Patients who suffer an ischemic stroke, the most common kind, face an additional risk after being released from the hospital. If they have an infection, they are likelier to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days no matter how severe or mild their stroke was, according to new research. The study was published in… Continue reading A Post-Hospital Risk for Stroke Patients
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 Short Way to Prolong Life
It’s not a marathon runner’s workout time, but doctors are advising heart patients to move around every twenty minutes in an effort to prolong life. Previous research has shown that being sedentary for long periods may shorten life, and that heart patients spend most of their time sitting, lying down or watching TV. But, that… Continue reading A Short Way to Prolong Life
Poor Oral Health Linked to Higher Blood Pressure and Worse Blood Pressure Control
People with high blood pressure taking medication for their condition are more likely to benefit from the therapy if they have good oral health, according to new research published in October 2018 in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. The findings of the analysis, based on a review of medical and dental exam records of… Continue reading Poor Oral Health Linked to Higher Blood Pressure and Worse Blood Pressure Control
10 Fascinating Facts About Cholesterol
CHOLESTEROL MAY PROTECT YOUR SKIN. Skin treatment research, while still in early stages, indicates that cholesterol added as an ingredient in moisturizers could actually help protect skin from UV damage. According to research published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, other lipid—or fatty—ingredients do not confer the same type of protection, making this a potentially… Continue reading 10 Fascinating Facts About Cholesterol
Faith-Based Approach to Changing Lifestyle Lowers Blood Pressure
A church-based program to encourage a healthy lifestyle lowered systolic blood pressure more than an educational program alone delivered in other churches, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. The Faith-based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH) trial is the first and largest community-based study to… Continue reading Faith-Based Approach to Changing Lifestyle Lowers Blood Pressure
Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Cancer Are Less LIkely to See Cardiologists
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients with a history of cancer are less likely to see a cardiologist or fill anticoagulant prescriptions, compared with AFib patients who never had cancer, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. By not filling and taking prescribed medication, these patients are potentially putting themselves at… Continue reading Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Cancer Are Less LIkely to See Cardiologists
Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths Hitting Middle-Aged Adults in Large Numbers
Despite being largely preventable, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and other related conditions caused 2.2 million hospitalizations in 2016, resulting in $32.7 billion in costs and 415,000 deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of these events were in adults ages 35-64, with over 775,000 hospitalizations and 75,000 deaths… Continue reading Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths Hitting Middle-Aged Adults in Large Numbers
Yo-Yo Dieting Raises Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Fluctuations in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and/or blood sugar levels in otherwise healthy people may be associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and death from any cause compared to people with more stable readings, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. This is the first study to suggest… Continue reading Yo-Yo Dieting Raises Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Higher for U.S. Hispanics Who Live in Counties with Higher Hispanic Population
Hispanics living in the U.S. face more cardiovascular-related death in counties heavily populated by Hispanics than those living in more diverse areas, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. A decade of national data showed that Hispanic ethnic density, or… Continue reading Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Higher for U.S. Hispanics Who Live in Counties with Higher Hispanic Population
Heart Failure Patients with Mitral Regurgitation Benefit from Minimally Invasive Procedure
A multicenter clinical trial has found that a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter mitral valve repair significantly reduced hospitalizations and mortality for heart failure patients with moderate-to-severe or severe functional mitral regurgitation. Findings from the Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation (COAPT) trial were published… Continue reading Heart Failure Patients with Mitral Regurgitation Benefit from Minimally Invasive Procedure
Diagnosing and Treating Resistant Hypertension
Resistant hypertension affects 12 percent to15 percent of patients treated for high blood pressure according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). The statement, published in the Association’s journal Hypertension, provides a comprehensive overview of how to diagnose and treat the condition based on a review of available scientific information. A… Continue reading Diagnosing and Treating Resistant Hypertension
Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average
Black adults experience dangerous spikes in high blood pressure, called a hypertensive crisis, at a rate that is five times the national average, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions, an annual conference focused on recent advances in hypertension research. Hypertensive crisis is a complication of high… Continue reading Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average
Positive Well-Being and Optimism Can Improve Overall Heart Health
Maintaining positive thoughts and feelings through intervention programs can help patients achieve better overall outcomes when it comes to their cardiovascular health, according to a review paper published in September 2018 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. “We addressed how social environment, psychological well-being and the effectiveness of intervention strategies can help… Continue reading Positive Well-Being and Optimism Can Improve Overall Heart Health
More Patients Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest with New EMS Technique
A change in the type of breathing tube paramedics use to resuscitate patients who have suffered sudden cardiac arrest can improve the odds of survival and save thousands of lives, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). More than 90 percent of Americans who experience sudden cardiac… Continue reading More Patients Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest with New EMS Technique
Telemedicine Increases Life Expectancy for Some Heart Patients
Telemedicine management of heart-failure patients reduces hospitalizations, prolongs life and works equally well in rural and urban settings, European investigators say. Results from the study by researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin were published in the journal The Lancet. As part of a research and development project entitled “Health Region of the Future North Brandenburg… Continue reading Telemedicine Increases Life Expectancy for Some Heart Patients
Young, Healthy People Still Vulnerable to Cardiovascular Disease if Their LDL Cholesterol Is High
Young, healthy people may still face a lifetime risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease if they cannot keep their cholesterol levels in check, according to new observational research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Researchers in this latest study looked at associations between low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) thresholds and cardiovascular… Continue reading Young, Healthy People Still Vulnerable to Cardiovascular Disease if Their LDL Cholesterol Is High
Drugs for Heart Failure Are Still Under-Prescribed, Years After Initial Study
A 2018 UCLA-led study found that many people with heart failure do not receive the medications recommended for them under guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America. The study appeared in the July 24th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. A… Continue reading Drugs for Heart Failure Are Still Under-Prescribed, Years After Initial Study
Heart Health Glossary
Here, from the National Institute on Aging, are the crucial terms you need to know about heart disease: Angina Angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) is chest pain or discomfort that occurs if an area of your heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The pain also… Continue reading Heart Health Glossary