harmful dietary fat but also to beneficial fruits and vegetables.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC254/333/20781/368626.html?d=dmtICNNews

Heart Disease

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, mainly affects older people and causes problems with the heart and blood vessels.
Source: www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/adults/heart_disease.html

Heart Association Offers Weight Loss Guidelines

Recognizing that obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, the American Heart Association has given cardiologists a recipe for helping obese patients lose weight, in a new scientific statement, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20833/403718.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Reason For Heart Failure Patients To Exercise

Exercise reduces the levels of inflammatory factors that are linked to skeletal muscle loss and fatigue in heart failure patients, according to the first study of its kind, which is reported in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC272/333/344/368949.html

Chemical Turns Stem Cells Into Beating Heart Cells

Scientists have found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into beating heart muscle cells - a result that could lead to the use of embryonic stem cells in cardiac therapy, and possibly even drugs that can prompt the body to regenerate heart cells on its own.
Source: American Chemical Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/376204.html?d=dmtICNNews

Doctors Give Toddler A Second Heart

A little girl just a week shy of her second birthday has become the youngest person in the United States ever to receive a "piggyback" heart transplant, a procedure that involved implanting a second heart into her tiny chest.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21343/403527.html?d=dmtICNNews

Ephedra, Though Banned, Still Under Attack

Study finds heart problems with small dose of Metabolife 356.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=516913

Valentine's Day: Good for the Heart

Chocolate, red wine, and other expressions of love can be good for you.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/80/96444.htm

Simple Test for Possible Stroke

Is it a stroke? Ask threee simple questions

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions.

They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

Fiber Intake From Fruits And Cereals May Reduce Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease

Consumption of dietary fiber from fruits and cereals may lower the risk of coronary heart disease, according to an article in the February 23, 2005 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC254/333/24524/376355.html?d=dmtICNNews

Hormone May Foretell Heart Disease

A simple -- and inexpensive -- blood test appears to predict a wide range of cardiovascular diseases! Should this be the heart disease marker of the future?
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/82/97151.htm

Heart Association Offers Weight Loss Guidelines

Recognizing that obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, the American Heart Association has given cardiologists a recipe for helping obese patients lose weight, in a new scientific statement, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC254/333/20833/403718.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Evidence That Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise Predicts Risk Of Death

Patients whose heart rates remain elevated after exercise testing are more than twice as likely to die within six years, making heart rate recovery a risk factor comparable to, and independent of, the severity of coronary artery disease as measured by angiography, according to a new study in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC272/333/344/368950.html or www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC272/333/344/369017.html

New Kinds Of Peanuts

Two new kinds of peanuts that can help keep hearts in good shape offer new food for thought for the health-conscious. Read the story and comments from a Harvard physician.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC245/333/33000/368150.html?d=dmtICNNews

Relationships Aid Heart Attack Patients

Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that heart attack survivors with close relationships with either a partner, lover, friend or relative were less likely to have future cardiovascular problems. Survivors without an intimate relationship were twice as likely to suffer from major heart problems within a year. The researchers suggested that heart attack patients are often encouraged by those close to them to take better care of their health.

Anger Linked To Stroke Risk In Men

Hotheaded men who explode with anger seem to be at greater risk of having a stroke or dying, new research shows. Their risk is even greater than men who are simply stressed-out Type A personalities.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20792/376610?d=dmtICNNews

Diabetes And Hypertension Combo Invite Silent Stroke

Having diabetes along with high blood pressure dramatically raises the risk of brain lesions known as "silent strokes," researchers report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21142/369670.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cranberries May Help Reduce Stroke Damage

A Researchers have found preliminary evidence that cranberries may reduce brain-cell damage associated with stroke. In lab studies using rat brain cells exposed to simulated stroke conditions, a concentrated cranberry extract reduced the death of brain cells by half in comparison to cells that did not receive the extract, according to the scientists.
Source: American Chemical Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC255/333/28815/369065.html?d=dmtICNNews

Angry Hostile Men Can't Blame Testosterone

Even angry bullies have a heart -- but it may be damaged if they don't learn to mellow out. And they can't blame their hormones, either.
Source: Daniel DeNoon, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2003, Orlando, Fla., my.webmd.com/content/Article/76/90280.htm?printing=true  

Genes Can Individualize Treatment For High Blood Pressure

Genes that cause hypertension may also determine which blood pressure-lowering drugs are most effective for different people, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's 57th Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/369674.html?d=dmtICNNews

Tooth Loss and Stroke

Losing your teeth may do more than just sacrifice your smile. A new study suggests tooth loss may increase the risk of stroke by as much as 74% compared with those who have a healthy mouthful of teeth.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/56/65806.htm

Study Cites Angioplasties Effectiveness

Emergency angioplasties, even delayed by hospital transfer, worked better than standard drugs in a heart attack study likely to help change standards for treating the 1.1 million Americans stricken every year.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/368442.html?d=dmtICNNews

Statins Improve Mood

Contrary to earlier reports linking cholesterol reduction to depression or suicide risk, long-term users of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs report better moods, according to a new study in the Aug. 20, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/33000/368453.html?d=dmtICNNews

