Genome Mapped for Type 2 Diabetes
FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have completed a map of areas of the human genome that control which genes are switched on or off in type 2 diabetes, a finding that may advance understanding of the genetic basis of this and other common diseases.
"Most of the human genome i...
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Health Tip: Getting Cardiac Rehabilitation
(HealthDay News) -- A cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to help people recover from a heart attack, heart surgery or another medical procedure involving the cardiovascular system.
Cardiac rehabilitation involves educating and counseling people about making lifestyle changes, get...
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Human Pacemakers Offer Hope to Ailing Dogs
FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Pacemakers made for humans are giving older dogs a new leash on life.
The medical devices -- about the size of a quarter -- are often implanted to speed up a slow heart rate in dogs brought on by disorders such as heart block and sick sinus syndrome that...
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Super Bowl Stress Can Spark Heart Attacks
FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- When the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts take the field for Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, emotions will be running high, so high that some fans can run the risk of a heart attack and even death.
The risk is real, cardiologists say, because st...
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Health Tip: Beta Blockers May Have Side Effects
(HealthDay News) -- Beta blockers often are prescribed to treat various heart conditions, including congestive heart failure and an irregular heartbeat. They also may be used to help treat high blood pressure.
As with any drug, beta blockers may cause side effects in some people. The Amer...
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Brain Damage Seen in People With Severe Sleep Apnea
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People with severe obstructive sleep apnea have reduced concentrations of gray matter in multiple areas of the brain, new research shows.
Gray matter refers to the brain's cerebral cortex, where the majority of information processing takes place. Thes...
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Immigrants at Lower Stroke Risk Than Long-Term Residents?
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Recent immigrants to Canada and the United States may be less likely to suffer a stroke at a young age than long-term residents, a new study has found.
University of Toronto researchers identified 966,000 new immigrants to Ontario over a 12-year perio...
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Analysis Examines Ultrasound Use for Blood Clots
TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- It's unusual for a paper in a medical journal to be accompanied by an editorial saying that the conclusion reported in the paper might be "overly simple and consequently not clinically useful."
However, that is exactly what has happened in the Feb. 3 is...
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CT Scans Deemed Best for Checking Heart Arteries
TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) --When a doctor wants to assess the condition of heart arteries without putting a gadget into those blood vessels, the X-ray technology called computed tomography -- more commonly called a CT scan -- is better than magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, a German revi...
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Health Tip: Benefitting From Cross-Training Exercises
(HealthDay News) -- A well-designed cross-training program includes a variety of alternating exercises that stress different methods of workout and affect different parts of the body.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers this list of cross-training benefits:
I...
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Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Raises Suicide Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A diagnosis of prostate cancer can be unnerving enough to up a man's odds for either suicide or fatal heart attack, new research indicates.
"Unfortunately, the study results didn't surprise us," said study co-author Dr. Lorelei A. Mucci, an assistant pr...
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Smoker's Own Secondhand Smoke Adds to Health Risks
TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In addition to the risks associated with directly inhaling cigarette smoke, smokers also face significant risk from their own secondhand smoke, researchers say.
The finding, published online Jan. 29 in Environmental Health, challenges the widely...
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Using Nicotine Patch Longer Boosts Efforts to Quit
TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Extended use of nicotine patches improves the likelihood that smokers will be able to kick the habit and reduces the risk that they'll start smoking again, a new study has found.
The study included 568 adults who smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day for a...
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Antidepressants After Stroke May Boost Mental Ability
MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Taking antidepressants after a stroke may help repair the damaged brain and improve mental functioning, a new study suggests.
Little has been shown to help the brain restore cognitive abilities, such as thinking, learning and memory, after initial stroke...
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Experts Issue Warning on Prostate Hormone Therapy
MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Men with prostate cancer and the physicians who treat them are being warned that the androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) commonly used against the malignancy might increase the risk of heart attack and cardiac death.
"There is a substantial amount of data...
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Poor Mental Functioning May Predict Stroke
MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Problems with memory or thinking abilities could signal an increased likelihood for a stroke in the future.
Swedish researchers found that older men who were not diagnosed as having dementia but who did poorly on a test of mental function had a greatly i...
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Over 70 and Overweight May Add Years to Life
THURSDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the warnings that being overweight will kill you, a new Australian study finds that overweight adults over the age of 70 are less likely to die over a 10-year period than their normal-weight peers.
The study, published Jan. 28 in the Journa...
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Burning Heart Tissue Beats Atrial Fibrillation
TUESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- When drug therapy can't control the dangerous heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, burning out the cardiac tissue responsible for the abnormality will do the job in most cases, a new study has found.
Called catheter ablation, the burning t...
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Skipping Insulin May Not Be Uncommon
TUESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of the people who need to take insulin to control their diabetes skip an injection now and then, a new study reports.
The researchers found that people with diabetes forgo their insulin injections for a number of reasons, including pain...
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Tight Blood Sugar Control May Raise Risk of Death
TUESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Very tight blood sugar control may raise the risk of premature death in people with type 2 diabetes, with the risk even higher among patients taking insulin, a new study reveals.
The study authors, from Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales,...
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Early EKG Seems to Improve Odds After Heart Attack
MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that people with chest pain who are given an electrocardiogram by paramedics before reaching the hospital don't wait as long to receive treatment to open their arteries.
They often were able to bypass the emergency room and go directl...
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For Lower Blood Pressure, Low-Carb Diet May Be Best
MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A low-carbohydrate diet helps people shed as many pounds as a low-fat diet plus the weight-loss drug orlistat does, and the low-carb plan may be better at helping lower blood pressure, researchers report.
Their study, published in the Jan. 25 issue of t...
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Heart Valve Implanted Via Catheter Approved
MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The first "percutanous" heart valve to be implanted via a tube in a leg vein and guided up to the heart has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In a news release, the agency said the Medtronic Melody Transcatheter Plumonary Valve and...
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More Proof Exercise Leads to Healthier Aging
MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Just in case the world needed more evidence on the matter, along come four new studies verifying that exercise is indeed good for you, even critical if you plan to survive to a vigorous, hardy and tough-boned old age.
All four studies appear in the Jan...
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Newborns of Smokers Have Abnormal Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Babies of women who smoked during pregnancy have blood pressure problems at birth that persisted through the first year of life, a new study finds.
"What is of concern is that the problems are present at birth and get worse ov...
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Discrimination May Lead to Smoking in Boys
FRIDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Minority teen boys smoke more when they suffer discrimination, but that's not the case for minority teen girls, a U.S. study finds.
Perceived discrimination had no effect on smoking rates among minority girls aged 12 to 15 and was associated with lower...
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Health Tip: At Risk for Carotid Artery Disease?
(HealthDay News) -- Carotid arteries carry blood to the brain, but they can become narrowed or clogged when sticky substances known as plaque build up in these vessels.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says risk factors for carotid artery disease include:
Having high bl...
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1 in 5 U.S. Kids Has High Cholesterol
THURSDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty percent of U.S. children and teens have abnormal lipid levels, an indication of too much bad cholesterol, too little good cholesterol or high triglycerides, federal health officials report.
These abnormal levels can raise the risk for heart dis...
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As Obesity Increases, So Does Stroke Risk
THURSDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have a stroke, a new study reports.
The study, which followed 13,549 middle-aged Americans for 19 years, looked at stroke risk associated with several measures of obesity, emphasizing body mass i...
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FDA Warns of Heart Risks With Diet Drug
THURSDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The weight-loss pill Meridia should not be used by people with a history of heart problems because the drug can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in such people, U.S. drug regulators said Thursday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sai...
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Even Mild Lung Disease Affects the Heart
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Heart and lung function appear to be intimately intertwined, so that even mild cases of chronic lung disease affect the heart's ability to pump blood, a new study finds.
"It suggests that a larger subset of heart failure may be due to lung disease,"...
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Experts Push 7 Steps to Heart Health
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Assessing whether you are in poor, moderate or ideal cardiovascular health takes just seconds, thanks to a new American Heart Association measure of health factors and behaviors.
The seven-point checklist is part of a heart association program design...
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Heart-Assist System Approved for Severe Heart Failure
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A device that helps the heart's left ventricle pump blood in people who have severe heart failure but who aren't candidates for heart transplant has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The HeartMate II is already FDA-approved for...
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Senate Upset Foils Democrats' Health Reform Agenda
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- House and Senate Democrats' ambitious plans to revamp the nation's health-care system were torpedoed Tuesday night in the wake of a Massachusetts special election that delivered the seat long held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy to a Republican.
Stat...
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Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Slashing salt intake by just 3 grams a day -- the equivalent of half a teaspoon -- could dramatically cut the incidence of heart disease and death in U.S. adults, researchers claim.
According to the authors of a study in the Jan. 20 online edition of...
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Shedding Light on Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help the Heart
TUESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists think they have uncovered at least one of the reasons why omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart.
The more omega-3 that patients with coronary heart disease consumed, the slower their telomeres shrank. Telomeres are structures at the en...
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Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Heart Disease
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Erectile dysfunction is a strong warning sign that a man might be at increased risk for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems, a long-running study indicates.
"We saw that adjusting for age and Framingham [Hea...
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For Heart Health, Focus on Risk Factors
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Treating multiple factors that contribute to heart attack risk is better than simply focusing on lowering a patient's cholesterol level, according to U.S. researchers.
"We've been worrying too much about people's cholesterol level and not enough about t...
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For Very Obese, Gastric Bypass May Extend Life
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Gastric bypass surgery could have life-extending benefits for most of the five percent of Americans who are very obese, a new study suggests.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati, concluded that the benefits of this form of weig...
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Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Most French fries served in U.S. restaurants are immersed in corn-based oil -- usually considered the worst oil for human health -- before they're fried, according to the authors of a new study.
Corn oil contains copious amounts of saturated fat, known...
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Newly Identified Gene Variants Linked to Diabetes
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified 10 new gene variants associated with blood sugar or insulin levels, which they believe could lead to new treatments for type 2 diabetes.
"Only four gene variants had previously been associated with glucose metabolism, and jus...
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Traditional Surgery Not Always Best for Abdominal Aneurysm
MONDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In some cases of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, minimally invasive repair could be more effective at saving lives than traditional open surgery.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a bulging of the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body. If the...
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Blacks With Diabetes Urged to Cut Calories, Salt
FRIDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks with diabetes who consume too many calories and too much sodium increase their risk for eye disease, a new study finds.
The research involved 469 black participants who had type 1 diabetes. Six years later, they underwent blood testing, had a com...
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Diabetes Drug Looks Safe for Heart Failure Patients
FRIDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The diabetes drug metformin is safe for diabetes patients with advanced heart failure, say U.S. researchers.
The study included 401 patients, average age 56, with type 2 diabetes and advanced systolic heart failure who were followed for 14 years in a he...
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From Risky Health Status to a Better Life
FRIDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- It's easy to roll your eyes when a doctor prescribes diet and exercise as a cure for what ails you.
But it works. It worked for me.
In the past year, I used diet and exercise to lose more than 60 pounds, beat back pre-diabetes and lower my chol...
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Health Tip: Help Prevent a Blood Clot
(HealthDay News) -- Blood clots most often occur in people who don't move around enough and among people who have had recent surgery or injury. A clot can travel to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests how to h...
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Moderate Radiation Tied to Heart Disease, Stroke
FRIDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- New research based on the experiences of atomic-bomb survivors has found a link between exposure to moderate levels of radiation and higher levels of heart disease and stroke.
It's not clear, however, if the radiation directly causes the diseases, nor...
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Lawmakers Getting Closer to Health Care Reform
THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- An agreement in principle on the landmark overhaul to the U.S. health care system could come as early as Friday, lawmakers said Thursday.
The agreement in principle, which would cover major issues such as how to pay for health coverage and how many Am...
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Leading COPD Drug Won't Harm Heart: FDA
THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it found no good evidence that the Spiriva HandiHaler boosts heart risks in patients who use it to help control chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The announcement comes after data rele...
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Mail-Order May Help People Stick to Med Regimens
THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Using mail-order pharmacies makes it easier for people to stick with their doctor's prescribed medication regimens, a new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed medication refill data from 2006 and 2007 from 13,922 people with diabetes, high blood pre...
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More Evidence That Statins Cut Stroke Risk
THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- One of the largest analyses of the effect of statin drug therapy on the risk of stroke confirms the benefits of these widely used drugs.
Much of the benefit from statins such as Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor appears tied to the drugs' lowering of blood l...
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Stress of Caring for Disabled Spouse Raises Stroke Threat
THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The stress of caring for a disabled spouse increases the risk of stroke substantially, and the increased risk is greater for husbands than for wives, a new study finds.
"We followed 767 people out of a large study who were caring for a spouse with any...
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Artificial Pancreas Prototype in Development for Type 1 Diabetics
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The first version of an artificial pancreas -- a potentially revolutionary way to manage insulin delivery in people with type 1 diabetes -- may be available in as little as four years.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) announced Wedne...
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Chemical BPA Linked to Heart Disease Risk
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- New research raises the possibility that people who have the highest levels of a chemical known as BPA in their urine are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease.
But the findings don't prove that bisphenol A (BPA) actually causes heart diseas...
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New Anti-Clotting Drug Outperforms Plavix
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new clot-busting drug, Brilinta, may soon take the place of Plavix in treating patients with acute coronary syndrome, which includes angina and heart attack.
In a new trial, the upstart drug, ticagrelor (Brilinta) reduced the risk of second heart...
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Could a Bigger Bottom Boost Health?
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Big-bottomed women, take heart.
Fat that settles around the thighs and buttocks may be better for you than a tummy tire, experts say. In fact, a new review of the data on the subject suggests it may even help protect your health.
"It is the pro...
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Faster Heart Rate May Raise Risk of Heart Attack Death
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- For women under age 70, every 10-beat-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 18 percent, a new study has found.
Norwegian researchers tracked the health of about 50,000 healthy adults, aged 20 and olde...
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Health Tip: Track What You Eat
(HealthDay News) -- A food diary can help you track how much food -- and how many calories -- you're taking in. This can help make it easier to lose those extra pounds.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions for keeping a food diary:
Don't change...
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Long-Term Statin Use Best Way to Cut Cardiovascular Deaths
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- A 50 percent increase in patients adhering to long-term treatment with cholesterol-lowering statins could prevent twice as many deaths from heart attack and stroke, British researchers say.
It's estimated that only about half of patients prescribed sta...
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Some Blood Pressure Drugs May Stave Off Dementia
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Blood pressure drugs that block the protein angiotensin appear to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, a new study finds.
"We think it [angiotensin] is one of the most important factors determining healthy bloo...
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More Aggressive Treatment for Weekend Stroke
MONDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke victims brought to a hospital on a weekend are more likely to receive the powerful clot-dissolving drug tPA than those who arrive on a weekday, a study finds.
It's an unexpected finding, since the study was triggered by a previous report showing...
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Blood Pressure Drugs Might Fight Diabetic Retinopathy
FRIDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- New research in mice suggests that some drugs used to treat high blood pressure might help prevent and treat a disorder that causes people with diabetes to lose their vision.
The researchers tested candesartan (Atacand), a dru...
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Common Radio Frequency Tag Readers Might Trouble Pacemakers
FRIDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A new study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and pacemaker manufacturers confirms that emissions from readers of ubiquitous radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) can interfere with pacemakers, although that risk is small.
RFID tags are...
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Calorie Counts on Food Labeling Often Off
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Many reduced-calorie restaurant and packaged foods in the United States have more calories than indicated on their nutritional labeling, a new study reports.
Tufts University researchers analyzed 29 quick-serve and sit-down restaurant foods and found t...
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Childhood Cancer Survivors Targets for Heart Disease
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of which predispose them to heart disease, say U.S. researchers.
They analyzed data on almost 8,600 survivors and close to 3,000 of their sibli...
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Diabetes Meds May Be Falling Through 'Doughnut Hole'
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare's so-called "doughnut hole" could be forcing many American seniors to skip their diabetes medications, a new study suggests.
The doughnut hole refers to a gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plan. Medicare covers the cost of...
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For Fitness, Cutting Calories May Not Be Enough
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- If you're vowing to lose weight this year, consider adding a regular exercise program while you're cutting calories.
Combining the two results in better health outcomes -- such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels -- than simply cutting calor...
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Leading COPD Drug May Raise Chances of Heart Trouble
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that the drug ipratropium bromide (Atrovent), used widely among patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may raise the risk of heart attack and heart failure, while a separate study of the COPD drug tiotropium (Spir...
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Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Cell phone addicts of the world, listen up: Electromagnetic waves emanating from these ubiquitous gadgets may prevent or even reverse Alzheimer's disease, researchers say.
Normal mice who had long-term exposure to such electromagnetic waves avoided de...
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Lower Vitamin D Levels in Blacks May Up Heart Risks
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research indicates that the darker skin of blacks may increase their risk of heart disease and stroke because it reduces production of vitamin D, which is made during exposure to sunlight.
Several studies have associated low levels of vitamin D wi...
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New Brain Scan May Help Spot Alzheimer's
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A new type of brain scan might give doctors more insight into whether patients with memory loss are suffering from Alzheimer's disease, researchers say.
The findings are published in the Jan. 6 online edition of the journal Neurology.
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Fat Hormone Controls Gene Linked to Diabetes
TUESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A fat hormone known as leptin controls a gene in the liver that's linked to the dampening of diabetes in animals, researchers have found.
The finding suggests that the hormone could potentially have the same effect in people.
Earlier research ha...
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Hazards of Obesity Now Rival Smoking in U.S.
TUESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity now poses as great a threat to Americans' quality of life as smoking, a new study shows.
Researchers at Columbia University and The City College of New York analyzed 1993-2008 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that include...
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Restless Legs Linked to Erectile Dysfunction
TUESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Men with restless leg syndrome are more likely to have erectile dysfunction, new research suggests, but it's not clear how the two conditions are related.
"There is an association, but we don't know which one comes first," said study author Dr. Xiang Ga...
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For Better Health in New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) --
Want to feel more fit in 2010?
A professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., says adding a half hour of exercise a day is the key to a healthier lifestyle.
"People don't realize you can get tremendo...
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Genes May Put Black Americans at Risk for Diabetes
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Inherited genetic variations could explain why blacks develop type 2 diabetes at a higher rate than whites, new research suggests.
"We found gene expression profiles that suggest that carbohydrate metabolism should be different in the African-Americans...
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Markers Predict Kids' Risk of Diabetes as Adults
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that body measurements and laboratory tests may predict the likelihood that a child will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Researchers analyzed long-term studies of 1,067 black and white girls followed for nine years after the...
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Quitting Smoking Can Raise Diabetes Risk
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Smokers who give up the habit have an increased risk of developing diabetes over the next few years, a new study finds.
The finding wasn't a surprise, since smokers typically gain weight when they quit, and weight gain is associated with diabetes, noted...
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Using Kitchen Spoons Ups Risk of Dosing Errors
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that you should steer clear of using ordinary spoons when taking or giving liquid medicines, because the practice raises the risk of potentially dangerous dosing mistakes.
"Clearly we know that there are a lot of people -- despite a...
