MedWorm Tags: attack

Research Shows Decrease In Time From Hospital Arrival To Heart Attack Treatment

Better Health — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:15:00 +0100

Heart attack patients are now being treated on average 32 minutes faster than they were five years ago, and medical societies are touting it as evidence of the success of national campaigns to treat heart attacks more quickly. The study, “Improvements in Door-to-Balloon Time in the United States: 2005-2010,” found that the average time from hospital arrival to treatment declined from 96 minutes in 2005 to just 64 minutes in 2010. In addition, more than 90% of heart attack patients who required emergency angioplasty in 2010 received treatment within the recommended 90 minutes, up from 44% in 2005. Also, the study reported that (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Hospitalist* (Source: Better Health)

The Best Thing A Patient Can Do Following A Heart Attack

Better Health — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0100

I’ve been telling my smoking patients for years that nothing I do for them is going to make an ounce of difference until they quit smoking for good. And the Italians are out to prove me right. The American Journal of Cardiology reported July 11th, 2011 on the Effect of Smoking Relapse On Outcome After Acute Coronary Syndrome. In a study of just under 1,300 patients, Reuters reports that just over 1/2 the patients started smoking within 20 days of hospital discharge, despite in-hospital smoking cessation consultation for all patients. Researchers also found that resuming smoking increased death 3-fold compared with those that did not relapse and quitting smoking had a similar lifesaving effect as taking cholesterol and blood pressure medications. And I’m sure these ...

Heart Health Related To Satisfaction With Life

Better Health — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:39 +0100

For centuries, health providers have focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. This time-honored paradigm has generated phenomenal advances in medicine, especially during the last 60 years. It has also created a bit of an image problem for providers. That’s because the paradigm encourages consumers to perceive health care as a negative good; an economic term describing a bundle of products and services that we use because we must, not because we want to. Recent trends towards empowered consumers are a symptom of this problem more than a solution to it, as I described here. Recently, the concept of Positive Health has emerged as a possible antidote for the malaise. Pioneered by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, Positive Health encourages us to i...

Cardiovascular Problems? Stay Out Of The Heat

Better Health — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:00:46 +0100

The brutal heat wave gripping much of the country this week is unpleasant for healthy folks. For people with cardiovascular trouble, hazy, hot, humid days can be downright dangerous. Your body shouldn’t get too hot (or too cold). If your temperature rises too far, the proteins that build your body and run virtually all of its chemical processes can stop working. The human body sheds extra heat in two ways, both of which stress the heart: Radiation. Like water flowing downhill, heat naturally moves from warm areas to cooler ones. As long as the air around you is cooler than your body, you radiate heat to the air. But this transfer stops when the air temperature approaches body temperature. Radiation requires rerouting blood flow so more of it goes to the skin. This makes the heart beat fa...

Thrombolytics: To Give Or Not To Give

Better Health — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:00:57 +0100

For years now, we’ve all heard the drum-beat. Bill-boards in cities have proclaimed it. Various medical associations have touted it’s importance. Stroke symptoms have to be treated immediately! Give clot-busting drugs, also known as ‘thrombolytics!’ Until, of course, those in favor of giving the drugs (namely neurologists) realized that a) Not everyone with a stroke, aka ‘brain attack’ has insurance and b) people have a very inconsiderate habit of having said strokes at the most inconvenient of hours. For instance, after 5PM, on the weekend, on holidays. The nerve! So across the country, physicians in emergency departments like mine are finding themselves expected by the court of public opinion to give a potentially dangerous drug (albeit a sometimes useful drug...

Avoiding Wild Animal Attacks

Better Health — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100

By now, most everyone is familiar with the tragic circumstances in which a visitor on a trail in Yellowstone National Park on July 6, 2011 surprised a brown (grizzly) bear with cubs, provoking a fatal attack. Fortunately, events like this are rare. At the same time, they are also predictable by virtue of our understanding of bear behavior, particularly in the wildland-urban interface. It was not the victim’s fault, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. For the benefit of others who will backpack and explore in bear country here is an excerpt about avoidance of hazardous animals, in particular bears, adapted from the book Medicine for the Outdoors: Avoidance of Hazardous Animals Most wild animal encounters can be avoided with caution and a little common sense. Follow these rule...

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Science Behind Their Potential Heart Health Benefits

Better Health — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:00:49 +0100

The Biology of Omega-3 fatty acids: (Just a little science:) When fish, flax-seeds or Brussels sprouts pass through the intestine, pancreatic enzymes transform the fat to free fatty acids. These acids are quickly taken up by the cells. Once in the cell, these fatty acids enter the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and cytosol–places that you might recall because your mom helped you make a Cell sponge cake in 7th grade Biology. In the cells, the Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, DHA and EPA) exert their healthy influence in three major ways: in the control of chemical messengers; in the flux of ions—cell electricity; in the smoothness and health of the cell membrane. That’s enough about cells. How do these (good) fats help our bodies? Omega-3 fatty acids reduce Inflammation: –Omega-3s ...

Up In Smoke: Pfizer’s Chantix Raises Heart Risk

Pharmalot — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:57:21 +0100

Yet another problem for Pfizer and its controversial smoking-cessation drug. The FDA has just decided to add a warning on the product labeling about an association with a small, but increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events in patients with cardiovascular disease. These are people who, of course, should not be smoking, but they are now being told the drug may be off limits. In reaching its decision, the FDA reviewed a study in which 700 patients with cardiovascular disease received either Chantix or placebo, and the results showed the Pfizer drug was effective in helping them quit smoking and remain abstinent for up to year. But Chantix was also linked more frequently to “certain events, including heart attack” (here is the statement and data summary). This is only the l...

CDC Publishes Zombie Preparedness Kit

HealthNewsBlog.com — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:00:00 +0100

The CDC has published information about preparing for an upcoming zombie apocalypse. The information can be found here and here on the CDC's website. Some of the pages are not currently loading due to overwhelming traffic. The CDC's entry begins with, "There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency." The CDC says you will need the following items should a zombie attack occur and it takes you a couple days to get to a zombie-free refugee camp. Here is the list (which is lacking in weapons, such as a baseball bat): Wate...

Heart Attack Survivors Should Avoid Certain Pain Medicines (NSAIDs)

Better Health — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

This study looked at patients who had already had an MI. But for those patients, the over-the-counter pain relievers should be avoided. Many patients with heart disease also have arthritis or other pain syndromes. We need to come up with safe treatments for pain or use “safer” NSAIDs like low dose Naprosyn or Ibuprofen only when the benefit is weighed with the risk. Just because something is sold without a prescription does not mean it is without risk. Tell your doctor every medication you take. *This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth* (Source: Better Health)

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… Good Morning

Pharmalot — Thu, 12 May 2011 12:15:38 +0100

Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again. A busy day is planned here on the Pharmalot corporate campus as we hustle to meet some deadlines and undertake our own version of R&D. No doubt, you relate. So please join us for that mandatory cup of stimulation. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits we found floating about. Hope you conquer the world and see you later… Takeda In Talks To Buy Nycomed For $12 Billion (Bloomberg News) Carl Icahn And His Big Bet On Biotech (The Boston Globe) Glaxo & Astra Hook Up With Academia For Inflammation Research (Pharma Times) Experimental AIDS Vaccine Shows Promise In Monkeys (Reuters) Shire Eyes Big Sales For New Vyvanse Uses (Reuters) Procrit And Epogen May Worsen Heart Attacks (Health Day) Docs Busted For Supplying Oxycodone Network (Th...

Calcium Supplements: Good For Your Bones But Bad For Your Heart?

Better Health — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:00:59 +0100

Calcium is good for us, right? Milk products are great sources of calcium, and we’re told to emphasize milk products in our diets. Don’t (or can’t) eat enough dairy? Calcium supplements are very popular, especially among women seeking to minimize their risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis prevention and treatment guidelines recommend calcium and vitamin D as an important measure in preserving bone density and reducing the risk of fractures. For those who don’t like dairy products, even products like orange juice and Vitamin Water are fortified with calcium. The general perception seemed to be that calcium consumption was a good thing – the more, the better. Until recently. In a pattern similar to that I described with folic acid, there’s new safety signals from trials with calciu...

Gender Disparities In Heart Attack Treatment: Women More Likely To Die

Better Health — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:00 +0100

One-third (33.5%) of female heart attack patients receive surgery or angioplasty compared to nearly half (45.6%) of men, and among heart attack patients receiving an intervention such as coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, women had a 30% higher death rate compared to men, reports HealthGrades. The findings are based on an analysis of more than 5 million Medicare patient records from 2007 to 2009 and focused on 16 of the most common procedures and diagnoses among women. The most noticeable disparities were in cardiovascular care. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America, surpassing all forms of cancer combined, the company said in a press release. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health)

Cardiac Rehab: CMS Increases Per-Patient Payment by $1,100

MD Buyline — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:54:13 +0100

We have great news for cardiology service lines: the 2011 payment level for outpatient cardiac rehabilitation will see an increase from $38 to $69 (APC 0095). This may not seem like it will make a significant impact, but considering that CMS covers up to 36 one-hour sessions per patient, this translates to over $1,100 in additional revenue (per patient) for hospitals and $200 for physicians. Rehab programs are intended to limit patients’ chances of a new heart attack and to help them return to society as quickly as possible. Clinical trials show that attending all 36 sessions reimbursed by Medicare lowers the risk of death (47%) and heart attack (32%) when compared to attending fewer sessions or no rehab at all. Each year, approximately 4.7 million patients with congestive heart ...

When Patients Attack: Is Self-Defense Legally Dangerous?

Better Health — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0100

Sideways Shrink posed a great question recently in a comment on my post “When A Thick Skin Helps.” The question was whether or not physicians are allowed to hit a patient who tries to assault them. Certainly, physical assaults on patients are not the standard of practice in psychiatry or any other medical specialty. Psychiatrists do undergo some training about physical management of violent patients: I remember in residency we had to get trained in “take down” and restraint procedures. As a group we practiced applying pressure point joint locks on each other in order to make a patient break a grip on us, and to do two person restraints to hold someone immobile until security could arrive. None of this involved any “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”-type ku...