Channeling Solutions For Hypertension

Luis Santana and colleagues at the University of Washington have revealed that decreased expression of the b subunit of the calcium-activated potassium channel in vascular cells is critical for maintaining vascular tone and blood pressure.
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20792/368903.html?d=dmtICNNews

Doctors At Texas Heart Institute Promote Heart Pump

Doctors at the Texas Heart Institute hope the success they've had with sending patients home after they received an experimental heart pump will result in a dependable alternative to transplants.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/8011/368443.html?d=dmtICNNews

The Benefits Of Chocolate

Among heart attack patients without signs of heart failure, an inexpensive intravenous treatment reduced death rates by almost three-quarters (from 4.2 percent to 1.2 percent) in the largest prospective randomized trial of glucose-insulin-potassium infusion, according to a new study in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/368951.html?d=dmtICNNews
 

Consumer Group Renews Attack On Diet Drug

A consumer group is again urging a ban of the prescription diet drug Meridia, saying at least 49 users have died of heart problems, including some in their 20s and 30s.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/21291/368951.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Reason For Heart Failure Patients To Exercise

Exercise reduces the levels of inflammatory factors that are linked to skeletal muscle loss and fatigue in heart failure patients, according to the first study of its kind, which is reported in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20782/368949.html?d=dmtICNNews
 

New Evidence That Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise Predicts Risk Of Death

Patients whose heart rates remain elevated after exercise testing are more than twice as likely to die within six years, making heart rate recovery a risk factor comparable to, and independent of, the severity of coronary artery disease as measured by angiography, according to a new study in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/8011/368950.html?d=dmtICNNews

Relaxation Therapy's Effect On Heart Now Under Study

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center are studying whether practicing meditation and relaxation techniques can lower blood pressure by reducing the effects of stress, according to James Lane, associate research professor of medical psychology in the department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360318.html
 

Carbon Monoxide May Aid Arteries

Tests on mice and rats indicate that the potentially deadly gas carbon monoxide -- inhaled at very low concentrations -- may help arteries damaged in angioplasty and transplants.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360242.html
 

5 Heart Myths

Learn the truth about sex, fiber, beef and more.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/23516/152233.html?d=dmtContent
 

10 Heart Disease Questions

Get answers to common questions about aspirin, eating right, stress and more.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/23516/152232.html?d=dmtContent

Doctors Debate New Blood-Pressure Cuffs

There's a quiet revolution taking place in hospitals and doctors' offices: More and more are getting rid of blood-pressure cuffs that for a century have been the standard, in favor of newer models that don't contain the environmental pollutant mercury.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359654.html
 

Tips For A Good Blood-Pressure Exam

Getting a proper blood-pressure measurement depends on more than just what machine your doctor's office or hospital uses. Harried health workers often don't follow national guidelines to perform the checks properly.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359657.html

If You Lose Just A Little, You'll Gain A Lot

There's no sugar-coating the truth: Fat kills.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359699.html
 

New Study Ties Moderate Beer Drinking To Lower Heart Attack Risk

A beer a day may help keep heart attacks away, according to a group of Israeli researchers. In preliminary clinical studies of a group of men with coronary artery disease, the researchers showed that drinking one beer (12 ounces) a day for a month produced changes in blood chemistry that are associated with a reduced risk of heart attack.
Source: American Chemical Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359681.html

Should You Try the New Test?

There's a new heart disease blood test that has recently received a lot of coverage in the media. However, this latest approach to determining heart disease risk may not be such a great indicator for you. Find out why.
Source: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/59/66893.htm

Getting a Leg Up on Heart Health

Stem cells transplanted from your own thigh may be able to help your heart grow stronger following a heart attack! Get all the fascinating facts here.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/60/67159.htm

When Housework Hurts the Heart

She cooks, she cleans, she does laundry ... and if she's had a heart attack she's more likely than a man to have another. Get the details and learn how to help a lady you love improve her heart health.
Source:

Slumber's Silent Troublemaker

A sleep disorder previously thought to be a symptom of heart failure may actually contribute to the development of heart failure in certain people. How well are you sleeping?
Source:

Study Links Weight Gain, Likelihood Of Stroke

Doctors have been saying for years that obesity increases a person's chances of heart attack and stroke.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360141.html

Technique Could Spare Patients From Invasive Medical Tests

Imagine a physician testing your blood without having to extract it with a needle. Or testing your skin tissue without having to cut into it.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360143.html

Hospitals Accused Of Improper Charges

The Justice Department has joined whistle-blower lawsuits accusing two hospitals of improperly charging Medicare millions of dollars for procedures involving unproven cardiac devices.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360144.html

Fruits And Veggies Everyday

Getting five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke. Here are easy ways to achieve that daily goal.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/26033.html

Microparticles Cause Pre-Eclampsia

Vessel wall cells and blood cells have been found to release cell particles which can damage blood vessels. This was demonstrated in laboratory experiments carried out by Marja van Wijk during her doctoral research at the University of Amsterdam. Poorly functioning blood vessels play a role in pre-eclampsia.
Source: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research,
www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360462.html

Sesame Oil Lowers Blood Pressure

A new study shows cooking with sesame oil helps reduce high blood pressure and lower the amount of medication needed to treat hypertension.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=8006031

Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Heart Disease

Study found presence of first could point to presence of second.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513001
 

