For many people who have heart failure, supervised exercise training is safe and may offer substantial improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life, even more than medications, according to a new, joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The statement was published in March 2023… Continue reading Heart Failure and Exercise
Tag: heart failure
Heart Failure and African-Americans
Researchers have linked a rare genetic mutation found mostly in Black Americans and other people of African descent to an earlier onset of heart failure and a higher risk of hospitalization. The findings suggest that earlier screening for the mutation could lead to faster treatment and improved outcomes for heart failure in this vulnerable group,… Continue reading Heart Failure and African-Americans
Repeat Heart Attacks Drop, but Survivors Still Face Danger
After surviving a heart attack, the proportion of patients who experience a repeat attack within a year fell between 2008 and 2017, with a greater decline in women than men, according to new research published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. Despite the improvement, the rate of recurrent heart attacks, hospitalization for heart… Continue reading Repeat Heart Attacks Drop, but Survivors Still Face Danger
Racial Inequities Uncovered in Hospital Admissions for Heart Failure
Skin color too often determines the quality of cardiovascular health care a patient receives, researchers say. People who are black or of Latin American descent with the condition of heart failure are less likely to be admitted to specialized cardiology units, a disparity that may help explain long-known racial differences in heart failure outcomes, according… Continue reading Racial Inequities Uncovered in Hospital Admissions for Heart Failure
Some Insomniacs May Be at Increased Risk of Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure and Stroke
People suffering from insomnia may have an increased risk of some kinds of heart disease and stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. The investigators based their conclusion on data from more than one million people. Previous studies have found an association between insomnia, which affects up to 30% of… Continue reading Some Insomniacs May Be at Increased Risk of Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure and Stroke
Moderate Drinking Not Harmful for Older Patients with Heart Failure
A study published December 28th 2018 in JAMA Network Open suggests that people over age 65 who are newly diagnosed with heart failure can continue to drink moderate amounts of alcohol without worsening their condition. The study, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, showed a survival benefit for moderate drinkers compared with… Continue reading Moderate Drinking Not Harmful for Older Patients with Heart Failure
A Public Policy and Increased Patient Deaths
A policy that was supposed to reduce hospital readmissions via financial penalties was linked to a significant increase in post-discharge death for patients who had heart failure and pneumonia, according to a large-scale study. The investigation was conducted by researchers in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology. It… Continue reading A Public Policy and Increased Patient Deaths
Flu Shot Protects Against Heart Failure: Study
Among its other health benefits, an annual flu short can save heart failure patients’ lives. Flu season usually begins in fall and runs through spring, with cases often peaking during the winter months. An annual flu shot is regarded as a safe, low-cost way to reduce flu-related deaths and complications. It’s routinely recommended for patients… Continue reading Flu Shot Protects Against Heart Failure: Study
Curry Spice May Improve Exercise Performance After Heart Failure
Research done at the University of Nebraska Medical Center suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure. The study was published in November 2018 in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian medicine… Continue reading Curry Spice May Improve Exercise Performance After Heart Failure
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
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
African-Americans Hospitalized for Heart Failure Less Likely to See Cardiologist
African-American patients were less likely than Caucasian patients to be treated primarily by a cardiologist when admitted to the intensive care unit for heart failure, according to a study published in JACC: [Journal of the American College of Cardiology] Heart Failure. Previous studies have shown that in-hospital survival is higher when patients of any race… Continue reading African-Americans Hospitalized for Heart Failure Less Likely to See Cardiologist
Caregivers Face Strain When Heart Patients Get Assistive Device
When heart failure patients receive a heart pumping device known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), their caregivers seem to suffer, too – at least initially, according to research in Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. In a study of 50… Continue reading Caregivers Face Strain When Heart Patients Get Assistive Device
Beetroot Juice Supplements May Help Certain Heart Failure Patients
Beetroot juice supplements may help enhance exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, according to a proof-of-concept study done at Indiana University in Indianapolis in February 2018 and published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Exercise capacity is a key factor linked to these patients’ quality of life and even survival. A release from the… Continue reading Beetroot Juice Supplements May Help Certain Heart Failure Patients
Neighborhood Factors May Predict Heart Failure
Neighborhood-level socioeconomic factors in low-income areas may significantly predict heart failure risk beyond individual health factors and socioeconomic status, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. According to this news release from the AHA, the study compared census tract data on socioeconomic deprivation – a clustering of… Continue reading Neighborhood Factors May Predict Heart Failure
A Computer App for Heart Patients
Researchers have developed an app that helps improve heart failure patients’ quality of life and longevity, according to a clinical study. The new app, which monitors heart failure patients’ medical tests and health status and promptly notifies clinicians, was developed by a multidisciplinary team of Intermountain Healthcare medical informatics specialists, home health experts, and clinicians… Continue reading A Computer App for Heart Patients
Hospitalizations for Heart Failure Are on the Decline, but Rates Remain Higher for Blacks Than Whites and for Men Than Women
The number of people hospitalized for heart failure in the United States declined about 30 percent between 2002 and 2013, but large disparities between blacks vs. whites and men vs. women remain, according to research published in June 2017 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. A release from the publishers… Continue reading Hospitalizations for Heart Failure Are on the Decline, but Rates Remain Higher for Blacks Than Whites and for Men Than Women
A Crucial Factor in Heart-Failure Survival
When heart-failure patients were re-hospitalized within a month, those who returned to the same hospital were discharged quicker and were more likely to survive than those who were taken to a different facility, according to new Canadian research in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American… Continue reading A Crucial Factor in Heart-Failure Survival