When Physical Exercise Feels Just Like A Panic Attack

World of Psychology — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:22:48 +0100

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk I’ve had more honest-to-goodness panic attacks in my life than I can count. And by “honest-to-goodness”, I mean the real deal: racing heart, palpitations, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, incredibly unsolicited surges of adrenaline…and so on. Simultaneously. Many people — from friends to doctors — told me to start exercising. My friends said it would reduce my stress and help me to sleep better at night. The University of Georgia says it can reduce my anxiety. My doctor told me that getting in shape will reduce heart palpitations and increase my lung capacity. True, true, and true. But here’s the big Catch-22 that kept me from following everyone’s good advice: exercising made me panic. And why? Well, a body ...

Physical Activity Versus Physical Fitness: It Could Mean The Difference Between Life And Death

Better Health — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:00:20 +0100

My neighbor Ed was a thin man all his life. He maintained an ideal body weight by combining regular physical activity with a modest intake of calories. He was a “young” seventy year-old who looked the picture of heart health. Ed regularly read the newspaper while walking on his treadmill, he hit a golf ball straighter and longer than his peers, and he wore the same size jeans now than he did in college 50 years ago. What’s more, he bragged about his low blood pressure, normal cholesterol level and perfect blood chemistries. He took no pills. I think he went to his primary care doctor each year just to show off his health. The morning he woke with crushing chest pressure and shortness of air stunned him. “This couldn’t be a heart attack?” he thought. An hour later, minutes after...

How to lower your cholesterol and prevent heart attacks naturally!

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:53:31 +0100

Your heart is the most important organ of the body because it supplies oxygen and other nutrients to the rest of our . Without the heart working – life is impossible. Therefore it’s so important to keep your heart healthy. However this is not so easy, because coronary artery disease, caused by heart blood vessels clogging, is the number one killer in the US. Why? Because it causes heart attacks as well as heart failure and sudden cardiac death. When statins were invented including blockbuster Lipitor, some scientists claimed, that by the year 2000 heart attacks would disappear. But it didn’t happen. Why not? There are 2 main reasons why drugs did not work as well as we thought: 1. Cholesterol and triglycerides are not the only risk factors for coronary artery disease. T...

Gadhafi Forces Reportedly Attack Hospital in Rebel-held Town

Inside Surgery — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:11:40 +0100

News media are reporting that forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have attacked a hospital in the town of Misrata. (Source: Inside Surgery)

Scare Tactics: Sex and Running Aren't Deadly

Genetics and Health — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:38:56 +0100

Every time an article begins with “too much of a good thing can kill you,” my back begins to prickle and twitch. Not because I’m actually concerned about what can kill me, but because already I know to take whatever that fear-mongering article proclaims with a grain of salt. And in this case, it’s Sex, Running and Other Intense Activity Can Be Deadly, which appeared on AOL Health this morning. Forgive me while I roll my eyes. (Cough! BS! Cough!) For those out there who only skim the headlines, this one is likely reassuring: a lack of exercise (and couch-potato-proclivities) is actually a good thing and preventing an untimely demise! People love to hear good things about their bad habits. But a closer read of the article states something that most of us already knew anyway – doing...

Heart attack equipoise

Life in the Fast Lane — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:55:13 +0100

Musings on the point of equipoise for investigating and discharging chest pain patients in light of a new paper in the Lancet describing a rapid rule-out protocol for acute coronary syndromes (the ASPECT trial). (Source: Life in the Fast Lane)

NYC Health Department's New Anti-Smoking Ads Are a Waste of Money

A Hearty Life — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:17:20 +0100

photo: Thinkstock If you live anywhere around New York City, or have visited the area recently, you may have seen these new anti-smoking commercials that are part of the New York City Health Department’s campaign called: NYC Quits! Obviously, the ads are meant to shock and disturb us (and our loved ones) into never touching another cigarette again. And they sure as hell are shocking and disturbing. (Watch videos of both below.) So much so, that as soon as these emphysema sufferers and stroke victims come on the air, both my husband and I reach for the remote to hit the mute button or change the channel. Not because we’re callous human beings, but because we’re both lifelong non-smokers, so we’re not the target audience anyway. (Doubtless the NYC Health Department an...

More Women Die Of Heart Attack Than Men Do

Better Health — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0100

Several studies have shown that women have a higher mortality rate than men if they have a heart attack. A study published in the American Heart Journal helps to explain why. The researchers looked at data from 2,542 women who had a heart attack. Compared to men, the women were older, less likely to be white, and less likely to smoke. They also had more serious health conditions than the men. They had diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We’ve known for a long time that women are about 10 years older than men at the time of their first heart attack. The authors believe that the reason women are more likely to die is because of these other conditions that are present. Women in the study were also m...

Smog, Sex, and Smoking Pot: Surprising Heart Attack Triggers

Genetics and Health — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:44:38 +0100

photo via Flickr user pfala Is it really possible that dirty air causes more heart attacks than cocaine? Assuming that you’re not snorting Charlie-Sheen-levels of nose candy, the surprising answer is yes – on a population level, anyway. So says a new report published today in The Lancet journal. Apparently, according to Scientific American, the report states that “cocaine is the most likely to trigger an event in an individual, but traffic has the greatest population effect as more people are exposed to (it).” Other high-risk triggers include alcohol, coffee, extreme physical activity, anger, and sex. So angry sex is probably double trouble, which is a damn shame if you ask us. And if you think relaxing with a joint will help keep your heart stress-free, think again –...

Valentines Day and Heart Attacks

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:10:00 +0100

Did you have a nice Valentine's Day yesterday? My husband and I celebrated our 32nd together...31 of them as a married couple. People say that's an accomplishment, I say it's a commitment that we made to one another to enjoy the good times together, and work through the challenging ones, and we've had our share of those. We take our vows before God seriously, if we didn't, I can honestly say I'm not sure where we'd be. I can tell you that if you don't work through the challenges, in many cases you may be missing out on the miracle of a stronger relationship on the other side of the challenge. A healthy marriage relationship is better for us in some ways than food. Most of you know that my husband has had a heart attack, and ongoing heart issues, we did have another scare last month that pu...

5 Laughter Exercises With Serious Health Benefits

Genetics and Health — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:23:26 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Turns out, giggling is actually good for you – and simpler than strapping on Pilates paraphernalia, and sillier, perhaps, than even Zumba. Studies show laughter, which lowers the heart rate, whittles the waistline, and gives the lungs a hearty workout, may be even healthier for the body than today’s trendiest forms of exercise. Enrollment is surging at improv classes and circus schools, and a growing number of Americans are also joining laughter clubs, where they learn to chuckle their hellos and goodbyes, mime their way through complicated jokes, and invent songs made of “ho-ho-ho” and ‘ha-ha-ha’ sounds. Why all this clowning around? Health experts say it’s not just for kicks. Recent research shows that laughter comes with a whole host of health benefits. �...

Putting Your Heart Into The Super Bowl

Better Health — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0100

Sports fans may literally live and die on their team’s victories, according to researchers who examined cardiac mortality rates after the home team won and lost the Super Bowl. Total and cardiac mortality rates in Los Angeles County increased after the football team’s 1980 Super Bowl loss but overall mortality fell after the 1984 the team’s Super Bowl win, researchers concluded from a review of death certificates reported in Clinical Cardiology. First, authors gave a clinical review. Stress causes a cardiac cascade. The sympathetic nervous system increases and releases catecholamines. This triggers a rise in heart rate and blood pressure, and ventricular contractility increases oxygen demand, causing blood the sheer against and fracture atherosclerotic plaque, the authors...

Lying to Your Doctor Could Be Fatal

Genetics and Health — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:02:25 +0100

photo: Thinkstock I am, admittedly, terrified of doctors. I avoid them at all costs and rush through my annual exams like I’m on a self-timer. Even throughout both of my pregnancies, I was hesitant to tell my docs everything I was feeling or experiencing for self-conscious fear of overreacting. And it looks like I’m not the only one. A new GE study on the disconnect between patients and doctors shows that 28% of patients say they “lie or omit facts” when visiting their health care providers. And doctors believe that numbers to be even higher. The study found that 77% of providers felt that one-fourth of their patients knowingly leave out facts or flat-out lie to them. While many times these may just be honest forgetfulness or simple oversights, the cardiologists interviewed say tha...

Podcast: Stroke – Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Sarasota Neurology — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:53:40 +0100

In this episode of the Sarasota Neurology Podcast, Dr. Kassicieh, a recognized expert in stroke prevention, provides an overview of current techniques for preventing and managing risk of stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. This combined with heart attacks and heart disease result in over 2 million deaths a year. The common underlying cause is vascular disease or hardening of the arteries. Heart attack and stroke can be prevented with simple life style changes and medications. Treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, aspirin and stop smoking will significantly lower risk of suffering from these devastating conditions. Listen to this report to find out how you can reduce your risk of suffering from a stroke, heart attack or other cardiovascu...

Prevention Magazine Pushes Non-Evidence-Based Heart Screening

Better Health — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:00:11 +0100

The February issue of Prevention magazine has an article entitled “Surprising Faces of Heart Attack” profiling “three women (who) didn’t think they were at high risk. Their stories are proof that you could be in danger without even knowing it.” No, their stories are not proof of that. The story is about three women in their 40s. The story varyingly states that the three should have had the following screening tests: – Advanced cholesterol test, carotid intimal medial thickness test ( CIMT) – Advanced cholesterol test and stress echocardiography – Cardiac calcium scoring and CIMT There’s an accompanying piece: ”7 Tests You’re Not Having That Could Save Your Life.” I asked one of our HealthNewsReview.org medical edit...

Shuddering Attacks

Dr Nabong's Pediatric Blogs — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:33:00 +0100

"My 9 month old baby started shivering as if a cold water fell on his back. This just started 3 days ago and it seems like the shivering becomes worse and lasts for 5 seconds. No loss of consciousness is observed. This happens more when he is excited or tired." Denies any family history of essential tremors.This is considered a non-epileptiform benign movement disorder that results in shuddering or shivering. This probably occurs in many children at 1 time or another. Described as rapid tremors involving the head and the arms. Consciousness is not altered during this episodes. This may start to occur in children from 4-7 months to 6-7 years old. The frequency varies and this can occur up to 100 episodes a day and may be precipitated by excitement, fear, anger, frustration and tiredness. EE...