Counseling Cheers Depressed Heart Attack Patients

But it doesn't improve survival rates, study finds.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513723

Penalty Shootouts Impact Health

Researchers have found a reason to kick penalty shootouts out of soccer. They lead to heart attacks.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359399.html

Avoid Winter Heart Attacks

Snow shoveling is always blamed for the seasonal surge in heart attacks. So why do Sunbelters also experience an increase?
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtContent&c=209957&p=~br,IHW|~st,24597|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|"

No Gender Difference In Heart Aid

A new analysis suggests that contrary to some previous research, women heart patients fare about as well as men do from early, aggressive treatments such as angioplasty and bypass surgery.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359546.html

Angry Children Hurt Their Heart Health

Hostility in kids can lead to cardiovascular disease, study finds.
Source:  www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513341

The Diuretic Diet

A diet that has been shown to help reduce high blood pressure does the trick.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=8006261

Silent Stroke Makes Itself Heard

People who suffer from a "silent stroke" may avoid typical stroke symptoms, but the damage doesn't stay "silent" forever. These stroke sufferers have an increased likelihood of being affected by serious mental decline down the road ... unless they take certain precautions.
Source: boards.webmd.com/message.asp?message_id=3838097

Statins Before Procedures Reduce Cardiovascular Events And Death

Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs before undergoing artery-clearing procedures appears to reduce deaths, heart attacks, and recurrent blockages among patients with elevated levels of an inflammation marker.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?t=24524&c=362561&p=~br,IHC|~st,333|~r,EMIHC254|~b,*|&d=dmtICNNews

Aspirin Within Two Days Of Ischemic Stroke Reduces Deaths

Giving patients aspirin within 48 hours of the onset of an acute ischemic stroke can reduce death and severity of stroke, according to a joint scientific statement from the American Stroke Association and the American Academy of Neurology.
Source: American Academy of Neurology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/352218.html

Heart-Felt Stress Can Be More Dangerous To Immune System

People who react to stress more in their heart than in their vascular system are more likely to suffer immune system problems, according to a new study.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/352336.html

The Myth of Female Undertreatment for Heart Disease

Gender health advocates have long claimed that women with heart symptoms are less likely to undergo advanced cardiac procedures such as cardiac catheterization.

This claim was made in a recent January 20, 2003 article in USA Today titled "Study: Women Undertreated for Heart Disease." The article alleged, "women are treated even less aggressively than men."

The implication of this statement is that women are being discriminated against in seeking life-saving treatment for heart disease.

It is true that statistically, women are somewhat less likely than men to undergo cardiac procedures. But this is like comparing apples to oranges, for 3 reasons:

1. Women tend to develop heart disease at an older age than men, so they have a greater chance of developing complications during risky cardiac procedures.

2. Women tend to have smaller hearts than men, which again places them at greater risk of complications and death.

3. Women with undiagnosed heart disease often present with symptoms that resemble heartburn or other non-cardiac conditions. So doctors are less likely to order cardiac diagnostic tests for these women.

Scientific studies that have accounted for differences in age and other risk factors have consistently discounted the existence of sex bias in referral for heart procedures. The conclusions from 5 of these studies are quoted at the end of this Special Report.

According to the latest report, Health United States - 2002, men's death rate from heart disease is 328/100,000, compared to only 221/100,000 among women.

So while gender health advocates disseminate the myth that women are undertreated for health disease, men face a 48% higher risk of death from heart disease.

Conclusions from Research Studies about the Absence of Sex Bias in Referrals for Cardiac Procedures:

1. "Academic cardiologists made appropriately lower pretest predictions of categories of disease in women with possible coronary artery disease than in men, and these assessments, along with women's lower rate of positive exercise tests, rather than bias based on sex, accounted for the lower rate of catherization among women." -- Daniel B. Mark. Absence of sex bias in the referral of patients for cardiac catherization. New England Journal of Medicine, April 21, 1994.

2. "Our population-based data indicate that after an ED [emergency department] visit for symptoms of unstable angina, the use of cardiac procedures was lower in women, but after taking into account baseline characteristics, men experienced worse outcomes." -- Veronique L. Roger, Sex differences in evaluation and outcome of unstable angina. Journal of the American Medical Association February 2, 2000.

3. "After adjustment for differences in clinical and demographic characteristics and clinical presentation, differences according to sex in the use of reperfusion therapy are minimal." -- John Canto. Relation of race and sex to the use of reperfusion therapy in Medicare beneficiaries with acute myocardial infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, April 13, 2000.

4. "As compared with men, women received somewhat less aggressive treatment during the early management of acute myocardial infarction. However, many of these differences are small, and there is no apparent effect on early mortality." -- Sandra C. Gan. Treatment of acute myocardial infarction and 30-day mortality among women and men. New England Journal of Medicine, July 6, 2000.

5. "However, the results suggest that, at least in a large province in Canada, sex differences in use of revascularization after cardiac catheterization are due to differences in clinical status and indications rather than to differential access or bias."— Richard Smtz. Abstract. July 1, 2002, New England Journal of Medicine.

Men Who Don't Shave have Less Sex, More Strokes (2/6/03)

Men who don't shave every day enjoy less sex and are 70 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than daily shavers, a new study shows.

