Thursday

Study shows surgery best when drugs fail to fix heart

When clot-busting drugs fail to stop a heart attack, surgery to reopen a clogged artery is the most effective way to treat a patient, cutting the risk of death in half, a new study shows.

The study, published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, could revolutionize the way smaller U.S. hospitals treat heart attack patients, forcing them to set up arrangements with larger hospitals capable of performing the surgery, known as angioplasty.New England Journal of Medicine | MORE...Reuters.com

Experimental technology treats stroke

U.S. doctors say after six months a patient's recovery from a stroke plateaus, but a treatment using an electrical current may help.

"When a person has a stroke, he loses a part of his brain, and this will cause a decrease in the brain's activity," says neurologist Dr. Felipe Fregni of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

The decreased activity signals the healthy side of the brain to go into overdrive and that hinders the stroke side from healing says Fregni.MORE

Wednesday

Abstract: Sibling Cardiovascular Disease as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-aged Adults, December 28, 2005, Murabito et al.

Objective To determine, using validated events, whether sibling CVD predicts outcome in middle-aged adults independent of other risk factors.

Conclusion Using validated events, sibling CVD conferred increased risk of future CVD events above and beyond established risk factors and parental CVD in middle-aged adults.

JAMA -- ...Click to read study...

Tuesday

Guidant gets warning letter on quality from FDA

The company said the FDA's inspection was finished on Sept. 1 and resulted in requests for quality control improvements. Guidant said it has provided the FDA with monthly updates on its progress and has so far completed 90 percent of its commitments....more| Reuters.com

Monday

MORE than a year ago Christina's doctor told her she had multiple sclerosis. Determined to power through it, she brushed the warning off.

deleterious effects on the heart, people with chronic heart failure can safely undertake a resistance training program, Australian researchers report. In fact, such training appears to have a beneficial effect on how strongly the heart is able to pump blood.MOREs

CHOLESTEROL DRUG MAY BE A LOT MORE

Cancer. Alzheimer's. Diabetes. Osteoporosis. These are just some of the diseases that researchers hope can be treated or prevented with statins....ot since aspirin has a class of drugs come along that does so much more than originally intended that it could end up being used as a preventive against many major diseases.

Statins, which lower cholesterol, have been proved in clinical trials to reduce heart attacks and strokes by 30 to 50 percent. They are the most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S.; 1 in 10 adults take them.

But their full value in improving the nation's health rests with research attempting to establish the ability of statins to prevent cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and macular degeneration.
Chicago Tribune | MORE

Friday

!!!... STUDY DESCRIBES POTENTIALLY FATAL HEART CONDITION AMONG YOUNG ATHLETES

Early diagnosis key to treatment that prevents sudden cardiac death!!!.....According to senior study investigator and cardiac electrophysiologist Hugh Calkins, M.D., “physicians need to know that this is a serious disease, and they should be on the lookout for its early signs and symptoms because it is an important cause of sudden cardiac death in apparently healthy young individuals.

“Preventive treatment with an implantable defibrillator appears to eliminate the risk of sudden death,” he adds....."MORE

Americans in Droves Flunk Fitness Test

click for more- CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today: "Nearly one in five Americans from the age of 12 through 49 -- an estimated 16 million -- can't pass a simple physical fitness treadmill test, according to researchers here.
Alarmed by their data, which they reported in the Dec. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Mercedes R. Carnethon, Ph.D., and colleagues at Northwestern called for a public campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of poor physical fitness. Citing the dangers of cardiovascular disease for these out-of-shape individuals, the researchers urged a campaign similar to the one that informed the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking......"

Independent Online Edition > Business News

Independent Online Edition > MORE: "AstraZeneca, the UK's No2 drug maker, has agreed to pay up to $1 billion to buy a new pill that could dramatically cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with clogged arteries. The company is taking an initial $50 million bet on the experimental drug being developed by a US firm, AtheroGenics, and has agreed to further payments that could total $300 million as the drug is approved and another $650 million if it beats ambitious sales targets........."

Thursday

"Defibrillators at kids' sporting events save lives"

MORE| Reuters.com

Diesel exhaust may impair blood vessel function

Breathing in diesel exhaust fumes at levels typically found in large cities disrupts important blood vessel functions, new research has shown, suggesting a potential mechanism linking increased heart attack rates during periods of high air pollution more

Pfizer's smoking cessation medicine Varenicline Receives U.S. FDA Priority Review

"The FDA assigns priority review status to medicines that may provide a significant therapeutic advance over existing therapies. Once the FDA formally determines the application is sufficiently complete for review, the filing will move forward under priority review.