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A Toast a Day May Help the Heart
THURSDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- If you are among the many who welcome in the new year with a glass of bubbly, consider this along with the fizz: Two glasses of champagne a day may do wonders for your heart and circulation by improving the way blood vessels function.
According to re...
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Health Tip: Fight Fatigue
(HealthDay News) -- You can combat fatigue -- that feeling of tiredness and lack of energy -- without drinking caffeinated coffee or taking stimulants, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says.
Here are its suggestions:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule, making sure you g...
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Procedure Boosts Outcomes in Implantable Defibrillator Patients
THURSDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Heart patients with a dangerous rapid heartbeat called ventricular tachycardia often get implantable cardiac defibrillators to help control the condition, and a new study suggests that they will have fewer recurrences of the abnormality if they undergo a proc...
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Heart Attacks More Common in Winter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- You probably know from experience that winter brings a surge in colds and flu. But did you know winter is also the season for heart attacks?
Frigid air causes blood vessels to constrict as the body tries to prevent heat loss, said Dr. Holly Andersen...
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Stem Cells Might Reverse Heart Damage From Chemo
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Certain types of chemotherapy can damage the heart while thwarting cancer, a dilemma that has vexed scientists for years. But a new study in rats finds that injecting the heart with stem cells can reverse the damage caused by a potent anti-cancer drug....
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New Guidelines Urge A1C Test for Diabetes Diagnosis
TUESDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- In its latest set of clinical guidelines, the American Diabetes Association is promoting a more prominent role for the hemoglobin A1C blood test in the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
Long used in the management of diabetes, the A1C blood...
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Study Questions FDA Approvals of Cardiac Devices
TUESDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may not be as stringent in evaluating devices as it is in approving drugs.
According to a report in the Dec. 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, approval of cardiovascular device...
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Health Tip: Help Manage Sleep Apnea
(HealthDay News) -- Sleep apnea is a serious disorder in which breathing stops for 10 to 30 seconds while a person is sleeping. This can happen hundreds of times each night. And although it disturbs sleep, some people may not fully wake up or know that they have the disorder.
The America...
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Progress Reported in Regenerating Blood Vessels
THURSDAY, Dec. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've stimulated the growth of blood vessels by using artificial polymers -- a process that could lead to improvements in regenerative medicine, which aims to help damaged body tissue heal itself and create new tissue.
The polymers,...
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Senate Passes Health Reform Package
THURSDAY, Dec. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Senate Democrats gave President Barack Obama a Christmas Eve gift on Thursday with passage of a landmark health care bill that would extend coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans.
Obama said the Senate bill contains 95 percent of the health reform...
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Health Tip: Eat Healthier This Holiday Season
(HealthDay News) -- The holidays are a time of celebrating with fattening foods, cocktails and lots of parties with friends and family. But you can take steps to prevent gaining too much weight during the holiday season.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these heal...
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High Lipoprotein Levels Can Cause Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A genetic study proves that high blood levels of the fat-carrying molecule called lipoprotein(a) can cause heart disease.
"The case for lipoprotein(a) as a direct cause of coronary artery disease is now firm," said Martin Farrall, a professor of card...
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Heart Risk Tied to Inflammatory Protein
TUESDAY, Dec. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are linking levels of a protein that indicates tissue inflammation in the body to future risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and chronic lung disease.
But the association may be the result of other risk factors related to heart disease, su...
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Patient Factors Mar Accuracy of Multi-Detector CT Scans
TUESDAY, Dec. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A type of computed tomography scan used to detect coronary artery disease can be affected by factors such as a patient's ethnicity, height/weight ratio and heart rate, researchers have found.
The scanning technology at issue is known as multi-detector...
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Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Although many women choose to breast-feed because of the numerous health benefits it offers their offspring, new research suggests that breast-feeding may also help the health of the mothers' hearts later in life.
In a study of nearly 300 women, resear...
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Diabetes Insight Could Lead to Better Treatments
MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have identified a protein that may be involved in the development of type 2 diabetes, a finding that could lead to new drugs to fight this growing worldwide scourge.
This same group of researchers recently showed that inhibiting this pathway...
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Experts Say CPR by Untrained Bystander a Good Idea
MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The risk that an untrained bystander can do harm by giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, to someone who collapses in public is almost vanishingly small, a new study indicates.
And so the dispatchers who send emergency medical help when 911 is c...
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Myrrh May Lower High Cholesterol
MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The resin of trees in the Middle East -- known as myrrh -- may help lower "bad" cholesterol, new research suggests.
The study author explained that myrrh resin could be used in conjunction with other plant materials to boost heart health, although it's...
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With Cardiac Rehab, More Is Better: Study
MONDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac rehabilitation sessions for elderly people with heart disease can lower their risk of heart attack and help them live longer, new research finds, but fewer than one in five eligible patients bothers to go.
Researchers...
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Health Tip: At the Heart of a Stent
(HealthDay News) -- A coronary stent is a hollow tube-shaped device that is surgically inserted into a blood vessel to keep it open.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says a coronary stent may be used to treat the following conditions:
Coronary heart disease.
P...
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Health Tip: Blueberries Are Good for You
(HealthDay News) -- Blueberries are more than a tasty, decorative addition to a fruit plate.
One serving of blueberries contains a cup full of goodness, says Moses Taylor Hospital in Pennsylvania.
Here's why they are good for you:
One cup of blueberries has 15 percen...
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Kids in Home-Based Day Care Lack Exercise
FRIDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Most home-based child-care providers meet nutrition standards but don't give children enough physical activity, allowing them to spend too much time in front of the TV, a new study contends.
Oregon State University researcher Stewart Trost surveyed abou...
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Natural Heart Drugs May Combat Colon Cancer
FRIDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A family of naturally derived heart drugs called cardiac glycosides shows promise in fighting colon cancer, new research has found.
As part of a larger study to screen and identify natural substances that might be effective against colon cancer, Swedish...
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Spiritual Needs Rank High as Death From Cancer Nears
FRIDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Addressing the spiritual needs of someone with advanced cancer could be just as important as taking care of their medical needs, a new study suggests.
When asked what was important to them at the end of their lives, people dying of cancer ranked two f...
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Could Omega-3s Boost Blood Fat Levels?
THURSDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In a surprise finding, Canadian researchers report that the immediate effect of the fish oil fatty acids that are good for the heart is a short-term increase in blood fats and the molecules that help them form clots.
"We were surprised to find that th...
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Obesity, Inactivity Keeping Heart Health Stats Down
THURSDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- While physicians and surgeons are getting better at treating heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, too many Americans are ignoring the basic rules for preventing them, according to new statistics from the American Heart Association.
Topping...
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Implanted Defibrillator Might Extend Life
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Older people with heart failure are much less likely to die when they receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, says a new study.
The study included 4,685 people, ages 65 to 85, who were eligible for the device and had a left ventricular fra...
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New Stroke Tool May Predict Early Recurrence
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have developed a tool to predict whether a patient will suffer a second stroke within 90 days of a first stroke.
"This is an important new tool because studies have shown that people who have a second stroke soon after a first stroke are...
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Synthetic Platelets Put the Brakes on Blood Loss
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Hoping to improve on nature, researchers have built and tested synthetic versions of the blood-clotting cells called platelets, to be used in trauma or other cases where blood just won't stop flowing.
"We start by making a core, with material that is...
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Boosting Kids' Stroke IQ May Save Lives
TUESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke-related disability could be reduced by teaching children how to spot the signs of stroke in relatives and to call 911 immediately, a new study shows.
Emergency medical treatment within three hours of the first stroke symptoms can limit the exten...
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Patients With Pacemakers Should Avoid MRI Scans
TUESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- MRI scans can pose a serious risk to people with heart pacemakers, researchers warn.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers exposed pacemakers to a simulated MRI magnetic field and then measured the electrical voltage produced at the tip of the...
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Tighter Blood Sugar Control Not Best for Some Diabetics
TUESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Tight blood sugar control needn't be the end-all factor for people with type 2 diabetes who have other medical problems, a new study indicates.
The degree of blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes "has been a subject of controversy for a decade," said...
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Antidepressants May Raise Women's Stroke Risk
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Older women who take antidepressants may have a small but statistically significant increased risk of stroke and death compared to women not on the medications, a new study finds.
"But statistical significance can be different...
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Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Here's good news for people who can't start their morning without a cup or two of java: Coffee and tea consumption may decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
That's the conclusion of an Australian study that also found the more coffee you dri...
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Contributors to Heart Failure Identified
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have pinpointed a dozen genetic variants in a single gene linked to heart failure.
The team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed the DNA of a large group of white patients with heart failure, and identified...
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Cutting TV Time Burns More Calories
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- James Crouse was watching 25 or 26 hours of television a week until he enrolled in a study that required him to cut his tube time in half.
During his enforced period of deprivation, Crouse burned considerably more calories each day, and not necessarily...
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Normal Cholesterol Doesn't Guarantee Healthy Heart
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- People with normal levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol still need to be screened for a marker of inflammation in order to identify those who may benefit from cholesterol-lowering statin therapy to reduce their long-term risk of heart attack, stroke and death, say U...
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Studies Quantify Cancer Risks From CT Scans
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Commonly performed CT scans are exposing patients to far more radiation than previously thought and in doses that could cause tens of thousands of cancers a year, two new studies claim.
Based on the findings, reported in the Dec. 14/28 issue of the A...
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Blood Thinner Combos Risky for Heart Attack Patients
FRIDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Heart attack patients face a higher risk of being admitted to the hospital for bleeding when they take more blood-thinning drugs, such as warfarin and aspirin, a new study has found.
The findings, based on an analysis of more than 40,000 Danish patients...
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Many Stroke Survivors Don't Take Lifesaving Meds
FRIDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- About one-fifth of ischemic stroke survivors don't take medications that can reduce their risk of another stroke, a U.S. study has found.
Ischemic stroke is caused by blocked blood flow in the brain. Several types of medications can reduce the risk of a...
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Menopause Often Means Worsening Cholesterol
FRIDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Blood levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad kind that blocks arteries, go up sharply in women at the time of menopause, but there are no other dramatic changes in risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems, a new study has found....
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Most Hospital Patients Don't Know What Meds They're Taking
THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A small study finds that even adults who know what medicines they take at home can't accurately name the drugs they're getting in the hospital.
Forty-four percent of patients believed they were receiving a medication in the hospital that was not actua...
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New Additive Aids Blood Platelet Storage
THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- An additive that allows for more efficient storage of blood platelets up to five days has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Platelets -- the component that helps blood clot -- are commonly used to prevent or treat bleeding, are...
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New Field of 'Cardio-oncology' Suggested
THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Certain types of chemotherapy can cause heart problems, and cardiologists and oncologists need to work together to protect patients, especially those at greatest risk, say Italian researchers who reviewed available scientific literature.
Because many...
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Kids Who Beat Cancer Still Face Heart Risks
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Survivors of childhood cancer have a significantly increased risk for developing heart disease as young adults, a new study finds.
The finding came from an analysis of data on 14,358 five-year cancer survivors who were diagnosed before age 21 and 3,89...
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Beating Heart Differs by Gender, Age: Study
TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The human heart twists and turns as it beats, and a German study shows how the twisting and turning differs between men and women, and young and old.
In the study, published in the Dec. 8 online edition of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, re...
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Many Dialysis Patients Get Wrong Blood Thinners for Angioplasty
TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-fifth of patients on dialysis who undergo angioplasty are given blood thinners they should not be given, new research shows.
As a result, these patients are subject to a higher rate of bleeding during their hospital stay and may even be at...
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Too-Strict Blood Sugar Control May Lead to Car Crashes
TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetics who keep their blood sugar tightly controlled run the risk of having traffic accidents due to low blood sugar, Canadian researchers report.
Controlling blood sugar is the cornerstone of managing diabetes. By keeping blood sugar under control,...
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Asthmatics Who Quit Smoking May Reverse Lung Damage
MONDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- People who have asthma and who also smoke could reverse some of the damage to their lungs by saying no to cigarettes, new Dutch research suggests.
"We found that exposure to cigarette smoke appears to increase the thickness of the epithelium, or lining,...
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New Blood Thinner Could Replace Warfarin to Fight Venous Clots
MONDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) A new blood thinner called dabigatran etexilate may be just as effective in preventing dangerous venous clots as an old standby, warfarin, but much easier for doctors and patients to manage, a new study finds.
Dabigatran is marketed as Pradax in Canada and...
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Prostate Hormone Therapy May Up Heart Risks
MONDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems appear to be more common in men with prostate cancer who are treated with androgen deprivation therapy, which reduces or eliminates the male sex hormones that can promote cancer growth, a new study has fo...
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Urine Sample May Reveal Sleep Disorder in Kids
MONDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A simple urine test could be developed to detect whether a child has obstructive sleep apnea, U.S. researchers say.
Such a test "would alleviate the need for costly and inconvenient sleep studies in children who snore, only about 20 to 30 percent of whom...
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Adult Stem Cells Can Repair Damaged Heart
FRIDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Adult stem cells appear to help repair heart attack damage, a new study shows.
The phase 1 study of 53 patients found that stem cells from donor bone marrow promoted the growth of new blood vessels in heart tissue damaged by heart attack.
The pat...
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Breast-Feeding Can Help Mom's Heart Decades Later
THURSDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding, even for just a couple of months, can significantly lower a woman's risk of metabolic syndrome -- a dangerous cluster of heart disease risk factors -- years later, reports a new study appearing online Dec. 3 in the journal Diabetes....
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Diabetes Drugs Go Head-to-Head in Study
THURSDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A class of drugs still taken by millions of people with type 2 diabetes is associated with a higher risk of dying and heart failure than the newer treatment metformin, researchers say.
Sulfonylureas, long a mainstay of diabetes treatment, performed...
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Early Morning Smokers May Be More Dependent on Nicotine
THURSDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Do you like a cigarette first thing in the morning? If so, take note: A new study suggests that those who rise and smoke inhale more nicotine than other smokers.
It's not clear why this might be so, but one of the researchers said he thinks it could be...
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Vitamin D May Be Tied to Heart Disease Via Genes
THURSDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- New research points to the possibility of a genetic link between vitamin D and heart disease.
People with high blood pressure who had a gene variant that reduces vitamin D activation in the body were found to be twice as likely as those without the var...
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Ecstasy Users at Higher Risk of Sleep Apnea
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The widely used club drug ecstasy appears to increase the risk of sleep apnea, say U.S. researchers.
"People who use ecstasy need to know that this drug damages the brain and can cause immediate and dangerous problems such as sleep apnea," study autho...
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Health Gains From Lowered Smoking Rates in Jeopardy
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The overall health of the U.S. population has improved over the past three decades, largely because people have quit smoking in droves, but a new study suggests those gains might soon be wiped out if the rising obesity rates among Americans don't level off or...
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Heart Attack Treatment Speeds Up Nationwide
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A nationwide program to get faster treatment for people with the most severe kind of heart attack has dramatically reduced the time between hospital arrival and lifesaving angioplasty.
More than three-quarters of people with STEMI heart attacks -- so...
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Oversized College Football Players May Face Heart Risks
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise alone isn't enough to keep overweight college football players from being at higher risk for a medical condition that can lead to heart disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers studied linemen at Division I colleges and found that two-third...
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Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Women who drink five or more servings of sugar-sweetened cola per week before they conceive increase their risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, a new study indicates.
"Previous studies have shown an association with other chronic metabolic pr...
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Exercise May Lead to a Smarter, More Successful You
TUESDAY, Dec.1 (HealthDay News) -- A strong cardiovascular system in young adulthood may boost brainpower, making for better school grades and more overall success later in life, new research suggests.
Given that most doctors and laypeople know (or should know) the benefits of exercise an...
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Birth in South Raises Stroke Risk for Life
MONDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- People born in the "stroke belt" of the southern United States have a lifelong higher risk of dying of stroke than others, even if they live elsewhere later, a new study shows.
Data on both black and white people born in the North and South Carolina, Ge...
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Cord Blood Stem Cells May Help Treat Heart, Lung Disorders
MONDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies in animals suggest that stem cells from transplanted human-derived umbilical cord blood could help treat some lung and heart disorders.
Scientists already know that such stem cells can differentiate into a lon...
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Exercise Guards White Blood Cells Against Aging
MONDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Studies have shown that exercise can help ward off heart disease and cancer, and now new research shows that the reason why may be found within cells themselves.
Endurance athletes had longer telomeres -- DNA at the tips of chromosomes that protect th...
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Sleep Apnea May Cause Nighttime Urination
SUNDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- People who wake up during the night to urinate shouldn't automatically blame a urological problem. Sleep apnea, a breathing-related sleep disorder, could be the cause.
A new study suggests that nighttime urination, or nocturia, is comparable to loud sno...
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Diabetes Cases Expected to Double in 25 Years
FRIDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The number of people with diabetes in the United States is expected to double over the next 25 years, a new study predicts.
That would bring the total by 2034 to about 44.1 million people with the disease, up from 23.7 million today.
At the sam...
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Salt Really Does Boost Health Risks
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- It's known that eating a lot of salt puts people at greater risk of high blood pressure. Now there's confirmation of a corollary: High salt intake also translates to significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
A review published...
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Stenting May Equal Bypass for Diabetic Heart Patients
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In diabetic patients with blocked coronary arteries, there appears to be no difference in outcomes at one year whether patients undergo bypass surgery or angioplasty with stenting, British researchers report.
Bypass surgery has been the standard trea...
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Angioplasty Outcomes May Vary Little Between Hospitals
TUESDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Do hospitals that conduct the most angioplasties necessarily produce the best results for patients? Maybe not.
Prior research had suggested that "practice makes perfect" when it comes to artery-opening procedures, but a new study involving over 30,000...
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Cholesterol Plays Role in Heart Failure Risk
TUESDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Abnormal cholesterol levels can significantly increase the risk of heart failure, a new study has found.
U.S. researchers analyzed data on 6,860 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study. None of the partici...
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Ginkgo Won't Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke in Elderly
TUESDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Among people aged 75 and older, the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba does not prevent heart attacks, stroke or death, a new study finds.
There is some evidence that the popular herbal remedy might help prevent the leg-circulation problem known as periph...
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Smokers Double Their Risk for Heart Disease
TUESDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A new study offers yet more proof that smoking is a major risk factor for death from heart disease and cancer.
Researchers followed 12,152 American and European male and female smokers, formers smokers and nonsmokers for three years. During that time,...
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Doctor-Pharmacist Teams Boost Blood Pressure Control
MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure is better controlled by doctor-pharmacist teams working hand-in-hand than by doctors and pharmacists working alone, a new study shows.
"When physicians work with pharmacists, medications are intensified, dosages increased, medication...
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Stifled Anger at Work Doubles Men's Risk for Heart Attack
MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Men who bottle up their anger over unfair treatment at work could be hurting their hearts, a new Swedish study indicates.
Men who consistently failed to express their resentment over conflicts with a fellow worker or supervisor were more than twice as l...
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Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Moderate-to-high intensity exercise such as jogging, swimming or tennis may help reduce stroke risk in older men but not in women, researchers report.
The study included almost 3,300 men and women, average age 69, in Manhattan who were followed for abou...