Positive Margins While Saving Lives

MD Buyline — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:24:35 +0100

There is great news for cardiology: the reimbursement level for Myeloperoxidase will more than double for FY 2011. Myeloperoxidase is a protein biomarker found in the blood and is more commonly referred to as MPO. First studied in 2003, it is an early predictor for chest pain patients who are at risk of a heart attack. Each year, over 5 million patients seek treatment for chest pain in an ER and encounter a long list of possible chest pain causes; some causes can be ruled out with basic tests. EKGs have been an excellent test for heart problems, but in more recent years, MPO has proven very effective as an early indicator. When discovered early, physicians can prescribe preventative treatment before damage can occur. However, reimbursement, in most cases was below the cost of the...

Heart Attack Symptoms and Women

The EMT Spot — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:58:21 +0100

I rarely create posts that point directly to another post, but I’m making an exception. Every once in a while I come across a post so phenomenally useful that I just have to point it out and share it. Recently Kevin Pho, M.D. of the KevinMD blog (pictured left) posted just that type of post on his blog. The post, written by Carolyn Thomas, shares the first person descriptions of dozens of women who have had heart attacks. Why is this so useful to my EMT and paramedic readership? Right now, 43% of your female patients who are experiencing heart attacks will present with no chest pain. Chest pain may be the “classic sign” of a heart attack in men, but women are a different story. Female patients are twice as likely to have their heart attacks misdiagnosed by a physician. Ho...

Death at SeaWorld: Where Is Tilikum, the Whale Who Killed His Trainer?

Donna Trussell — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:01:28 +0100

My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Death at SeaWorld: Where Is Tilikum, the Whale Who Killed His Trainer? Dawn Brancheau, the SeaWorld performer who died last February, had not crossed my mind in months. But last night I came across some year-end stories on 2010 newsmakers and what they were doing with their 16th minute of fame. One was Isaiah Mustafa, who found fame and fortune on a Super Bowl commercial for Old Spice. Another was Antoine Dodson, who scared away a would-be rapist from his sister’s bedroom and whose comments to a news crew led to the “Bed Intruder Song.” Tilikum, the killer whale, became a household name on Feb. 24, after he turned on his trainer Dawn Brancheau. When I first saw her picture, I realized that years ago I’d seen Brancheau pe...

Decline In Stroke Deaths Reinforces “Brain Attack” Prevention

Better Health — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:00:25 +0100

Stroke killed 2,000 fewer Americans in 2008 (the last year with complete numbers) than it did in 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday in its latest annual Deaths report. That dropped stroke from the third leading cause of death in the United States to the fourth. Good news? Yes and no. It’s always good news when fewer people die. The reduction suggests a payoff for efforts to prevent stroke and improve the way doctors treat it. Yet the drop from third to fourth place is due largely to an accounting change. The CDC reorganized another category, “chronic lower respiratory diseases” (mainly chronic bronchitis and emphysema), to include complications of these diseases such as pneumonia. The change substantially increased the number of deaths in this c...

Thanksgiving: A Heart Attack For Dessert?

Better Health — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0100

It seems the Washington Post, cloaked under an anonymous author, wants to use scare tactics to keep most of us from enjoying Thanksgiving with their ominously titled article, “And for dessert, a heart attack?” They spew all kinds of garbage with very little data about how eating a high-fat diet might give you a heart attack. If you want to know more, consider this article* from some pretty smart folks at Harvard. Then eat, drink, and be merry without guilt (courtesy of Dr. Wes). Happy Thanksgiving! - WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. *REFERENCE: Renata, M. and Mozaffarian, D. “Saturated Fat and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: a Fresh Look at the Evidence.” Lipids, 31 Mar 2010. [Photo credit: La...

Sudden Cardiac Arrest: How Fast Does It Cause Unconsciousness?

Better Health — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:00:00 +0100

How fast does sudden cardiac arrest cause unconsciousness? In just seconds. Here’s a video of Salamanca soccer player Miguel Garcia’s episode. At the start of the video, Mr. Garcia can be seen in the background of the image kneeling behind the players in the foreground. Watch carefully as he stands after tying his shoes. Although it is difficult to see, it appears an automatic external defibrillator arrives in about two minutes, though given the fact his shirt is still on as he’s taken from the field, we note the device is on his gurney as he’s hurried to a nearby ambulance. Reportedly, he survived this sudden cardiac arrest event: This was NOT a heart attack, but rather a loss of cardiac function caused by a rapid, often disorganized heart rhythm disorder. Compar...

High Stress Jobs Increase Heart Attack Risk for Women

Inside Surgery — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:48:20 +0100

A new report just out is suggesting that women who have high stress jobs suffer from an increased rate of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The lead researcher is cardiologist Dr. Michelle Albert of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. (Source: Inside Surgery)

Consumer Genetic Testing for heart attack risk? Worthless!

Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:50:00 +0100

Here are the top ten reasons why in its current state, direct to consumer or otherwise, genomic testing for cardiovascular disease risk is dead in the water 1. Family History Risk paints a far better picture and IT IS FREE2. Reynolds and Framingham risk paint a more accurate picture3. An independent panel has reviewed 58 variants, 29 genes, and gave the thumbs down.4. The highest increased risk from any of these tests is 30%, Fam Hx can be as high as 500%5. Kif6 was just shot down as a useful marker.6. Clinical Utility has not been evaluated in ANY of these tests. 7. Spit Parties don't lower cholesterol8. The FDA is hunting down these type of crazy claims!9 . Topol's heart attack gene didn't pan out, why would these?10. A recent 23 gene panel failed to make the grade as well.Let me be crys...

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A Hearty Life — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:25:54 +0100

Cardio Cocoa: Eating chocolate could decrease your risk of heart attack — if you’re a woman. (via Yahoo! Health) Post from: BlissTree (Source: A Hearty Life)

10 Tips to Make The Rest of the Semester Work

World of Psychology — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:05:55 +0100

Midterms are over and you are now confronted with the state of your grades. Maybe you did okay or even more than okay but it was high stress all the way. Or maybe you didn’t do as well as you could or as well as you need to if you are to be competitive for grad school or the job you want after graduation. Either way, it may be time to rethink the way you are doing college. It doesn’t have to be so high stress. If you were bright enough to be admitted, you’re bright enough to earn decent grades. But it may require a major shift in your schedule, your attitude, and your work ethic to get there. Here are some tips to make the second half of the semester go smoothly for you… 1. Recommit. If you got a string of C-minuses or lower, resist the tendency to give up. However discouraged ...

Think You're Too Young for a Heart Attack? You're Not

A Hearty Life — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:26:17 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Think heart attacks are reserved for 80-year-old men who smoke, drink, and eat red meat daily? Nope. Seemingly healthy young women like us are at risk for heart disease as well. In a recent article, Betty Confidential even talks about a 29-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack. The American Heart Association estimates that 365,000 women will have a heart attack this year. And there’s even worse news — heart attacks for women under 50 are twice as likely to be fatal as they are for men under 50. But, before you think all hope is lost, there are some things you can do to prevent heart disease. First of all, eating healthy and regular exercise are valuable and necessary steps to having a healthy cardiovascular system. Stress can also increase likelihood of a ca...

The Clock’s Tick-Tock And Our “Tickers”

Better Health — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

With the daylight savings fall-back date for 2010 rapidly approaching (remember: “Spring forward, fall back” — which is this Sunday, November 7th, 2010), I’m reminded of some research I read a few years back suggesting a link between daylight savings and heart attack risk. The research suggested the Monday effect of increased heart attacks was not related to stress, but rather the sleep cycle. When looked at from the daylight savings fall-back perspective, the research suggests the extra hour of sleep we gain from the November 7th, 2010 daylight savings fall-back date will be protective against heart attack risk. Good to know, especially if you’re the cardiologist on call the week following either date. *This blog post was originally published at T...

Bra Removal Might Cost an Eye, But Save a Life

Timemaster MD — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:38:55 +0100

In Case of Emergency – Borrow a Bra from the Biggest Breasted Woman you can Find! Dr. Elena Bodnar won an Ignoble (aka Stupid) Award for her invention of a bra that can be used for a dust mask for just $29.95. The fibers on the cups might hold back large dust particles but they are not woven tight enough to prevent bacteria, colds, or the bird flu as many foolishly hoped. And then you have to share with some other fool? No thanks! Bras can be quite utilitarian however, and have been around for over 103 years now! Thanks Italy! The Real Baconator Double! Move over Wendy’s – there’s a new sheriff in town! Throw out your 980 calorie two pattie and 6 bacon strip sandwich and let’s have some real dining pleasure with this bacon bra. I guess, if y...

Congrats, Crazy Cat Ladies: You're Healthier Than the Rest of Us

A Hearty Life — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:27:25 +0100

photo: Flickr user Sleeping Cat Beads We’re very opinionated when it comes to cats vs. dogs. Sorry canine-lovers, but a new study claims that cats make their owners happier and healthier than dogs. Theoretically, dog owners should be fairly healthy from all the hours they spend frolicking with their pups in the dog run, but apparently cleaning up messes on the living room floor and throwing away chewed-up shoes render all that exercise moot. And studies show that cats lower their owners’ blood pressure by reducing stress. So all those old ladies who live with their two dozen cats? Not sad and lonely at all. In fact, they could be healthier and happier than you are. Now, dog lovers: We’re ready for your protestations. Let us know why your perfect poochie makes you happier ...

Poor Dental Hygiene Can Be Killing You

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:33:56 +0100

Taking proper care of your mouth and teeth can save your life, and save you from a lifetime of chronic illnesses. Many of our illnesses have to do with inflammation, from arthritis to heart attack. Inflammation occurs when our bodies try to separate the illness from the rest of the body and is our body’s natural defense mechanism. But with the advent of the modern western lifestyle it may be working against us instead of protecting us. Here’s an example. Because of SAD ( Standard American Diet ), we become overweight, that leads to increased inflammation in our body. But inflammation itself can bring on heart attack by making atherosclerotic plagues in our vessels rupture. This makes our heart vessels clogged and hence heart attack. One of the major causes of inflammation are teeth and...

Erection Emergency – Call 911 Eva

Timemaster MD — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:54:33 +0100

Near Death Experience Might be Worth it With Eva Mendes in her red bikini!~ She can cause a heart to stop, and get it beating, plus get rid of that pesky Erectile Dysfunction problem in the meantime. So, for heart failure, or erection failure – call 911! Tell them you have a erection emergency! Back to the heart of the matter… NEW Cardiopulmonary Rescue (CPR) GUIDELINES OUT! The change ditches the old ABC training — airway-breathing-compressions. That called for rescuers to give two big breaths first, then alternate with 30 presses. Now, CPR should begin with chest compressions instead of opening the victim’s airway and breathing into their mouth first. (this only applies if someone who is not hot is doing the rescue) New York CPR A man falls to the s...