According to the World Health Organization, every eight seconds a person dies of a smoking-related disease. At present, less than seven percent of smokers who try to quit on their own achieve more than one year of abstinence and most relapse within a few days of attempting to quit."..MORE

Wednesday

Diabetes Study Verifies Lifesaving Tactic - New York Times

A 17-year federal study has finally answered one of the most pressing questions about diabetes: Can tight control of blood sugar prevent heart attacks and strokes?

The answer, reported today in The New England Journal of Medicine, is yes. Intense control can reduce the risk by nearly halfMORE - New York Times

Tuesday

Study: Impotence can warn of heart disease

A large study of men age 55 and older adds to evidence that impotence can be a warning sign for heart disease.

Men with erectile dysfunction were more likely than other men to experience chest pain, a heart attack or a stroke during the next seven years, the study found.

The results suggest that men who see their doctors for impotence drugs also should consider getting screened for heart disease, said study co-author Dr. Ian Thompson of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.more

Strong Link Between Tooth Loss And Heart Disease

There is a strong, progressive association between tooth loss and heart disease, researchers report in a study published in the latest issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
more

Dirty air hurts the heart -- study

New York University researchers say they have shown a clear link between long-term exposure to pollution and heart disease. United Press International - Health Business - Dirty air hurts the heart -- study

Monday

"Heart & Stroke News is dedicated in honor of Cindy McCain"

"A 2-year stroke Survivor and a friend"

Stan Swartz
MD Health Channel

Managing an incident

AT the offset, a few points must be understood and followed when dealing with a patient suffering from a heart attackmore

TIPS: Transient Ischemic Attack

What is it?more

Saturday

Scoring Method Misses Women's Heart Disease Risk

A new study finds that about a third of women who are likely to develop coronary heart disease are not identified by a risk-factor scoring method doctors routinely use to assess heart attack risk. The Framingham Risk Estimate (FRE) is used to estimate a person's risk of suffering a fatal or nonfatal heart attack within 10 years. The test is based on a number of major risk factors for coronary heart disease, including age, blood pressure, smoking, and blood cholesterol levels. - Forbes.com...MORE

Wednesday

Chronically Ill Patients Turn to Yoga for Relief - New York Times

Studies have shown that yoga can, among other things, reduce fatigue in people with MS and lower anxiety in patients with cancer, heart disease or hypertensionMORE

PLAVIX (clopidogrel bisulfate) Recommended as Effective Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Treatment for Patients With Established Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.)American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Issue First-Ever U.S. Treatment Guidelines for P.A.D...MORE

Tuesday

Perimenopause Is a Critical Time for Women's HealthMORE :: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

Heart Disease > Statins Underprescribed To Patients At Higher Risk of Heart Disease

Cholesterol May Link Gum Disease, Heart Disease MORE - Forbes.com

Pfizer Plans Study of 20,000 Patients on Risks of Celebrex - New York Times Celebrex has agreed to pay for a clinical study with an estimated price tag of more than $100 million involving about 20,000 patients at high risk for heart attack and stroke....more

Monday

FDA Warns Patients with Heart Disease of Study Linking Biaxin with Increased Risk of Death MORE

The Claim: Too Much Noise Can Increase the Risk of a Heart Attack - New York TimesMORE

The Long Road Back From Illness in the Prime of Life - New York Times MORE

Saturday

Act Fast to Stop Stroke's Brain Damage..."Every minute you wait, hoping your symptoms will go away, you lose almost two million brain cells," Jeffrey Saver, MD, says in a news release....MORE

Friday

Heart Attack Survivors Have Conflicts About Recurrence

Nearly two-thirds of heart attack patients said they feared a second heart attack, more so than dying, but more than a third spurned some basic lifestyle preventive measures, according to a survey....MORE

Thursday

Get help immediately if you suspect you're having a stroke

Arizona Republic...STROKE

Tuesday

Viagra blunts effects of stress on the human heart

Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that Viagra ( Sildenafil ) reduces the stimulatory effects of hormonal stress on the heart by half....MORE

Monday

Heart Surgeons' Group Recommends Off-Pump Surgery

MORE- CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today

Sunday

Alcohol study refutes heart disease claims

study shows light to moderate consumption of alcohol probably will not protect you from heart disease.Radio New Zealand - MORE

Severe gum disease linked to heart disease

United Press International - MORE

VIDEO: The first CPR measurement and feedback technology in an ALS monitor/defibrillator

the Q-CPR add-on to Philips’ HeartStart MRx monitor/defibrillator actually happens to be the first of its kind, and was recently cleared by the FDA for CPR measurement and feedback. The device keeps track of the patient’s vitals, displaying the stats on a large screen, and offering up out loud suggestions for better chest thumping action.MORE