A team at Bristol University who examined the link between shaving, coronary heart disease and stroke in 2,438 middle-aged Welsh men, said that men who did not shave every day were more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.

Over the course of the 20-year study, there were 835 deaths, they reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In all, 45 percent of the men who shaved less than daily died, compared with 31 percent of those who shaved at least daily.

Many of the excess deaths were due to higher rates of smoking and the poorer lifestyles of men who did not shave daily but the scientists said this did not explain their substantially raised risk of strokes.

The findings show that men who don't shave every day are less likely to be married and are more likely to be blue-collar workers. They also have fewer orgasms, tend to be shorter, and to suffer from angina.

"The association between infrequent shaving and death is probably due to underlying smoking and social factors, but a small hormonal effect may also exist," Professor Shah Ebrahim, of the department of social medicine, said in a statement.

He said the association with stroke did not fall away after discounting lifestyle factors and remained unexplained.

Ebrahim told Reuters the link between circulating sex hormones and beard growth was first established when a man on a remote island in the Hebrides noticed that his beard grew vigorously when he was about to rejoin his girlfriend on the Scottish mainland.

He said the low frequency of orgasm in men who did not shave regularly might be because they had low levels of testosterone or might simply reflect the fact that they were unmarried and had less opportunity for sex.

One possible explanation for the raised risk of stroke was thatlevels of circulating sex hormones in the body might influence the atheroma process in which fatty deposits build up in the arteries.
Source: www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/02/06/offbeat.health.shaving.reut/

Morning Surge In Blood Pressure Linked To Strokes In Elderly (3/4/03)

In older people with high blood pressure, a sharp increase in blood pressure in the morning increases the risk of stroke and is linked to brain lesions known as "silent" strokes, according to a study.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361834.html

BIDMC Researchers Identify Source Of Preeclampsia (3/4/03)

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have identified a protein that leads to the development of preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361857.html

Drug May Reduce Life-Threatening Syndrome (3/3/03)

A drug used to help the heart pump blood and lower blood pressure may reduce the risk of deteriorating heart function in infants and children soon after heart surgery, according to a study published this week by the American Heart Association.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361793.html

Doctors Seek To Raise Awareness Of Clots (3/3/0)

If you're lying in a hospital bed, chances are doctors didn't check you for a silent killer -- one that causes some 60,000 potentially preventable deaths a year.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361818.html

Side Effect From Stroke Drug Kills 40 In Japan (2/28/03)

A side effect from a drug used by stroke sufferers has killed 40 mostly elderly people, Japan's health ministry said Friday, urging doctors to use caution when prescribing the medicine.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361780.html

HHS To Launch Medicare Demonstrations To Improve Health Care Through Capitated Disease Management Demonstrations (2/28/03)

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced that HHS is seeking proposals to improve the quality of care provided to certain Medicare beneficiaries.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361737.html

Heart Stress Test Can Predict Risks (2/27/03)

Doctors who use treadmill tests to diagnose heart disease could better predict the risk of death if they paid more attention to what happens to a patient's heart after he or she steps off the treadmill, a large study found.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361684.html

ACE Inhibitor Drug Reduces Heart Failure In High-Risk Patients (2/25/03)

The drug ramipril significantly reduced the onset of debilitating and often-fatal heart failure in a large group of high-risk patients, researchers report.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21142/361558.html

Old Medicine Effective On Blood Clots (2/24/03)

Steady low doses of an old-fashioned blood thinner have been shown to dramatically lower the risk of recurring, dangerous blood clots in the legs and lungs, offering the first effective treatment for an estimated 750,000 U.S. victims annually.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361546.html

Atrial Fibrillation As A Contributing Cause Of Mortality And Medicare Hospitalization (2/21/03)

Atrial fibrillation can be treated with medication and lifestyle modifications.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361458.html

Natural Anti-Inflammatory Agent May Shield Brain From Stroke Damage (2/21/03)

Stroke patients with higher levels of a natural anti-inflammatory chemical called interleukin-10 (IL-10) in their blood suffer less brain damage after a stroke, according to a study.
Source:  www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361465.html

Link Found Between Spontaneous Abortion And Heart Disease (2/21/03)

For the first time, a specific link has been found between spontaneous abortion and risk of heart disease in later life, according to researchers in this week's BMJ.
Source: British Medical Journal, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361469.html

Homocysteine And Stroke Risk (2/21/03)

Elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine may be significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke in people who already have coronary heart disease, researchers report. Read the story and comments from a Harvard physician.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/361496.html

Helping Stroke Patients Breathe Easier

Devices clear lungs of recovering victims.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=511751

Baby, Coated Aspirin Don't Thin Blood as Well

Finds adult uncoated doses could be better at preventing stroke.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=511800

Relaxation Therapy's Effect On Heart Now Under Study

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center are studying whether practicing meditation and relaxation techniques can lower blood pressure by reducing the effects of stress, according to James Lane, associate research professor of medical psychology in the department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360318.html

Vitamin C, Fish, And A Gout Drug Target Artery Damage From Smoking

Researchers found that vitamin C and taurine, an amino acid in fish, reversed abnormal blood vessel response associated with cigarette smoking - a discovery that may provide insight into how smoking contributes to "hardening of the arteries," according to an Irish study.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359823.html