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Vioxx Problems Known Years Before Recall
MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Problems with the popular arthritis drug Vioxx, including increased risk for heart attack, stroke and death, were known for years before the drug's voluntary withdrawal from the market in 2004, a new report says.
Contrary to claims by the manufacturer,...
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Health Tip: Managing Gestational Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, resulting in high blood sugar levels that can pose dangers for mom and baby.
The National Diabetes Clearinghouse offers suggestions about possible treatments for gestational diabetes:
Get regular exercise, suc...
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Diet, Cognitive Ability May Play Role in Heart Disease
THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and who have good cognitive function are much less likely to die from heart disease than those who have poorer cognitive function and eat fewer fruits and vegetables, a new study has found.
Cognitive fun...
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For Chest Pain in the ER, CT Angiography May Be Best
THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to standard emergency room triage, CT angiography is quicker, more accurate and much less expensive for screening patients with chest pain who have low to moderate enzyme and EKG scores, according to a new study.
The study included 749 acute...
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Great American Smokeout '09: Time to Quit
THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The less you smoke, the more birthdays you'll have, says the American Cancer Society as it encourages smokers to quit on Thursday, the day of the 34th Great American Smokeout.
Research shows that smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight yea...
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Kidney Transplant, Sleep Disorder May Add Up to Trouble
THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Kidney transplant patients with sleep apnea are at increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, Hungarian researchers say.
The study of 100 kidney transplant recipients found that 25 percent had moderate to severe sleep apnea, a r...
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Moderate Drinking Guards the Heart
THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A Spanish study has found that long-term moderate drinking decreased the risk of heart disease by up to one-third in men and to a lesser degree in women.
The type of alcohol -- beer, wine or spirits -- made no difference, the researchers reported in t...
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Diuretics Still Best Treatment for High Blood Pressure
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Tried-and-true diuretics maintain their status as the best first-line treatment in older men and women with high blood pressure, new research concludes.
The thiazide-type diuretic chlorthalidone outshone three other treatments -- a calcium channel bl...
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Lifelong Exercise Keeps Seniors Young at Heart
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Lifelong exercise helps seniors keep their hearts healthy, new research shows.
The study included healthy people over age 65 -- without chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure -- who were recruited from another study in which they'd...
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New Heart Attack Treatment Guidelines Stress Coordination
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- There's a message for doctors, hospitals and communities in new guidelines for treatment of coronary disease and heart attacks: Get organized.
Every community should have an organized system of emergency care for heart attacks, including programs to...
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Newer Blood Thinners May Outperform Old Standbys
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- After years of little progress, three new trials suggest that the latest generation of blood thinners may outperform the old standbys warfarin and clopidogrel (Plavix).
In one study, dabigatran etexilate (marketed as Pradax in Canada and Pradaxa in E...
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Niacin Adds No Benefit for Statin Patients: Study
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Taking the B vitamin niacin offers no additional benefit to seniors with coronary artery disease who are already prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, U.S. researchers say.
The 18-month study of 145 Baltimore-area men and women over age 65 fo...
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Pregnancy Complication May Be Linked to Thyroid Problems
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- New research offers bad news for women who develop a condition known as preeclampsia during pregnancy: They're at higher risk of reduced thyroid function and may be more likely to have thyroid problems in later life.
Preeclampsia develops in the seco...
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Toddlers, Obese Kids Suffer Most From Smoke
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand smoke harms the cardiovascular health of children, especially toddlers and obese youngsters, U.S. researchers say.
Their study of 52 toddlers (aged 2 to 5) and 107 adolescents (aged 9 to 18) found an association between the amount of secon...
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Benefits of Eating Fish May Depend on Preparation
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- You'll get more heart-healthy benefits from omega-3 fatty acids if you eat baked or boiled fish instead of fried, dried or salted fish, according to a new study, which also found that adding low-sodium soy sauce or tofu is a good idea for women.
"It ap...
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Biotech Soybeans Good Source of Omega-3
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Oil from genetically modified soybeans boosts levels of an important omega-3 fatty acid in the body, which may reduce the risk of heart attacks, U.S. researchers say.
They created soybeans that produce oils rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), which is conv...
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Heart Failure Drug May Help More in Higher Doses
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For people with heart failure, high doses of the drug losartan, an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB), reduce the risk for hospital admission and death, a new study shows.
Though ARBs are known to benefit people with heart failure, the study focused on...
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Heartburn Drugs Can Thwart Popular Blood Thinner
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Combining the antacid Prilosec with the popular blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel) can cut the effectiveness of Plavix by half, putting patients at risk for heart attack or stroke, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
"These recommendations are based up...
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Incidence of High Cholesterol Drops in U.S.
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The good news is that a new report shows the percentage of American adults with high LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind that clogs arteries, decreased by about one-third between 1999 and 2006.
The bad news is that too many of those who have dangerously hi...
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Obesity Rolling Back Gains in Heart Health
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Surging obesity rates, especially among children, may be putting the brakes on progress made in the past few decades against heart disease, researchers report.
And it doesn't help that many obese or overweight Americans still consider their weight "no...
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Selenium Supplements May Pose Heart Risk
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Taking selenium supplements could boost your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease, English researchers suggest.
Selenium -- a trace essential mineral with antioxidant properties -- is found in foods such as meat, vegetables and s...
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Single-Sex Cardiac Rehab Helps Depressed Women
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A motivational women-only cardiac rehabilitation program helped reduce symptoms of depression in women with coronary heart disease, a U.S. study has found.
Depression, which is more common in female heart disease patients than in males, can interfere w...
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Stem Cells May Improve Heart Bypass Results
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who received bone marrow stem cell transplants during coronary bypass surgery (CABG) experienced "excellent long-term safety and survival," say German researchers, who also noted the first promising results for stem cell transplantation during mitral...
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The Mummies' Curse: Heart Disease
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Hardening of the arteries may have more of a family history -- the human family tree -- than was once thought.
Modern-day imaging techniques have unearthed hardening of the arteries -- or atherosclerosis, which causes heart attacks and stroke -- in mum...
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Viagra Helpful for Children With Heart Defect
TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, boosts the heart's pumping ability in children and young adults who've had the Fontan operation to correct single-ventricle heart defects, researchers report.
In the Fontan operation,...
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Certain Reflux Drugs Tied to Higher Post-Angioplasty Death Rate
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People taking the acid reflux drugs Prilosec or Protonix in combination with blood thinners have a higher risk for death after angioplasty than people who don't take the two popular antacids, a new study has found.
The people in the study, which is be...
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Elderly Treated Less Aggressively for Heart Attack
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- While overall care of heart attack patients in the United States is good, gaps remain in the treatment of patients 80 and older, a new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed 2000-2009 data on 156,677 heart attack patients treated at 416 centers enrolled i...
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Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- If your levels of vitamin D are too low, you may be at significantly increased risk for stroke, heart disease and death, a new study suggests.
Researchers followed 27,686 people, aged 50 and older, with no history of cardiovascular disease. The particip...
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Medical Tests Hit Heart Patients With High Doses of Radiation
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Heart attack patients arriving at the hospital typically receive the radiation equivalent of 725 chest X-rays from medical tests during that single hospital stay, new research shows.
The average exposure was 14.5 millisieverts (mSv), about one-third the...
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Migraine Increases Likelihood of Stroke
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People who suffer migraines have more than double the risk of ischemic stroke, and the risk is especially high in women, a new study has found.
Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off by plaque a...
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Moderate-Fat Diet May Be Better at Reducing Heart Risks
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- A moderate-fat diet may work better than a low-fat regimen for people suffering from metabolic syndrome, a collection of conditions putting them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, new research finds.
"This is a good study that essentially confir...
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New Study Raises New Questions About Cholesterol Drug Zetia
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new study raises more questions about ezetimibe (Zetia), a drug used by millions of Americans in tandem with statins to lower LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.
The trial, known as ARBITER-6 HALTS, was stopped early in June after it was discovered that LDL-c...
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Why Watching TV Sports Increases Heart Attacks
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Reduced blood flow to the heart may help explain why men who've had a heart attack are at increased risk for another while watching exciting sporting events, Chinese researchers report.
The study included 38 male heart attack survivors who watched live...
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Alternative to Warfarin May Cut Risk of Bleeding
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The anti-clotting drug dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) may be more effective and safer than warfarin at preventing clots and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a new Swedish study has found.
Warfarin is effective in preventing blood clots that...
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Experts Urge School Screening of Athletes' Hearts
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new, inexpensive screening method could help reduce the risk for sudden cardiac death among high school athletes, U.S. researchers report.
Athletic trainers at 10 high schools in Houston used a laptop system to perform electrocardiograms (EKGs) on 2,0...
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Families Could Benefit From Gene Tests in Sudden Cardiac Death Victims
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Genetic testing of people who've suffered sudden unexplained death is an effective and cost-efficient way of identifying genetic mutations that may put surviving relatives at increased risk for potentially deadly heart rhythm disturbances, a new study suggests....
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Gene Linked to Breast Cancer Might Boost Heart Health
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The over-activity of a gene known to boost a woman's risk for breast cancer may have a good side, making arteries healthier, a new study suggests.
The study, performed in mice, also found that when this gene, called BRCA1, is turned off, it promotes a...
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New Wiring Adds Risk When Replacing Pacemaker
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Replacing or adding wiring increases the risk of major complications for patients having surgery to replace a pacemaker or other heart rhythm-stabilizing device, a new study finds.
U.S. researchers analyzed complication rates among patients enrolled in...
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Rapid Cooling Might Help Heart Attack Patients
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid cooling of heart attack patients may boost their chance of survival without brain damage, Swedish researchers report.
They examined the use of a device called RhinoChill, which cools the brains of heart attack patients during ongoing cardiopulmon...
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Sudden Cardiac Death Much More Likely to Strike Men
SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Men, especially black men, are at a relatively high risk of sudden cardiac death over their lifetime compared to women, a new study finds.
That lifetime risk in men aged 40 and over is one in eight, or 12.3 percent -- triple that of women, whose risk is...
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Progress in Stamping Out Smoking Has Stalled
THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- After decades of progress, the number of Americans who smoke hasn't budged over the last five years and actually rose slightly from 2007 to 2008, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over the longer term...
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Quitting Smoking Simplifies Surgical Recovery
THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Want to boost the odds that you'll thrive after surgery and avoid complications?
The American Society of Anesthesiologists has a recommendation: Drop that butt.
Quitting smoking will make it more likely that you'll recover from an operation wi...
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For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Highlighting the importance of staying fit in old age, a French study has found that seniors who walk slowly are three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than are fast walkers.
The researchers measured the walking speed of the parti...
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Health Tip: Check Your Blood Glucose
(HealthDay News) -- The American Diabetes Association says anyone who is diabetic can benefit from blood glucose checks, especially if the person:
Takes insulin or medication to manage diabetes.
Is pregnant.
Has difficulty keeping blood glucose stable and under con...
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Anemia Drugs May Cause Deadly Blood Clots
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- New research on cancer patients adds to the controversy surrounding anemia drugs such as Procrit and Aranesp, concluding that they increase the risk of venous thromboembolism, potentially fatal blood clots.
These drugs, called erythropoiesis-stimulati...
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Cholesterol Measurements May Be Made Easier
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Methods to gauge blood cholesterol to determine vascular disease risk can be simplified, researchers in England say.
Their method measures levels of either total or high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good" cholesterol) in the blood or apolipoproteins (...
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Common Infections May Contribute to Strokes
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to several common pathogens may increase the risk of having a stroke, a new study shows.
Led by Dr. Mitchell Elkind, an associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, the research team found that the p...
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Stroke Puts Stress on Spousal Relationship
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Although many wedding vows include the phrase "in sickness and in health," a stroke can put that promise to the test by causing major relationship problems for married couples, according to British researchers.
The University of Ulster study included 1...
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The Revolving Door of Heart Failure Hospitalization
TUESDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Almost a quarter of the people on Medicare who are hospitalized for heart failure are back in the hospital within a month of discharge, a new study reveals.
That should not be happening, said Dr. Joseph S. Ross, an assistant professor of geriatrics and...
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Doctors Spending More Time Now With Patients
MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Family doctors are now taking more time consulting with adult patients, seeing them more often and improving the quality of visits, a new study suggests.
"Patients spent more time with their primary care physicians during office visits in 2005 than they...
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No Gender Gap Found for Clot-Busting Drug
MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The widely used clot-dissolving drug Plavix (clopidogrel) works about the same in women as in men, an analysis of major clinical trials has found.
"After this study, I can say we can be confident in treating both men and women with this very important dr...
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Obesity Seems to Alter Heart Structure
MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is a major risk factor for left atrial enlargement, which increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, stroke and death, a new study shows.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia (an irregular heart rhythm or heartbeat).
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Simple Steps Get Walkers Moving
FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Simple measures such as starting a walking group or creating pedestrian-friendly routes can encourage people to walk more, a new study has found.
At a multicultural housing site in Seattle, researchers implemented and evaluated several interventions mean...
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Phosphorus Levels May Predict Heart Disease
THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Elevated blood levels of phosphorus are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, U.S. researchers say.
They studied the link between phosphorus levels and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in nearly 900 healthy adults in the Spokane Heart Stud...
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Poorer Outcomes After 'Off-Pump' Bypass Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Longer-term outcomes for people who had coronary bypass surgery "off-pump," meaning without the use of a heart-lung machine, were worse than for those undergoing the conventional procedure, a major study finds.
One year after surgery, about one in 10...
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FDA Issues Warning for Diabetes Drug
TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Reports about possible kidney problems, including renal failure, in people taking the diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta) have prompted changes to the drug's prescribing information, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday.
From April 2005 to Oct...
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Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- If you want to lose weight, exercise and diet are crucial. But a new study says other factors appear to play a role, too -- including the number of TVs in your house and the presence of exercise equipment.
"The home environment really came out as a str...
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Low Cholesterol May Help Prevent Cancer
TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Low blood cholesterol levels reduce the risk not only of heart disease but also of cancer, two new studies show.
The findings should help ease longstanding fears that low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of cancer, said Dr. Demetrius Alb...
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Statins May Worsen Fatigue in Heart Failure Patients
TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Statins may boost the risk of fatigue and shortness of breath in some patients with heart failure, a new study suggests. But a second report found the cholesterol-reducing drugs reduce the risk of clots in those with cardiovascular disease, and experts think th...
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Switch to 'Light' Cigarettes Makes Quitting Tougher
TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Experts have long known that "low-tar" and "light" cigarettes aren't any healthier than regular cigarettes, and new research suggests they have another drawback: People who switch to them are less likely to quit, even those who switch specifically because they...
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High Blood Pressure Likely in Alzheimer's Offspring
MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged adults whose parents have Alzheimer's disease are at increased risk for high blood pressure, evidence of arterial disease and markers of inflammation -- all of which may be associated with later development of Alzheimer's disease.
That's the...
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Household Chemicals May Affect Cholesterol Levels
MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Chemicals used in food packaging, paper and textile coatings may affect blood cholesterol levels in people, U.S. researchers have found.
Previous studies have found that polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) are present in the bodies of most people. In this n...
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Nicotine Patch Plus Lozenge Best for Quitting Smoking
MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The first head-to-head comparison of different quit-smoking products finds that a nicotine patch combined with a nicotine lozenge had the most success.
More than other methods, including antidepressants, this combination best mimics the actual highs and...
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Anemia Drug May Raise Stroke Risk in Kidney Patients
SATURDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) -- A drug designed to fight anemia appears to double the risk of stroke in patients with diabetes and kidney disease without substantially improving their quality of life, a new study finds.
Darbepoetin alfa, marketed as Aranesp and known as an erythro...
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Fructose May Raise Blood Pressure
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Here's a new reason to put down that sugary soft drink: Research suggests that a diet high in fructose, a common sweetener, boosts the risk of high blood pressure.
High-fructose corn syrup is found in many processed foods and beverages. Americans consum...
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Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child's Diabetes Risk
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to mothers who ate plenty of vegetables during pregnancy are less likely to have type 1 diabetes, Swedish researchers say.
"This is the first study to show a link between vegetable intake during pregnancy and the risk of the child subseque...
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Health Tip: At Risk for Another Heart Attack?
(HealthDay News) -- If you've had a heart attack, you may be at risk for another one unless you make some major lifestyle changes.
The American Academy of Family Physicians says the following risk factors increase your risk of having a subsequent heart attack:
Lack of exer...
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Stroke Centers May Offer Best Shot at Recovery
THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke patients taken directly to a designated stroke center are much more likely to receive the clot-busting drug tPA than those taken to the nearest hospital, says a new study.
If given within the first few hours after a stroke, tPA (tissue plasmino...
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Diet, Exercise Thwart Diabetes: Study
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Diet and exercise can keep diabetes at bay for a decade, cutting the risk for the disease by more than a third in the most susceptible people, a new study finds.
About 11 percent of U.S. adults (24 million) have diabetes, mostly type 2, which is link...
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Even Light Smoking Affects Young Adults' Arteries
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking just one cigarette stiffens the arteries of young adults by 25 percent, says a new study.
The stiffer a person's arteries, the greater their risk for heart disease or stroke, noted researcher Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and...
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All New Dialysis Patients at Increased Risk of Death
TUESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A higher risk of cardiovascular-related death isn't the reason why kidney failure patients starting dialysis are at increased risk of death, according to new research that challenges previous thinking.
A number of studies have found that cardiovascular...
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Migraine With Aura Can Double Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women who get migraine headaches with aura should stop smoking and using birth control pills because they may increase their risk of stroke, researchers say.
For people who suffer migraine headaches with aura -- visual disturbances before or during th...
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Big, Beefy Football Players May Face Heart Problems Later
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Crushing the notion that you can be both fat and fit, new research has found that current professional football linemen already have some risk factors for heart disease.
In a study comparing professional football players to minor and major league baseb...
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Heart Disease Gender Gap Narrows
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Hearts attacks have increased among middle-aged American women in the past two decades, but their chance of survival has improved, two new studies show.
"We found that men still have a higher prevalence than women, but what has happened is that the gap...
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Sleep Apnea Episodes May Trigger Irregular Heartbeat
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- New research provides the first hard evidence that the characteristic snorting and gasping of sleep apnea can spur potentially fatal heartbeat abnormalities.
Previous studies have suggested an association between sleep apnea and cardiac arrhythmias but...
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Where You Put on Pounds May Influence Clot Risk
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The location of excess body fat appears to affect the risk of dangerous blood clots in veins, although that location differs in men and women, a new Danish study indicates.
The 10-year study found that bigger hips are associated with an increased risk o...
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Adding Drug Doesn't Help Control Blood Pressure
FRIDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Adding an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drug to help control blood pressure has no benefit for people with heart disease who already are taking an ACE inhibitor, a new study finds.
The so-called "meta-analysis" of 41 previous studies found that com...
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Cocoa in Chocolate May Be Good for the Heart
FRIDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- If you're tempted to raid your child's Halloween candy stash at the end of this month, here's one reason you might not have to restrain yourself.
Spanish researchers put 42 men and women on a diet that included 40 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder (abou...
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Guidelines Urge Use of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs
THURSDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors should prescribe oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor drugs, such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, for men with erectile dysfunction, unless the patient is on nitrate therapy, according to a clinical practice guideline issued by the American...