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Healthbolt — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:07:04 +0100

The New CPR Is C-A-B: The American Heart Association says that the most important part of CPR is the chest compressions. (via CNN) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Pharma Brands Benefit from "Mack Attacks" Say Attendees at DigiPharma EU

Pharma Marketing Blog — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:06:00 +0100

Last week I attended the DigiPharm EU conference in London and had a great time meeting old friends and people I have only interacted with through social media such as Twitter and FaceBook. Several EU pharma people presented at the conference, including candidates for the Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. I'll have more to say about these people and their presentations later, but right now I'd like to focus on me.First of all, I gained 2 lbs! It was the English comfort food I was exposed to at a couple of tweetups and during the buffet lunch at the conference. Food such as bangers and mash, roasted pork belly, and Shepherds pie. And the drinking!I blame it all on Alexandra Fulford (@pharmaguapa) and Sam Walmsley (@sammielw), two English women who are my new best friends on FaceBook.Ale...

Attack Ads: In the Screening Room

Donna Trussell — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:01:26 +0100

New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Attack Ads: In the Screening Room. Putting the pain in campaign. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: 2010 election, attack ad, campaign, commercial, congress, humor, political cartoon, robert donna trussell (Source: Donna Trussell)

Pre-Heart Attack “Screening?”

Better Health — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:00:00 +0100

Imagine: There you are sitting outside on a warm, sunny day having a leisurely picnic with your family. You hear an ambulance in the distance getting closer. You’re not on call. Suddenly, the paramedics hop from the vehicle’s cabin and pronounce: “Excuse me sir, your heart’s not getting enough oxygen and you might develop a heart attack. Please, come with us.” Sound far fetched? Well, maybe not. A new device is being tested that might detect “silent” ischemia and notify a patient (or even call 911) that he or she is showing signs of heart ischemia on the wire installed in his or her chest. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health)

Woodward, Resilience, and Virtues of Partisan Foreign Policy

Cato-at-liberty — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:42:00 +0100

By Benjamin H. FriedmanOn the National Interest‘s Skeptics blog, I have a new post about my lack of outrage over the revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book about Obama and Afghanistan. Unlike John Bolton and Heritage, I don’t think that the President’s comment that we can withstand another terrorist attack like 9-11 is offensive. After all, we can, and saying so doesn’t mean you want to try it. As I put it there: What’s truly outrageous is the notion that the only valid response to terrorism is cowering fear at home and endless warfare abroad. Somehow, for much the right, crediting our enemies with the ability to wreck our society is required, and it is verboten to say that we are something other than a pathetic, brittle nation that cannot manage adver...

Tweeting Your Own Heart Attack?

Better Health — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

It’s funny, until it’s not: Opportunity + Instinct = Profit. A good journalist can sense the moment that a story is developing and seize the moment. That’s why when White House correspondent Tony Christopher started having a heart attack, he immediately logged into Twitter and started covering it: Approximately at 6pm on Sunday afternoon Christopher wrote, “I gotta be me. Livetweeting my heart attack. Beat that!” Presumably a few minutes later the paramedics arrived to tell Christopher he will be stable after his crisis. An hour later Christopher joked about needing to own a cardiac cat, referencing a viral video in which a cat is trying to revive his dead feline friend. He also updated his followers about the pain he was feeling, “even after the morphine.” So is this...

What You Missed: 10 Best Blisstree Posts of Last Week

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:52:32 +0100

Where the hell were you last week? Forget it…we’re not your mother. We’re just here to catch you up on the 10 best Blisstree posts of last week. Which is exactly what we’re going to do. Right now. You’re welcome. 1. When No Means Yes: Top 10 Rape Fantasy Scenes on Film and TV 2. Would You Like That Heart Attack Sunny Side Up? The World’s 10 Worst Breakfasts 3. 5 Soothing Voices That Can Make You Comatose (In a Good Way) 4. My Gay Husband Is Better Than Your Straight Husband 5. An Open Letter to Paranoid Humans (From Misunderstood Bedbugs) 6. 10 Food and Drink Products Spelled Wrong on Purpose 7. Say You’re Sorry: 10 Nostalgic Childhood Games We Wish They Hadn’t Changed 8. Our 5 Favorite Local TV Commercials From Childhood – What Are Yours? ...

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Healthbolt — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:39:34 +0100

After The Fact: A new study suggests that quitting smoking even after a heart attack lowers your risk of repeat heart attacks compared to people who continue to smoke after a heart attack. (via Reuters)Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Everyone Over 40 Has Cancer

Dr Shock MD PhD — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:22:35 +0100

John Gray discusses his book: Venus on fire, Mars on ice. It’s also a short and uncomplicated introduction to the effects of stress on different diseases and the difference between men and women on a hormonal level with consequences for the stress response. Very clear although somewhat simplified presentation about these matters. Related posts:Cancer Research Blog Carnival #21 – National Cancer Research Month Why Red Wine Fights Heart Disease and Cancer Genetics of Cancer Resistance (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD)

S.e.x. After a Heart Attack Can Be Frightening

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:10:25 +0100

A recent article published by CNN notes the results of a study that says many people are too frightened after a heart attack to resume regular sexual relations. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/21/heart.doctor.sex/index.html), and that’s understandable. It discusses how few patients ever really bring up sex with their doctors, but many see their intimacy drop off because they might be afraid to resume regular relations. But what if the problem lies elsewhere? Let’s put it this way. If a patient who has just had a heart attack comes to his doctor to ask if he can resume being intimate with his partner, that means that the sex drive is there and that they want it and are just looking for the OK to resume again. But, if they are not asking, doesn’t that give a hint that maybe that’s...

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Healthbolt — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:16:03 +0100

Red Meat Doesn’t Need to Be Eliminated From Diet for Health Benefits: A new study suggests that cutting back to one serving of red meat every other day rather than everyday will significantly lower your risk of heart disease. (via CNN) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

A Multi-Prong Attack On Fatness

Better Health — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0100

If I was Surgeon General, I would follow the lead of our country’s first Mom, Michelle Obama. This is serious folks. We as an American society need to solve the obesity crisis, not just for our physical health, but for our country’s financial stability. Reducing the spiraling costs of healthcare is wanted by all. So far, prevention of the diseases which contribute most to our healthcare costs, (heart disease, cancer and orthopedic issues, to name just a few) has been given only lip service, by our future supplier of healthcare — the American government. It turns out that the mechanisms to reduce our most costly ailments are the same as those that mitigate obesity. It is like simple math. (If a=b, and b=c, than a=c.) If lifestyle choices reduce obesity, and less obesity ...

Dentist Thomas Grams Confirmed Killed in Afgan Attack

Inside Surgery — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:33:21 +0100

Dentist Thomas Grams of Colorado has been confirmed killed in the Taliban attack on a medical aid team working in a remote province of Afghanistan. Grams left his practice in 2008 to work full time giving dental care to impoverished children in Afghanistan. (Source: Inside Surgery)

America Has A Heart

Better Health — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0100

As an American, I was proud when I heard the news. I grinned to myself. It was on my way to work, through a beautiful city park, with the sun rising over the hillside. The morning radio program reported the news that a California judge overturned their state’s ban on gay marriage. I know what you’re thinking: A medical blog is running amuck right into a political hornet’s nest. But isn’t it true that a nation’s kindness is a defining characteristic? America and Americans do much that is good and right. Examples of such goodness are too numerous to list. If you are a victim of a calamity, you can be sure that America will help. Ask Haiti. And it’s not just foreign countries, we help each other. There’s a flood and then there are volunteers. A powe...

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Healthbolt — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:20:20 +0100

Calcium Supplements Increase Heart Attack Risk: Many people pop calcium tablets to ward off osteoporosis, but they may increase the risk of heart attack by 30%. (via Reuters) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Calcium Supplements Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk

HealthNewsBlog.com — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0100

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports on a study that suggests taking calcium supplements can increase a person's risk of having a heart attack. The study found taking the supplements can give a person a 30% increase risk of having a heart attack. Take a look: Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com)

Why Heart Patients Should Order Their Pizza Delivered

Better Health — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

… because the pizza deliveryman might just save your life. From The Associated Press: LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Ordering a pizza may have saved George Linn’s life. Linn’s wife says he had just gone into cardiac arrest Friday when the pizza deliveryman knocked on the door of their Colorado home to bring their order. Kami Linn says she opened the door to “some burly-looking dude” and immediately asked for help. The deliveryman, Chris Wuebben, happened to be a paramedic recently returned from Iraq. Kami Linn says Wuebben performed CPR on her husband and revived him. Other paramedics who later arrived then took over. George Linn remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Kami Linn says her husband has a history of heart problems. -WesMusings of a cardiologist and ...

Cardiologist Job Security

Better Health — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

All it takes to assure you’ll keep your local cardiologist employed is 19 strips of bacon and an egg and you’ve got yourself one heck of a solid bacon burger: Having read about the difficulties people making such burgers have had keeping them together, I decided to add one large egg to the food processor along with the 19 slices of bacon. I ground the bacon and the egg together, then, using my hands, pulled the mixture out and used a hamburger press to make a burger. It is possible that my hands have been greasier at some point in my life, but if so I have (fortunately) forgotten it. I was not quite prepared for the raw burger to look like pure fat, and I must admit that it didn’t look very appealing. But it was for science, so I soldiered on! I put the burger on the rack-Pyr...

If Doctors Billed Like Lawyers

Better Health — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0100

From a discussion thread on Medscape (registration required) posted in response to comments on my earlier post entitled “If Lawyers Billed Like Doctors:” Mr. Clark, it appears quite likely you are having a heart attack and will require my services. I will need a retainer of $1,500 via either cash or cashier’s check. This does not cover any treatment, but merely retains me as your physician. Then you will need to deposit $5,000 into an escrow account. I will bill this account for services rendered. My charges are $400 an hour and I bill in 15-minute increments. Which means if it takes me 5 minutes to review your EKG, I still bill for 15 minutes. When the escrow account reaches $1,000 you will need to deposit an additional $4,000 into the account or I will cease to be your ...

