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
Tag: heart disease
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
Depression After Age 65 Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease
A wide range of studies has confirmed that depression is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a 2016 new study done at The Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania is the first to demonstrate how this risk may differ by age. The study results were be presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of… Continue reading Depression After Age 65 Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Light Therapy May Someday Help Fight Heart Disorders
Using high-tech human heart models and mouse experiments, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Germany’s University of Bonn have shown that beams of light could replace electric shocks in patients reeling from a deadly heart rhythm disorder. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, could pave the way for a new type of implantable… Continue reading Light Therapy May Someday Help Fight Heart Disorders
AFib Linked to a Wider Range of Serious Conditions Than Previously Thought
An irregular heartbeat (known as atrial fibrillation or AFib) is associated with a wide range of serious events, including heart attacks, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and sudden cardiac death, according to a large study published in The BMJ in September 2016. A release from the publisher notes that the findings show that the risk… Continue reading AFib Linked to a Wider Range of Serious Conditions Than Previously Thought
Diet and Exercise Equally Effective Against Heart Disease
When it comes to improving cardiovascular health, what’s important is weight loss – but not how you do it. Exercise and dieting, or a combination of both, are equally effective. “For men and women with excess body weight, modest weight loss provides powerful protection against cardiovascular disease, regardless of whether weight loss is achieved by… Continue reading Diet and Exercise Equally Effective Against Heart Disease
Intensive-Care Units May Not Be Best for Some Patients
Patients who suffer heart attacks, or flare-ups of congestive heart failure, can be cared for in a variety of hospital locations. But a new study suggests that they’ll fare worse in hospitals that rely heavily on their intensive care units to care for patients like them. In fact, depending on where they go, they may… Continue reading Intensive-Care Units May Not Be Best for Some Patients
10 Ways to Cut Back on Salt
Although the dangers of fat might get more media attention, salt is also something to watch out for. It has been linked to hypertension and heart disease. But controlling it in the food supply isn’t simple. That’s because, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the majority of sodium consumed comes from processed… Continue reading 10 Ways to Cut Back on Salt
Steps Women Can Take to Reduce Heart-Disease Risk
More women die from heart disease than from any other cause—a staggering one in four American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But you can take action now to help prevent problems. Resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can help women of all ages learn how to use… Continue reading Steps Women Can Take to Reduce Heart-Disease Risk
Has HDL, the “Good” Cholesterol, Been Hyped?
For years, physicians have told patients that HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) helps protect them from cardiovascular disease (CVD). And the higher the number, the more the protection. HDL, often considered an independent predictor of heart disease, has been dubbed the “good” cholesterol, thanks to its protective effects. But a study done at the University of… Continue reading Has HDL, the “Good” Cholesterol, Been Hyped?
Could Your OTC Antacid Put You at Risk for Heart Disease, Dementia, and Kidney Failure?
Chronic use of over-the-counter drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) speeds up the aging of blood vessels, according to a paper published early online in May 2016 in Circulation Research, an American Heart Association journal. This accelerated aging in humans could lead to increased cardiovascular disease, vascular dementia, and… Continue reading Could Your OTC Antacid Put You at Risk for Heart Disease, Dementia, and Kidney Failure?
Many Women Are Not Informed of Heart Disease Risk
Although nearly three-quarters of women taking a recent survey had one or more risk factors for heart disease, a startlingly small proportion — just 16 percent — had actually been told by their doctors that these factors put them at risk for heart disease, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s… Continue reading Many Women Are Not Informed of Heart Disease Risk
Stress Management Can Save Heart Patients’ Lives
Patients recovering from heart attacks or other heart trouble could cut their risk of another heart incident by half if they incorporate stress management into their treatment, according to research from Duke Health. The findings, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, are the result of a randomized clinical trial of 151 outpatients with… Continue reading Stress Management Can Save Heart Patients’ Lives
Can Garlic Help Fight Heart Disease?
According to a new study, a kind of garlic available in health food stores may control or even reverse heart disease. Although previous studies have focused on garlic’s effect on cholesterol, this research done by Dr. Matthew Budoff, of LABiomed at Harbor General Hospital in Carson, is the first to look at its direct effect… Continue reading Can Garlic Help Fight Heart Disease?
Link Between Air Pollution and Increased Risk of Death
In what is believed to be the largest, most detailed study of its kind in the United States, scientists at New York University Langone Medical Center and elsewhere have confirmed that tiny chemical particles in the air we breathe are linked to an overall increase in risk of death. A release from the university notes… Continue reading Link Between Air Pollution and Increased Risk of Death
The Truth About the Headlines Regarding Aspirin as a Preventive Measure
When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a draft of a recommendation on September 15th 2015 regarding the use of aspirin to prevent heart disease and cancer, headlines heralding the news in both in print and online proliferated quickly. The New York Times blared “In a First, Aspirin Is Recommended to Fight a Form… Continue reading The Truth About the Headlines Regarding Aspirin as a Preventive Measure
Omega-3s Don’t Benefit Brain Health
Omega-3 fatty acids, touted as an aid to brain health, don’t slow cognitive decline, according to a large trial conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The study, which followed 4,000 patients over a five-year period, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Contrary to popular belief, we didn’t see… Continue reading Omega-3s Don’t Benefit Brain Health
White Menopausal Women Have Lower Risk of Dying from Heart Attack Than Men or Black Women Do
While menopause is commonly considered a risk factor for heart disease, menopausal women had a lower risk of dying from heart attack than men, according to research done at the University of Michigan and published in July 2015 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. However, this difference was less pronounced among blacks. A… Continue reading White Menopausal Women Have Lower Risk of Dying from Heart Attack Than Men or Black Women Do