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Long-Acting Insulin Works Best for Many Diabetics
THURSDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Adding insulin to standard diabetes drugs results in better blood sugar control for many with type 2 diabetes, British researchers report, and the dose and timing of insulin received can make a big difference.
Specifically, a once-a-day, long-acting d...
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Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
THURSDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- New research provides further insight into how a health-boosting compound found in red grapes may help the body fend off type 2 diabetes.
But scientists have only seen the effect in mice who received injections in the brain, and no evidence has emerge...
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Blood Protein May Predict Heart Attack But Not Stroke
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- High blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) may increase a person's risk for heart attack and death, but not for stroke, a new study has found.
The study included 2,240 people in New York City who were 40 or older and stroke-free. At the start of t...
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For Obese, Weight Gained in Pregnancy May Not Leave
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Obese women who gain more than 15 pounds during pregnancy tend to retain much of it long after delivery, a new U.S. study finds.
Oregon researchers collected data on almost 1,700 obese women (their body mass index was 30 or higher) who gave birth bet...
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Super Obesity Ups Risk of Dying After Weight-Loss Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- People who are super obese and those with the most chronic health problems face an increased risk for dying within a year after weight-loss surgery, a new U.S. study has found.
The research involved 856 men and women who had bariatric (weight-loss) s...
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Fish Oil Supplements Don't Help Depressed Heart Patients
TUESDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In a surprise and not very welcome finding, researchers report that fish oil supplements do not ease depression in individuals who suffer from both depression and coronary heart disease.
Participants in the study, which is published in the Oct. 21 iss...
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Genes May Link Hip Fractures and Heart Disease
TUESDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- People with cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure and stroke -- and probably their close relatives as well -- may have an increased risk for hip fractures, a new study has found.
Genetic factors might explain the relationship, including "spec...
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Heart Failure Treatment Underused
TUESDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A recommended treatment for heart failure is underused in U.S. hospitals, a new study finds.
The use of aldosterone antagonist therapy in patients with heart failure is designated as "useful and recommended" in chronic heart failure guidelines establis...
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Stroke Treatment Window May Allow a Bit More Time
TUESDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment benefits stroke patients when used up to 4.5 hours after a stroke, according to German researchers who said their findings provide further evidence to increase the tPA treatment window from the current three hours t...
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Micardis Given Wider Approval
MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Micardis (telmisartan) has received expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in people 55 or older who cannot take a class of cardiovascular drugs called ACE inhibitors, maker Boehringer Ingelheim...
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Timing of Oxygen After a Stoke May Matter
MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Contradicting previous research, scientists have shown in animal studies that providing supplemental oxygen during an ischemic stroke can reduce brain damage.
But it's not a simple matter. Success in preventing brain damage, their new study says, depend...
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Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not
SUNDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Just about every month -- if not every week -- a new study emerges touting the health benefits to be gained from a daily glass of wine or a pint of dark beer.
The benefits related to cardiovascular health have become well-known. A study released in mid-...
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Heart Test Deemed OK Before Kidney Transplant
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A test to determine whether a person's heart is healthy enough for a kidney transplant is safer than previously thought, according to a British study.
Chronic kidney disease can contribute to the development of heart disease, which means that doctors...
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Smog Tougher on the Obese
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution appears to hit the obese hardest, causing significant increases in blood pressure, a new study finds.
Air pollution has been linked to a variety of health problems including asthma, heart disease and diabetes, but this is the first time...
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Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attacks: Study
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Bans on smoking in public places really do work at reducing heart attacks from secondhand smoke, a major study finds.
Smoke-free policies can reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 47 percent and significantly reduce the likelihood of other heart...
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Side Effects in Statin Users Linked to Gene Mutation
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have identified a common gene mutation linked to side effects in people taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
Statins can reduce high cholesterol and lower the risk of heart attack or stroke. But 25 percent to 50 percent of peopl...
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Study Compares Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Methods
TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A less-invasive method of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair reduces the short-term risk of death, according to a new U.S. study.
The interim findings are from a nine-year multicenter trial comparing patient outcomes after endovascular and open sur...
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A Gene Tweak Could Keep Heart Young
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Japanese scientists have prevented age-related deterioration in the hearts of mice by suppressing the activity of a gene involved in the insulin-signaling system that helps regulate the life span of cells, and they say the finding is potentially applicable to t...
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Health Tip: Why Don't You Exercise?
(HealthDay News) -- People always have excuses for why they don't exercise. But the American Diabetes Association says for every typical excuse not to get active, there's a solution:
Think you don't have time? Start out exercising about 10 minutes per day. Before you know it, you'll...
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Healthier Neighborhoods Help Keep Diabetes at Bay
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- People who live in neighborhoods that promote physical activity and offer access to healthy foods may be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, researchers say.
Their study included 2,285 people, aged 45 to 84, living in neig...
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Lab Study Makes Strides in Mending Hearts
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have achieved a first step toward growing a living "heart patch" to repair damage from heart disease.
Using mouse embryonic stem cells, Duke University bioengineers performed a series of lab experiments that mimicked the way embryonic s...
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Stop-Smoking Vaccine in the Works
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The National Institute on Drug Abuse has given a $10 million grant to a Maryland company to help it in the final phases of research regarding a possible anti-nicotine vaccine.
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals of Rockville will launch a phase III study of a pote...
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Body Clock, Blood Sugar Control Seem Linked
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A strong link exists between the body's biological clock and blood sugar control, say U.S. researchers who conducted lab experiments on mouse and human stem cells, as well as genetically engineered mice.
"The most surprising part of our findings is that...
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Stretching Test May Reveal Arterial Stiffness
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Sit on the floor and reach for your toes. If you can get your fingers past them and you're 40 or older, that could be a sign that your arteries are flexible, researchers say.
In an unusual finding, new research suggests that flexibility, as defined by h...
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Health Tip: Understanding Gestational Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy, and affects about 4 percent of pregnant women, says the American Diabetes Association.
Though scientists aren't certain of its exact cause, it's thought that hormones from the placenta make it difficult for the mother...
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Shingles Raises Stroke Risk: Study
THURSDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with the skin disease shingles appear to be at raised risk for stroke, especially when it affects the area around the eyes, researchers report.
Previous reports have linked shingles with stroke risk, but "the exact frequency and risk for these...
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Early Defibrillator After Heart Attack May Not Pay Off
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Implanting a defibrillator in the first weeks after a heart attack does not improve survival, a major European study shows.
Fewer deaths from sudden cardiac arrest occurred among those given the devices, which shock the heart into beating again. But,...
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Trial Shows Heart Attack Education Makes Little Difference
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A study to tell whether educating heart patients about the symptoms of heart attack would make them respond faster when one happens has produced negative results, but the researchers say a few changes in trial design might make a second look at the issue wort...
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Headphones May Threaten Heart-Device Performance
TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. study offers more evidence that portable headphones can create magnetic interference that might make implanted defibrillators and pacemakers malfunction.
Using the headphones over the ears doesn't appear to be a problem, but storing them in a sh...
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Transplant Patients Should Be Monitored for Ear Infection
TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Early diagnosis and treatment of ear infections can help avoid life-threatening complications for organ-transplant patients, a new study finds.
Researchers who reviewed the medical records of 3,278 organ-transplant patients in South Korea found that 2...
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Health Tip: Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
(HealthDay News) -- Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, but you can reduce your risk by eating a heart-healthy diet.
The National Women's Health Information Center offers these suggestions:
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.<...
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Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
MONDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- People who followed the Mediterranean diet, an eating regimen that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and nuts, were less likely to develop depression in a Spanish study.
"We are speaking of a relative reduction in risk of 42 percent to 51...
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Mercury in Fish Linked to High Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Although new research links mercury in seafood with high blood pressure, this isn't reason enough for most people to stop eating fish, the study leader says.
"The small increase of blood pressure due to methylmercury will never outweigh the benefits of o...
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In Health Care Today, It's Electronic All the Way
SATURDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Imagine that you see a new mole and don't like the looks of it so you take a picture of it using your cell phone and e-mail it to your family doctor for an opinion.
Or perhaps you have heart disease and take your blood pressure using a cuff that automa...
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Dental Plaque Buildup May Raise Heart Risk in Black Men
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Black males may be at increased risk for heart problems caused by accumulation of dental plaque, a U.S. study finds.
Indiana University School of Dentistry researchers studied 128 black and white women and men and found that a buildup of dental plaque di...
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Drug Combo May Prevent Heart Attacks, Strokes
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Giving daily doses of a statin and a blood pressure-lowering ACE inhibitor to people at high risk for a heart attack or stroke reduced their incidence by more than 60 percent in two years, researchers report.
People in the study all had diabetes or a his...
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Simple Test Might Detect 'Silent' Heart Disease
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A simple test that detects blockages in coronary arteries may help doctors identify patients with "silent" heart disease without requiring major new medical expenses.
The findings were released in a study in the Sept. 29 issue of the Journal of the Am...
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Heart-Pacing Devices Hold Promise for Heart Failure
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- New research provides more evidence that a new type of pacemaker/defibrillator technology may be a good option for patients with mild forms of heart failure.
An international team of researchers reports that the kind of heart "pacing" provided by new d...
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More Stroke Victims Get Clot-Busting Therapy
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- More stroke victims are getting a brain-saving drug -- tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) -- but many others aren't arriving at hospitals early enough to benefit from the treatment, a new study finds.
Duke University researchers reviewed records of 428...
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Pre-Birth Exposure to 1918 Flu Raised Heart Risks, Study Finds
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- People exposed to the deadly 1918 Spanish flu pandemic while still in their mother's womb were about 20 percent more likely to have heart disease 60 years later, a new study has found.
The flu outbreak in 1918 killed 20 million to 40 million people wor...
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Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obese women are more likely to give birth to babies with heart defects, a new study has found.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers analyzed data on 6,440 infants with congenital heart defects and 5,673 infants wit...
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U.S. Health Officials Announce New Heparin Formula
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials on Thursday announced new manufacturing standards for the widely used blood-thinner heparin that will decrease the drug's potency by about 10 percent.
The reformulation is largely a response to contaminated heparin that came from...
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Study Finds Fish Won't Prevent Heart Failure
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- While eating fish does appear to help protect against heart attacks and other cardiovascular disease, a new Dutch study finds it doesn't seem to guard against the development of heart failure.
Heart failure is a degenerative condition, but with the...
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Study Urges Treatment for Even Mild Gestational Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who receive treatment for the mildest forms of gestational diabetes -- including diet and exercise intervention, self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and possibly insulin therapy -- are less likely to have serious birth complications or de...
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Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Workplace wellness programs are an effective way to reduce major risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, says a new American Heart Association policy statement.
Each year, heart disease costs the...
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Exercise 30 Minutes a Day? Who Knew!
TUESDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Despite 14 years of public education campaigns, only one-third of Americans know about national recommendations for a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day, and fewer than half meet that goal, a new study has found.
The lack of awareness is greatest...
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Fetal Surgery May Treat Heart Defect
TUESDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Infants born with a rare heart defect may have better outcomes when surgery to repair the heart is done while the infant is still in the womb, Harvard University researchers say.
The condition, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, occurs when the fetus's...
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Health Tip: Get Enough Sleep
(HealthDay News) -- You feel better when you're well-rested, but insufficient sleep can affect more than your cheerful disposition.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says lack of sleep has been linked to development or worsening of these chronic health conditions:...
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Mini-Stroke Found to Precede 1 in 8 Strokes
TUESDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Just one of every eight strokes is preceded by a milder interruption of blood flow to the brain, called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a new Canadian study shows.
And because of that, the researchers conclude, such an attack is not the crucial wa...
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Obese Middle-Aged Women Face Unhealthy Future
TUESDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- If excess weight doesn't kill you by old age, it could make your life miserable in the form of chronic health problems and impaired mental fitness.
According to a new study, women who are obese in middle age are almost 80 percent more likely to have...
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Autoimmune Disorder Linked to Stroke, Heart Attack in Women
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Women under 50 with a certain form of the autoimmune condition called antiphospholipid syndrome are at greatly increased risk for heart attack and stroke, and that risk is even higher when these women smoke or take birth control pills, new research shows....
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Blood Thinner May Cause Skin Lesions
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Heparin, a common blood thinner, can cause skin lesions that are harmless in most cases but could indicate a life-threatening condition induced by the drug, a new study suggests.
Researchers examined 320 people who were given...
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Clot-Busting Therapy Under Review
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Even as they digest the latest news on what dose of the clot-dissolving drug Plavix is best during angioplasty, cardiologists are looking at the next generation of clot-busters that could replace Plavix.
Clot-dissolving therapy was the big buzz among c...
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Docs Miss Test Results -- Even With Alerts
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Even an advanced, computerized medical-record system with alerts cannot guarantee that patients will receive timely follow-up care when imaging tests turn up signs of trouble, new research suggests.
"Our findings suggest that an electronic medical rec...
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Heart Patients Benefit From At-Home Care, Study Finds
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with worsening chronic heart failure may find "hospital-at-home" care is a good alternative to treatment in a traditional hospital, Italian researchers report.
An estimated 5 million North Americans suffer from chro...
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Irregular Heartbeat Risk Higher in Women With Type 2 Diabetes
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Women with type 2 diabetes have a 26 percent increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a potentially life-threatening irregular heartbeat, new findings suggest.
The overall incidence of atrial fibrillation was 3.6 percent among people with type...
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When Pounds Go, Sleep Apnea May Improve
MONDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- People with sleep apnea who are also obese may triple the chances of eliminating their sleep problems by losing weight, a new study suggests.
Losing about 10 percent of their body weight was enough to bring on total or near-total remission, said Gary F...
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Antidepressants Linked to Heart Defects in Newborns
THURSDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take certain antidepressants during the first three months of pregnancy may have a slightly increased risk of giving birth to babies with heart defects.
Septal heart defects -- malformations in the wall separating the right side of the hear...
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Fructose Boosts Blood Pressure, Studies Find
THURSDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- America's sweet tooth may be contributing to the ever-increasing number of people with high blood pressure.
Two new studies link fructose, the kind of sugar in soft drinks and many sweetened foods, to high blood pressure, which is a major risk facto...
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Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
THURSDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Low blood levels of vitamin D in younger women tripled their risk of high blood pressure 15 years later, new research has found.
Vitamin D deficiency, defined as less than 80 nanomoles per liter of blood, was measured in 1993 at the start of the Mic...
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Women With Atrial Fibrillation Face Rougher Road Than Men
THURSDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women with atrial fibrillation are significantly more likely to have a stroke or die than are men with the heart condition, a new study has found.
Despite this, the study suggests, women with the condition receive less medical attention than men....
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Any Day OK for Heart Bypass Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- There's no bad time of the day, week or year to have elective coronary artery bypass surgery, say researchers who analyzed how 18,597 people fared after having the procedure.
The Cleveland Clinic team conducted the study to determine whether workin...
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Minorities Less Likely to Have Blood Pressure Under Control
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks and Hispanics with a history of stroke or coronary artery disease have higher blood pressure than whites, while Hispanics are less likely to be prescribed medications to control it, a new U.S. study shows.
About 63 percent of whites, 58 perce...
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Preventing Second Stroke May Stave Off Dementia
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The way to reduce the chances of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's disease after a stroke is to prevent a second stroke by concentrating on all the known stroke risk factors, a new British study suggests.
Two major findings emerged from an ana...
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Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Raises Heart Risks
TUESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Hormone therapy to treat advanced prostate cancer can increase the risk of heart disease, but some types of hormone therapy appear to be safer than others, new research has found.
The study included 30,642 Swedish men with either locally advanced pros...
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Study Suggests a Wider Use for Statins
TUESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Statins could be as beneficial for people with acceptable cholesterol readings but high levels of inflammation as they are for those with high cholesterol levels, a new analysis finds.
An earlier study of more than 17,000 participants, known as the JU...
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Flu Can Raise Chances of Heart Attack
MONDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from the flu may be at higher risk for having a heart attack, especially those with heart disease and diabetes, British researchers report.
Because both seasonal and the pandemic H1N1 swine flu are circulating this fall and winter, peo...
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Smoking Bans Bring a Drop in Heart Attacks
MONDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Localities that ban smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places witness a quick drop in heart attacks, two new studies show.
The research -- which incorporated data from a total of 24 studies of smoking bans across the country -- found at leas...
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Angina Often Affects Quality of Life
FRIDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Many people with chronic angina experience frequent chest pain that affects their quality of life, a new study finds.
Angina, a tightness or discomfort in the chest caused by narrowing of a coronary artery, can lead to heart attacks.
Australia...
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Researchers Perfect the View of Heart Disease
FRIDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Radiologists have developed a way to gain better insight into signs of heart disease by using cardiac CT scans that detect narrowed arteries and low blood flow.
CT scans use X-rays to create cross-sectional images of the body's internal anatomy. The s...
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Childhood Stroke More Common Than Thought
THURSDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of stroke among American children could be two to four times greater than has commonly been estimated, a new study says.
Pediatric strokes are rare; even the new estimate puts its incidence at only 2.4 strokes per 100,000 person-years (...
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Health Tip: Stress Has Its Warning Signs
(HealthDay News) -- Everyone has a certain amount of stress. But too much of it may make us feel quite fearful or worried, not to mention the physical effects it can cause, such as a rise in blood pressure.
The National Women's Health Information Center offers this list of warning signs...
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Middle-Age Heart Risk Factors Shorten Men's Lives
THURSDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged men with risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are taking 10 to 15 years off their lives compared to men without these troubles, British researchers say.
Although death from heart disease...
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More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
THURSDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Eating more whole-grain foods may help reduce body fat in older adults, says a new U.S. study.
The study looked at the eating habits -- including the consumption of whole-grain bread, brown rice, popcorn and other whole grains as well as fruits and v...
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Trouble With Daily Activities Could Point to Alzheimer's Risk
THURSDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Problems carrying out daily chores or enjoying hobbies could predict which people with "mild cognitive impairment" will progress more quickly to Alzheimer's dementia, U.S. researchers report.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, mild cognitive...
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Exercise Benefits Even the Oldest Old
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who get regular exercise may live longer and be at lower risk for physical disabilities, according to an Israeli study.
The research included almost 1,900 people born in 1920 and 1921 who were assessed at ages 70, 78 and 85. Those who...
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Health Tip: Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
(HealthDay News) -- Since childhood, lots of people have heard the parental plea to eat their fruits and vegetables.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this insight on why eating fruits and veggies is so important:
Eating lots of fruits and vegetab...
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More Chest Compressions During CPR Improves Survival Odds
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- If you see someone collapse and suspect they are in the middle of cardiac arrest, push on that person's chest and keep on pushing -- the more pushes, the better.
That's the message of a study that finds that survival after cardiac arrest is directly...
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Blacks Fare Worse After Cardiac Arrest
TUESDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients who suffer cardiac arrest in the hospital are much less likely to survive than white patients, a new study finds.
Most of this disparity appears to result from the hospital in which black patients receive care, although other factors pl...
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Diabetes Medications Don't Lower Inflammation
TUESDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, the glucose-lowering medications metformin and insulin don't appear to reduce the inflammation associated with heart disease, new research suggests.