Flawless to a Fault: Are You a Perfectionist?

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:09:59 +0100

photo: Thinkstock We’ve all known since high school that perfectionism is a double-edged sword. While we might envy a golden girl’s body or brain, we certainly aren’t jealous of her bad temper or control-freak tendencies. Now there’s evidence that the stress of being a perfectionist has even higher stakes than we previously thought: Poor health. Researchers say that perfectionism is liked to bad health and death. In a study following 450 adults over 65 for 6.5 years, those who had high perfectionism scores had a 51% increased risk of death compared to those with low scores. We’ll be taking this new research as an excuse to act a little less than perfect today (which will be difficult for us). Like maybe we’ll pick off half our nail polish so we have weir...

Top 7 Smoking Myths That Stop You From Quitting

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:54:12 +0100

You just smoke when you’re stressed; you think it’s good for your figure; or you think it’s your body, and you’ll do what you want. There are a lot of excuses that keep you puffing away, but deep down you probably know you should quit. AOL Health’s “Myths That Keep You Smoking” may change your mind about your favorite excuse. 1. Quitting will make you fat: Thin models and actresses who smoke, and ads like the one above from Virginia Slims make you think that cigarettes are the key to keeping your figure, but quitting doesn’t have to mean gaining tons of weight. The average quitter gains about 10 pounds at first, but studies have shown that health-minded quitters tend not to gain as much weight: Clearing up your lungs actually makes it easier ...

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Healthbolt — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:28:55 +0100

Anxiety Leads to Heart Problems: A new study found that people with stable coronary heart disease and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) had a higher rate of cardiovascular events than patients without GAD. (via ABC News) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Obesity In the U.S.: We Are Getting Fatter

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:49:49 +0100

Photo from Flickr user xornalcerto A new obesity report is out, and the findings are hugely depressing. The fattest states in 1991 were as large as the thinnest states are in 2009. Not all that long ago, the U.S. was much trimmer little lady. So what’s changed: More heavily-processed foods, less exercise, and too much time on the computer? We’d be fools to not point out the correlation between the decline of rollerblading and the increase in Americans’ waistlines. But seriously, what do you think has happened? via Treehugger Post from: BlissTree Obesity In the U.S.: We Are Getting Fatter (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3)

Diabetes Drug Avandia Reported to Have Increased Heart Risks

Inside Surgery — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:53:48 +0100

Two large studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) detail the increased cardiovascular risks including stroke and heart attack associated with taking the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone). One of the studies was led by Dr. David Graham of the FDA. (Source: Inside Surgery)

Congrats to the 5 Winners of Our "Become an EX" Quit Smoking Giveaway!

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:08:09 +0100

Guess what Peggy, Angela, Allan, Susan, and Lee? It’s high time to give up those cancer sticks, because you just won: One EX Quit Pack, which includes: an EX backpack, an EX quit manual, a cigarette pack tracker, an air freshener, an EX cup holder, and quit smoking trigger cards with stickers. Congratulations to all five of you and best of luck! We know you’ll quit smoking for good this time. (And if you didn’t win, read below for info on how to Become an Ex.) At Blisstree, we think smoking is a big deal. And apparently, so do you. (One of our posts: What Happens to Your Body If You Stop Smoking Right Now? currently has 4,282 comments.) For those of you who didn’t win our giveaway, BecomeAnEX is a FREE online and social-media-based quit smoking program. Get t...

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Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:54:05 +0100

Early Menopause Increases Heart Disease Risk: Women who go through menopause before the age of 46 may have more than twice the risk of developing heart disease than women who don’t not experience early menopause. (via Reuters) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3)

Stanford cardiologist answers your questions on YouTube

Dr Shock MD PhD — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:08:44 +0100

After putting up questions and voting for them this expert answers six most asked questions such as mitral valve prolapse or heart attack at young age and what can be done about it. Pacemakers and new developments, life style are other subjects, so enjoy. Excellent way of using web 2.0 for patient education? On moderator 97 people submitted 31 questions and cast 315 votes. Dr. Euan Ashley is a cardiologist and assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. He studies the use of genetics to predict and treat heart disease, and he is an expert in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden death in athletes. In this second video, Dr. Ashley responds to the top six questions submitted through Moderator on YouTube. Thanks Scope Related posts:Ask a Stanford Cardi...

Heart Attacks: More Likely to Be Fatal In Certain Areas

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:50:48 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Whether or not you survive a cardiac event could depend on where you are. Neighborhoods whose residents are poorer, less educated, and have more black residents yield higher death rates as a result of cardiac incidents. When researchers studied areas in Georgia, people who had a heart attack in Fulton County (Atlanta area) were up to three times more likely to die – and less likely to have bystanders perform CPR – than those who suffered heart attacks in other Georgia counties. Because heart disease is the number one killer of American women, it’s troubling to know that some deaths could be avoided if the victim walks down a different street. It’s impractical to avoid certain areas because there’s a chance you’ll have a heart attack while you&#...

Weight Gain In the Wrong Places: Daily Health Quiz

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:46:38 +0100

How much do you really know about your health? You may think you know all the ins and outs of staying well, but our daily Health Smarts Quiz will test your knowledge on the spot. Answer our question, below, and check back tomorrow for the correct answer and your next pop quiz. Today’s Question: It is more dangerous to carry weight on your body in certain places than others? A build-up of fat in one particular part of your body will make you more likely to develop health problems. Which part of your body is the riskiest place to have a build-up of fat? #MicroPollDiv_257236 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Answer to our last health quiz: We’ve heard that those who take birth control aren’t supposed to smoke, but is there actually a risk? According to Our Bodies, Oursel...

Stress Study: Working May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Healthbolt — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:25:34 +0100

photo: Thinkstock With jobs few and far between these days, many of those who are fortunate enough to be employed are forced to work long hours – sometimes seven days a week. And there’s more bad news: Not only are you missing out on your beauty sleep, but working for more than 10 hours a day also might be hazardous to your health. A joint study done at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College of London has shown that people who work more than 10 hours a day are 60% more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than those who work only seven hours a day. But the reasons aren’t totally clear. It might be because workaholics have less time to relax and focus on themselves. And it’s not just those with high-stress jobs who are at ri...

How Much Does A Heart Attack Cost?

Better Health — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 +0100

How much would a heart attack cost you? Quite a bit, according to CBS MoneyWatch.com: According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total [editor's note: lifetime] cost of a severe heart attack -– including direct and indirect costs -– is about $1 million. Direct [lifetime] costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average [lifetime] cost of a less-severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less-severe heart attack. I’m all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to “prevent&#...

Are Eggs Good For You?

The Diabetes Blog — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Filed under: DietEggs often get a bad rap because they are a major source of dietary cholesterol. Yet, these days, the overarching opinion is that limiting cholesterol is not necessary if you eat a diet low in saturated fat and free of trans-fats, and you don't have diabetes. In the Physicians' Health Study, men with diabetes had an increased chance risk of dying or having a heart attack or stroke if they consumed eggs. The study, though flawed, raises questions. According to dietitians, diabetics should eat no more than two egg yolks per week. Eggs provide a low-cost, nutrient-rich source of complete protein that many people do not get elsewhere, especially those who are on modified eating plans. Check out more information on AOL Health. Permalink | Email this | Link...

The Costs of a Heart Attack

Dr. Wes — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:59:00 +0100

Quite a bit, according to some:According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total (editor's note: lifetime) cost of a severe heart attack–including direct and indirect costs–is about $1 million. Direct (lifetime) costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while the indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average (lifetime) cost of a less severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less severe heart attack.I'm all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to "prevent" a heart attack as a means to save health care costs going forward, rem...

Could a Heart Attack During A Trial Help a Defendent in Court?

Dr. Wes — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:39:00 +0100

Perhaps:Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Graveline wrote in a motion that after the judge told the jury about the heart attack “many jurors in their body language and facial expressions, rightly expressed concern for Mr. Cicchetti.” The prosecutor said the government did not object to the judge telling the jury about the heart attack because it assumed that Cicchetti would be prosecuted later before a different jury.“It is only natural for the jury to feel sympathy for Mr. Cicchetti’s condition and this sympathy may well play into its consideration of the evidence against Mr. Cicchetti especially in light of his defense that he is a sick harmless older man who is only guilty of loving motorcycles and cocaine.”“The government believes that allowing Mr. Cicchetti to continue i...

Sea Salt is Better For Your Heart

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:20:00 +0100

We have been using only sea salt for the past 3-4 years, because it is so much better for you. Sea salt contains many minerals in it that occur naturally as it forms in the ocean. Standard table salt, sodium chloride, does not contain these minerals, is very refined, and sometimes only has iodine added which aids in preventing goiter, a thyroid condition.My husband has been told to avoid added salt in his diet because of blood pressure. In my reading, I've found that Sea Salt, or some of you may refer to it as salt sea, contains minerals that help to compensate for the negative affect that can happen if you use regular table salt, also known as sodium chloride. Among the minerals sea salt contains is calcium, magnesium and potassium...potassium and magnesium are both so important to proper...

Is eating less saturated fat and more carb good for the heart? Actually, the reverse may be true.

Dr John Biffa's Blog — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:28:30 +0100

If you want to cut your risk of heart disease, reduce intake of saturated fat and eat more carbohydrate. That’s what most doctors, dieticians and Governments would have us believe. So it must be true, right? It’s a message we’ve heard a thousand times, so surely is based on sound science? So what does happen when [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog)

Sleeping On the Job Is Dreamy

Healthbolt — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:28:30 +0100

Instead of giving yourself a caffeine IV every afternoon, succumb to the will of the nap attack. At least that’s what UC Berkeley psychology professor Mathew Walker and his colleagues suggest. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, taking a nap during the day will lower your blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack, and even make you smarter. A new study shows that people who take long enough naps during the day (with Stage Two non-REM cycle having the best results), find that their brains feel recharged and hungry for knowledge. Walker divided a group of 39 young adults into Siesta Team Alpha and Stay Awake Team Beta, and put them to the test. At noon, both teams endured a grueling learning session, and finished by completing a comprehensive test. At 2 p.m., Siesta ...