Big Gut, Other Factors Can Kill You

It's long been known that having a potbelly and high blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack or stroke, but a medical study released today has estimated that people with those risks and others are two to three times more likely to die prematurely.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358730.html

Doctors Debate New Blood-Pressure Cuffs

There's a quiet revolution taking place in hospitals and doctors' offices: More and more are getting rid of blood-pressure cuffs that for a century have been the standard, in favor of newer models that don't contain the environmental pollutant mercury.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/7228/359654.html

Tips For A Good Blood-Pressure Exam

Getting a proper blood-pressure measurement depends on more than just what machine your doctor's office or hospital uses. Harried health workers often don't follow national guidelines to perform the checks properly.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/7228/359657.html

Heart-Filling Problem Prevalent and Deadly

Study finds 1 in 4 has it, and death risk is eightfold.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=511162

Widely Used Surgical Device Doesn't Benefit Older Patients

Pulmonary artery catheter no help to high-risk patients.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=511065

Ex-Football Great Stars in Safe Heart Campaign

Calvin Hill spreads word about dangers of heart failure.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=510699

Lack Of Awareness And Control Of Risk Factors Still Contributing To Preventable Heart Attacks And Strokes

Many of the 1.1 million heart attacks and 731,000 strokes that occur each year in the United States might be prevented by controlling risk factors. Among those with a history of heart disease or stroke, African Americans could possibly benefit most from a greater degree of awareness and control of risk factors, as they are significantly more likely to have a higher risk factor profile than many other groups.
Source:  American Academy of Neurology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/341/360017.html

Arthritis Drugs May Help The Heart

Anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat arthritis may also benefit people with heart disease by improving blood vessel flexibility and reducing inflammation, according to a small study.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360018.html

Vampire Bats Help Treat Strokes?

A substance in the saliva of vampire bats could prove to be a potent new treatment for strokes, an Australian scientist says. Read the story and comments from a Harvard physician.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359999.html

Men Can Reduce Stroke Risk By Eating Fish - 12/27/02

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studying the role of fish consumption and risk of stroke among men, have found that men who eat fish as little as twice per month significantly reduce their risk for ischemic stroke compared to men who eat fish less often or not at all. The findings are in the December 25, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Source: Harvard School of Public Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/342/359570.html

Stopping Statins While Hospitalized

Heart disease patients who discontinued using cholesterol-lowering drugs while they were hospitalized for chest pain had triple the risk of death or heart attack as people who kept taking their medicine, say researchers. Read the story and comments from a Harvard physician.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/enews?346781

Resources To Help Americans 'Act In Time To Heart Attack Signs'

Too few Americans get to the hospital fast enough when a heart attack occurs. The main reason is patient delay.
Source: National Health Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/346142.html

Cooling The Body Appears To Prevent Brain Damage After Cardiac Arrest

Cooling the body just a few degrees appears to prevent brain damage in people who survive cardiac arrest but are left unconscious.
Source:  www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/346084.html

Artificial Heart Advocates Upbeat

When Robert Tools was wheeled into the operating room a year ago, a new experiment dawned in the fight to conquer heart disease.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/352014.html

Heart Disease Is A Pediatric Problem: New Guidelines Point To Lifestyle 'Training' In Childhood

Helping children visualize a "healthy plate," be physically active and remain smoke-free are key parts of establishing life-long heart health, the American Heart Association says in its new comprehensive guidelines on cardiovascular health in children.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/351986.html

Fish-Rich Tribal Diet Linked With Low Leptin Levels

In a study of neighboring African tribes, a tribe eating a fish-rich diet had lower levels of the hormone leptin than a tribe eating a primarily vegetarian diet, researchers report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/351987.html

Methods Are Many To Reduce Blood Pressure

Three decades after the National High Blood Pressure Education Program started saying that controlling high blood pressure saves lives, rates of hypertension are rising.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/352020.html

Pump Saves Lives, And Raises Questions

With tens of thousands of Americans dying of heart failure each year, and a dire shortage of donated human hearts, cardiologists have long dreamed of a device that could be permanently implanted in people too old or sick for a heart transplant.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/352019.html

More Research In Heart Patients Questions Hormones Benefits

Long-term hormone use doesn't reduce heart attack risks in postmenopausal women with heart disease and may increase their chances of developing blood clots and gallbladder disease, new research suggests.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/352031.html

Statins Help Those With Heart Valve Problems

But it apparently has nothing to do with lower cholesterol
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=510327

New Test Speeds Diagnosis Of Chest Pain

A study finds that in six quick steps emergency physicians can accurately identify or rule out a heart attack or warning signs of an impending heart attack that may occur within 30 days of a patient's visit to the emergency department for chest pain.
Source: American College of Emergency Physicians, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/358510.html

Utah Researchers Discover Clues About Clogged Arteries

Utah researchers have found that people with three or four DNA changes to cholesterol-gobbling proteins in the body have a 50 percent greater risk of getting severely clogged arteries, a first step to heart disease.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358372.html

Study Eyes Religion, Recovery Links

Cardiac patients who have a strong religious faith have greater confidence in their ability to perform tasks and complete their rehabilitation, according to a pilot study.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358409.html

