Men develop a type of irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, about a decade earlier than women on average, and being overweight is a major risk factor, according to a large new study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart, or atria, quiver instead of… Continue reading Atrial Fibrillation: Men Develop It Earlier and Weight Is A Factor
Category: Heart Health
Your heart keeps your body running. And we keep you on top of everything you need to know about heart health so that you’re in the know.
Tai Chi: An Alternative for Patients After Heart Attack
An update from the American Heart Association on an alternative exercise for people who might not like physical activity: The slow and gentle movements of Tai Chi hold promise as an alternative exercise option for patients who decline traditional cardiac rehabilitation, according to preliminary research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access… Continue reading Tai Chi: An Alternative for Patients After Heart Attack
Stopping Aspirin Therapy Can Be Dangerous: Study
Editor’s Note: Here, from the American Heart Association, an update on aspirin therapy and why it may be risky to quit it: Stopping long-term, low-dose aspirin therapy may increase your risk of suffering a cardiovascular event, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Aspirin, taken in low doses, is used to… Continue reading Stopping Aspirin Therapy Can Be Dangerous: Study
Eat Up: Skipping Breakfast Can Cause Hardening of The Arteries
Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to a build-up of plaque, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to promote greater heart health, including healthier weight and cholesterol. While previous… Continue reading Eat Up: Skipping Breakfast Can Cause Hardening of The Arteries
Meditation Might Be Useful Addition to Heart-Healthy Lifestyle and Medical Treatment
Meditation has the potential to reduce some risk factors for heart disease, but the gold standard for lowering risk remains a heart-healthy lifestyle and following medical recommendations, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Studies have shown that meditation can have long-term effects on the brain and how it works, and… Continue reading Meditation Might Be Useful Addition to Heart-Healthy Lifestyle and Medical Treatment
Adults without Partners Monitor Blood Pressure Less Frequently
Having a lower education level and no partner is associated with a lower frequency of home blood pressure monitoring, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension 2017 Scientific Sessions. Researchers assessed the data of 6,113 U.S. adults from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They found:… Continue reading Adults without Partners Monitor Blood Pressure Less Frequently
Widely Used Heart-Attack Test Said to Be Ineffective
New research indicates that a widely ordered blood test has no efficacy in evaluating patients with suspected heart attack. The investigation was done by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic; it ompiled peer-reviewed evidence and crafted a guideline designed to help physicians and medical centers stop the use… Continue reading Widely Used Heart-Attack Test Said to Be Ineffective
Stress, Your Brain – and The Risk of Heart Disease
The brain may have a distinctive activity pattern during stressful events that predicts bodily reactions, such as rises in blood pressure that increase risk for cardiovascular disease, according to new proof-of-concept research in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The new research, the… Continue reading Stress, Your Brain – and The Risk of Heart Disease
Intensive Blood Pressure Control for Long-Term Health and Quality of Life
[Editor’s note: An August 9th 2017 release from Trinity College Dublin urged caution regarding aggressively lowering blood pressure in older people, as per the major US SPRINT trial, because of the possibility of the increased the risk of associated falls and blackouts. However, two newer studies discussed in an August 23rd 2017 release from the… Continue reading Intensive Blood Pressure Control for Long-Term Health and Quality of Life
A Neglected Factor in Female Hypertension?
Doctors treating women with high blood pressure should consider measuring their level of aldosterone, a hormone that at high levels damages the cardiovascular system, according to new research. If aldosterone levels are high, they should consider prescribing drugs that directly target the hormone’s receptor, says Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele, physiologist in the Vascular Biology… Continue reading A Neglected Factor in Female Hypertension?
Fewer than Half Of Stroke Patients Are Prescribed Recommended Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Nationwide, fewer than half of stroke patients discharged from the hospital received a prescription for cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, and the likelihood of a prescription varied by patients’ geographic location, sex, age and race, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke… Continue reading Fewer than Half Of Stroke Patients Are Prescribed Recommended Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Long Working Hours Increase the Risk of Developing Atrial Fibrillation
People who work long hours have an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to a study of nearly 85,500 men and women published in July 2017 in the European Heart Journal. A release from the European Society of Cardiology notes that the study showed that, compared to… Continue reading Long Working Hours Increase the Risk of Developing Atrial Fibrillation
Miniature Human Heart Created from Rat Heart
Creating a miniature human heart from an animal model sounds like futuristic science fiction, but it’s already been done. According to a release from the American Heart Association, a miniature human heart created by introducing human cells into the matrix of a whole rat heart may make it easier to confirm basic science findings and… Continue reading Miniature Human Heart Created from Rat Heart
Hospitalizations for Heart Failure Are on the Decline, but Rates Remain Higher for Blacks Than Whites and for Men Than Women
The number of people hospitalized for heart failure in the United States declined about 30 percent between 2002 and 2013, but large disparities between blacks vs. whites and men vs. women remain, according to research published in June 2017 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. A release from the publishers… Continue reading Hospitalizations for Heart Failure Are on the Decline, but Rates Remain Higher for Blacks Than Whites and for Men Than Women
Update: Heart Disease and Women
Here, an update from the American Heart Association (AHA), an update on the progress made against heart disease in women, and what still needs to be done: From American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown and co-author of the study “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Regarding Cardiovascular Disease in Women” published in the Journal of the American… Continue reading Update: Heart Disease and Women
Equine and Music Therapy May Help Stroke Survivors
Horseback riding and rhythm-and-music therapies may improve stroke survivors’ perception of recovery, gait, balance, grip strength and cognition even years after their stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke. A variety of interventions that engage patients in physical, sensory, mental and social activities target a range of functions at the… Continue reading Equine and Music Therapy May Help Stroke Survivors
Study: CT Angiography May Be Better at Predicting Future Cardiac Episodes
According to new research, CT angiography better predicted the risk of future cardiac events than did measures of exercise tolerance or of restricted blood flow to the heart muscle. The conclusion was reached after an analysis of diagnostic test results from the Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain (PROMISE) trial, in which… Continue reading Study: CT Angiography May Be Better at Predicting Future Cardiac Episodes
Some Heart Medications May Increase Risk of Falls
Older adults who take non-selective beta-blockers, a class of cardiovascular medication, may be at higher risk of falling compared with people using selective beta-blockers, according to new research. These two kinds of drugs are already known to differ by their receptor binding properties and their systemic effects on the body. In the analysis of data… Continue reading Some Heart Medications May Increase Risk of Falls