MS “Care Partners”

Life with MS — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:25:13 +0100

There is a lot of Politically Correct language out there in the world of multiple sclerosis and disabilities in general. One of the terms bantered about is “Care Partner”. This replaces caregiver and other terms deemed by some to be demeaning and misunderstood. I like “care partner” as it gives a sense that people are in the thing together and working in tandem. I’ve thought that Caryn will be a good care partner to me if and when my MS progresses “that far”. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I had something of an epiphany. She already is my care partner…even when I don’t think I need care! Those of us who live with this disease at any stage, be it in remission or in the midst of a full-on attack, rely on others in our everyday lives. Caryn lives with my MS every si...

Aspirin in the primary prevention of heart attacks

Malaysian Medical Resources — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Our Cardiologist blogger, Heart of the Matter, has an update on Aspirin in the primary prevention of heart attacks. Primary prevention means preventing something which has not happened, and in the case of aspirin, it means people who have not had a heart attack before but take aspirin to prevent one from ever happening. At the just concluded ACC Annual Scientific Meeting at Atlanta, Georgia, Dr Jay Das and group re-reviewed the ATTC data, plus another three aspirin trials ( the JPAD, POPADAD, AAA ) and also concluded basically, that althought there was some small benefit with aspirin, there was a significant level of side effects. They concluded that there was no role for aspirin in the primary prevention of heart attacks. So once again, the message needs to go out to primary care doctors ...

Message to Republicans: Stop Hiding Behind the Troops

Cato-at-liberty — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:13:08 +0100

By Malou InnocentIn what can only be described as a cheap partisan attack masquerading as patriotic chest-thumping, House Republicans this morning issued a statement opposing Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan because… [drum roll please] the Republicans strongly support the troops in Afghanistan. In a statement of Republican policy forwarded to GOP politicians and their staffers, the House Republican Leadership and the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Republicans write, ”Since the President’s speech, more United States Armed Forces have been deployed to the Afghanistan theatre in support of the implementation of our nation’s counterinsurgency strategy. Many of them leave behind family...

Killer Whale Tragedy at Sea World

Donna Trussell — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:57:31 +0100

Seven-minute home video (hosted on Orlando TV station site) of Dawn Brancheau interacting with killer whale Tillikum until just a few seconds before the attack. My post on this tragedy will appear first thing Saturday morning on Politics Daily. Filed under: Music - TV - Film, Politics Daily Tagged: accident, attack, dawn brancheau, death, killer whale, sea world, tillikum, Video (Source: Donna Trussell)

Migraines and Heart Attack Risk

A Hearty Life — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:11:57 +0100

There have been studies, off and on, about possible connections between migraines and strokes, but newest research is showing that there is also a connection between migraines and heart attacks. It’s important to understand that migraines are not simply very bad headaches. Migraines are a condition on their own and are not restricted to pain in the head. They can cause, among other things: Visual disturbances Sensitivity to light, sound, touch Nausea Vomiting Balance problems And now, researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University say that people with migraines have twice the risk of having a heart attack than people who don’t have migraines. They also found: that migraine sufferers also face increased risk for stroke and were more likely to have k...

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Increases Sucide Risk

The Cancer Blog — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Filed under: ResearchProstate cancer can increase a man's odds for either suicide of fatal heart attack, according to a research group at Harvard Medical School. A cancer diagnosis is stressful, and that stress can cause a number of changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Those, coupled with underlying health conditions, may be more likely to drive someone to suicide. Although doctors focused on those recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, they believe that the results will be similar for patients with other types of cancer. The researchers plan to do a similar study of breast and colon cancer patients. The researchers started with prostate cancer because they wanted to test whether the widespread use of screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test has made a difference....

Help for a Hearty Heart

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:18:00 +0100

Valentines Day is this coming Sunday, and this is a "healthy heart" month. My Valentine, my dear husband, has experienced a heart attack, and is a diabetic, increasing his risks in this area. Over the years posting to this blog, I've done several posts about heart health, and our experience.To bring attention to them again at this time of the year, I thought I'd share links to some of those posts. They are:My Husband's Heart Attack - Part 1My Husband's Heart Attack - Part 2My Husband's Heart Attack - Part 3Hubby's Heart Attack - Final Post (I hope!)ORAC, Antioxidants, Free Radicals, and What?Heart Attacks and Women - Part 1Heart Attacks and Women - Part 2Anger and Heart HealthConnection Between the Heart and the TomatoSite Feed (Source: Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets)

Panic Disorder

Inside Surgery — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:16:30 +0100

Pathophysiology 1) episodic, unpredictable attacks of intense fear, agitation, and discomfort (especially agoraphobic) 2) onset must occur over a 10 minute period 3) attacks generally occur for < 1 hour 4) exact cause is unknown, but genetic predisposition occurs Signs and Symptoms presence of at least four of the following during attack – 1) tachycardia/palpitations 2) trembling/shaking 3) sweating 4) shortness of breath 5) dizziness 6) chest pain 7) choking sensation chills or hot flushes 9) abdominal pain or diarrhea 10) sense of impending doom or death 11) feelings of anxiety Biochemistry 1) altered autonomic functioning 2) increased noradrenergic discharge from locus ceruleus Inheritance/Epidemiology onset is usually in late adolescence to early adulthood Treatment 1) SSRIs (se...

What is Obsessive-compulsive Disorder?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:43:11 +0100

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) If you have obsessive thoughts this means that certain words or ideas keep coming into your mind automatically. This can make you feel very anxious, particularly if the thoughts are nasty, unpleasant or frightening. For example, some people have repeated thoughts about germs causing disease or death. In order to cope with the anxiety they start to do things over and over again to get rid of the thoughts, such as washing their hands every few minutes, or reciting numbers. This is known as compulsive behaviour. People with this type of anxiety also tend to make it worse by continually checking their own thoughts. There can sometimes be a physical reason for obsessive thoughts, such as an infection, so it may be worth speaking to your doctor about this. Pa...

Terrorism and Security Systems

Cato-at-liberty — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:55:04 +0100

By Jim HarperTerrorism presents a complex set of security problems. That’s easy to see in the welter of discussion about the recent attempted bombing on a plane flying from Amsterdam into Detroit. The media and blogs are poring over the many different security systems implicated by this story. Unfortunately, many are reviewing them all at once, which is very confusing. Each security system aimed to protect against terror attacks and other threats involves difficult and complex balancing among many different interests and values. Each system deserves separate consideration, along with analysis of how they interact with one another. A helpful way to unpack security is by thinking in terms of “layers.” Calling it security “layering” is a way of describing the many d...

Anxiety and Crohn’s Disease

Life with Crohn's — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:37:26 +0100

The phrase that one of our blog community members, Todd, writes often in our comments is, “Keep your mind in the game.” That has sort of become my mantra lately. I have to tell myself this so I can remember what is important in the big picture so I will stop worrying about the little stuff. I have had problems with anxiety for a while now and I think that it has been building up the last few years. One of my problems (probably due to the fact that I am female) is that I tend to over analyze everything. Things happen to my husband, he acknowledges them, and then he forgets them and moves on. Things happen to me and I analyze every facet of every emotion that I felt and what it was or what could I have done differently. I am now trying to emulate my husband and be more li...

10 Reasons I Quit Smoking

World of Psychology — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:30:28 +0100

You’re almost there. You want to quit. In fact, 80 percent of your brain is sure you can. But 20 percent insists that you can’t. How do you make it over to the other side without falling SPLAT on your face? Do this. Make a list. Of ten reasons you should quit. Here’s mine. 1. Smoking Made Me Sick For real. Within a few minutes of inhaling a few cigarettes, my throat would start to tickle and my head would begin hurt. The day after a binge, I’d wake up with a nasty cold that kept me in bed when I had a million things to do. Smoking shrinks your blood vessels, clogs up your lungs, and wears down your immune system. Your body is less able to fight off bacteria and viruses, so, yes, you get sick. And there’s of course the lung cancer and increased chances of heart...

Fort Hood and Political Correctness

Cato-at-liberty — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:23:45 +0100

This morning, Politico Arena asks: The Fort Hood tragedy: Why does it matter, or not, what we call it? Is it being politicized? My response: If we want to be technical, what we call the Fort Hood massacre matters, and James Taranto got it right in Monday’s Wall Street Journal: It was not a terrorist attack, targeting noncombatants, but an act of guerrilla warfare, carried out by one of our own in apparent contact with the enemy, and hence an act of treason. But the deeper and far larger problem is why the Army didn’t act sooner against this man and, even more, why it is, as Dorothy Rabinowitz put it in yesterday’s Journal, that “the tide of pronouncements and ruminations pointing to every cause for this event other than the one obvious to everyone in the rationa...

Famous Diabetes Friends on Heart Health (Vlogs)

Diabetes Mine — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:08 +0100

Ooh, lucky me. I ran into two of my diabetes heroes at the Diabetes Technology Society Meeting late last week. More soon on the new developments I heard about there. But for today, please enjoy these video testimonials on diabetes & heart health. First, from Francine Kaufman, MD, a world-renown pediatric endocrinologist at USC, former ADA president, [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine)

A Young Woman’s Death, and Our Uneasy Truce With Wilderness

Donna Trussell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:18:29 +0100

My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up: On Tuesday afternoon, a young Toronto singer-songwriter named Taylor Mitchell was walking the beautiful Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park when two coyotes attacked her. A nearby hiker heard her cries and came to her aid. Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital, but she died the next morning, on October 28. Had she lived, in three weeks Mitchell would have found out whether or not she won a Canadian Folk Music Award. She’d been nominated in the category of Young Performer of the Year. She was 19 years old. Cape Breton officials insisted an attack by coyotes is highly irregular, since they usually shy away from humans…. Read the rest on AOL: A Young Woman’s Death, and Our Uneasy Truce With Wilderness. Posted in Music...

Dental – Heart Health Link Extends Past Periodontal Disease

dental blog for dentists about dentistry — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:24:03 +0100

A recent study published in Journal of Dental Research, held by the Indiana University School of Dentistry, evaluated a group of people with healthy gum tissue to study the differences between people with good and poor oral hygiene. The subjects were from various ethnic groups and included women and men. Black, male participants who neglected daily oral care showed a unique response. Those in this group who accumulated plaque were found to have a white blood cell response (neutrophils). When an infection exists in the body, neutrophils move from bone marrow to the affected part of the body as a defensive measure. A person with a high white blood cell count is at greater risk of heart attack. Researchers hope that the finding will help medical professionals identify patients at increased ri...