Even though these medications helped reduce glucose le...
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Air Pollution May Raise Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Breathing polluted air for even two hours can boost blood pressure, potentially raising the risk of cardiovascular disease in those exposed to smog, a new study suggests.
Although the increase may not mean much for healthy people, "this small increase...
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Combat Exposure Tied to Chronic High Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who go into combat are more likely to develop high blood pressure over the long term than those who serve in supporting roles, a new military study finds.
"Deployment with multiple combat exposures appeared to be a u...
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Health Tip: Having Another Heart Attack
(HealthDay News) -- If you've had a heart attack, it's vital to follow your doctor's orders to help prevent another one. It's also important to understand factors that can increase your risk.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list of risk factors for a subsequent hear...
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Implantable Defibrillators May Not Help Women With Heart Failure
MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Widely used implantable cardioverter-defibrillators may not actually help women with advanced heart failure.
A new analysis turns up no evidence that the devices, used to detect and then correct abnormal heart rhythms, actually lowered the risk of deat...
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Most Adult Americans at Some Risk for Heart Disease
MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Decades of steady progress against heart disease may be on the wane, experts say, with a new study showing that only 7.5 percent of Americans are now in the clear when it comes to heart disease risk factors.
The continuing U.S. obesity epidemic may bea...
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Drug Offers Hope Against Tough-to-Treat Hypertension
SUNDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new drug for people whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by existing medications has done well in a pivotal trial, researchers report.
Substantial reductions in blood pressure were achieved with various doses of the drug, darusentan, for pe...
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Busy Roads Boost Blood Pressure
FRIDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Living next to busy roads may be bad for your blood pressure, a new study suggests.
People whose homes are in earshot of engines rumbling, horns honking and brakes screeching have an increased risk of high blood pressure, researchers report in the Sept...
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Discovery May Pave Way to Better Diabetes Care
FRIDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A newly discovered gene could give researchers new insight into type 2 diabetes, potentially leading to better treatment for the increasingly common disease.
The gene, which appears to be linked to diabetes, affects how the body reacts to insulin in t...
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Doctor-Patient Talk May Help Blacks With Hypertension
THURSDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients with high blood pressure often seem to struggle to communicate with their doctors, potentially leading to worse disease outcomes, a North Carolina study suggests.
"It seems that in general, blacks talk less overall to their physicians...
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Health Tip: Take Medications Safely
(HealthDay News) -- Many medications may seem harmless, but they can still cause harm if not taken correctly.
The University of Virginia Health System offers these suggestions to help prevent problems with medications:
Understand that even vitamins, herbs, supplements and o...
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Research Seeks Cause of Preeclampsia
THURSDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- New research is shedding some light on the development of preeclampaia, a dangerous condition that can cause miscarriage and death in pregnant women.
"Preeclampsia is a very serious condition that affects seven to 10 percent of all pregnancies in the...
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U.S. Faces Shortage of Heart Surgeons
THURSDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The United States faces a dire shortage of cardiologists in the coming years, a shortage made even more critical given the increasing demands of a population rapidly growing older and heavier.
The shortfall could reach 16,000 cardiologists by 2050, a...
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Metabolic Syndrome May Raise Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Women with metabolic syndrome are at high risk of developing peripheral artery disease, a condition that dramatically raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Using data on more than 27,000 women taking part in the Women's Health Study, research...
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Testing Young Athletes for Heart Defects May Save Lives
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Young athletes should be tested for heart abnormalities to prevent sudden cardiac death triggered by vigorous exercise, new Dutch research suggests.
Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in young athletes, but no one knows how common it...
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Long-Term Lead Exposure Linked to Heart Deaths
TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to lead over a lifetime may increase the risk of dying from heart disease, new research shows.
Researchers analyzed lead concentrations in the blood and bones of 868 mostly white men from the Boston area who particip...
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Severe, Lasting Depression Tied to Heart Patient Deaths
MONDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Certain depressed patients who suffer from heart disease have nearly double the risk of dying over a seven-year period compared with other depressed patients, researchers say.
The patients most at risk are those who suffer fr...
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Non-Drinkers More Likely to Be Anxious, Depressed
FRIDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- While alcohol may be considered a depressant, teetotalers as well as heavy drinkers are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than moderate tipplers, a new study has found.
Norwegian and British researchers also found that people who don't d...
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Waist-Hip Ratio Good Gauge of Obesity in Elderly, Study Shows
FRIDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Among the elderly, the ratio of waist size to hip size may be a better determinant of obesity than body mass index, say researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles.
For women between ages 70 and 80, every 0.1 increase in the waist-hip rat...
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Nightly Snacking May Speed Weight Gain
THURSDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Late-night forays to the fridge might have you packing on the pounds even faster than munching during the day does, a new mouse study suggests.
That's because the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, may play a role in metabolism, researchers s...
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Thin Thighs Might Be Harbinger of Heart Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Thin thighs might look good in jeans, but a new Danish study indicates they might also raise the risk of premature death and heart disease in both men and women.
That's not to say fat thighs confer any survival benefit, the researchers stressed. Rathe...
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Caffeine Without Healthy Diet Linked to Heart Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- People who drink lots of coffee but who don't follow a Mediterranean-style diet are more likely to have atrial fibrillation, a new study shows.
Italian researchers asked patients who'd been recently diagnosed with the common heart arrhythmia to suppl...
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Combo Therapies to Lower Cholesterol Don't Work
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Despite their popularity, so-called "combination therapies" may not be the most effective treatment for high cholesterol, Canadian researchers report.
In their review, the scientists analyzed data from 102 studies that tested combination therapies in...
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Statins Before Vascular Surgery Cut Deaths, Complications
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A dose of a cholesterol-lowering statin before vascular surgery reduces the risk of complications and death, new Dutch research shows.
The study of nearly 500 patients who had surgery for a variety of blood-vessel problems found the incidence of hear...
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Stroke May Be Striking at a Younger Age
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke could be affecting Americans earlier in life than ever before, a new study suggests.
"Stroke is no longer an affliction of old age," said lead researcher Timothy J. Wolf, an instructor of occupational therapy and neurology and investigator for...
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Adult Weight Gain Tied to Prostate Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Men who pack on excess pounds as young adults are at heightened risk of developing prostate cancer, although the risk varies by ethnic group, researchers from the University of Hawaii report.
Obesity is a risk factor for many common cancers, including...
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Key Protein May Link Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Woes
TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they know why obesity leads to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a finding that may help experts target therapies to limit the health impact of being very overweight.
A Japanese team discovered a protein that causes ongoing, low-gra...
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Reflux Drugs OK With Blood Thinners
TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Antacids don't interfere with anti-clotting drugs such as Plavix and Effient in patients who have suffered a heart attack or unstable angina, a new study finds.
The results counter other studies that concluded that a class of antacids known as proton p...
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Sometimes Angioplasty Can Wait
TUESDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many people who arrive at hospital emergency rooms with chest pains can wait as long as 21 hours for artery-opening angioplasty, even if an electrocardiogram (EKG) shows evidence of a heart attack, a new French study suggests.
There was no significant...
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Harm Begins With a Few Cigarettes, a Little Smog
MONDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little bit of poison in the air -- the smoke from a couple of cigarettes, traces of carbon monoxide from auto exhaust -- can do a lot more damage to the heart and lungs than most people think, two new studies show.
One study finds that the bigges...
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Mediterranean Diet May Be Best for Type 2 Diabetes
MONDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- The Mediterranean diet, long touted as a healthy eating plan, may help people with type 2 diabetes stay off blood sugar-lowering medications, as well as help them lose weight and lower cardiovascular risk factors.
Those are the major findings from Ital...
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Oldest Heart Patients May Get Most From Warfarin
MONDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Older patients, or those with a prior history of stroke, are most likely to get a benefit when using warfarin to treat atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, a new study finds.
Kaiser Permanente and Massachusetts General Hospital research...
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New Anti-Clotting Drug Beats Plavix
SUNDAY, Aug. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new anti-clotting drug, ticagrelor (Brilinta), was better than than clopidogrel (Plavix) in preventing new heart attacks and in reducing deaths among patients who have had a heart attack, a new study finds.
"Clopidogrel is widely used in the treatment...
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Ankle Circulation Could Warn of Future Strokes
FRIDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A simple test of blood circulation in the ankle could help doctors identify patients at high risk of suffering another stroke, researchers say.
The test compares blood flow in the ankle to that in the arm. A significant difference between the two readi...
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Surgery Better Than Angioplasty for Narrowed Neck Artery
FRIDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The latest results from the longest-running study yet confirm that surgery is better than artery-opening angioplasty in preventing strokes caused by blockage of the carotid artery, the largest vessel carrying blood to the brain.
"In contrast with endova...
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Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
FRIDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Men, want to keep high blood pressure at bay? Try reaching for whole grains.
That's the message from a Harvard study that found that whole grain foods and foods high in bran bring a boost to heart health. Although this study is among men, data from the...
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Cigarettes May Dull Taste Buds
THURSDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- In addition to the many well-known ways that smoking cigarettes can damage a person's health, new research has found that smoking dampens the ability to taste.
In the study, researchers used electrical stimulation to test th...
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How Bad Feelings Can Harm Your Health
THURSDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A depressed emotional state -- feelings of hopelessness and apathy -- could have a direct effect on your physical health, new research indicates.
A study of stroke survivors found a slower rate of recovery among those experiencing apathy, caring littl...
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Regular Yoga May Improve Eating Habits
THURSDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Practicing yoga regularly may help your eating habits so you can maintain a healthier weight, a new study says.
Researchers at the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reported a link between yoga practitioners and "mindful eaters," p...
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Newer, Better Tests for Heart Attacks
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Two new European reports should help doctors decide which tests they choose to use for diagnosing possible heart attacks in emergency room patients, cardiologists say.
Both studies, which appear in the Aug. 27 issue of the New England Journal of M...
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Wheat Consumption May Contribute to Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- An abnormal immune response to wheat proteins may contribute to type 1 diabetes, Canadian researchers say.
Their study of 42 people with type 1 diabetes found that nearly half had immune system T-cells that overreacted to wheat. The researchers also...
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Women More Prone to Die in Month After Heart Attack
TUESDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Women are more likely to die than men in the 30 days after a heart attack, but that doesn't mean gender is driving the trend, a new study finds.
Rather, "the difference can be attributed to well-known clinical and angiographic characteristics," such as...
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Glucose Challenge in Pregnancy Could Predict Heart Disease
MONDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A glucose challenge test given to pregnant women may also show if they have an increased risk of heart disease in the future, a new study has found.
This finding is important because doctors might be able to begin using curren...
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Hypertension Linked to Thinking Problems in Middle Age
MONDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure is linked to loss of mental function in people over 45, a new study finds.
"A number of other studies have looked at the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function," said George Howard, chairman of the department of b...
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Smokers' Cars Loaded With Nicotine
MONDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Passengers riding in the cars of smokers are exposed to nicotine levels nearly twice those found in restaurants and bars that permit smoking, a new study suggests.
The dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke are well known, including the risk for heart...
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Testosterone Therapy May Help Men With Heart Failure
MONDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Injections of the male hormone testosterone increased blood-pumping ability and heart muscle strength in men with heart failure, Italian researchers report.
"From our study, it appears that testosterone supplementation is useful for both patients with l...
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It's Back to Basics to Save a Life
SUNDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Medics and doctors are used to participating in a flurry of activity when trying to save a person who's had a cardiac arrest -- inserting IVs, placing a breathing tube, performing defibrillation to restart the heart.
But studies now show that none of th...
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Medication Review May Help With Heart Failure
FRIDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- If doctors and pharmacists work together to ensure that people with heart failure take their medicines correctly, hospitalizations would be less frequent, an Australian study suggests.
In a study of 5,717 people with heart fai...
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Health Tip: What's Behind My Low Blood Pressure?
(HealthDay News) -- Many people worry about high blood pressure and how to bring it under control. But low blood pressure also can be a medical problem, perhaps leading dizziness, fainting or fatigue.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these common causes of low blood pressure...
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Heart Risks Rise With Smokeless Tobacco
THURSDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of fatal heart attack and stroke, say researchers who reviewed the results of 11 studies conducted in North America and Sweden.
In recent decades, the researchers noted, the use of smokeless tobacco products has in...
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Health Tip: When a Loved One Has Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- When a friend or family member is diagnosed with diabetes, you may be unsure of how you can help.
The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions:
Learn everything you can about diabetes, including what it is and how it's treated.
The...
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Stenting a Good Option for Left Main Heart Artery
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Twelve-year data on treatment of blockage of the left main heart artery indicate that using a drug-coated stent is an effective alternative to bypass surgery, doctors report.
The study of 314 people who underwent the procedure between 1997 and 2008 i...
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Avandia Raises Heart Failure Risk More Than Actos
TUESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The type 2 diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) increases the risk of heart failure and death more than another drug in the same class, Actos (pioglitazone), new Canadian research contends.
Avandia has been the subject of controversy since 2007, when...
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Hospitals Reduce Heart Attack Deaths
TUESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A decade-long, government-led effort has reduced the death rate for patients hospitalized for heart attacks and improved the performance of hospitals that deal with these daily emergencies, a nationwide study finds.
Between 1995 and 2006, the in-hospit...
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Sleep Apnea Raises Risk of Death, Especially for Men: Report
TUESDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The classic manifestations of sleep apnea -- loud snoring, interrupted breathing and sleep disruption -- nearly double the risk for chronic disease and premature death among middle-aged and elderly men, according to major new research.
Even patients w...
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Blood Pressure Drug Might Work Against MS
MONDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Dr. Lawrence Steinman has this seemingly crazy idea that a drug commonly used to combat high blood pressure can help prevent the damage done to nerve cells in multiple sclerosis.
But people in the know tend to listen carefully...
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Special Stem Cells Build 'Biological Bypass'
MONDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have identified stem cells that are able to grow new coronary arteries, a finding that could lead to new ways to treat atherosclerosis.
"We have defined this novel class of primitive cells and named them coronary vascular progenitor cel...
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Web Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
SUNDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People regularly turn to the Internet for games and gossip, news and entertainment, essential information and high weirdness.
And now, apparently, for their health as well.
A number of successful online medical interventions have been reported i...
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Device May Offer Alternative to Warfarin for Arrhythmia
FRIDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Closing the heart's left atrial appendage could offer an alternative to long-term warfarin treatment for people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who are at risk for stroke, according to a new study.
Atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irre...
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Health Tip: Debunking Diabetes Myths
(HealthDay News) -- If you've just been diagnosed with diabetes, it may be difficult to separate fact from fiction.
The American Diabetes Association debunks some popular myths about the disease:
You can't "catch" diabetes from someone else.
Dessert isn't off-limit...
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How Weight Loss Helps the Heart
TUESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Losing a lot of weight rejuvenates the physical structure of the heart, and it makes no difference whether the weight is lost by surgery or by dieting, a new British study shows.
The heart muscles of people who started with a body mass index (BMI) aver...
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Blows to the Chest Up Death Risk for Lacrosse Players
MONDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Although sudden deaths occur in competitive lacrosse at about the same rate as in baseball and football, deaths caused by a strong blow to the chest are more common in lacrosse, new research shows.
Lacrosse has swept up about a half-million young partic...
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More Evidence Healthy Living Brings Long Life
MONDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- People who adopt four healthy behaviors -- never smoking, regular exercise, eating well and maintaining a healthy weight -- can dramatically reduce their likelihood for chronic disease and an early death, a new study confirms.
On average, healthy livin...
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Optimism Good for Heart and Longevity
MONDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take a darker view of life are more likely to develop heart trouble than those with a cheerful, trusting outlook, a new study indicates.
The finding comes from the Women's Health Initiative, which has tracked more than 97,000 postmenopausal Am...
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Study Ties Mini-Strokes to Memory Loss
MONDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Screening for areas of damage from a possible mini-stroke could help predict memory loss in the elderly, say U.S. researchers.
Their finding comes from a study involving 679 people, aged 65 and older, who were tested for mild cognitive impairment, the s...
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Cell Conversion Shows Promise for Diabetes Treatment
FRIDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- European scientists have identified a transcription factor that plays a key role in the conversion of pancreas cells into insulin-producing beta cells, and the finding could lead to a new treatment for type 1 diabetes.
In tests on mice, the researchers f...
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Cholesterol Screening Shouldn't Rely on Kids' Weight
FRIDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. cholesterol testing guidelines for children may have to be revised, say researchers who found that measuring body fat isn't an effective indicator of high cholesterol in kids.
In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued revised choleste...
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Health Tip: Preventing Complications From Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise could be just what the doctor ordered.
These lifestyle improvements may require some dramatic changes in your routine. But where do you start?
The American Diabetes Assoc...
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Immunoglobulin Can Predict Some Diabetic Complications
FRIDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Swedish researchers say that immunoglobulin M (IgM) is a reliable predictor of cardiovascular complications in people with type 1 diabetes who have diabetic nephropathy (DN) -- kidney damage caused by diabetes.
The study included 139 patients who were fo...
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Combo Treatment May Ease Depression After Stroke
THURSDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Adding psychosocial therapy to treatment with antidepressants helps improve depression and recovery in people who've had a stroke, a new study suggests.
"One-third of patients who have strokes develop clinical depression, which makes them less able to...
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Men With Angina Do Worse Than Women
THURSDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research shows that men diagnosed with the chest pain called angina did much worse than women, and neither artery-opening angioplasty nor coronary-bypass surgery reduced long-term mortality for either gender.
The study of 1,785 people newly diagnos...
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Stroke Doubles Risk of Hip, Thigh Fractures
THURSDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of a hip or thigh bone fracture is doubled for people who have a stroke, a new Dutch study finds.
That finding shows a need for immediate preventive action after a stroke, said Frank de Vries, an assistant professor of pharmacoepidemiology at...
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Fish Oils May Prevent and Treat Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A new review shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish not only prevent cardiovascular disease, but may even help treat it.
"A lot of people know that omega-3 fatty acids are a good thing, but have thought of them in the area of nutriti...
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Less Aggressive Care for More Severe Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A study assessing the treatment of people hospitalized for heart disease has produced a worrisome finding: Those who need intensive care the most are less likely to get it.
The study of 143,999 people hospitalized between 2000 and 2008 found that thos...
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Scientists Learn How Cancer Drugs Cause Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A new study reveals why high blood pressure develops in up to one-third of cancer patients who take drugs to block the formation of blood vessels that feed tumors.
"Anti-angiogenesis drugs like Avastin, Sutent or Nexavar inhibit an important substance...
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Sex Hormone Protein May Predict Type 2 Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A protein that carries and activates sex hormones throughout the body may also predict those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study finds.
The protein, called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), regulates the levels of testosterone a...
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Social Stress Sends Body Fat to the Stomach
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Social stress may cause the body to deposit more fat in the abdomen, which increases the risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.
The findings could lead to new ways to combat rising rates of obesity in the United States and other Western nations,...
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Livalo Approved for High Cholesterol
TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Livalo (pitavastatin) is the newest statin to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat high cholesterol.
As with other statin drugs, Lavalo is meant for people in whom diet and exercise fail to lower cholesterol, the agency said in...
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Midlife Heart Risk Factors Linked to Later Dementia
TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The things that are bad for your heart in the middle years of life -- high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes -- are bad for your brain in later years, new research indicates.
