Wednesday, April 8, 2009
BMI and Heart Failure
Both body mass index (BMI) and waist size influence a person's risk of being hospitalized with heart failure or dying of the condition, new research shows."This study reinforces the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight through diet and exercise," Dr. Emily B. Levitan of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, a researcher on the study, told Reuters Health.In heart failure, the organ becomes too weak to pump blood efficiently through a person's body, leading to fatigue, swelling of the legs, and difficulty breathing. Heart failure is the top cause of hospitalization among Americans 65 and older, Levitan and her colleagues note in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Smoking and Metabolic Syndrome
High rates of tobacco smoking and a condition called metabolic syndrome are combining to increase the risks of heart disease and stroke among older individuals in China, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease -- including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides (another type of blood fat). The syndrome is typically diagnosed when a person has three or more of these conditions.
Metabolic syndrome was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, the researchers note, and the risk was higher among former and current smokers than among people who had never smoked.
Further analysis showed that the combined effect of smoking and metabolic syndrome on heart disease and stroke was stronger in women than in men. Moreover, only in women was exposure to secondhand smoke associated with these conditions.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease -- including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides (another type of blood fat). The syndrome is typically diagnosed when a person has three or more of these conditions.
Metabolic syndrome was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, the researchers note, and the risk was higher among former and current smokers than among people who had never smoked.
Further analysis showed that the combined effect of smoking and metabolic syndrome on heart disease and stroke was stronger in women than in men. Moreover, only in women was exposure to secondhand smoke associated with these conditions.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Women are More Volatile against Heart Attack
Women who suffer a type of severe heart attack were less likely than men to survive the first 24 hours in a hospital, a new study has found.
The study appears in today’s issue of the medical journal Circulation, which is published by the American Heart Association.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and elsewhere reviewed data on treatments and outcomes from more than 78,000 patients admitted to 420 hospitals between 2001 and 2006. The data were gathered by hospitals using an online tool to track patient care.
Previous studies have shown that women are less likely to survive heart attacks than men, but experts disagree over the causes.
While some have suggested that women aren’t diagnosed as promptly or treated as aggressively as men, others note that women tend to develop heart disease at a more advanced age. As a result, female patients are more likely to suffer such complicating ailments as diabetes or lung disease.
Women may also be more likely to experience confusing heart attack symptoms, such as unexplained fatigue, rather than the classic symptom of crushing chest pain, making it more difficult to diagnose.
Read more
The study appears in today’s issue of the medical journal Circulation, which is published by the American Heart Association.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and elsewhere reviewed data on treatments and outcomes from more than 78,000 patients admitted to 420 hospitals between 2001 and 2006. The data were gathered by hospitals using an online tool to track patient care.
Previous studies have shown that women are less likely to survive heart attacks than men, but experts disagree over the causes.
While some have suggested that women aren’t diagnosed as promptly or treated as aggressively as men, others note that women tend to develop heart disease at a more advanced age. As a result, female patients are more likely to suffer such complicating ailments as diabetes or lung disease.
Women may also be more likely to experience confusing heart attack symptoms, such as unexplained fatigue, rather than the classic symptom of crushing chest pain, making it more difficult to diagnose.
Read more
Friday, November 28, 2008
Depression increase the risk of death
Depression increases the risk of death in patients with heart failure, but the risk apparently disappears with antidepressant use, according to a research.
"Recent studies suggest that the use of antidepressants may be associated with increased mortality (death) in patients with cardiac disease," Dr. Christopher M. O'Connor, of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues note in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Because depression has also been shown to be associated with increased mortality in these patients, it remains unclear if this association is attributable to the use of antidepressants or to depression."
Read the news
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Less Sleep Goes to Heart Attack Risk
Reuters Health publish a report that men and women with high blood pressure who get less than the standard amount of sleep may face an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, researchers reported Monday.
They suspect that a lack of sleep leads to increased the activity of nervous system throughout the day, which may in turn stress the cardiovascular system. Non-dipping overnight blood pressure has also been tied to increased nervous system activity during the day, say the note of the team.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, November 10, 2008
Read more
They suspect that a lack of sleep leads to increased the activity of nervous system throughout the day, which may in turn stress the cardiovascular system. Non-dipping overnight blood pressure has also been tied to increased nervous system activity during the day, say the note of the team.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, November 10, 2008
Read more
Saturday, November 8, 2008
turning clock back on Sunday may be good for heart
Associated Press post an study result that turning clock back on Sunday may be good for heart.
Swedish researchers looked at 20 years of records and discovered that the number of heart attacks dipped on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour, possibly because people got an extra hour of sleep.
We have long known that Monday in general is the worst day for heart attacks, and they usually blame the stress of a new work week and increased activity. The Swedish researchers said their findings suggest that the minor loss of sleep that occurs at the end of ordinary weekends — with people going to bed later on Sunday and getting up early on Monday — might also be a contributing factor.
Sleep can affect the heart through changes in blood pressure, inflammation, blood clotting, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood vessels. Anxiety from changes in routine may also be a factor, in addition to loss of sleep.
Read more
Swedish researchers looked at 20 years of records and discovered that the number of heart attacks dipped on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour, possibly because people got an extra hour of sleep.
We have long known that Monday in general is the worst day for heart attacks, and they usually blame the stress of a new work week and increased activity. The Swedish researchers said their findings suggest that the minor loss of sleep that occurs at the end of ordinary weekends — with people going to bed later on Sunday and getting up early on Monday — might also be a contributing factor.
Sleep can affect the heart through changes in blood pressure, inflammation, blood clotting, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood vessels. Anxiety from changes in routine may also be a factor, in addition to loss of sleep.
Read more
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Junk Food
TIPS FOR HEALTHY LIFE post an article title Junk Foods raise heart attack by 35 percents
Reuters reported a research on Monday October, 25 that diets heavy in fried foods, salty snacks and meat account for about 35 percent of heart attacks globally.
Their study of 52 countries showed that people who ate a diet based on meat, eggs and junk food were more likely to have heart attacks, while those who ate more fruits and vegetables had a lower risk.
The study supports previous findings that show junk food and animal fats can cause heart disease, and especially heart attacks.People who ate more fruits and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to people who ate little or none of these foods, they found. Vice versa, People eating a high loads of fried and salty snack diet had a 35 percent greater risk of heart attack compared to people who consumed little or no fried foods and meat.
Read more
Reuters reported a research on Monday October, 25 that diets heavy in fried foods, salty snacks and meat account for about 35 percent of heart attacks globally.
Their study of 52 countries showed that people who ate a diet based on meat, eggs and junk food were more likely to have heart attacks, while those who ate more fruits and vegetables had a lower risk.
The study supports previous findings that show junk food and animal fats can cause heart disease, and especially heart attacks.People who ate more fruits and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to people who ate little or none of these foods, they found. Vice versa, People eating a high loads of fried and salty snack diet had a 35 percent greater risk of heart attack compared to people who consumed little or no fried foods and meat.
Read more
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