My First Vlog - from the Heart

Diabetes Mine — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:17 +0100

I was tempted to call this post, “I’m better in writing.” I really don’t like seeing myself on film. But I know, it’s time to get with the program. That, and the American Heart Association provided the members of its Heart of Diabetes Connected Council group with free Flip video recorders - pretty cool! See Scott Johnson’s [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine)

Multiple Sclerosis and the H1N1 (Swine) Flu Vaccine

Life with MS — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:56:55 +0100

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, I do not play one on television and though I own a lab coat, I don’t even look good in it. This post was compiled after consultation with doctors, researchers and the National MS Society about MS and vaccines in general as well as influenza and the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccines. As with any medical advice it is imperative that you speak to your doctor in reference to your particular situation. Flu season is upon us… There have been several questions raised in our blog over the past weeks about the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus and its new vaccination. While I made every effort to get as many answers as I could, please know that this is a choice for you and your medical professionals to make. Each multiple sclerosis clinic will have its own standa...

Preventing Heart Attacks?

Diabetes Mine — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:48 +0100

I’m off to Dallas today to take part in a special patient advisory council* for the American Heart Association, which is desperately trying to reach out to people with diabetes about heart health. They’ve created a program called Heart of Diabetes (sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals) and are busy gathering patient stories in video format. Now they’re [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine)

2 Low-Cost Drugs May Prevent Strokes

A Hearty Life — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:59:24 +0100

A three-year study of 170,024 patients has found that two low-cost medications – one for lowering cholesterol and one for lowering blood pressure – taken for two years reduced their risk of having a heart attack or stroke by more than 60% for the following year. The patients were divided into three groups at the start of the study. The high-exposure group was composed of 21,292 patients. They took both medications (40 milligrams of lovastatin and 20 milligrams of lisinopril) more than half the time throughout the two years. The amount of time they took the medications was determined by a review of pharmacy records. The low-exposure group of 47,268 people took the two medications less than half the time, while 101,464 people did not take the medications and were considered to ...

1 in 8 Chance of a Warning Stroke

A Hearty Life — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:55:48 +0100

People who experience a stroke, or a CVA (cardiovascular accident) may have experienced a smaller warning stroke, or a TIA (transient ischemic attack), say researchers from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. TIAs are strokes that last only a few minutes. The blood flow is blocked, as in a full-blown stroke, but then is restored. Symptoms of a TIA may range from very mild stroke-like symptoms to very severe ones. The researchers found that one of out every eight strokes followed an earlier TIA. The findings of the study were published in the September 29th issue of the medical journal Neurology. The researchers looked at over 16,000 patients who had a stroke. Among them, 12.4% experienced a TIA before the stroke. Interestingly, people who did not have a TIA had mo...

Limited Options in Dealing with Iran

Cato-at-liberty — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:19:52 +0100

The revelation last week of a second secret Iranian nuclear facility, and Iran’s test firings over the weekend of its short and medium range missiles, bring a new sense of urgency to the long-scheduled talks between Iran and the P-5 + 1 beginning on Thursday in Geneva. Many in Washington hope that a new round of tough sanctions, supported by all of the major powers including Russia and China, might finally convince the Iranians to abandon their nuclear program. Such hopes are naive. Even multilateral sanctions have an uneven track record, at best. It is difficult to convince a regime to reverse itself when a very high-profile initiative hangs in the balance, and Iran’s nuclear program clearly qualifies. It is particularly unrealistic given that the many years of economic and di...

Peripheral Artery Disease Risk Quiz

A Hearty Life — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:51:04 +0100

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) occurs when your blood circulation is compromised, because your arteries are narrowing, making it more difficult for the blood to flow through. Your arteries are the blood vessels that carry refreshed and oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Having PAD raises your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. People at highest risk of PAD are those who smoke or have diabetes, but also people who are African American and seniors have a higher risk than most others. PAD isn’t rare. It’s estimated that about 10 million American live with PAD. Since PAD doesn’t have any symptoms* until it has been present for a while and is causing problems, finding out if you’re at risk may help you seek help and be diagnosed before it becomes an issue...

Aspirin No Benefits for Healthy

A Hearty Life — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:44:51 +0100

We’ve heard for years now that taking a daily dose of aspirin may help prevent heart attacks. Certainly, for those who have already had heart trouble, aspirin has proven to be a great benefit. But new research looked at healthy people who were taking aspirin as a precaution, and found that it may do more harm than good. Researchers have found that is a person is healthy, taking aspirin does not necessarily reduce the risk of having a future heart attack. More than that, however, daily aspirin use in healthy people may up the risk of internal bleeding at some point. This research clearly contradicts the advice to take an aspirin every day if you’re healthy. What should you do? Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Aspirin may still be a good choice for you, but only ...

Cooling for Cardiac Care

A Hearty Life — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:55:28 +0100

Cooling has been indicated as a new method for cardiac arrest patients. “Cooling” simply mean that patients are given a chilled saline solution intravenously. The solution can drop a patient’s body temperature to somewhere around 91 degrees. This method is thought to reduce the “body’s need for oxygen and slows the deadly chemical cascade that sets in when oxygen isn’t circulating because the heart stopped beating. While this method has shown promise, cooling is done a very small percentage of time. It has actually been shown to be more cost effective overall, and reduces complications for patients down the road. Image: sxc.hu. Post from: Blisstree Cooling for Cardiac Care (Source: A Hearty Life)

Billy Mays: Cocaine User?

A Hearty Life — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:56:52 +0100

I have to say, I’m shocked at the news that Billy Mays had been using cocaine. For some reason, that TV pitchman that was so well-liked and so recognizable represented something down-to-earth and homey to me. I trusted his opinions and when he sold something, it made me stop and take a look at what he was pitching. So the recent news that he had used cocaine “just days before his death” is shocking to me. The autopsy results having concluded that the cocaine use contributed to his heart attack. It just goes to show that we can’t abuse our bodies and expect there to be no long-term effects. Granted, I’m shocked at some of the rock stars who are still around and yet have abused their bodies for years. Billy Mays’ body obvious couldn’t take it. He wa...

Can Watching The Game Give You A Heart Attack?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:18:57 +0100

Watching sports games on television or in person, doubled the cardiac events rate. A new study, published in New England Journal of Medicine, showed that watching sports games on television or in person, doubled the cardiac events rate. Do I suggest stop watching games or TV? No. What I suggest is to have meds handy while enjoying excitement. (Source: Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog)

Can Watching The Game Give You A Heart Attack? Study Says That Stress Levels May Be Too Much

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:18:57 +0100

Do I suggest stop watching games or TV? No. What I suggest is to have meds handy while enjoying excitement. (Source: Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog)

Surviving a Head-On Collision

World of Psychology — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:02:27 +0100

I survived a head-on collision. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I wanted to get your attention. Although I indeed was involved in a minor, fender-bender type of head-on collision, I was stopped at the time and the car that hit me was going about 3 or 4 mph. The other driver, distracted by trying to do something on her cell phone, made a right-hand turn very wide, right into my lane as I was coming out of the side street she was turning in to. She was an older woman and looked very much like someone’s grandmother. Impeccably dressed for summer in Newburyport fashion, she was driving a Volvo station wagon. After she hit me, it took a full 2 or 3 seconds for what she had just done to register on her face. It felt like time stood still during the entire 10 seconds of the accident...

Eat veggies to lower your blood pressure

Medicine and Man — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:00:43 +0100

I am a vegetarian. Often people are surprised and they ask me - “How do you get your proteins (i.e. without eating meat)?” My answer - “Vegetables also contain proteins.” Image Source: Wikipedia Now a new study published in Circulation compared the blood pressure between individuals who ate vegetable protein (specifically glutamic acid along with 4 other amino acids which are relatively higher in vegetable than animal protein) with people who ate non-vegetable protein (read animal meat). They found a difference of about -2.7/-2.0 mm Hg in blood pressure in people eating more vegetables. Although that may sound small, individual results may be different (and maybe higher for you). Reference: Glutamic Acid, the Main Dietary Amino Acid, and Blood Pressure (T...

10 Facts - Vitamin B12 + Sources

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:05:00 +0100

Vitamin B's are vital to our nutrition and health, and beneficial for so many things. There are different B's in the vitamin B family...in this post we'll take a look at Vitamin B-12.Here are some Vitamin B + B12 facts:1. Help promote energy2. Support the nervous system3. Help in times of stress4. Support and improve immune function5. Have an influence on the health of most of the organs of the body6. Though primarily available in meats, B12 is easily lost in cooking or processing of foods, so unless you eat raw (and not many eat raw meat) and have time to monitor your intake, supplementation is beneficial if not necessary.7. Most B-12 sources are animal based.8. Aids production of blood cells, red, white and platelets.9. B12 and B6 work together to control homocysteine levels, which when ...

Coffee & Tea Reduce Risk of Stoke and TIA

Sarasota Neurology — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:37:54 +0100

In conclusion, it is clear from the available data published in several medical journals, such as Stroke and Circulation, that there is a significant reduction in rate and prevalence of TIA, stroke and stroke symptoms with daily consumption of tea and/or coffee. Higher coffee consumption appears to be associated with a greater reduction in stroke prevalence. This in combination with a healthy diet, exercise of any kind and optimized medical therapy will provide individuals with the greatest protection against having a stroke and stroke prevention. (Source: Sarasota Neurology)

Coffee & Tea Reduce Risk of Stroke and TIA

Sarasota Neurology — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:33:53 +0100

This “Cyberwar” Is a Cybersnooze

Cato-at-liberty — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:45 +0100

The AP and other sources have been reporting on a “cyberattack” affecting South Korea and U.S. government Web sites, including the White House, Secret Service and Treasury Department. Allegedly mounted by North Korea, this attack puts various “cyber” threats in perspective. Most Americans will probably not know about it, and the ones who do will learn of it by reading about it. Only a tiny percentage of people will notice the absence of the Web sites attacked. (An update to the story linked above notes that several agencies and entities “blunted” the attacks, as well-run Web sites will do.) This is the face of “cyberwar,” which has little strategic value and little capacity to do real damage. This episode also underscores the fact that “...