A Scary Statistic on Heart Failure

One in five people age 40 or older will be diagnosed with heart failure at some point in their lives! And one factor, in particular, greatly increases your risk. If you're concerned and you'd like to learn one way to reduce your risk, read about the role that calories play in your heart health.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/1685.53591?page=1

In Moderation, Nuts Can Be Good For Heart

Indulging in all kinds of nuts is entwined with holiday tradition: spiced peanuts at open houses, green beans with toasted almonds, the slice of pecan pie that wraps up many a Thanksgiving meal. When New Year's rolls around and we tally up the holiday weight gain, nuts -- as laden with calories as they are intense flavor -- get some of the blame.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/357783.html

FDA Expands Use Of Heart Pumps As Permanent Implants

A battery-powered pump long used to help heart-failure patients survive the wait for a transplant won government approval Wednesday as a permanent heart-beater for thousands too ill to consider a transplant.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/357781.html

Heart Attack Predictions Need Update

Existing calculations on risk leave out important facts, researchers say.
Source: www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=408&id=509498

Stroke Can Hit Young

About 600,000 Americans will have a stroke this year and 160,000 of them will die, according to the American Stroke Association. Stroke ranks behind only heart disease and cancer as the cause of death in the United States, and it's the leading cause of severe, long-term disability.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/355988.html

Slice" Scanner Latest Advance In Early Detection Of Heart Disease

An advanced imaging technique - multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) - is a reliable, noninvasive way to detect blockages in the coronary arteries, according to a study in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356019.html

Pill May Prevent Stent Complication That Re-Blocks Arteries

New research suggests that an experimental drug may hold the key to preventing restenosis, a common complication of the heart procedure called stenting, which uses tiny mesh tubes to prop open clogged arteries. The findings are reported in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356021.html

Non-Traditional Tests May Be Dynamic Duo In Predicting Heart Problems

Partnering a blood test with an imaging scan may be a better gauge of whether blocked arteries are about to trigger a heart attack or stroke, researchers report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356022.html

Genetic Double-Whammy In Blacks May Explain Their Higher Rate Of Heart Failure

A study may help explain why blacks are more likely to experience congestive heart failure than whites, researchers say.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356467.html

Expanded Use For Clot-Busting Drugs

Clot-dissolving drugs, already used for life-threatening blood clots in the lungs, also may be used for less serious partial blockages, a new study finds.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356474.html

Group Aims To Close Cardiac Care Gap

Evidence that minorities get inferior cardiac care is compelling, according to a review of the literature by a new campaign aimed at closing the racial health gap.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356449.html

NHLBI Funds New Heart-Health Education Projects In High-Risk Communities

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) announced the funding of six new community-based education projects, which will focus on improving the cardiovascular health of those at increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356402.html

NHLBI Launches Innovative Proteomics Centers

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has launched a major initiative to develop innovative proteomic technologies by creating 10 special centers of research, each funded for 7 years.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356431.html

Active Aging: Moving Hearts For Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Heart Federation are encouraging people around the world to take action, i.e. to exercise, stop smoking, and eat a healthy diet, and thus protect themselves from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and promote healthy ageing.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21142/355858.html

Non-Traditional Tests May Be Dynamic Duo In Predicting Heart Problems

Partnering a blood test with an imaging scan may be a better gauge of whether blocked arteries are about to trigger a heart attack or stroke, researchers report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21142/356022.html

Health And Fitness Facilities Need Defibrillators
A scientific statement urging fitness clubs to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and train staff to use them was released today by the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/enews?346746

Johnny Unitas, NFL's Iconic Quarterback, Dies At 69

Johnny Unitas, who rose from a 6-dollar-a-game sandlot player to become perhaps professional football's greatest quarterback, died in suburban Baltimore. He was 69.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/355179.html

HHS Issues Report Showing Dramatic Improvements In Americans' Health Over Past 50 Years

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson issued a new report showing how Americans' health has changed dramatically for the better over the past 50 years, with men and women both living longer, fewer babies dying in infancy and the gap between white and black life expectancy narrowing in the past decade.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/355241.html

Gene Treatment Creates Biological Pacemaker In Guinea Pig Hearts

Researchers have created a "biological pacemaker" in guinea pigs by slipping a gene into their hearts - a first step in what could lead to alternatives to the electronic devices now implanted in hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/355141.html

Linoleic Acid Intake May Help Cut Stroke Risk

Linoleic acid - found in vegetable oils and soybeans - appears to protect against strokes, researchers report in the August issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/341/353203.html

Artificial Heart Man Gets Battery

Tom Christerson, who has survived nearly a year with an artificial heart, is back home after undergoing surgery to replace the device's lithium battery.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353852.html

Study Suggests Womb Environment May Influence Adults' Blood Pressure

New research adds to a growing body of evidence that adult health is set, to some degree, by conditions in the womb and suggests that the programming may start earlier in pregnancy than previously believed.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353759.html

Doctors Using New Test To Watch For Heart Disease

You might know your cholesterol. But what about your CRP?
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353752.html

FDA: Blood Pressure Drug Too Risky

An experimental blood pressure drug once heavily promoted by Bristol-Myers Squibb is too risky to be sold, government advisers said. The recommendation is a serious blow to the drug, Vanlev.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/341/352751.html