High cholesterol levels in midlife were associated wit...
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Young Vets With PTSD More Prone to Heart Risk Factors
TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who have mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also at higher risk for having cardiovascular disease risk factors, a new study suggests.
While previous studies have found...
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Low Birth Weight Might Raise Adult Kidney Disease Risk
MONDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Low birth weight babies have a much greater risk of developing kidney disease later in life, according to researchers who reviewed 32 observational studies.
The meta-analysis found that people who were less than 5.5 pounds at birth were 70 percent more l...
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Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Risk Factors in Kids
MONDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Most American youngsters aren't getting enough vitamin D, and that deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of risk factors for cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke, two new studies find.
Simultaneous publication of both pa...
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Young Kids' Screen Time May Raise Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Young children who spend too much time in front of the television, the computer and video games might be at increased risk for high blood pressure, a new study suggests.
American and Spanish researchers examined the association...
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Blood Transfusions Not Linked to Long-Term Problems
FRIDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Receiving a blood transfusion for low-risk cardiac surgery doesn't appear to increase one's chances of having long-term health problems, an Australian study has found.
In the study of 1,062 people who required a transfusion before, during or after the m...
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Response Times Vary for In-Hospital Heart Attacks
FRIDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Quick defibrillation can increase the chances of survival for hospital patients who have cardiac arrest, but sometimes the treatment is not quick enough and a new study has found that the delays are not due to overloaded or undereducated staff.
Defibril...
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Spleen May Help Heart Recover From Disease
THURSDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Though its reputation doesn't rank down there with the appendix, the spleen isn't exactly known as a vital organ. In fact, plenty of people do fine without it.
But new research suggests the spleen plays a bigger role in the immune system than previous...
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Calcium Scan of Arteries Helps Spot Big Trouble
WEDNESDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Adding a scan for calcium in the heart arteries to a standard test of blood vessel function helps predict which people with known coronary disease are likely to develop serious problems, a new German study indicates.
"The combination of myocardial SP...
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Put Defibrillators in High-Traffic Spots, Studies Urge
WEDNESDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, can save the life of someone who is in cardiac arrest. So in what public spots should they be placed for maximum benefit?
In two new studies published online July 27 in Circulation, researchers focus...
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Heart Surgeon Shortage Predicted
TUESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- Over the next 15 years, there could be a severe shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons at a time when an aging population will probably increase the demand for surgical procedures that fall under their purview, a new study predicts.
The shortage could lea...
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Older Diabetics Should Avoid Dementia Meds
TUESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- Older diabetics who take antipsychotic medications have an increased risk of ending up in the hospital with elevated blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, researchers say.
More and more seniors are being prescribed these medications for dementia and...
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Stent Studies Tied to Rapid Changes in Use
TUESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid dissemination of new data about the risks posed by drug-eluting stents led to an almost immediate decrease in the use of the stents, according to a new report.
Drug-eluting stents are coated with drugs meant to prevent re-narrowing of coronary ar...
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Many Heart Attack Patients Not Referred to Cardiac Rehab
MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Even though cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to guard against future heart trouble once a cardiovascular event has landed someone in the hospital, only 56 percent of these patients are referred for the therapy, a new study finds.
Despite national g...
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People Over 60 at Risk for 'Silent Stroke'
MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- People over the age of 60, especially those with high blood pressure, may experience a "silent stroke" and won't even know it, Australian researchers say.
"These strokes are not truly silent, because they have been linked to memory and thinking problems...
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Tight Management of Type 1 Diabetes Worth the Effort
MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- By carefully controlling blood sugar levels and taking medications that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, people with type 1 diabetes can significantly reduce their risk of developing the most serious complications associated with the disease, new research...
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Unhooking the Obesity-Diabetes Connection
SUNDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists may be closer to solving a medical mystery with huge implications for personal and public health: Why obese people are prone to developing type 2 diabetes.
A series of studies appearing online July 26 in Nature Medicine suggest that in...
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Agent Orange Linked to Parkinson's, Heart Disease
FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides that were sprayed far and wide by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War might put veterans at increased risk for heart disease and Parkinson's.
An Institute of Medicine report released Friday finds "sugg...
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Attention Training Might Help Stroke Victims
THURSDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- The inability to focus is a common problem for stroke survivors, and a new study finds they might benefit from attention-training.
New Zealand psychologists evaluated 78 stroke patients who underwent attention process training (APT) and found signific...
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Beta-Blockers Tied to Higher Cataract Risk
THURSDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Australian researchers are reporting a possible link between widely used beta-blocker drugs and an increased risk of cataracts.
Beta-blockers are used in pill form to reduce high blood pressure and are also applied to the eye to treat glaucoma, a pote...
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Fatty Acids in Diet Linked to Bowel Disease Risk
THURSDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Consuming too much of a common polyunsaturated fatty acid could be a contributing factor in an estimated 30 percent of all cases of ulcerative colitis, researchers say.
In a new study, participants who had the highest intake of linoleic acid had more...
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Fresh-Meat Additives May Be Dangerous for Kidney Patients
THURSDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Additives used to "enhance" uncooked meat and poultry can pose serious health risks for people with kidney disease, researchers say.
Many fresh meat and poultry products are injected with water, sodium, potassium salts, antioxidants and flavorings tha...
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Injection May Heal Damaged Heart
THURSDAY, JULY 23 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors have been unable to help injured heart tissue renew itself after a heart attack -- until now.
During a heart attack, vessels that supply blood to the heart become blocked, preventing enough oxygen from getting through. The heart muscle dies o...
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Cellular Protein Yields Clues to Diabetes, Alzheimer's
WEDNESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- New information about a cellular protein might help in efforts to develop drug treatments for diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, researchers say.
In tests on rats, they found that humanin, which may prevent nerve cells from dying, also helps improve i...
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Stem Cells Used for 'Biological Pacemaker'
WEDNESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells from a type of human fat tissue may one day be able to reverse the electrical problems in the heart that pacemakers now correct, Japanese scientists report.
Researchers grew "beating" cells with properties similar to the heart's conductiv...
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Health Tip: If You're Tired of Walking
(HealthDay News) -- Walking is a great form of exercise -- you can burn calories, yet it's fairly easy on your feet and joints.
But if you're bored with your walking routine, the American Podiatric Medical Association offers these low-impact alternatives:
Take a swim, or s...
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Studies Affirm Value of Healthy Lifestyle
TUESDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- All that heart-healthy advice about eating the right foods, exercising and losing weight pay off in real life for both men and women, two new studies show.
The reports, both originating at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and published in the Jul...
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High-Salt Diet Dampens Effects of Blood Pressure Drugs
MONDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Not only does a high-salt diet contribute to hypertension, but it can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications, a new study finds.
"What is striking about these results is the degree of the effect," said Dr....
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Hope for Damaged Heart Muscle
MONDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have genetically engineered cells that help form scar tissue after a heart attack into a type of cell that does just the opposite -- repairs damage to the heart muscle, a new study in mice shows.
The research team from the Mayo Clinic in Roc...
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Five Hypertension Genes Found in Black Americans
FRIDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Federal researchers have identified five genetic variants associated with high blood pressure in black Americans that could hopefully become targets for therapy to prevent and treat this major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Their study, repor...
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Blacks Have Highest Obesity Rates in U.S.
THURSDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- The obesity epidemic in the United States is hitting minorities the hardest, U.S. health officials report.
Here are the hard numbers: Blacks have a 51 percent greater prevalence of obesity than whites, and Hispanics have 21 percent greater obesity pre...
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Dietary Oils May Help Some Fight Fat
THURSDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- For certain people, dietary oil supplements could help ward off unwanted fat, according to a new study.
Obese older women with type 2 diabetes who added safflower oil or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplements to their diet either decreased their...
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Gene Mutation Is Linked to Heart Muscle Disease
WEDNESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- Gene mutations that cause heart muscle disease and chronic heart failure in some children and adults with dilated cardiomyopathy have been identified by researchers.
Dilated cardiomyopathy -- the most common cause of heart failure in young people and...
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Lower IQ Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Deaths
WEDNESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- Intelligence appears to be one reason why poor people are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, Scottish researchers say.
They analyzed data on 4,289 former U.S. soldiers, and found that IQ accounted for more than 20 percent of the difference...
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Fitness Might Limit Stroke's Impact
TUESDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- People who have exercised regularly in the years before a stroke may be harmed less by the attack than "couch potato" types, a new study indicates.
"It's not necessarily high-intensity physical activity," said study senior author Dr. James F. Meschia,...
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Heart Defect Spotted During Surgery May Not Need Repair
TUESDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients may not benefit from repair of a heart defect that's discovered during surgery for another condition, a new study has found.
The defect -- patent foramen ovale (PFO) -- is an opening in the upper chambers of the heart that failed to close natu...
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Walking, Biking to Work Pays Off
TUESDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- People who walk or cycle to work have fewer risk factors for heart disease, a U.S. study has found.
The study included 2,364 men and women who worked outside the home. At physical examinations conducted in 2005 and 2006, the participants reported detai...
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Coronary Calcium Scans Can Raise Cancer Risks
MONDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- When weighing whether a coronary calcium scan is worth the risk, a new study suggests that arriving at an answer won't be clear-cut or easy.
A team of researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and Columbia University found that the average ran...
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Smoking May Speed Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
MONDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- In addition to the well-known hazards of smoking, research now suggests that the dangerous habit causes a more rapid progression of multiple sclerosis.
The new findings are from a study that included 1,465 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, average age 4...
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Blood Rush to the Brain When Angry Is a Good Sign
FRIDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- Anger and other forms of mental stress cause dilation of the neck's carotid arteries and a rush of blood to the brain in healthy people, but this doesn't occur in those with high blood pressure.
That's the finding of U.S. researchers who used ultrasound...
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Effient Sanctioned for Angioplasty Patients
FRIDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Eli Lilly blood-thinner Effient (prasugrel) to prevent clots in people who have an artery-clearing procedure called angioplasty.
Angioplasty involves inserting a balloon-like device into a clogged a...
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Lighter Meals May Bring Longer Life
THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- A new study that found that a lower-calorie diet slowed the aging process in monkeys could be the best proof yet that restricted diets might do the same for humans.
"The big question in aging research is, 'Will caloric restriction in species closely re...
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Severe COPD Linked to Mental Decline
THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease appears linked to lower cognitive function in older adults, making it more difficult for them to remember and perform daily tasks, a new study finds.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York...
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Study Pinpoints Risk Factors for Death in Young Stroke Victims
THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Younger adults who suffer a stroke are more likely to die if they are heavy drinkers, have heart failure, cancer, type 1 diabetes or an infection before their stroke, Finnish researchers report.
Although the overall death rate in stroke patients aged 1...
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Vegetable Amino Acid Lowers Blood Pressure
WEDNESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have discovered that one of the most common amino acids in vegetable protein seems to lower blood pressure.
Analysis of data from an international diet study shows that a 4.72 percent higher intake of glutamic acid as a portion of...
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Fat-Cell Protein May Reduce Diabetes Risk
TUESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of a protein created by fat cells are associated with a lessened risk of type 2 diabetes.
The protein, adiponectin, appears to have anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing capabilities, according to a study published in the July 8 issue...
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Genes Linked to Cholesterol in Cells Are Identified
TUESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty genes that play major roles in controlling cholesterol within cells have been identified by German researchers, who said that some of the genes may play a role in heart disease risk and offer new targets for drug treatment.
The 20 genes are likel...
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Health Tip: Caring for a Diabetic's Skin
(HealthDay News) -- People with diabetes may be concerned with their heart, eyes and nerves. But don't forget the body's largest organ.
As many as one-third of diabetics develop a skin disorder, the American Diabetes Association says.
The association offers these skin care sugges...
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Mini-Strokes May Cause Vision Loss
TUESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- A study of people who suffer the mini-strokes called silent cerebral infarcts could help explain the medical mystery of normal-tension glaucoma, Hong Kong ophthalmologists report.
Glaucoma is the progressive loss of vision caused by deterioration of the...
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Drug Limits Stomach Trouble in Patients Taking Low-Dose Aspirin
MONDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- The drug famotidine prevents stomach and upper-intestinal ulcers in people taking low-dose aspirin, often to reduce the risk of heart attack, a new British study finds.
The phase III trial included 404 patients taking 75 milligrams to 325 milligrams of a...
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Statins May Cause Muscle Damage in Some Patients
MONDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Statins, medications widely used to lower cholesterol, may cause structural damage to the muscles of people experiencing muscle aches and weakness, a new study has found.
The damage may occur even when tests for a protein thought to signal injury are nor...
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Travelers Face Greater Risk of Leg Clots
MONDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- A review of past research confirms what many experts have long believed: People who travel bear a significantly higher risk for developing potentially life-threatening blood clots in their legs.
That risk, the analysis finds, is up to three times higher...
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Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Often Overweight
THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Children with type 1 diabetes are more likely to be overweight than those without the disease, increasing their risk of serious health complications, researchers say.
The finding is from a major study that explored the weight problems faced by U.S. you...
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Multaq Sanctioned for Heart Rhythm Disorders
THURSDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Multaq (dronedarone) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to promote a normal heart rhythm in people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. These conditions cause the heart to beat too quickly and can prevent it from pumping...
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Anti-Smoking Drugs Get FDA 'Black-Box' Warning
WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Two drugs prescribed to help people quit smoking, Chantix and Zyban, will now carry "black-box" warnings on the potential risks of psychiatric problems, including depression and suicidal thoughts, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. Food a...
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CPR Survival Rates for Older People Unchanged
WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite efforts to fine-tune the procedure for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, the survival rate for older people given CPR has not changed much in recent decades, new research has found.
Just 18 percent of adults older than 65 who received C...
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Drugs May Not Slow Kidney Damage in Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Results from a new trial have dashed hopes that early use of two blood pressure drugs could slow the loss of kidney function caused by type 1 diabetes.
But the study, reported in the July 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, does fin...
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Master Stem Cell for Human Heart Identified
WEDNESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, researchers have identified a single "master" stem cell in humans that is capable of differentiating into all three major cell types that make up the human heart.
"This is a very simple but very important and fundamental finding, a...
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Comic Strip Aims to Educate Families About Diabetes
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- The syndicated comic strip "Baldo" will feature a storyline on diabetes in order to boost awareness about prevention and treatment of the disease among Hispanics.
The comic strip features a Hispanic teen named Baldo Bermudez. In a series of strips that...
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Metabolic Syndrome May Make Breast Cancer More Likely
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Women with high blood pressure, elevated glucose and other components of metabolic syndrome might be at increased risk for postmenopausal breast cancer, a new study suggests.
Metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance syndrome, consists of a...
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Newer Blood Tests May Not Improve Heart Risk Assessment
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Newer biomarkers of cardiac risk, such as inflammation-linked C-reactive protein (CRP), add little or no predictive power to older, established factors such as smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and physical activity, two major studies find.
The newer...
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Obese Get Higher Doses of Radiation for X-Rays
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- People who are overweight and obese are usually given higher-than-normal doses of radiation in order to obtain usable X-ray images, even though the long-term effects are unknown, new research contends.
"You need to get a certain amount of X-rays to go...
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Statins Might Stave Off Alzheimer's
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with a cholesterol-lowering drug might protect against Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
Scientists have long known that nerve cells in people with Alzheimer's die prematurely because they are strongly overstimulated, a process cal...
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Study Supports Wider Use of Statins
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- An analysis of studies supports a growing belief that guidelines for prescribing cholesterol-lowering statin drugs should be expanded to include healthy people without established heart disease, cardiologists say.
The meta-analysis of 10 trials involvi...
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U.S. Doctors Treat Heart Attack With Man's Own Stem Cells
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- American physicians say they've performed the first procedure in which a patient received injections of his own heart stem cells to repair heart attack damage.
The 39-year-old man is the first of 16 people who will undergo the procedure as part of a ph...
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Depression, Anxiety Bad for the Heart
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies show that problems with the mind can play a significant role in problems of the heart.
One study found that anxiety and depression can increase the incidence of angina, the chest pain that sends many people to the doctor, said Dr. Mark S...
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Low Blood Sugar in Hospital Tied to Higher Death Risk for Diabetics
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Being a diabetic and having just one episode of low blood sugar during a hospital stay was associated with a significantly increased risk of dying, both in the hospital and up to a year later, new research shows.
In a study that included almost 2,600 pe...
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Sporadic Spikes in Blood Pressure Hike Chances of Hypertension
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Occasional hikes in blood pressure that can happen in a doctor's office, or elsewhere in everyday life, can raise the risk for more sustained high blood pressure, a new study finds.
Researchers looked at so-called "white-coat" hypertension as well as "...
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HIV Patients May Have Stiffer Arteries
FRIDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- HIV patients receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) are more likely to have a level of arterial stiffness similar to that in healthy patients with high blood pressure, a new study finds.
Arterial stiffness increases the risk of cardiova...
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Jackson's Death Puts Spotlight on Sudden Cardiac Arrest
FRIDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- Pop star Michael Jackson probably did not die on Thursday of a heart attack but perhaps something even more deadly -- sudden cardiac arrest, experts say.
It's not yet clear whether Jackson went into sudden cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home, but tha...
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Hormone Could Improve Diabetes Treatment
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- A hormone might be an effective biomarker to help improve treatment of type 2 diabetes, U.S. researchers report.
Adiponectin is a metabolic hormone that regulates a number of processes, including glucose regulation and metabolism of fat for energy pro...
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Slow Decline Often Follows Stroke Recovery
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- Within five years of a stroke, even people who initially recover often slip into a gradual decline -- especially those with limited access to health care, a new study finds.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and some 795...
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Health Tip: Don't Ignore Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Dealing with diabetes can be a tough pill to swallow, and denial is common, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) says. But ignoring doctor's orders can have enormous health consequences.
Regular testing can help you control your blood sugar and avoid diabetes compl...
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Migraine Frequency Tied to Stroke, Heart Attack Risk
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- The research team that found an increased risk of stroke in women who had a certain kind of migraine now reports a relationship between migraine frequency and heart attacks.
"Our earlier study showed an increased risk of ischemic strokes in women wit...
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Quick Angioplasty Best After Heart Attacks
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- A new Canadian study adds compelling support for current recommendations that people who first get clot-dissolving treatment for heart attacks should have artery-opening angioplasty as soon as possible afterward.
"This study strengthens the guideline...
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Weight-Loss Surgery Safe, Effective Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Not only does one of the largest studies on bariatric surgery find the procedure to be as safe as other routine surgeries, two other studies confirm that it also appears to stave off diabetes for the long term.
Researchers from Duke University Medica...
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A Few Extra Pounds Might Bring Extra Years
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that being overweight -- but not obese -- might help you live longer.
In the study of more than 11,000 Canadian adults, overweight people lived longer than normal-weight people, while those who were either extremely obese or underweig...
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Electrocardiogram Blip Signals Heart Trouble
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- A slight abnormality in an electrocardiogram (EKG), until now thought to be insignificant, can be a warning sign of future cardiac problems and an increased risk of early death, a new study indicates.
Lengthening of what is called the PR interval, the...
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New Heart Valve Repair System Tested for Safety
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- A new method of repairing leaking mitral heart valves appears safe, a small study shows.