The story of how smoking was linked to cancer and other diseases

Medicine and Man — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:36:00 +0100

Watch this amazing video from the British Medical Journal archives: “Richard Doll was a luminary of clinical research whose case control study, published in the BMJ in 1950, first identified smoking as an important cause of cancer and other diseases. He carried his research out on doctors in the UK who smoked, and tracked their mortality over the course of 50 years. The latest paper being published in the BMJ in 2004.” Smoking now is linked to a large number of disease and it affects virtually every organ system of the body. Information on how to quit smoking from Medline Plus: Quitting Smoking addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2F07%2Fthe-story-of-how-smoking-was-linked-to-cancer-and-other-diseases%2F'; addthis_title = 'The+story+of+how+s...

Some Thinking on “Cyber”

Cato-at-liberty — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:48:59 +0100

Last week, I had the opportunity to testify before the House Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on the topic of “cybersecurity.” I have been reluctant to opine on it because of its complexity, but I did issue a short piece a few months ago arguing against government-run cybersecurity. That piece was cited prominently in the White House’s “Cyberspace Policy Review” and — blamo! — I’m a cybersecurity expert. Not really — but I have been forming some opinions at a high level of generality that are worth making available. They can be found in my testimony, but I’ll summarize them briefly here. First, “cybersecurity” is a term so broad as to be meaningless. Yes, we are constructing a new “space” analogo...

. . . But What Is “Cyber”?

Cato-at-liberty — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:05:01 +0100

Cyberwar. Cyberdefense. Cyberattack. Cybercommand. You run across these four words before you finish the first paragraph of this New York Times story (as reposted on msnbc.com). It’s about government plans to secure our technical infrastructure. When you reach the end of the story, though, you still don’t know what it’s about. But you do get a sense of coming inroads against Americans’ online privacy. The problem, which the federal government has assumed to tackle, is the nominal insecurity of networks, computers, and data. And the approach the federal government has assumed is the most self-gratifying: “Cyber” is a “strategic national asset.” It’s up to the defense, intelligence, and homeland security bureaucracies to protect it. But w...

Exhaustion Common After Heart Attack

A Hearty Life — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:00:11 +0100

If you have had a heart attack (a myocardial infarction ), chances are you’ve been living with exhaustion and fatiuge - sometimes extreme exhaustion - since your heart attack. If it helps, you’re not the only one. It seems that exhaustion is common after having a heart attack and it often makes people think that their whole situation is chronic. Researchers say that around half of the patients in their study of 200 patients said that they felt quite fatigued still 4 months after their heart attack. Interestingly, what the patients reported was that the fatigue was new and different, not like what they had experienced before. The exhaustion wasn’t connected to anything particular, such as increased activity or staying up late, but that it could strike at any time at all. Y...

Dental Periodontitis and Heart Disease Share Gene

dental blog for dentists about dentistry — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:06:07 +0100

We’ve known about the links between gum disease and heart disease for some time now. People with gum disease have increased risk for heart problems. People who smoke, diabetics, and obese persons are at increased risk for both conditions. Heart disease is the number-one cause of death across the globe; gum disease is the number-one cause of tooth loss in American adults. Only recently did scientists actually find the genetic link between these two conditions. Chromosome 9 shares a genetic variant. The finding, which is explained at MedicalNewsToday.com, may help the development of early diagnosis and effective early intervention. Furthermore, people who suffer from either heart disease or gum disease can begin to take precautions against the other condition, potentially reducing their ...

What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate

Cato-at-liberty — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:55:52 +0100

There are two parts to securing a country: making the country secure and making the country feel secure. The head of U.S. Strategic Command, General Kevin Chilton, failed at the latter when he talked about security in a way that produced the following headline: U.S. General Reserves Right to Use Force, Even Nuclear, in Response to Cyber Attack. As a theoretical matter, every element of military power should be on the table to respond to attacks. But the chance of responding to any “cyber attack” with military force is vanishingly small. To talk about responding with nuclear weapons simply helps spin our country into a security tizzy. Politicians and military leaders should stop inflating the risk of cyber attack. (Source: Cato-at-liberty)

Personal Update on Hubby's Heart and Me

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:14:00 +0100

A week or so ago I told you that my husband would be going in for tests related to his heart, and I am due for another Colonoscopy.Tomorrow is the big day for my husband, he will be having a nuclear stress test which is said to be much more accurate than a "regular" stress test...we are very thankful that our insurance will cover this in a day when insurance companies are cutting back on what they will cover.It's a two part test, one part in the morning, then he will have an Echo-Cardiogram, then the 2nd part of the stress test in the afternoon...so this will take most of the day. I can tell you that this man has a heart of gold, he's a tender-hearted man, a good-hearted man...I love him and hope that his physical heart is in as fine shape as all of that.As for me and my colon, well, it's ...

Hubby Going to the Heart Doctor This Week

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:42:00 +0100

This coming July, it will be 2 years since my husband suffered a heart attack, and had to have stents "installed" in two of his arteries. I shared the story in a few posts as it was happening back then, here are links to part 1, part 2, part 3 and the final post.In the past couple of months, we have noticed that, even though he is walking every day and doing his best with diet, and keeping his diabetes under control the best he can, he has been experiencing a little shortness of breath. So needless to say we're a bit concerned, and hoping all will go well. I do feel badly for him, it is such a big job and responsibility to take care of yourself when you are a diabetic. A few tips that we hear over and over, but can never hear enough related to caring for the heart:Do some low-level exercis...

“El Diablo”..Attacked by a squirrel on Earth Day..

SugarStats.com - Simple, Online Blood Sugar Tracking for Diabetes Management — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:03:35 +0100

I went riding 4 wheelers (atv’s) with my brother yesterday in the National Forest near Ocala in North Florida. We stopped after a few hours for lunch and were visited by a very friendly squirrel who was obviously no stranger to the camp ground feedings by others. He proceeded to get on my lap and climb [...] (Source: SugarStats.com - Simple, Online Blood Sugar Tracking for Diabetes Management)

Heart Health for Breastfeeding Mothers

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:16:02 +0100

Researchers have long known that breastfeeding mothers benefit from less incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and type II diabetes than formula-feeding mothers. A new study shows yet more strong correlation between breastfeeding and lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Photo courtesy of Karen Barefoot Nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women were studied in the Women’s Health Initiative. According to the Vancouver Sun (via One Small Step for Breastfeeding…), the study revealed breastfeeding’s heart health benefits on three levels: 1. Risk Factors. Women who breastfed their babies had lower incidence of the following three risk factors for heart disease: diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 2. Cardiovascular Disease. Women who had never breastfe...

Video: 7 Ways to Manage Anxiety

World of Psychology — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:20:12 +0100

Do you avoid Disney World because the life-sized rodents trigger a panic attack? Or does a conversation about global warming throw you into a tailspin? If so, listen up. Click through to watch the video. (Source: World of Psychology)

Severe Hypoglycemia Linked to Dementia and other Big (Bad) JAMA Diabetes News

Diabetes Mine — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:58 +0100

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has devoted an entire special issue to Diabetes this week. It features the results of four big studies that are enlightening, but are not going to make you happy. The first comes from Kaiser Permanente, and shows that in elderly people with Type 2 diabetes, severe hypoglycemia is [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine)

Regenerating heart muscles to treat heart failure

Medicine and Man — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:58:54 +0100

We report that cardiomyocytes renew, with a gradual decrease from 1% turning over annually at the age of 25 to 0.45% at the age of 75. Fewer than 50% of cardiomyocytes are exchanged during a normal life span.” This finding opens up possibilities of targeting medications to regenerating the heart muscle that is destroyed in a heart attack, thereby preventing a host of complications including heart failure (post myocardial infarction congestive heart failure is the number one cause of heart failure in the United States and is the major contributer of morbidity & mortality after heart attack). Reference: Science, US News addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2F04%2Fregenerating-heart-muscles-to-treat-heart-failure%2F'; addthis_title = 'Regenerating+h...

Inflammation Causing Foods and Consequences

Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:02:00 +0100

This article is part of a blog tour for book "The Great Cholesterol Lie".Yesterday the blog tour stopped with Christy Goldfeder who writes a book review of The Great Cholesterol Lie. Tomorrow it will continue with Carrie Huggings who displays a guest post about Myth of Cholesterol.Site Feed (Source: Happy Nutritionist's Nuggets)

Does gene analysis provide better risk profiling for heart attack?

Medicine and Man — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:04:01 +0100

New England Journal of Medicine had published a paper in Aug 2, 2007 titled - “Genomewide association analysis of coronary artery disease.” In this article, the investigators analyzed the entire human genome in an effort to identify genes causing heart attacks and in the process try to predict the risk of heart attack in individuals. Here is my take on it: (I have analyzed the article according to a recent series of papers published in JAMA - for more details see here) Genomewide association analysis of Coronary Artery Disease View more presentations from Sudeep Bansal. (I have removed a few slides from the presentation due to copyright issues) In spite of having found a genetic association, the risk prediction provided by genetic profiling does not provide enough inf...

Finger Device Might Predict Heart Attacks

Ivor Kovic, M.D. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:10:07 +0100

EndoPAT by Itamar Medical, is a simple device for non-invasive measurement of endothelial function. Researchers at Mayo Clinic and Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston used this device to test 270 patients between the ages of 42 and 66 and followed their progress from August 1999 to August 2007. What they found was that 49% of patients whose EndoPAT test indicated poor endothelial function had a cardiac event during the seven-year study. It seams that EndoPAT might be very useful for risk assessment of the patients. How does this thing work? EndoPAT consists of digital recording equipment and two finger probes. During the test probes are placed on each index finger and hooked up to a small machine to measure blood flow. A standard blood pressure cuff is placed on one arm; the arm wi...

If you take Plavix, read this now!

Dr. Z's Medical Report — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:47:47 +0100

If you or someone you know takes Plavix (clopidogrel), which is an anticlotting medication (often referred to as a blood thinner), you should take note of recent findings suggesting a potential problem when it is taken along with other drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce stomach acid and they are often prescribed along with Plavix because it can irritate the stomach in some patients. The PPIs help to reduce the stomach irritation. But recent findings are suggesting that PPIs might reduce the effectiveness of Plavix, which could be a problem since Plavix is most often prescribed for people who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke and if it didn’t work they could be at risk of serious problems. So if you do take Plavix and if...

If you take Plavix read this now!

Dr. Z's Medical Report — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:01:33 +0100