More Fallout From Plaque Ruptures In Store For Heart Attack Survivors

The blood clot that causes a heart attack may not act alone. Hidden plaque ruptures may cause further damage, according to a three-dimensional ultrasound study published in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/341/352787.html

Mexican Americans More Likely To Die Of Heart Disease Than Caucasians

For years, scientists have been puzzled by reports that Mexican Americans, who have high rates of obesity and diabetes, are less likely than Caucasians to die from heart disease. Now a new study challenges the so-called 'Hispanic paradox.'
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21142/349232.html

Less Inflammation, Better Heart Health In Physically Fit

Physical fitness may have an anti-inflammatory effect that protects against heart attacks, according to a report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/344/351695.html

Dutch Study Links Tea Drinking To Reduced Heart Attack Risk

Tea is a rich source of dietary flavonoids, which have been shown to have a protective effect against ischemic heart disease through their antioxidant properties.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/8015/349199.html

Three Studies Show Benefits Of Fish Oil On Heart Health

Whether you're a man or a woman and whether you have heart disease or not, eating more fish apparently can help you to prevent heart-related death. And if you don't like fish, supplements of fish oil also seem to work.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/enews?348461

Fatty Acid From Fish Oil Fights Arrhythmias, Sudden Death

Daily supplements of a fatty acid found in fish oil halves the risk of sudden death in heart attack survivors, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/enews?348363

High-Fat Meal Increased Triglyceride Levels And Reduced Blood Flow

The small blood vessels in the heart normally increase in size in response to exercise and certain medications. This response enables the heart to function more effectively during stress. The authors of this study found that a high-fat meal, which increased the blood levels of triglycerides (a form of fat), reduced the ability of the small vessels to increase in size in 15 healthy men.
Source: American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/8015/348009.html

Regular Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure In All Groups Of People

An analysis of data on 2419 adults from 54 studies of exercise found that regular exercise decreased blood pressure in all groups of people, including those who had high or normal blood press, those who were overweight or not overweight and those who were black, white or Asian. Exercise decreased systolic blood pressure by 3.84 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.58 mm Hg in the participants, who were previously inactive. The types of aerobic exercise included walking, swimming, jogging and cycling.
Source: American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21142/348008.html

Gout Drug Shows Promise In Treating Chronic Heart Failure

A drug used to treat gout improves blood vessel function in heart failure patients, possibly by blocking the creation of harmful free radicals, researchers report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/9247/351380.html

Eating nuts lessens heart risk

Eating a handful of nuts twice or more a week may cut one's risk of deadly heart disease, based on a study of male doctors. Nuts and fish are plentiful in the Mediterranean diet, which is known to be heart-friendly, and many types of nuts are also a healthy source of unsaturated fats, magnesium and vitamin E, according to the report by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Christine Albert examined the nut consumption of more than 21,000 male doctors participating in the U.S. Physicians' Health Study, which began in 1982, and found a 47 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac death among those who consumed an ounce of nuts at least twice a week compared to those who did not eat nuts at all.

She also found a 30 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease death among the nut eaters. The correlation did not apply for nonfatal heart attacks.
Source: www.healthlinkusa.com/getpage.asp?http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/06/23/nuts.heart.reut/index.html

Link Between Bypass, Mental Decline

The loss of mental sharpness suffered by many heart-bypass patients several months after surgery may not be caused by the heart-lung machine used in the operating room after all, a Dutch study suggests.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8014/347393.html

New Blood-Pressure Drug Lowers Stroke Risk

Patients who take one of a relatively new class of drugs for treating high blood pressure have a 24 percent lower risk of stroke than those taking another type of drug, according to a study presented to a meeting of heart doctors.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347529.html

Angioplasty Beats Clot-Busting Drug Treatment

Heart attack patients do substantially better when treated with emergency angioplasty instead of clot-busting drugs, even when the patients have to be transferred up to 95 miles away to have the angioplasty performed, Danish researchers have concluded after a bold comparison study.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347490.html

Boy Receives Artificial Heart Pump

A 2-year-old Montreal boy underwent successful surgery to receive an artificial heart pump, his doctor said Wednesday.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347518.html

Prolonged Use Of Ramipril Prevents Stroke

Patients who are at high risk of stroke should be treated with the drug ramipril, irrespective of their initial blood pressure levels and in addition to other preventive treatments such as blood pressure lowering agents or aspirin, finds a study in this week's BMJ.
Source: British Medical Journal, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347557.html

Newer Kind Of Blood Pressure Pill Found Better At Preventing Strokes

A large head-to-head comparison of two widely used blood pressure pills found one dramatically superior in preventing strokes and diabetes, even though they are equal at reducing hypertension.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347469.html

Quick Test Accurately Diagnoses Congestive Heart Failure

A 15-minute blood test lets emergency room doctors accurately judge whether patients with severe shortness of breath are suffering from congestive heart failure.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347433.html

Study Can't Confirm Off-Pump Benefits In Heart Bypasses

An increasingly popular heart-surgery technique partly pioneered by star surgeons in Boston does not help patients as much as doctors had hoped, Dutch researchers reported in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347464.html

Study Links Diabetes Drug To Heart Failure

In a comparison of health-insurance data from more than 49,000 diabetes patients, those who took a particular type of medication were more likely than other patients to develop heart failure, according to a study presented at the nation's largest meeting of heart doctors.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347484.html

