A common treatment for irregular heartbeat might cause brain lesions under some circumstances, according to new research. The treatment, catheter ablation, is risky when performed on the left side of the heart, say researchers from the University of California San Francisco. Additionally, investigators found evidence that the brain lesions may be linked to cognitive decline… Continue reading The Heart Treatment that May be Linked to Cognitive Decline
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.
Personalized Treatment for Those in Blood Pressure “Gray Zone”
Using data from a national study, Johns Hopkins researchers determined in 2017 that heart CT scans can help personalize treatment for patients whose blood pressure falls in the “gray zone” of just above normal or mild high blood pressure. A release from Johns Hopkins explains that previously the appropriate blood pressure treatment for these patients… Continue reading Personalized Treatment for Those in Blood Pressure “Gray Zone”
A Biomarker for Heart-Failure Patients
Differences in the hearts of patients with advanced heart failure may indicate which patients would benefit most from cardiac recovery therapies. The finding, by experts at the University of Utah, was published in the journal Circulation. “Based on everything a doctor would traditionally measure, these patients look equally sick,” says co-senior author and cardiologist Stavros… Continue reading A Biomarker for Heart-Failure Patients
High Survival Rate for Elderly Patients with Implantable Defibrillator
Of patients over age 65 who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal arrhythmia, almost 80 percent survived two years–a higher rate than reported in past trials performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the devices in this situation. That is the finding of ac a study published January 16th… Continue reading High Survival Rate for Elderly Patients with Implantable Defibrillator
New Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in Older Adults
The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have published an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the appropriate systolic blood pressure target for adults 60 years old and older with hypertension. The joint guideline was published in January 17th 2017 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and a summary… Continue reading New Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in Older Adults
Rate of Heart Attacks Decreases After Surgery Not Related to the Heart, but Risk of Stroke Increases
In a study published online by JAMA Cardiology in December 2016, Sripal Bangalore, M.D., M.H.A., of the New York University School of Medicine, New York, and colleagues examined national trends in perioperative cardiovascular outcomes and mortality after major noncardiac surgery. A release from the publishers notes that worldwide, more than 300 million noncardiac surgeries are… Continue reading Rate of Heart Attacks Decreases After Surgery Not Related to the Heart, but Risk of Stroke Increases
How the Brain Begins Repairs After Silent “White Matter Strokes”
UCLA researchers have shown that the brain can be repaired — and brain function can be recovered — after a stroke in animals. The discovery could have important implications for treating a mind-robbing condition in people known as a white matter stroke, a major cause of dementia. A release from UCLA explains that white matter… Continue reading How the Brain Begins Repairs After Silent “White Matter Strokes”
Shoulder Pain Linked to Increased Heart Disease Risk
After all the lifting, hauling and wrapping, worn out gift givers may blame the season’s physical strain for any shoulder soreness they are feeling. It turns out there could be another reason. A new study led by investigators at the University of Utah School of Medicine finds that ipeople with symptoms that put them at… Continue reading Shoulder Pain Linked to Increased Heart Disease Risk
New Benefits Found for Aspirin
Taking an aspirin a day can help some older Americans reduce heart-attack risk, prevent some cancers and cancer deaths, and extend their lives, according to a new study from the University of Southern California (USc). The study found that the people who benefited from daily low-dose aspirin had a high risk of heart disease. Researchers… Continue reading New Benefits Found for Aspirin
Alcohol Consumption Has No Effect on Coronary Arteries
Researchers using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) have found no association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study presented on November 29th, 2016 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Some previous studies have suggested that light alcohol consumption may actually reduce… Continue reading Alcohol Consumption Has No Effect on Coronary Arteries
Pessimism Ups Risk of Death from Heart Disease, Yet Optimism Isn’t Protective
Pessimism seems to be a strong risk factor for death from coronary heart disease (CHD), while optimism does not protect from it, according to a study published in November 2016 in the open access journal BMC Public Health. The research involved 2,267 middle aged and older Finnish men and women. A rlease from BioMed Central… Continue reading Pessimism Ups Risk of Death from Heart Disease, Yet Optimism Isn’t Protective
A New Factor In High Hypertension among African-Americans
African-Americans have more rigidity of the aorta, the major artery supplying oxygen-rich blood to the body, than Caucasians and Hispanics, according to a new study. That may be a factor in Africcan-Americans’ higher risk of hypertension. Hispanics in the study had an intermediate level of aortic stiffness, greater than Caucasians, but less than that of… Continue reading A New Factor In High Hypertension among African-Americans
White Coat Hypertension May Indicate Risk for Heart Disease in Some Older People
White coat hypertension, in which patients have high blood pressure readings in a medical setting but normal blood pressure outside the doctor’s office, is most likely an innocuous condition that is not a predictor of heart disease or stroke — except in a small group of older patients, according to a study published online October… Continue reading White Coat Hypertension May Indicate Risk for Heart Disease in Some Older People
Acupuncture Lowers Hypertension by Activating Natural Opioids
Researchers with the Univerisity of Calfornia, Irvine Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine have found that regular electroacupunture treatment can lower hypertension (high blood pressure) by increasing the release of a kind of natural opioid in the brainstem region that controls blood pressure. An October 31st 2016 release from the university reports that In tests… Continue reading Acupuncture Lowers Hypertension by Activating Natural Opioids
For a Healthy Heart, Stay Active but Skip the High Intensity Workouts
An analysis about the value of physical activity and exercise in helping to prevent heart disease related deaths among senior citizens highlighted the protective value that participating frequently in more than one type of activity has, but without doing so to the extreme. The study, led by Ying Kuen Cheung of Columbia University, and conducted… Continue reading For a Healthy Heart, Stay Active but Skip the High Intensity Workouts
Whole Grain Diet Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk
A team of Cleveland Clinic researchers, in collaboration with Nestlé Research Center, conducted one of the largest controlled studies of its kind on whole grains and concluded that a diet rich in whole grains may significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight and obese adults under the age of 50. The findings, published… Continue reading Whole Grain Diet Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Cocoa Compounds and Possible Cardiovascular Benefits
Researchers have discovered further evidence that compounds in cocoa could benefit heart health. The investigation, published in the Journal of Nutrition, involved a review of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). It focused on whether consumption of cocoa products rich in the compound flavanol was linked to improvement in cardiometabolic health as compared to consuming placebos… Continue reading Cocoa Compounds and Possible Cardiovascular Benefits
Technology to Aid At-Home Heart Attack Diagnosis
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a flexible, mechanically stable and disposable sensor that can detect proteins in the blood that signal the onset of a heart attack. The team described the technology in October 2016 in the online open-access journal Scientific Reports, part of Nature Publishing Group. A release from… Continue reading Technology to Aid At-Home Heart Attack Diagnosis