Here, an update from the American Heart Association (AHA), an update on the progress made against heart disease in women, and what still needs to be done: From American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown and co-author of the study “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Regarding Cardiovascular Disease in Women” published in the Journal of the American… Continue reading Update: Heart Disease and Women
Tag: stroke
A New View of Diabetes Management
Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide and exacerbated by type 2 diabetes, yet diabetes treatment regimens tend to focus primarily on blood sugar maintenance. Researchers now say that this usual approach to type 2 diabetes management can cause patients to be at risk for heart attack and stroke. Results from four recent… Continue reading A New View of Diabetes Management
Equine and Music Therapy May Help Stroke Survivors
Horseback riding and rhythm-and-music therapies may improve stroke survivors’ perception of recovery, gait, balance, grip strength and cognition even years after their stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke. A variety of interventions that engage patients in physical, sensory, mental and social activities target a range of functions at the… Continue reading Equine and Music Therapy May Help Stroke Survivors
Banning Trans Fats Lessens Incidence of Heart Disease
People living in areas that restrict trans fats had fewer hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke compared to residents in areas without restrictions, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine and Yale School of Medicine. The findings were published in JAMA Cardiology. “The results are impressive, given that… Continue reading Banning Trans Fats Lessens Incidence of Heart Disease
Aphasia May Be More than A Language Disorder
Aphasia, a language disorder commonly diagnosed in stroke patients, may not be just a language issue, according to a Penn State study. The study adds to a growing body of research highlighting other cognitive functions affected by aphasia, and indicates that the consequences of brain damage in aphasia patients may be more extensive than originally… Continue reading Aphasia May Be More than A Language Disorder
Rate of Heart Attacks Decreases After Surgery Not Related to the Heart, but Risk of Stroke Increases
In a study published online by JAMA Cardiology in December 2016, Sripal Bangalore, M.D., M.H.A., of the New York University School of Medicine, New York, and colleagues examined national trends in perioperative cardiovascular outcomes and mortality after major noncardiac surgery. A release from the publishers notes that worldwide, more than 300 million noncardiac surgeries are… Continue reading Rate of Heart Attacks Decreases After Surgery Not Related to the Heart, but Risk of Stroke Increases
Loneliness and Serious Illness
Loneliness and social isolation take a substantial toll on the human body, researchers say, in some frightening ways. But they are beginning to find out exactly why that is. Studies show that people who are chronically lonely have significantly more heart disease, are more vulnerable to metastatic cancer, have an increased risk of stroke and… Continue reading Loneliness and Serious Illness
Boomers’ Stroke Rates Dropping While Millennials’ Rates Double
Stroke rates continue to decline in people 55 and older, while more than doubling in those between 35 and 39, according to research published in November 2016 inJournal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. A release from the association quotes Joel N. Swerdel, M.S., M.P.H.,… Continue reading Boomers’ Stroke Rates Dropping While Millennials’ Rates Double
Minorities, Women, & the Elderly Less Likely to Receive Life-Saving Stroke Treatment
Minorities and women suffering from a stroke may be less likely to receive the clot-busting treatment tPA, known as tissue plasminogen activator, according to a 2016 study from Penn Medicine and other institutions published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A release from Penn Medicine reports… Continue reading Minorities, Women, & the Elderly Less Likely to Receive Life-Saving Stroke Treatment
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
Do Lengthy Travel Times to Primary Stroke Centers Offset Benefits?
Physicians and families of stroke victims often have to make quick decisions about whether to treat patients locally or refer them to a more distant Primary Stroke Center (PSC). Until now, there has been little information to help guide them. However, a new study by researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical… Continue reading Do Lengthy Travel Times to Primary Stroke Centers Offset Benefits?
Migraine Drugs Are Underused
About 38 million Americans suffer from migraines in the United States, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. The most commonly used and effective classes of medication, triptans and DHE (Dihydroergotamine), however, have a black box warning for two subtypes of migraine because of risk of stroke. Yet researchers at Abington-Jefferson Health have shown, as of… Continue reading Migraine Drugs Are Underused
A Controversial Study on Heart-Disease Risk
A new study is raising questions about a tool designed to help physicians prevent heart disease and stroke among people at high risk for those diseases. At issue in the analysis published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology is the “risk calculator,” which aims to help identify people who may face… Continue reading A Controversial Study on Heart-Disease Risk
Longer, Intense Rehab Boosts Recovery After Stroke and Brain Injury
Cognitive and functional recovery after a stroke or traumatic injury requires intense rehabilitative therapy to help the brain repair and restructure itself. February 2016 findings by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that not only is rehabilitation vital – in an animal model, rats with cortical injury that did not… Continue reading Longer, Intense Rehab Boosts Recovery After Stroke and Brain Injury
Getting Out of the Hospital Bed Can Improve Stroke Outcomes
In their aim to provide a guideline for healthcare providers about the timing, frequency, and amount of in-hospital mobilization of stroke patients, researchers studied the care and recovery of more than 2,100 patients admitted to a hospital stroke unit. The research was presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2016 in February in… Continue reading Getting Out of the Hospital Bed Can Improve Stroke Outcomes
Researchers: Drinking Coffee Doesn’t Lead to Extra Heartbeats
Regular caffeine consumption does not lead to extra heartbeats and possible heart disease, according to UC San Francisco researchers. The finding is in contrast to current clinical trend of discouraging consumption of the beverage. The study, which measured the chronic consumption of caffeinated products over a 12-month period, rather than acute consumption, appears in the… Continue reading Researchers: Drinking Coffee Doesn’t Lead to Extra Heartbeats
Antidepressants and AD Drugs May Help Stroke Survivors
Evidence is mounting that drugs used to treat depression and Alzheimer’s disease also can help patients recover from strokes, a new study shows. But large, well-designed studies are needed before any drug can be recommended routinely for stroke recovery, according to a paper in the journal Drugs and Aging by neurologists Xabier Beristain, MD, and… Continue reading Antidepressants and AD Drugs May Help Stroke Survivors
Advice on Mid-Air Medical Emergencies
Health care practitioners who are traveling need to plan ahead in case of a mid-air medical emergency, according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Such emergencies present especially complicated situations for physicians and other health-care providers. “We want physicians to think in advance about the situation,” said the article’s senior… Continue reading Advice on Mid-Air Medical Emergencies