Eliminating Health Disparities Requires Community Involvement

Successful programs to lessen racial and ethnic health disparities share common traits of establishing strong ties between health providers and the community members they serve, according to a group of studies just published.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/347421.html

While-You-Wait Implantable Heart Assist Device Appears Effective

A new implantable device that gives failing hearts a boost while patients await a heart transplant appears to be reliable and safe, researchers report in the rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/350488.html

High Blood Pressure Drug Eases Vessel Stiffness, Lowers Systolic Pressures

The first of a new class of drugs reduces blood pressure better than the well-known ACE inhibitors and appears to reverse some of the vessel stiffness thought to be an inevitable part of aging, researchers say in a Rapid Track report from Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/350487.html

State-Specific Trends In Self-Reported Blood Pressure Screening And High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure screening is an important first step in preventing and controlling high blood pressure, heart disease, renal disease and stroke.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/350706.html

Magnesium Prevents Eclampsia And Saves Lives

Giving injections of magnesium sulphate to expectant mothers who have pre-eclampsia can halve their risk of dangerous seizures and save their lives, a major new study has found.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/350695.html

Screening Families With A History Of High Cholesterol Is Most Cost Effective Way To Cut Heart Deaths

Screening relatives of people with high cholesterol levels is the most cost effective way to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease, yet no recommended screening strategy currently exists in the United Kingdom, according to researchers in this week's BMJ.
Source: British Medical Journal, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/350708.html

Young Adults Don't Heed Warning Message Of Heart Attack Or Stroke In Family

A heart attack or stroke in a close family member should send a signal that one is at higher risk of suffering the same fate and provoke healthier, risk-reducing behaviors -- at least according to theory. Yet a new study reveals that the potentially lifesaving message may be lost on young adults.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/349171.html
 

Mercury Ups Heart Disease Risk

Finnish men with the highest concentrations of mercury in their hair also had the highest death rates from cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure and stroke, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/349178.html

Non-Traditional Roles May Boost Risk Of Heart Disease And Death

Househusbands and others whose work or social roles are outside the norm suffer more coronary heart disease and death from all causes, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum.
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/349176.html

Triggers For Sudden Cardiac Death Differ By Gender

Psychosocial stress is a more common trigger for sudden cardiac arrest than physical exertion for women, while the opposite is true for men, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum.
Source: American Heart Association,www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/349177.html

Hospitals Face Prospect Of More Angioplasties

Since their introduction in the mid-1980s, clot-dissolving drugs administered in U.S. hospital emergency departments have saved thousands of heart-attack patients, reducing the death rate by 25 percent. Now, however, a growing pile of evidence indicates that there's an even better approach, and some doctors are pressing for it to be made available to all patients.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/349243.html

What Causes Patients To Delay Seeking Medical Help?

Researchers in this week's BMJ interviewed 22 patients who had been admitted to hospital with at least one previous heart attack. Six themes emerged that seemed to influence their decision to seek medical help.
Source: British Medical Journal www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/349253.html

Bayer Corp. Claims McNeil-PPC Uses False And Misleading Aspirin Ads

Bayer Corp. filed a lawsuit against McNeil-PPC Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, alleging the company's ads for St. Joseph aspirin are false, misleading and potentially harmful to consumers.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/349280.html

Public/Private Partnership Expands To Boost Promotion Of Healthy Eating To Reduce The Risk Of Disease

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that an alliance of federal agencies, private industry and health organizations have joined forces to strengthen efforts to help all Americans meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption. This unprecedented public/private partnership will increase promotion of the 5 A Day for Better Health Program. As the largest nutrition education initiative in the world, the program encourages consumers to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/349242.html

Mexican Americans More Likely To Die Of Heart Disease Than Caucasians

For years, scientists have been puzzled by reports that Mexican Americans, who have high rates of obesity and diabetes, are less likely than Caucasians to die from heart disease. Now a new study challenges the so-called 'Hispanic paradox.'
Source: American Heart Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/349232.html

FDA OKs Guidant Aneurysm Treatment

Guidant Corp. received government approval to market a device to treat aortic aneurysms, or bulges caused by the weakening of the walls of the body's largest artery.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/349191.html

Study Urges Increase In Angioplasty

Angioplasties can safely be done on heart attack victims at hospitals that do not have cardiac surgery departments, according to a study that could help make the life-saving procedure available to many more patients across the country.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8011/348755.html

If You Think It's a Stroke . . .

With new treatments that can prevent or lessen the damage of stroke, getting emergency care fast is critical. Call 911. Families need to be their own advocates, alerting medical personnel to the possibility of stroke.

Symptoms

For more information

American Stroke Association: 888-478-7653 www.strokeassociation.org

National Stroke Association: 800-787-6537; www.stroke.org

Source: www.healthlinkusa.com/getpage.asp?http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/health/2835889.htm

Waiting to See if You Die

Too few Americans get to the hospital fast enough when a heart attack occurs. The main reason is patient delay.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/346142.html

Cool It

Cooling the body just a few degrees appears to prevent brain damage in people who survive cardiac arrest but are left unconscious.

Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8011/346084.html

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The heart has its reasons which reason does not know. - Blaise Pascal

 
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