Heart Health: How To Save Your Life
A heart attack or cardiac arrest can seem to come with no apparent warning, but cardiovascular disease is often silently worsening as time goes on. Diet, exercise, weight and other lifestyle factors all play a role, as do disease and genetics. We can reduce some risk factors and compensate for others, but we should also learn the red flags of impending problems -- and how to prevent them. In the meantime, the diagnoses, prognoses and treatments for heart disease are changing. This collection of articles helps explain what doctors are doing, and what you can do, to keep your heart as healthy as possible.
May 15, 2011
Top 5 early heart attack symptoms in women
Plenty of heart attacks happen the way you see them on TV - crushing chest pain and a tingling left arm. However, it could be deadly to assume that no chest pains means no heart attack, and that's especially true for women. Watch the above video that breaks down the top five symptoms.
12:48 PM EDT, May 11, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE MEDICAL WORLD
Cardiologists rush to angioplasty despite evidence for value of drugs
You can lead a cardiologist to water but, apparently, you cannot make him drink.
5:49 PM EDT, May 10, 2011
NSAIDs following a heart attack greatly increase risk of a repeat heart attack, and death
Heart patients who used common pain relievers called NSAIDs even briefly are at much higher risk of having a repeat heart attack or of dying than those who stay away from the drugs, which include such widely used over-the-counter medications as ibuprofen and naproxen, a new study concludes.
May 11, 2011
New pacemaker allows for MRI
The low heart rate, water retention and fatigue have all but disappeared for Bob Fouts since doctors implanted a pacemaker in the 79-year-old Korean War veteran.
3:31 PM EDT, April 26, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Tai chi may be good for heart patients--but that's just for starters
The benefits of tai chi, with origins as a Chinese martial art, seem to be adding up. Evidence that the exercise might help people with heart failure feel less depressed and more energized is but the latest in a string of positive findings about tai chi’s health effects.
5:41 PM EDT, April 20, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Calcium might be tied to heart attack risk, but evidence still weak
Calcium supplements appear to slightly raise the risk of heart attack, a new analysis suggests. But the data, from postmenopausal women who took supplements over seven years, are far from conclusive.
2:30 AM EDT, April 14, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Psoriasis linked to heart disease, diabetes, other cardiovascular conditions
Psoriasis isn’t just an itchy, unsightly skin disease, researchers say -- it’s also linked to an increased risk of heart disease, abdominal fat, stroke, type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular issues that together make up what’s known as metabolic syndrome.
April 10, 2011
NUTRITION LAB
Coffee studies should warm your heart
Looking for a reason to not give up your coffee habit? Here's one possibility: heart health.
April 5, 2011
Many heart failure patients may avoid bypass surgery
Bypass surgery is better for patients with severe heart failure than standard medical therapy, but not by a lot, and many patients who don't want to undergo surgery may do just as well without it, researchers said Monday.
April 5, 2011
Alternative angioplasty route gains favor
Performing angioplasty and angiography through the radial artery of the arm is as effective as the traditional method of entering through the femoral artery of the groin, but has fewer complications and is more comfortable for the patient, researchers reported Monday.
7:01 PM EDT, April 4, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Working longer hours may make the boss happy, but it could take a toll on your heart
If you find yourself spending extra hours at work, take note: They may take a physical toll. A study released today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that those who put in more than 11 hours a day at their jobs had a greater relative risk of coronary heart disease than those who worked fewer hours.
7:06 PM EDT, April 4, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
About 1 in every 44,000 NCAA athletes suffers heart-related death, new study finds
About 1 in every 44,000 NCAA athletes dies of a cardiac problem every year, with the highest rate occurring among basketball players, according to the first comprehensive study of the problem. The results are higher than some experts had thought and suggest that increased screening of at least some players might reduce the death rate, researchers reported Monday in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Assn.
4:46 PM EDT, April 3, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD
Restless legs syndrome linked to heart damage, higher risk of stroke and heart attacks
Repeated muscle twitchings in the legs, a phenomenon known as restless legs syndrome, can damage the heart, possibly by interfering with sleep at night, researchers said Sunday. The condition, they found, is linked to a problem known as left ventricular hypertrophy, in which the wall of the heart becomes thicker, making pumping blood more difficult. Left ventricular hypertrophy, in turn, has been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
4:21 PM EDT, April 3, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD
Egyptian mummies prove ancient people also had hardening of the arteries
CT scans of Egyptian mummies show that many of them suffered from hardening of their arteries, researchers said Sunday. Cardiologists have generally believed that atherosclerosis is a byproduct of the modern lifestyle, caused by eating foods that are too high in fats, lack of exercise and smoking. The new findings indicate that "we may understand atherosclerosis less well than we think," Dr. Gregory S. Thomas, a cardiologist at UC Irvine, told a New Orleans meeting of the American College of Cardiology. It may be that humans "are predisposed to atherosclerosis," he said, "that it is part of our genetic makeup."