In the new study, researchers tested a reversible implant called the Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Annuloplasty (PTMA) system, which is installed via a catheter....
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Sleep Disorders Linked to Arrhythmias
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Older men who have severe sleep-related breathing problems are at increased risk for abnormal heart rhythms, a U.S. study finds.
The study included 2,911 men who underwent sleep testing between 2003 and 2005. Those who had more episodes of paused or sh...
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Global Efforts to Lower 'Bad' Cholesterol Working
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- People in the United States and around the world who are trying to lower their "bad" cholesterol have been succeeding more often in the past decade, new research suggests.
The look at almost 10,000 patients from nine countries found that, overall, 73 pe...
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Music Can Make the Heart Beat Faster
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Loud music made hearts beat faster and blood pressure go up, while softer passages lowered both heart rates and blood pressure, a new study shows.
It's the latest word on how music affects the cardiovascular system, from researchers at Pavia University...
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Obama Signs Tough New Anti-Smoking Law
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama signed into law Monday the nation's toughest anti-smoking law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unprecedented powers to regulate tobacco products.
Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA...
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Heart Attacks Less Often Fatal Today
SUNDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- People having a heart attack for the first time are more likely to survive these days than they would have decades ago, researchers have confirmed.
But now doctors are trying to puzzle out why heart attacks have become more survivable -- what doctors,...
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Health Tip: Life After a Heart Attack
(HealthDay News) -- Life usually doesn't return to the way it was before a heart attack. You'll probably need to make changes to your daily way of life, including taking new medication.
The American Heart Association offers this advice for people who are resuming life just after a heart...
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Health Tip: Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome
(HealthDay News) -- Metabolic syndrome occurs when being overweight or obese -- combined with other risk factors -- increase a person's chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.
These risk factors include abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, elevated...
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Health Tip: High Blood Pressure While You're Pregnant
(HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure during pregnancy may develop into a dangerous condition called preeclampsia -- putting both mom and baby at risk.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers these suggestions to help make your pregnancy safer:
Befo...
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might Curb Depression in Heart Patients
THURSDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests a relationship between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and an increased risk of depression in heart patients.
The study, reported online in the Journal of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, looked at 987 adults with coron...
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Calling All Heart Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Telephone or Internet-based interventions may help heart attack survivors and other cardiac patients improve their heart health and reduce their risk of future cardiac events, Australian researchers say.
They reviewed published randomized trials eval...
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New Anticoagulant Pill Works Well in Trial
WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- The new anti-clotting pill rivaroxaban (Xarelto) lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack and death in patients who have had a heart attack or suffer from unstable angina, a new trial shows.
Rivaroxaban is a pill that blocks factor Xa, which is involv...
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Radiation May Raise Stroke Risk After Hodgkin's
WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors who are treated with radiation therapy have a greatly increased risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack, also called a "mini-stroke," new research has found.
Flora E. van Leeuwen and colleagues at the Netherlands Can...
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Lifestyle May Counter Blood Pressure Genes
TUESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) --Being born with genes that predispose you to high blood pressure doesn't mean you're doomed to have it, a long-term study shows.
"It's been known for many years that blood pressure is affected by genes," said Dr. Nora Franceschini, an assistant professo...
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Little Steps Add Up to Major Reductions in Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- Small measures can turn high blood pressure around, and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, finds a new study that examined efforts to boost patients' awareness of current and target blood pressure.
These measures can be as simpl...
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No Benefit in Testing for Genes Linked to Leg Clots
TUESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- There's no proof that genetic testing can help prevent the potentially dangerous blood clots called deep vein thrombosis, a new U.S. government report shows.
The presence of two gene mutations called Factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A can signal c...
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A Substitute for Those Who Can't Take Statins?
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new study revives a running controversy about the purported cholesterol-lowering effects of the centuries-old natural product called red yeast rice.
Red yeast rice is produced when a yeast, Monascus purpureus, is grown on rice. It has been used...
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Heart Association Warns of Surgery Risks in Obese
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Severely obese people undergoing surgery are at greater risk of heart problems, wound infections, prolonged hospital stays and other complications, according to a Scientific Advisory from the American Heart Association.
Yet many cardiologists, surgeons,...
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Psoriasis Raises Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- People with psoriasis face an increased risk of major cardiovascular disease and death, a new study finds.
The research, which included data from a Veterans Administration medical facility study to compare 3,236 people suffering from the skin disease to...
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Health Tip: Have Unused Medications?
(HealthDay News) -- While flushing unwanted or expired medications down the toilet is common practice, Health Canada says this may harm the environment.
Here's how to properly dispose of medications:
Check to see if your pharmacy has a drug recycling program.
See...
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Heart Damage After Vascular Surgery Raises Death Risks
FRIDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- People who suffer heart damage after vascular surgery face a higher risk of dying within the next few years, even if they show no symptoms of heart problems, a new study has found.
Lack of symptoms is common, according to the researchers.
In t...
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Partner's Support Helps Men Adhere to Apnea Treatment
FRIDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- Going to bed wearing a continuous positive airway pressure machine may not be a flattering look.
But new research shows that men who have a supportive female partner who is willing to work with them to deal with their obstructive sleep apnea are more li...
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Cornflakes, White Bread Could Boost Heart Risk
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a diet rich in carbohydrates that boost blood sugar levels -- foods such as cornflakes or white bread -- may hamper the functioning of your blood vessels and raise your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.
And anothe...
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Diabetes Drug Byetta May Aid Weight Loss in Obese Patients
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Exenatide (Byetta), a drug normally used to treat diabetes, may also help non-diabetic obese people lose weight when combined with diet and exercise, new research has found.
Researchers divided 152 obese men and women (with a body-mass index of greate...
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Health Organizations Cheer Senate Vote on Tobacco Control
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Senate's historic vote late Thursday to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration control over tobacco products brought cheers from health organizations across the country.
The legislation "will finally put an end to Big Tobacco's despicable...
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Health Secrets of Red Wine Uncovered
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists already knew that drinking red wine in moderation is good for your health; now they are figuring out why.
New research is uncovering the disease-prevention secrets of a polyphenol called resveratrol, one of compounds in red wine that seems...
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Need a Walking Partner? Try a Dog
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Forget about joining a gym. If you want to get into shape, all you need is a four-legged pal.
Dr. Robert Kushner, a human obesity expert and professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, said that dogs make great wor...
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Nicotine May Help Spur 'Prediabetes'
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- The nicotine in cigarette smoke may promote insulin resistance and lead to a condition known as prediabetes, new research shows.
The finding, to be outlined Thursday at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., could explain why smok...
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Neck Size May Affect Severity of Sleep Apnea
WEDNESDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- Though obesity is a known major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, many non-obese people also have the condition, according to the results of a new study.
Among 5,426 non-obese adults (with a body-mass index between 18.5 and 27), obstructive sl...
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Studies Report More Harmful Effects From BPA
WEDNESDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- More potentially harmful health effects have been discovered for the chemical bisphenol A, found in clear plastic bottles and other everyday items, according to several new animal studies.
Not only are humans probably being exposed to generally unsaf...
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Another Blood Fat Fuels Heart Attack Risk
TUESDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Yet another type of blood fat may be linked to higher cardiac risk, a new study suggests.
A Danish study finds an increased risk of heart attacks in people whose genes give them high blood levels of a cholesterol-related blood fat, lipoprotein(a), but t...
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Effect of Strict Diabetes Control on Heart Still Unclear
TUESDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Reviews of two large diabetes trials show that the relationship between tight blood sugar control and the risk of heart trouble is still far from certain.
The first analysis found that a troubling number of deaths seen in a large diabetes trials appear...
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Reduced-Radiation Heart Scans Don't Compromise on Quality
TUESDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've developed new techniques for reducing radiation exposures from the scans used to diagnose heart disease.
The use of these radiation-lowering strategies did not affect the quality of images gleaned from cardiac computed tomograph...
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'Eco-Atkins' Diet Sheds More Than Pounds
MONDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- A modified Atkins diet, one that substitutes plant-based proteins for animal-based ones, helps people lose weight and lowers their cholesterol, new research shows.
"In just two weeks on the so-called 'Eco-Atkins' diet, everything starts to look mu...
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Know Your Odds for Heart Failure
MONDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Avoiding four key risk factors -- overweight, smoking, hypertension and diabetes -- can go a long way to keeping you safe from a major killer, heart failure.
So finds new research based on data from the landmark Framingham Heart Study. Another study, a...
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Lack of Sleep Can Raise Blood Pressure Over Time
MONDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged adults who don't get enough sleep are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, a new study has found.
Over the course of five years, Kristen L. Knutson of the University of Chicago and colleagues collected health information, such...
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New Diabetes Drug Shows Promise in Trial
MONDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental diabetes drug called liraglutide appears to outperform exenatide (Byetta), the only currently approved drug in its class, a study funded by liraglutide's maker, Novo Nordisk, shows.
Liraglutide is a laboratory-made version of glucagon-lik...
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Drugs Best First Defense Against Heart Disease for Diabetics
SUNDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs should be the first line of treatment for diabetics who are also battling heart disease, a new study finds.
Only if further steps are deemed necessary should invasive interventions such as angioplasty or bypass surgery be added, the experts said.
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Avandia Raises Risk of Heart Failure, Fractures
FRIDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- The diabetes drug Avandia significantly raises the risk of both heart failure and bone fractures, but it does not boost the odds for either cardiovascular disease or death, new research has found.
If anything, the drug may slightly lower the overall risk...
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Researchers Detect Blood-Clotting Mechanism
THURSDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Ever wonder how your blood miraculously stops flowing and forms a scab after a cut? Researchers have now pinpointed the mechanism down to the molecular level.
"The human body has an incredible ability to heal from life's scrapes and bruises," study co-...
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Fewer Deaths Occurring From Brain Bleeds
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Better diagnosis and treatment have led to fewer deaths from the rupture of a blood vessel on the surface of the brain, Dutch researchers say.
Known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage, this kind of rupture leads to bleeding into the space between the brain...
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Health Tip: Laughter is Good for You
(HealthDay News) -- A genuine belly laugh can be priceless medicine for life's everyday stresses. And you don't have to worry about any side effects -- except, maybe, a case of the giggles.
When appropriate, make an effort to relax and let yourself laugh. Rotary International offers thes...
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Opening Arteries With Drug-Coated Stents OK Over 70
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Age shouldn't be a barrier to the use of coated stents, which appear to be safe and effective in heart patients aged 70 and older, say researchers who analyzed data on nearly 10,000 patients.
Stents are wire-mesh metal tubes inserted into an artery to...
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Heart Drug Combos Raise Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding
TUESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- Common drug combinations used to treat heart disease raise the risk of bleeding or perforation of the upper gastrointestinal tract, new research shows.
Researchers examined data on 78,084 patients aged 60 to 99 from a Department of Veterans Affairs nati...
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Mini-Stroke Can Mean Major One Within Hours
MONDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- About half the people who have a major stroke soon after a less serious brain event, such as a transient ischemic attack or "mini-stroke," do so within 24 hours of the minor event, a new study finds.
The message here for people who have a TIA is to "seek...
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Young Ballerinas May Face Heart, Bone Risks
MONDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Young ballerinas who stop menstruating because they don't eat enough to cover their energy output face the same heart and bone health risks as other young female athletes in the same circumstances, new research suggests.
Inadequate food intake and lack o...
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Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
FRIDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- New research lends weight to the old adage that laughter can be powerful medicine, particularly when it comes to your heart.
Two studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Seattle found that laughter not only can red...
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Value of Taking Aspirin to Cut Heart Risk Varies
FRIDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) --Taking aspirin reduces heart attack risk in people with no previous history of vascular disease but increases the risk of internal bleeding, say British researchers who analyzed the results of 22 clinical trials.
This means the net effect in this group of...
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Health Tip: Alleviate Caregiver Stress
(HealthDay News) -- When you're a caregiver, you have a lot of responsibilities in managing someone else's health and personal matters. But it's very important not to neglect your own well being.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help prevent caregiver...
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Window for Stroke Treatment Opens Wider
THURSDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new analysis showing that a potent clot-dissolving drug can safely be used to treat strokes four-and-a-half hours after symptoms begin has prompted a change in a current recommendation, which set a three-hour deadline for the medication's use.
The re...
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Americans Score Low on Healthy Lifestyle
WEDNESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of eating right, exercising and keeping your weight down are well-known, but few Americans are living that healthy lifestyle, researchers report.
In fact, over the past two decades exercise rates have dropped, fruit and vegetable intake h...
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Compression Stockings Offer Little Benefit After Stroke
WEDNESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Compression stockings don't reduce the risk of blood clots in stroke patients, according to a study that urges revision of guidelines on the use of the support hose.
The study included 2,518 immobile patients in Europe and Australia who were admitted...
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Gum Disease, Heart Disease Share Genetic Link
TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- A genetic link between gum disease (periodontitis) and heart disease has been discovered by German scientists.
The association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for years, but a genetic link between the conditions had...
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Hardened Arteries Threaten Obese, Diabetic Youth
TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- An examination of the neck arteries of today's obese or diabetic young people bodes ill for their future health, researchers report.
The walls of these carotid arteries, which carry blood to the brain, showed a thickening and stiffness known to increase...
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NFL Players Not at Increased Heart Risk
TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Those refrigerator-sized National Football League players you see on television every Sunday aren't at any higher risk of cardiovascular problems than the guy next door, a new study finds.
"Overall, the risk is similar to that of American males of simil...
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To Quit Smoking, Try Logging On
TUESDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Internet- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are a cost-effective alternative to more expensive telephone hotlines or counseling services for smokers who are trying to quit, according to a new study.
"With the rising cost of health care, ther...
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Statins Can Help Prevent Second Stroke
MONDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Taking a cholesterol-lowering statin after a stroke reduces the risk of a second stroke, new research shows.
The 10-year study of nearly 800 people who had strokes found a 35 percent lower incidence of second strokes and a 57 percent lower death rate amo...
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Among Obese Diabetics, Sleep Apnea May Be Common
FRIDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- People who are obese and have type 2 diabetes often have undiagnosed sleep apnea as well, a new study has found.
In fact, of the 306 participants in the study, about 87 percent were found to have sleep apnea but had never been diagnosed with the disorder...
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High Blood Fats Tied to Diabetic Nerve Loss
THURSDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes patients with elevated levels of triglyceride fats are at increased risk of developing a serious complication called neuropathy -- the loss or damage of nerves that results in numbness, tingling and pain in the hands, arms, legs and feet, researchers...
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Strict Blood Sugar Control Lowers Heart Risks in Diabetics
THURSDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) --Diabetics who strictly control their blood sugar levels also reduce their risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease, British researchers report.
There have been several conflicting reports about the value of dramatically reducing blood sugar level...
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E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
WEDNESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- E-mail messages suggesting small ways to eat more healthfully or boost physical activity can significantly improve health habits, a new study has found.
Participants in a worksite e-mail program walked more, ate more fruits...
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Glucose Control Pays Long-Term Benefits for Diabetics
WEDNESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- For diabetics, the key to managing their disease is keeping their blood glucose levels at a normal, low level.
But new studies show just how important this is when it comes to avoiding the complications of the disease, which can include eye, kidney a...
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When Chest Pain Requires Quick Action in ER
WEDNESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Only one-third of the people who come to a hospital with the intense chest pain that doctors call acute coronary syndrome should be assessed for artery-opening procedures within a few hours, a new Canadian study finds.
The rest are at lower risk for a...
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With Heart Attacks, Fast Treatment Matters
WEDNESDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- People having a heart attack should be given balloon angioplasty without delay once they reach a hospital to reduce their risk of dying, a new study concludes.
Balloon angioplasty, or primary percutaneous intervention, is used to open blocked coronar...
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Health Tip: Risk Factors for High Cholesterol?
(HealthDay News) -- Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that's found naturally in the body. And while some cholesterol is necessary, too much of it built up in the blood increases your risk of heart disease.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers this list of factors that r...
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Higher Fitness Levels Tied to Lower Heart, Death Risks
TUESDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Getting in shape really does help you live longer, new research says.
People with high levels of physical fitness, called cardiorespiratory fitness, have a lower risk of dying from all causes of death, including coronary heart disease and cardiovascular...
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New Options Offered for Sleep Apnea
MONDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Two new treatments -- one surgical and the other an appliance that adjusts the jaw -- might help people with sleep apnea, which has proven tough to treat.
In sleep apnea, the upper airway becomes blocked, and people stop breathing during sleep, usually i...
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Obese People Seem to Do Better With Heart Disease
MONDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- The excess fat that leads people to develop heart disease can help them fight against the condition's worst effects, a review of cardiac studies shows.
It's the "obesity paradox," said Dr. Carl J. Lavie, medical director of car...
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Chewable Aspirin More Readily Absorbed
FRIDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Chewable aspirin is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream, making it the best aspirin choice for people suffering a cardiac incident, University of California, San Diego researchers report.
Volunteers who consumed chewable aspirin had higher levels...
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Irregular Heartbeat Tied to Alzheimer's Disease
FRIDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- The abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation is associated with later development of Alzheimer's disease, a large-scale study finds.
There are three possible explanations for the relationship, each of which could lead to early treatment aimed at pre...
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Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
FRIDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- A hidden viral infection that most adults harbor could be a cause of high blood pressure, animal studies indicate.
Mice infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) were more likely to develop not only high blood pressure but also the hardening of the arteries ca...
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Years of Heavy Smoking Raises Heart Risks
FRIDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Highlighting the negative impact tobacco use has on cardiovascular health, researchers say that heavy smokers were 2.5 times more likely to die than their non-smoking peers during a 30-year study in Norway.
The newly available research found that nonsmok...
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Catheter Ablation Effective in Treating Atrial Fibrillation
THURSDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Treating an irregular heartbeat by searing faulty heart tissue may be more effective than treating with medication, a new study shows.
Nearly two-thirds of study participants with atrial fibrillation experienced no such condition-related symptoms one y...
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Implanted Defibrillators Boost Long-Term Survival
THURSDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) --Implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) extend heart patients' lives even eight years after implantation, new research shows.
The finding was to be presented Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Society annual meeting, in Boston.
"This study prove...
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Psychiatric Drugs Might Raise Cardiac Death Risk
THURSDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Preliminary research suggests people who suffered fatal cardiac arrest were more likely to have taken antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs than those who survived heart attacks.
But the findings haven't been confirmed elsewhere, and it's not cle...
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Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
THURSDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) --The use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places such as subways can save lives, new research from Germany shows.
A study of AEDs installed in Munich subways found they saved the lives of 12 people suffering heart attacks since the A...
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Health Tip: Be Proactive at Your Next Doctor Visit
(HealthDay News) -- If you don't go to the doctor very often, it's important to make the most of every visit.
It's your opportunity to talk to your doctor about any health problems, or questions that you have.
Here are conversation pointers for your next medical visit, as recommen...
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Risk Factor for Stroke More Common Among Whites
WEDNESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Whites are more likely than blacks to experience atrial fibrillation, a cause of stroke, even though blacks have a higher prevalence of risk factors such as high blood pressure, new research shows.
About 2.2 million Americans have atrial fibrillation...
