Heart Advisor back issues from January 2008:
Minimally invasive follow-up surgeries improve survival odds: smaller incisions and new technological advancements lead the way to safer procedures, including valve repairs and even bypass surgeries.(BREAKTHROUGHS)
Jan 01, 2008 ... If you're a heart patient who has been through one surgery and now needs a second procedure, perhaps an aortic valve repair, this follow-up might find you older--and your heart disease in a more advanced state. However, advances in technology and surgical skill are widening the ...
Caution urged with promising new antiplatelet therapy.(HEART BEAT)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2008 ... The experimental antiplatelet drug prasugrel offered greater benefits than the more commonly used medication clopidogrel (Plavix) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to study results published in the Nov. 4 New England ...
Statins slow decline in lung function.(HEART BEAT)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2008 ... The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of statins also appear to slow the decline in lung function in older adults, according to a study at the Harvard School of Public Health published in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine ....
Blood pressure rises as temperatures fall.(HEART BEAT)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2008 ... An analysis of more than 443,000 people with high blood pressure shows that fewer people return to normal blood pressure levels after hypertension treatment in the winter than they do in the summer. The study, which examined the medical records of patients treated at Veterans Affairs ...
Exercise tolerance measures progression of mitral regurgitation.(HEART BEAT)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2008 ... Heart patients with leaking mitral valves may be able to better determine their cardiovascular future with the help of an exercise test on a treadmill. A study reported in the Oct. 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology shows that the results of an exercise tolerance test can help ...
Stem cells shown to improve heart's pumping ability.(HEART BEAT)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2008 ... Patients' own stem cells, injected into their hearts after treatment for an ST elevation heart attack, improved their hearts' pumping ability, according to a Finnish study presented at the American Heart Association's November conference. A heart attack with an elevated ST segment, which ...
"Thick" heart: another reason to lower your blood pressure: left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), commonly known as "thick" heart, is a risk factor for conditions that can lead to sudden death or stroke.(PREVENTION)
Jan 01, 2008 ... It's common knowledge that high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But there's another reason to lower your blood pressure if it's elevated. Hypertension is a major cause of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), an enlargement or thickening ...
Treat depression to help your heart: treatment for depression is vital for greater improvement in heart rate variability and a decreased risk of death after a cardiac event.(MIND & MOOD)
Jan 01, 2008 ... There's no denying that people who suffer from depression can have a harder time recovering after a cardiac event. "Research on depression and cardiac functioning has shown that depression is an independent risk factor for new and recurrent cardiac events: heart failure, angina, ...
Heart failure in women: prevention is best approach: the condition can't be reversed or cured, so your best bet is to quit smoking and manage diabetes and hypertension.(THE PILL BOX)
Jan 01, 2008 ... Heart failure (HF) occurs when the heart no longer pumps effectively, causing fluid to back up in the lungs, legs, liver or other organs. Although half of all patients with HF are female, not enough is known about the disease in women, which raises questions on the best way to treat it. ...
Lose weight without getting hungry: understanding the energy density of foods will help you make leaner choices that can help your heart.(NUTRITION)
Jan 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you need to lose weight in order to reduce your heart risk, a dietitian will advise you to choose foods that are high in nutritional value and low in fat. But many who follow this advice find their good intentions sabotaged by hunger. "We ...
Should you take vitamin supplements for your heart? Studies show they may be a waste of money--and in excess, could even do your body harm.(THE PILL BOX)
Jan 01, 2008 ... Most women were raised to think vitamin supplements are necessary for good health. But when it comes to heart health, large studies have proven otherwise. "You don't need vitamin supplements for your heart--not multivitamins, not individual vitamin supplements," says Cleveland ...
Ask the doctor.
Jan 01, 2008; ... Q I read that more women than men die of heart disease every year, but women are less likely to get screening tests or advice on prevention. What tests do you suggest? What about tests for novel markers, like homocysteine? When should screening start? A I suggest getting checked ...
More heart surgeries mean patients living longer: technology, surgical skill, and better self-care by patients add up to greater survival rates.(BREAKTHROUGHS)
Jan 01, 2008 ... With the number of follow-up heart surgeries on the rise around the country, one might assume that the second and sometimes third procedures were made necessary because things weren't done right the first time. The truth is, patients are surviving longer, outliving devices and ...
The future of post-heart attack drug therapy: medications are improving the outlook for heart attack survivors, but is the idea of a new multi-drug pill as promising as it's hyped up to be?(DRUG WATCH)
Jan 01, 2008 ... The statistics are sobering. More than 79 million Americans live with heart disease, and 1.2 million of them have a heart attack each year, according to the American Heart Association. The silver lining is that death rates among hospitalized heart attack patients appear to be on the ...
Study finds many heart patients skipping medications: take drugs as prescribed to reduce your risk of heart attack, and even death.(DRUG WATCH)
Jan 01, 2008 ... People with heart disease who do not take their medications as prescribed can end up with more heart problems and even risk death, according to a study in the Sept. 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Among 1,015 heart patients who participated, 8.2 percent reported not ...
Make smart lifestyle choices to protect your heart and colon: eat high-fiber, low-fat foods, exercise regularly, and don't smoke for maximum benefits.(LIFESTYLE)
Jan 01, 2008 ... People with coronary artery disease (CAD) are twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Since these conditions share several controllable risk factors, you may be able to prevent ...
Ask the doctors.
Jan 01, 2008; ... I've read that high-fat foods and alcohol can raise triglyceride levels. I take Lipitor for my high cholesterol. I do not eat high-fat foods and I drink no alcohol, except a few times a month when I might have half a glass of wine. My triglycerides are always high when checked--the last ...