RightHealth Daily Dose » heart attack

Rapid Body Cooling May Improve Outcomes In Heart Attacks

Steven — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:32:05 +0000

Swedish researchers are reporting positive outcomes in a study examining the use of a device called RhinoChill, which cools the brains of heart attack patients by pumping coolant into the patient’s nose during CPR. In patients where resuscitation efforts began within 10 minutes of cardiac arrest researchers found that 59.1% of cooled patients and 29.4% of standard care patients survived to hospital discharge; 45.5% of cooled patients and 17.6% of standard care patients were neurologically intact at hospital discharge. The results also suggest that the earlier the cooling is started the better. When cooling efforts were delayed, there was no significant difference in survival when compared to those who did not receive nasal cooling. During a heart attack the heart is unable to properly pump blood to the brain (and other vital organs) which can lead to subsequent brain injury. [via Medline Plus]

Share your comments here.

Keep The Beat: Recipes For Heart Health

Steven — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:29:13 +0000

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has published an update to their popular cookbook entitled “Keep The Beat.” It’s a collection of recipes that are limited in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium, as well as being moderate in calories. The majority of the recipes were created in collaboration with Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and instructor David Kamen and a James Beard Foundation award-winning registered dietitian based on guidelines from NHLBI. For those with heart disease, or those who simply want to eat healthier, it’s often difficult to find nutritionally sound recipes that are delicious at the same time. Costing only a nominal $5 it may just be the healthiest pocket change you spent in a while. The book can be purchased at the NHLBI website. [via NIH News]

Share your comments here.

Does An Aspirin A Day Keep The Doctor Away?

Steven — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:30:35 +0000

The Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, a monthly review of pharmacotherapeutics in medicine published by the British Medical Journal, is recommending that physicians take a second look before prescribing daily low-dose aspirin to patients. A recent review of European data questions whether there is any benefit at all for those without a history of cardiovascular disease to be taking a daily aspirin, especially since long-term low-dose aspirin therapyalmost doubles the likelihood of gastrointestinal bleeding (a potentially serious side effect). The journal authors support continued use of aspirin in those with known cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks. But, in light of current evidence, is not recommending daily low-dose aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease. [via Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin]

Share your comments here.

Smoking Bans Lead To Dramatic Decline In Heart Attacks

Steven — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:16:28 +0000

If you still have doubts about the perils of smoking, a new report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association should clarify any suspicion. After looking at 13 major studies which evaluated the number of heart attacks after smoking bans were instituted in the US, Canada and Europe, researchers found that the total number of heart attacks dropped almost immediately – 17% within one year – and nearly 36% over a three-year period. This dramatic decline in heart attack rate is not only due to less smokers having heart attacks, but passive or secondhand smokers are spared as well. “This study adds to the already strong evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, and that passing 100 percent smoke-free laws in all workplaces and public places is something we can do to protect the public,” said study author James Lightwood, assistant adjunct professor in the department of clinical pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. [Circulation via Medical News Today]

Share your comments here.

July 4th Air Quality Advisory

Steven — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:08:05 +0000

As the nation gears up for another July 4th holiday, those with respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and COPD need to be aware of potential disease flare ups due to soot and ozone propelled into the air by barbecues, fireworks, and the increased number of cars on roads. Exposure to high levels of ozone can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and even heart attacks in both healthy people and those with pulmonary disease. Therefore, be aware of your local pollution level and limit strenuous exercise (which can cause you to inhale more pollutants) during times of increased air pollution. Have a safe and happy fourth!

Share your comments here.

Stem Cells Trial Moves Forward

Steven — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:29:17 +0000

Physicians and researchers at Cedars-Sinai and Johns Hopkins hosipitals have embarked on an exciting study involving the use of stem cells to fix heart muscle that have been damaged during heart attacks. Heart-specific stem cells are harvested directly from the patient’s own heart and grown in a petri dish. The stem cells form clusters called “cardiospheres” that can even start to beat while in the dish. These cells are then injected back into the damaged heart of the patient from which they came. The researchers are hoping that these new cells will grow into healthy muscle to replace a damaged and scarred heart. This minimally-invasive procedure was completed in the first patient on Friday, June 26, 2009.

Read more about stem cells. Share your comments here.

BMW Looks To Medical Emergency Technology

Steven — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:38:08 +0000

BMW and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research are involved in a new project titled “SmartSenior – Intelligent services for senior citizens.” The goal of the project is the development of intelligent technology which recognizes and assists senior citizens in emergency road situations. BMW is working on a safety system called Emergency Stop Assistant that will sense medical dangers, such as those associated with heart attacks, stroke and diabetes. Once an emergency is detect (through sensors that monitor vital signs disbursed throughout the car) the system will switch to an autonomous driving mode to safely stop the vehicle out of harm’s way.

Read more and share your opinion.

Long Term Ozone Exposure Linked To Respiratory Deaths

Steven — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:40:58 +0000

New York University researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine today that long term exposure to high levels of ozone, a main component of smog, is linked to an increased risk of death from respiratory diseases. Many studies have linked ozone to poor health, and others have shown that high-ozone days are linked to increased risk of acute health problems the next day, such as more asthma and heart attacks. However, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of long term ozone exposure. In fact, the risk of dying from respiratory disease was more than 30 per cent higher in metropolitan areas with the highest ozone levels. During the 18-year study the city with the highest mean daily maximum ozone concentration was Riverside, California; the lowest ozone city was San Francisco. But even so, the average amount of ozone in San Francisco correlated with a 14 percent increase in death from respiratory diseases.

Read more and share your opinion.

Smoke-Free Policies Lead To Sustained Decline In Heart Attacks

Steven — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:04:06 +0000

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, including heart attacks. It is, therefore, no surprise that the CDC reported this week that hospitalizations for heart attacks in Pueblo, Colorado have sustained a 3-year decrease after the city implemented a law making public and work places smoke-free. Multiple studies have shown similar rapid and dramatic decreases within one year after the implementation of smoke-free laws. However, this was the first study to show that the benefits continue years after the initial drop.

Read more and share your opinion.

Humans Produce Natural Salicylic Acid

Steven — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:28:28 +0000

The American Chemical Society reports new evidence that humans can make their own salicylic acid (SA), the compound largely responsible for aspirin’s effects on pain, fever, and inflammation. SA is a naturally occurring substance that can be obtained directly from eating fruits and vegetables. Researchers have previously shown that vegetarians have much higher levels of SA in their bodies (sometimes as high as in those who take low doses of aspirin). Now, the same research group claims that new evidence suggest that our bodies can actually manufacture SA from compounds we consume in our diet. Could SA be one of the chemicals responsible for the health benefits of a vegetarian diet? Numerous studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which can cause heart attacks), high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Read more and share your opinion.