3:57 PM EDT, April 2, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FORM THE HEALTH WORLD
Antidepressants may increase the risk of heart disease by thickening artery walls
Taking antidepressants may raise the risk of heart disease in men by producing a thickening of artery walls, researchers said Saturday. Although a potential mechanism for the action is not obvious, the drugs appear to accelerate atherosclerosis by increasing the thickness of what is known as the intima media, the inner and middle layers of the arteries, particularly the carotid arteries that feed blood to the brain, researchers from Emory University in Atlanta reported at a New Orleans meeting of the American College of Cardiology.
2:32 PM EDT, March 24, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
No link between mercury in fish and heart disease found in study
Eat fish. And don’t stress -- overly much -- about the potential effect of its mercury level on your risk of cardiovascular disease. That ultimately might be the lesson from a new study assessing the effect of mercury exposure via fish consumption.
12:28 PM EDT, March 23, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD
Elizabeth Taylor dies of congestive heart failure. What is it?
Actress Elizabeth Taylor died early Wednesday of congestive heart failure at age 79. Here is some information about the condition.
9:10 PM EDT, March 22, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Exercising or having sex periodically may increase the risk for a cardiac event, but overall risk is low
Exercising or having sex could increase chances of having a cardiac event in the short-term, although the overall risk is low and decreases with regular exercise, a study finds.
4:48 PM EDT, March 22, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Heart attack marker troponin may help with diagnosis
Heart attacks can be difficult to diagnose. Moreover, doctors often can't tell a cardiac patient whether he or she is likely to suffer another heart attack. A new test to detect a particular substance in the blood may help with that problem but, if adopted for widespread use, it could also dramatically raise the number of heart attack diagnoses.
6:01 PM EST, March 4, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Wes Leonard: High school star's cardiac arrest caused by underlying heart condition
Wes Leonard, star of the Fennville High basketball team, died of cardiac arrest brought on by a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, said the Ottawa County, Mich., medical examiner Friday.
8:08 PM EST, March 2, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
People with depression get slower ER care for heart attacks
Heart disease and depression often go together, for reasons that physicians don't really understand. So it would seem an especially bitter pill that patients with depression who are suffering from heart attacks get slower care at emergency rooms.
4:05 PM EST, March 1, 2011
Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
High blood pressure medications lower risks in heart patients -- even those without hypertension
High blood pressure often goes hand-in-hand with heart disease. But some people with heart disease don't have hypertension. Those people, however, may still benefit from taking medications to treat high blood pressure, according to an analysis published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
4:25 PM EST, March 1, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Positive thinking had positive outcomes for some heart patients, study says
Optimism might be hard to maintain in the face of serious heart disease. But a new study suggests that thinking good thoughts might help with long-term recovery.
7:00 PM EST, February 23, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Hot flashes at menopause may signal a lower risk for heart attacks and stroke
Hot flashes and night sweats at menopause are uncomfortable and annoying to many women. But they are also associated with a reduced risk of future heart attacks and strokes, researchers reported Thursday.
2:30 PM EST, February 24, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Newborn mice regrow lost heart muscle. Could we?
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that 1-day-old mice can regenerate working heart tissue, according to a study published online Thursday by the journal Science.
February 21, 2011
In the Works
Off-the-shelf blood vessels
Heart bypass patients may soon be able to get new arteries without having to sacrifice vessels from other parts of their body, thanks to ready-made, off-the-shelf artificial blood vessels.
February 21, 2011
Depression and the heart: Clinical trials in progress
A handful of clinical trials are underway across the country to directly assess whether successful depression treatment — be it medication or some form of supportive therapy — improves a patient's cardiac prognosis.
February 16, 2011
New campaign urges women to call 911 at heart attack warning signs
Marla Kalish, 58, of Highland Park, started experiencing chest pressure five years ago during her morning tennis matches. When she slowed down, the pressure would always dissipate, so she chalked it up to acid reflux.
February 14, 2011
Suzy Cohen: Nutrients may help reduce heart risks
Dear Pharmacist: Both my father and brother have suffered a heart attack. I'm worried because I'm 52 years old and my blood pressure is slightly elevated, but other than that, I am pretty healthy. All my tests are OK, but I am scared. Any suggestions? — P.A., Denver
8:07 PM EST, February 11, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Elizabeth Taylor's congestive heart failure: What is it?
Actress Elizabeth Taylor, 78, was hospitalized Friday for congestive heart failure, a condition she has been suffering with since at least 2004.
February 7, 2011
Heart attacks, if survived, bring drastic change
"I think I'm having anxiety," Leonard Castro told his wife on a day back in September.
