Fewer one in 10 heart attack patients over 65 get an implantable defibrillator within a year of their heart attacks, according to a study from Duke Medicine. The most likely reasons for the low rate included advanced age, transitions in care between the hospital and an outpatient clinic, and a mandatory waiting period to… Continue reading Older Patients and Implantable Defibrillators
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.
A Protein That Could Help with Heart Vitality
Levels of a protein called vinculin increase with age to change the performance of heart muscle cells, helping to maintain heart vitality over decades, according to researchers. The investigation was conducted in fruit flies, rats and monkeys by scientists at Johns Hopkins, UC San Diego, and other institutions. “The heart is an amazingly resilient organ… Continue reading A Protein That Could Help with Heart Vitality
Resuming BP Meds Right After Surgery Reduces Risk of Death
It may be better for patients to resume taking their blood pressure medication sooner after surgery than previously thought. A new study published in June 2015 in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists® (ASA), found resuming angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), common medications used to treat… Continue reading Resuming BP Meds Right After Surgery Reduces Risk of Death
Music Increases Cardio Exercise Adherence by 70%
The use of personalized music playlists with tempo-pace synchronization increases adherence to cardiac rehab by almost 70 per cent, according to a study done at the University Health Network in Toronto and published in May 2015 in Sports Medicine -Open. A release from the University Health Network quotes Dr. David Alter, Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehab,… Continue reading Music Increases Cardio Exercise Adherence by 70%
Off-label Use of Device to Prevent Stroke in A-fib Patients Can Be Fatal
The Lariat device, which has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for soft tissue approximation (placement of a suture) during surgical procedures, is associated with a significant incidence of death and urgent cardiac surgery during its frequent off-label use to prevent stroke in patients with the irregular heartbeat known as atrial… Continue reading Off-label Use of Device to Prevent Stroke in A-fib Patients Can Be Fatal
More than Half of All Older Adults Take Aspirin for Health Reasons
Slightly more than half of older adults in the U.S. are taking a daily dose of aspirin, even though the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t recommended it for people who have not yet had a heart attack or stroke. The analysis, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, observed that aspirin use… Continue reading More than Half of All Older Adults Take Aspirin for Health Reasons
A Grateful Heart Is a Healthier Heart
Recognizing and giving thanks for the positive aspects of life can result in improved mental, and ultimately physical, health in patients with asymptomatic heart failure, according to research published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice in April 2015 by the American Psychological Association. A release from the association quotes lead author Paul J. Mills,… Continue reading A Grateful Heart Is a Healthier Heart
Some Afib Patients Get Unnecessary Blood Thinners
About a quarter of all atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at the lowest risk for stroke receive unnecessary blood thinners from cardiology specialists, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco who contend that the providers must be made aware of the resulting potential health risks. Their research letter appears online and will be… Continue reading Some Afib Patients Get Unnecessary Blood Thinners
“Nanomedicine” Reduces Heart Attack Risk
A team led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City showed that “nanomedicine” — the use of of tiny machines — can halt the growth of artery plaque cells, thus resulting in the fast reduction of the inflammation that may cause a heart attack. The study was… Continue reading “Nanomedicine” Reduces Heart Attack Risk
Active People Age 35 to 65 Have Low Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest during sports activities is relatively low among physically active adults aged 35 to 65, according to research published in April 2015 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. A release from the association explains that sudden cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function and usually results from an electrical disturbance… Continue reading Active People Age 35 to 65 Have Low Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Promoting Regeneration of Heart Tissue
A team led by Ed Morrisey, PhD, a professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology and the scientific director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that a subset of RNA molecules, called microRNAs, is important for cardiomyocyte cell proliferation during development… Continue reading Promoting Regeneration of Heart Tissue
BP Screenings Beyond Your PCP’s Office Improve Hypertension Detection
Expanding blood pressure screenings to non-primary care settings can help identify more patients with high blood pressure, commonly called hypertension, and could contribute to better hypertension control and management, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published March 13th 2015 in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension. A release from Kaiser explains that the researchers examined the… Continue reading BP Screenings Beyond Your PCP’s Office Improve Hypertension Detection
Statin Guidelines May Over-Target Seniors & Miss Middle-Agers
The newest guidelines for the use of cholesterol-lowering statins in people at risk of heart disease may be too generic, excluding middle-aged adults who could benefit from the drugs and over-prescribing in older adults, according to a study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute published in March 2015 in the Journal of the American College… Continue reading Statin Guidelines May Over-Target Seniors & Miss Middle-Agers
Safer Drug Combo for AFib
Patients with high-risk atrial fibrillation, or AFib, often require one drug to regulate heart rhythm and a second drug to thin their blood and reduce the risk of stroke. A study led by a University of Missouri School of Medicine cardiologist and published in March 2015 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology,… Continue reading Safer Drug Combo for AFib
A Sense of Purpose May Protect Your Heart
Having a high sense of purpose in life may lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. That’s the finding of a study led by researchers at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt in New York City and presented on March 6th 2015 at the American Heart Association’s EPI/Lifestyle 2015 Scientific Sessions in… Continue reading A Sense of Purpose May Protect Your Heart
Women’s Heart Disease Should Be a Research Priority
The latest gender-specific research on heart disease continues to show differences between women and men, yet gaps remain in how to best diagnose, treat and prevent this number one killer of women, according to studies published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. A portion of the March 2015 issue, published… Continue reading Women’s Heart Disease Should Be a Research Priority
Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women
Younger women who have suffered heart attacks go through more stress than their male counterparts, and that could lead to a worse recovery, according to new findings by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues. “Women tend to report greater stress and more stressful life events than men, potentially because of their different roles… Continue reading Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women
Intravenous Fluids May Hurt Some Heart Patients
Intravenous fluids are supposed to improve or control a patient’s condition, but they may be doing just the opposite for patients with severe heart failure, according to a new study. The observational study, led by researchers from Yale, was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Heart Failure. According to a… Continue reading Intravenous Fluids May Hurt Some Heart Patients