Researchers have discovered that the portfolio diet, an eating plan shown to lower cholesterol levels, also reduces other cardiovascular-disease risk factors including blood pressure, triglycerides and inflammation. In addition to reducing LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol by about 30 per cent when accompanied by a low-saturated fat diet — a level comparable to medications — the… Continue reading “Portfolio Diet” Lowers Many Risk Factors for Heart Disease
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.
Most Black Adults Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure Before Age 55
Approximately 75 percent of black and men women are likely to develop high blood pressure by the age of 55, compared to 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women in the same age range, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the… Continue reading Most Black Adults Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure Before Age 55
Long-Term Survival Worse for Black Survivors of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Blacks who survive cardiac arrest during hospitalization have lower odds of long-term survival compared with similar white survivors, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Half the difference in one-year survival rates, however, remained unexplained. Nearly one-third of the racial difference in one-year survival was dependent on measured patient factors. Only… Continue reading Long-Term Survival Worse for Black Survivors of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
After Menopause, “Good Cholesterol” May Not Be Good
Postmenopausal factors may have an impact on the heart-protective qualities of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) – also known as “good cholesterol” – according to a 2018 study led by researchers in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The findings, published July 19th in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, a journal of the American… Continue reading After Menopause, “Good Cholesterol” May Not Be Good
Poor Air Quality Does Not Offset Exercise’s Heart Benefits
Even in areas with moderate-to-high levels of traffic pollution, regular physical activity reduced the risk of first and recurrent heart attack, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “While exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, pollution can increase… Continue reading Poor Air Quality Does Not Offset Exercise’s Heart Benefits
Treating AFib with Ablation Reduces Mortality and Stroke
Using catheter-based ablation instead of medications alone reduces the risks of death and stroke in patients with the heart arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, according to new research. The analysis was made by physicians from the University of California, Davis. Medications can help reduce AFib symptoms and risks by controlling heart rate and… Continue reading Treating AFib with Ablation Reduces Mortality and Stroke
Can Older, Frail Patients Benefit from “Prehabilitation” Before Heart Surgery?
High risk, frail heart patients might derive benefits from “prehabilitation,” a strategy designed to enhance the recovery process after heart surgery by maintaining or improving the patient’s overall physical and mental status before surgery, according to a group of eminent cardiac specialists writing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology in June of 2018. The authors… Continue reading Can Older, Frail Patients Benefit from “Prehabilitation” Before Heart Surgery?
Wearable Defibrillators May Be Alternative to Surgically Implanted Devices for Some Children with Heart Disease
Wearable cardioverter defibrillators – vest-like devices that deliver electric shocks to interrupt a dangerous heart rhythm – may be a safe and effective alternative to surgically implanted devices in children with ventricular heart rhythm disorders that put them at risk for sudden cardiac death, according to new research published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, an… Continue reading Wearable Defibrillators May Be Alternative to Surgically Implanted Devices for Some Children with Heart Disease
A Link Between Red-Meat Allergen and Heart Disease
High saturated fat levels in red meat have long been known to contribute to heart disease to people in general. But, researchers say, a subgroup may be at risk for a different reason – a food allergen in red meat. And now, for the first time, investigators have identified a specific blood marker for that… Continue reading A Link Between Red-Meat Allergen and Heart Disease
Cash and Goal Setting Help Motivate Heart Patients to Take Healthy Steps
The thought of losing up to $14 a week along with personalized goal setting may have motivated ischemic heart disease patients to increase their exercise, according to a new clinical trial published in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Ischemic heart disease is the… Continue reading Cash and Goal Setting Help Motivate Heart Patients to Take Healthy Steps
Millions May Have Incorrect Prescriptions for Aspirin, Statins and Blood Pressure Medications
More than 11 million Americans may have incorrect prescriptions for aspirin, statins and blood pressure medications, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Their findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, are based on an updated set of calculations — known as pooled cohort equations, or PCEs… Continue reading Millions May Have Incorrect Prescriptions for Aspirin, Statins and Blood Pressure Medications
Drowning Deaths Increasing in Older Adults
Drowning risk isn’t limited to children or inexperienced swimmers, according to an article by Tom Griffiths, EdD, of the Aquatic Safety Research Group, and colleagues. Drowning deaths have decreased in recent years in all age groups except adults aged 45 to 84, in part reflecting the popularity of swimming as a form of exercise for… Continue reading Drowning Deaths Increasing in Older Adults
What Caregivers Must Know About Dental Needs After a Loved One Has a Stroke
Dentistry isn’t normally on the priority list for caregivers of stroke patients, but it should be. The person in recovery may be dealing with gum disease. Maybe her or she has a bridge that is need of care. In reality, the PH balance of the mouth is important to make sure those we care for… Continue reading What Caregivers Must Know About Dental Needs After a Loved One Has a Stroke
On The Horizon: Non-Invasive Therapy to Treat Atherosclerosis
An injection may one day be able to reverse atherosclerosis, according to emerging research presented at the American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in vascular biology for researchers and clinicians. Atherosclerosis is characterized by a narrowing of arteries and blood vessels… Continue reading On The Horizon: Non-Invasive Therapy to Treat Atherosclerosis
New Gene Therapy Sparks Healthy Heart Beats
The most common and potentially lethal complication following a heart attack is the heart’s inability to do one of its most basic jobs: beat at a normal rate. According to a release from Cornell University, Following myocardial infarction the heart muscle cells are replaced by fibroblasts and new blood vessels, which do not conduct electricity… Continue reading New Gene Therapy Sparks Healthy Heart Beats
Keep Saying Yes to Fish Twice a Week for Heart Health
A new scientific advisory reaffirms the American Heart Association’s recommendation to eat fish, especially those rich in Omega-3 fatty acids twice a week, to help reduce the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrest and the most common type of stroke (ischemic). The advisory is published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.… Continue reading Keep Saying Yes to Fish Twice a Week for Heart Health
New Combined Risk Scores Effectively Predict Stroke Likelihood
Two clinical risk score models, when combined, help doctors more accurately assess the stroke risk of patients who have atrial fibrillation (Afib), an irregular, rapid heartbeat that can lead to stroke and heart failure. The composite stroke decision tool studied by researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City combines the… Continue reading New Combined Risk Scores Effectively Predict Stroke Likelihood
Chinese Medicinal Plant Dangerous to Heart: Study
A plant often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia, according to new research. The plant, Evodia rutaecarpa, is readily available on the internet and can end up in tea preparations. The discovery was made by researchers from the Universities of Basel, Vienna and Utrecht. According to a news… Continue reading Chinese Medicinal Plant Dangerous to Heart: Study