February 7, 2011
The new guidelines for heart health
The Life's Simple Seven checklist sets a goal of meeting at least five it's seven criteria for optimal cardiovascular health. The list addresses smoking, weight, exercise, what we eat, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose.
February 7, 2011
How to tell if you're having a heart attack
How can you tell if you or someone you know is having a heart attack? Sometimes the symptoms can be surprisingly subtle.
February 7, 2011
Stem cells for broken hearts
It's one of the most vexing problems in medical science: How can you mend a broken heart?
February 7, 2011
Roy Wallack: Gear: Heart rate monitors, vital sign trackers keep you in the know during workout
Whether you're 18 or 80, if you like to run, bike, row, swim, cross-country ski or climb mountains, you have to keep an eye on the old ticker — for training and safety purposes. Those aiming for victory have to know how hard to push it; those out for basic health and longevity have to know when to throttle back. And those who take it too far absolutely have to get help fast. Here's some technology that provides instant access to your vital signs exactly when you and your helpers need it.
February 7, 2011
My Turn: Bill Hillman thanks chest compressions for helping to save his wife
It was 4:05 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2009. I heard my wife, Dianne, say, "I think I'm having a heart attack."
6:07 PM EST, January 31, 2011
William Weir: Genome holds clue in congenital heart disease
A new study from Yale points to a particular alteration in the genome as a cause of a condition that leads to heart disease in children.
7:32 PM EST, January 28, 2011
Heart attacks in public places: why you're more likely to survive
Every year, some 300,000 Americans suffer a heart attack outside of a hospital, and the overall statistics are pretty grim: only 7.9% survive.
January 27, 2011
Gene protects some black Americans from heart disease: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some black Americans have a gene that protects them from heart disease, researchers said on Thursday.
January 27, 2011
The difference between sudden cardiac arrest and heart attacks
The new year brings a lot of resolutions to exercise. And sometimes the cold weather also means more snow shoveling. All that exertion can be harmful to people with abnormal hearts by leading to sudden cardiac arrest. Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, director of cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, talks about the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack and what those at risk can do.
11:52 PM EST, January 22, 2011
Researchers work to harness power of good cholesterol
They're still learning just how HDL contributes to heart health, and whether more is always better.
11:52 PM EST, January 22, 2011
Take charge of your cholesterol: Quick facts
What should you be doing to keep your cholesterol under control? Here's what the experts advise:
4:00 PM EST, January 10, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Heart disease risk rises with time spent sitting
Heart disease risks rise dramatically among people who spend two or more hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen, television or video-game box, researchers reported Monday. Experts now think that prolonged sitting -- what they call "recreational sitting" -- is especially harmful to heart health.
2:50 PM EST, December 16, 2010
Colder temperatures mean more heart attacks
When temperatures dip during cold snaps, your body notices.
December 6, 2010
Calcium supplements and the heart
You're trying to do your bones a favor when you pop your daily calcium pill. And doctors who recommend the pills are trying to do patients a favor too. What then, to make of a suggested link between daily calcium supplements and a slightly increased risk of heart attacks?
September 14, 2010
Wrong treatment for heart disease?
Tens or even hundreds of thousands of Americans are having coronary artery angioplasty and stenting every year when they should be having bypass grafts, and the result is an extra 5,000 or more deaths annually, researchers said Sunday.
August 31, 2010
Depression and heart health
The loss of interest, ruminations of suicide and feelings of guilt and sadness that are the hallmarks of depression may be debilitating. But it is depression's physical warning signs — fatigue, sleep disturbance and appetite changes — that are the most corrosive to the heart, a new study concludes.
August 9, 2010
Heart risk starts early
Signs of heart disease -- generally thought to be a disease of middle age -- can be seen even in children, cardiologists now know. But risk factors in children and young adults run the risk of being undetected and untreated, largely because of confusion as to who among the young should get screened, and when.
August 9, 2010
Pinning down the side effects of statins
Statins are widely considered to be one of the safest drugs available. An estimated 24 million Americans take the cholesterol-lowering drugs, and most of them feel no different after their daily dose.
April 5, 2010
The gender line
Say what you will about Mars and Venus, but anatomically, male and female hearts look the same. When healthy, both should be about the size of a fist. Both have three main coronary arteries, the large blood vessels that wrap around the outside of the heart, supplying blood, oxygen and nutrients to keep each one pumping properly.
February 22, 2010
Julie Deardorff: Demystifying the cardiac stress test
Treadmill stress test: What is a treadmill exercise stress test?
February 24, 2010
Quick guide: Heart disease
Heart disease refers to conditions related to the heart muscle, such as heart attack, arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, pericardial disease, congestive heart failure and congenital heart disease. Left untreated, heart disease can lead to a limited lifestyle or sudden death.
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