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Aspirin Lowers Stroke Risk in Peripheral Artery Disease
TUESDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- There haven't been enough studies to tell whether aspirin reduces the risk of heart attack and death for people with the blocked leg blood vessel condition called peripheral arterial disease, but it does cut the incidence of stroke, researchers report.
...
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Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
TUESDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Estrogen has long been implicated as being heart protective in premenopausal women, and a new study suggests that having just the right amount of estrogen might be helpful for men as well.
The study, in the May 13 issue of the Journal of the America...
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Folic Acid Reduces Infant Heart Defects
TUESDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Since the mandatory addition of folic acid to flour, pasta and other grain products took effect in Canada more than a decade ago, fewer babies have been born with congenital heart defects, researchers report.
Folic acid, a type of vitamin B, has been sh...
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DASH Diet Has Extra Benefits for Women's Health
MONDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- A diet that prevents and lowers high blood pressure has been linked to a reduced risk of heart failure in women, a new study finds.
"The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension [DASH] diet may contribute to prevention of heart failure in some cases becau...
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Seniors Often Misstate Stroke History
MONDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Many seniors who've had a stroke fail to report that fact, say researchers who recommend the use of MRI scans rather than patient self-reporting to determine stroke history.
The study included 717 Medicare recipients aged 65 years and older (average age...
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Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
MONDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- For people in cardiac rehabilitation who are overweight, longer but slower walks are better for losing weight and improving heart health than shorter, brisker walks, a new study has found.
Frequent long, slow walks -- 45 minute...
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Genes Yield Clues to High Blood Pressure
SUNDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Two major international studies have identified what researchers describe as a treasure trove of genes linked to high blood pressure.
"In one fell swoop, to find so many genes related to blood pressure is one great opportunity," said the lead author of o...
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After Job Loss, People Report More Health Issues
FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Losing a job can lead not just to financial hardships but to health problems as well, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, heart attack and stroke, new research has found.
"In today's economy, job loss can happen to anybody," Kate Strul...
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Fewer Heart Surgeries Needed as Technology Improves
FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last decade, advances in heart surgery and improved heart disease prevention methods have resulted in a large decline in the number of patients in the United States having coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a new study finds.
Rates of bypass s...
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Health Tip: Manage Medications Safely
(HealthDay News) -- To avoid the possibility of overdose, interaction or reaction, you must pay attention to how often, how and which medications you take.
The American Heart Association offers these suggestions to help you safely manage your medications:
Store medications i...
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Not All Caregivers Are Stressed and Depressed
FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Though caring for a stroke survivor can be challenging, many family members doing just that say they experience little or no stress and actually find the task personally rewarding, U.S. researchers have found.
The study included 75 people who were caring...
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Racial Disparity Seen in Angioplasty Outcomes
FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Black Americans are more likely than any other racial group to suffer serious complications after angioplasty and stenting and to require repeat procedures, but the reasons for these worse outcomes aren't clear.
That's the finding of a study that include...
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All Blood Pressure Drugs Lower Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
THURSDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) --Lowering blood pressure is essential for reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, but which drugs are best has been a matter of debate.
Now, two new analyses attempt to answer that question.
Their conclusions: For heart attacks, all antihyp...
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Consider TIAs an Emergency, Groups Urge
THURSDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) --"Mini-strokes" should be treated with the same urgency as a full-blown stroke, urges the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
That's because the risk of a major stroke after a warning stroke, known as a transient ischemic attacks (TIA)...
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Device Offers Hope for Patients With Leaky Heart Valve
THURSDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- A new device offers hope for patients with a leaky heart valve who are too sick for open-heart surgery, according to a study funded by the company that makes the device.
The Carillon Mitral Contour System acts like a belt to reshape an enlarged, leaky h...
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Discharge Time After Angioplasty Varies
THURSDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- While some heart patients can safely go home after having elective angioplasty (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI), others may have to stay in hospital for longer periods of time, says an expert consensus statement released Thursday....
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Health Tip: Learn to Manage Your Stress
(HealthDay News) -- Today's women often manage many roles, including partner, friend, mother, daughter, employee and manager of the home.
With all of that going on, the Cleveland Clinic says women may be prone to the following conditions if they don't take the time to manage their stress:...
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Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger
THURSDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- While too-high blood pressure is a clear hazard for most people, too-low pressure can apparently be a threat in some cases as well.
A new study of 10,001 people with coronary artery disease found what statisticians call a J-shaped curve of mortality, me...
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CPAP Therapy Boosts Cardiac Surgery Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- A few hours of postoperative treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may help improve outcomes in patients who've had heart surgery, finds a new study.
CPAP is commonly used to treat sleep apnea.
The study, published in the M...
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Drug-Coated Stents Better at Keeping Arteries Open
WEDNESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Although arteries propped open by drug-coated stents are less likely to become blocked again than those treated with bare-metal stents, the risk of death and heart attacks is virtually identical between the two devices, major studies in Sweden and the United S...
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Health Tip: Help Your Child Cope With Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Diabetes will change a child's life, and the lives of close family members.
The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions to help your child cope with his or her condition:
Learn as much as you can about diabetes -- together.
Encoura...
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Plavix, Heartburn Drugs May Be Risky Combination
WEDNESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Anyone who takes the clot-preventing drug Plavix after receiving a stent in a coronary artery-opening procedure should avoid popular heartburn medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), if possible, a group of heart experts now say.
PPIs include...
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Irregular Heartbeat During Angioplasty Could Raise Death Risk
TUESDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- People treated for heart attack who experience abnormal heart rhythms during artery-opening procedures such as angioplasty may be at increased risk of death, a new study suggests.
The finding could challenge current cardiac care guidelines, experts say.<...
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Phone Monitoring May Help Lower Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- An automated calling system helps people with hypertension be more aware of the potentially disabling or fatal consequences of their condition and helps them reduce their blood pressure, new research has found.
The study included 223 people at eight prim...
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Telling Heartburn From Heart Attack Can Be Tricky
TUESDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- It begins as a sharp, burning sensation in the chest, near the breastbone or ribs. But is the pain heartburn, or might it be a heart attack?
"It's often difficult for people to tell the difference,'' said Dr. Ravi Dave, a cardiologist and associate clini...
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Urine Test Predicts Vein Clot Risk
TUESDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- A higher-than-normal level of the protein albumin in urine indicates an increased risk of dangerous blood clots in the deep veins of the lungs and legs, a Dutch study finds.
These venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot...
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Black Youths With High BP May Face Elevated Heart Risks
SUNDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- While untreated hypertension in any child could lead them to developing a potentially dangerous enlargement or thickening of one chamber of the heart, a new study suggests that black children may be at a greater risk than all other racial groups.
While st...
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Cholesterol Drugs May Help in Cardiac Emergency
FRIDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Giving patients a cholesterol-busting statin drug during a coronary emergency can save lives and reduce the incidence of longer-term problems, Czech researchers say.
The one-year risk of death or major heart problems was more than halved for people suffer...
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Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
THURSDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- Men who regularly drank up to a half a glass of wine each day boosted their life expectancy by five years, Dutch researchers report.
Light, long-term alcohol consumption of all types of beverages, whether wine, spirits or beer, increased life by 2.5...
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Genes May Affect Complications After Heart Surgery
THURSDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- Testing for a gene variant that increases the risk of shock and kidney complications after heart surgery could help guide post-surgery treatment, say Australian and German researchers.
Currently, there are no effective medications to prevent these co...
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Managing Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Cuts Stroke Risk
THURSDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- People who have suffered a stroke can significantly reduce the odds of a second stroke or a heart attack by controlling their blood pressure and cholesterol, new research shows.
"There are about 800,000 new strokes in the U.S. and 1 million in Europe...
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Urine Test for Heart Disease Shows Promise
WEDNESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- A urine test to detect coronary artery disease has worked well in a small trial, German researchers report.
The test looks for fragments of the protein collagen, which plays a major role in blocking heart arteries, said study author Dr. Constantin v...
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As Literacy Improves, So Might Happiness
TUESDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- Among older adults, the better they're able to read, understand and use health and medical information, the happier they are, suggests a U.S. study.
Researchers asked 383 people 50 and older if they could read and answer que...
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Clinics Less Likely to Refer Heart Patients to Cardiologists
TUESDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- American heart patients who receive their primary care at a community health clinic are less likely to be referred for a consultation with a cardiologist than patients who receive their primary care at a hospital.
This difference is especially true a...
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Computerized Scan Detects Heart Disease
TUESDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- A computerized chest scan successfully singles out those people coming into emergency rooms with chest pains who have serious heart disease, a new study indicates.
Of the 368 people in the study, computed tomography angiogra...
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Health Tip: Smoking and the Musculoskeletal System
(HealthDay News) -- Damage to the lungs is one of the first things people think about when it comes to the health detriments of smoking. But smoking can affect much of your body, right down to your bones and muscles.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says smoking can have the...
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Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
TUESDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) --Numerous lifestyle factors affect older adults' risk of diabetes, a new study finds.
U.S. researchers analyzed the link between lifestyle and incidence of diabetes over 10 years in 4,883 men and women aged 65 and older. The lifestyle factors examined...
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Heart, Bone Problems May Follow Prostate Cancer Treatment
MONDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Though proven effective, treating prostate cancer with the testosterone-lowering treatment known as androgen deprivation therapy may raise men's risk for developing bone fractures and fatal cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.
The likelihood o...
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Medication Errors Could Be Cut: Experts
MONDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Medication errors and adverse drug reactions cost lives and dollars each year in the United States, but two new reports suggest ways hospitals and pharmacists can work to reduce these mistakes.
Medication errors are one of the most common medical error...
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Hidden Salt in Diet Haunts Many With Heart Failure
SATURDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a low-salt diet is one of the most important lifestyle changes people with heart failure can make, but only a third adhere to the recommendation, a new study has found.
Researchers asked 116 people with heart failure to write down everything...
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Many Who Should Use Statins Don't
SATURDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of the Americans who meet the criteria for taking cholesterol-lowering statins aren't taking the drug, a national survey indicates.
"There is a definite gap between medical evidence and practice," said Dr. Erica S. Spatz, an internist in...
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Abnormal Heartbeat After Bypass a Bad Sign
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- People who develop the heartbeat abnormality called atrial fibrillation after heart bypass surgery are at increased long-term risk of dying, a new study finds.
The report sounds a warning bell for doctors about an issue that has not been a matter of ma...
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Coordination Has Led to Quicker Heart Treatment
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Better coordination between paramedics, emergency room staff and laboratory personnel has led to steady improvements in the time needed to restore blood flow to people having a severe heart attack, new research shows.
The study involved patients who ha...
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Health Tip: Kicking the Habit
(HealthDay News) -- Former smokers may tell you that quitting was one of the hardest things they've ever done. The physical and psychological withdrawal can be intense.
If you're thinking of quitting smoking, the U.S. Surgeon General offers these tips to help you handle the cravings:...
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Limited English May Be Life-Threatening
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Having limited knowledge of English can be dangerous for people having a heart attack, new research shows.
People who have limited English proficiency were less likely to have a bystander come to their aid with CPR, faced a greater delay in receiving C...
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Lowered HRT Use May Have Cut Heart Attacks
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- The decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms has been mirrored by a drop in the rate of heart attacks among American women, a new study finds.
But there's been no decrease in the rate of strokes, researchers...
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Reduce Suffering, Urge Heart Failure Patients and Caregivers
FRIDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- People with heart failure, and those who care for them, want more attention paid to their psychological needs, a new study finds.
"Heart failure patients and their caretakers suffer in a variety of ways," said Dr. David Bekelman, an assistant professor...
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A Pre-Workout Meal to Help You Burn Fat
THURSDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) -- The type of calories you take in before a workout may influence how many calories you burn during your workout, new research suggests.
Women who ate a breakfast rich in carbohydrates that do not cause a spike in blood sugar -- think muesli, yogurt,...
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Fatty Fish May Cut Heart Failure Risk in Men
WEDNESDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- Men who consume fatty fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids appear to have a reduced risk of heart failure, a new study has found.
Between 1998 and 2004, U.S. and Swedish researchers followed nearly 40,000 Swedish men, ages 45 to 79, recorded details...
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Breast-feeding a Boon to Mom's Heart
TUESDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding isn't just good for baby, it may also boost mom's cardiovascular health as she ages, new research suggests.
Women in their 60s who had breast-fed for more than 12 months over their lifespan were nearly 10 per...
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Doctor's Training Affects Defibrillator Implant Results
TUESDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Chances are you've never heard of electrophysiology, but it's a medical subspecialty you should know about if you are one of the 100,000 or so Americans who will have a heart defibrillator implanted this year.
A defibrillator delivers a shock when nee...
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'Silent' Heart Attacks More Common Than Thought
MONDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- "Silent" heart attacks occur more often than previously believed and are associated with a high risk of premature death, according to a Duke University Medical Center study.
These silent heart attacks, also called non-Q-wave unrecognized myocardial inf...
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Fructose-Sweetened Drinks Up Metabolic Syndrome Risk
MONDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- Fructose-sweetened soft drinks and other beverages can have a negative effect on the body's sensitivity to insulin and its ability to handle fats, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.
But glucose-sweetened beverages do...
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Having Psoriasis Raises Risk of Diabetes, Hypertension
MONDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new study lends more credence to a long-suspected connection between psoriasis, diabetes and hypertension.
Researchers reporting in the April issue of the Archives of Dermatology suspect the link may have to do with the chronic inflammation th...
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Outgoing Nature Could Get You to 100
MONDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- Want to live to 100 or beyond? Be very outgoing and know how to manage your stress.
A new study found that those were the traits found in the children of people who lived to 100, and longevity is thought to run in families.
"We have observed th...
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Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
SUNDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- You might be able to cut down on snacking by chewing more sugarless gum.
During an experiment, people were offered a variety of snacks three hours after a standard lunch and were told they could eat as much of the snacks as they desired. One afternoo...
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Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
FRIDAY, April 17 (HealthDay News) -- Setting aside time each day for some good, hearty laughter could help diabetics improve their cholesterol levels and possibly lower their risk of heart attack, researchers report.
"Laughter may indeed be a good medicine," said study author Lee Berk, a...
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Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
FRIDAY, April 17 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiovascular function can be affected by as little as 10 minutes exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and other air pollutants such as wood smoke and smoke from cooking oil, say U.S. researchers.
There's increasing evidence that higher levels of a...
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A Blood Pressure Monitor to Wear on Your Wrist
THURSDAY, April 16 (HealthDay News -- Imagine being able to check your blood pressure with a quick glance at your wrist.
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have produced a prototype of such a device, which they hope will overcome the limitations of current blood...
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Halting Avandia Use Hikes Blood Sugar Levels
THURSDAY, April 16 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients who stopped using the diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) due to concerns about the drug's safety received less treatment and developed higher blood glucose levels, U.S. researchers report.
An analysis of scientific evidence released...
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Tough Laws, Higher Prices Mean Fewer Kids Smoke
THURSDAY, April 16 (HealthDay News) -- American adolescents who live in states that comply with tobacco sales laws are less likely to pick up a smoking habit than are those who live where the laws are not vigorously enforced, a new study has found.
And raising the price of a pack of cigar...
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Blood Pressure Drug May Not Ease Irregular Heartbeat
WEDNESDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- The blood pressure drug valsartan may not prevent episodes of a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, an Italian study finds.
Earlier research had suggested that valsartan (Diovan) might reduce the occurrence of atrial fibrilla...
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Scientists Spot Stroke Genes
WEDNESDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have identified a chromosomal region that may contain two genetic variants responsible for an increased risk of ischemic stroke.
About 20 percent of whites and 10 percent of blacks in the United States and Europe have at least one copy o...
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Soothing Songs Please the Heart
WEDNESDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- If you have heart problems, you might want to plug in that iPod or pop in a CD of mellow songs.
Hospital patients with coronary heart disease reduced their heart rates, breathing rate and blood pressure just by listening to music, a Temple Universit...
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Acetaminophen, Cholesterol Drugs May Help Fight Stroke
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies find that acetaminophen and statins can be of great benefit in either preventing or treating stroke.
In the first study, statin use seemed to be correlated with a lower risk of having a first stroke, according to a group of French rese...
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Former Inmates at Increased Risk for High Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Young adults who are former prison inmates are at increased risk for high blood pressure and a related heart condition called left ventricular hypertrophy, a U.S. study finds.
The researchers also found that inmates have less access to regular medical...
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Heart Screening Not Effective for Type 2 Diabetics
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Routine screening for coronary artery disease is of no value for adults with diabetes who have no symptoms of heart problems, a new study finds.
Screening is expensive, at $1,000 per test. But the study of 1,123 people with type 2 diabetes who had no...
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Pancreatic Islets in Forefront of Diabetes Research
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Pancreatic islets, which are hormone-producing cells, are becoming more prominent in diabetes research and could play a major role in future treatments, according to U.S. experts.
"The primary objective of islet-based research is to cure diabetes,"...
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Severe Low Blood Sugar Ups Older Diabetics' Dementia Risk
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Older individuals with type 2 diabetes who have been hospitalized with severe low blood sugar levels seem to have a greater risk of developing dementia, new research suggests.
It's not yet clear whether less severe episodes of low blood sugar, which a...
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Stem Cells Buy Freedom From Insulin for Type 1 Diabetics
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- A particular type of stem cell transplantation using the patient's own cells led to short-term freedom from insulin injections in 20 of 23 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes participating in an experimental protocol in Brazil.
One patient e...
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Aspirin Use Linked to Brain Microbleeds
MONDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- A Dutch study finds an increased incidence of tiny bleeding episodes in the brains of people who regularly take aspirin.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of 1,062 people found a 70 percent higher incidence of "microbleeds" among those taki...
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Heart Disease and Depression Up Heart Failure Risk
MONDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Depression increases the risk that people with heart disease caused by blockage of coronary arteries will develop heart failure, a new study finds.
That finding was to be expected, said Heidi May, an epidemiologist at the Int...
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Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
MONDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Vegetables, nuts and the so-called "Mediterranean" diet are heart-friendly, while trans fats and foods with a high glycemic index can harm your heart, say researchers who reviewed 189 studies published between 1950 and 2007.
The studies included 146 p...
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Screening Lowers Stroke Risk for Sickle Cell Kids
MONDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- A specialized ultrasound scan is helping more children with sickle cell disease avoid strokes, but that good news is tempered by the limited access most children with the disease have to labs offering this screening, a new report not...
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Marathoners Go the Distance on Heart Health
FRIDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- Long-distance runners are less likely than other people to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of health problems that include high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
U.S. researchers analyzed data...
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Health Tip: Plan Ahead for Healthy Meals
(HealthDay News) -- Many people have the best intentions when it comes to cooking and eating healthy, but late nights at work and juggling family schedules can make it a challenge.
The American Diabetes Association says you should carefully plan your meals. It offers these suggestions:
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Doctors Urged to Get Aggressive to Help Smokers
WEDNESDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- To truly help people quit smoking, doctors need to treat the habit as a chronic disease that might require repeated or intensive interventions, including pharmacotherapy and counseling, say two new studies.
One study included 750 people who smoked at...
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Health Tip: Aerobic Exercise
(HealthDay News) -- Any exercise is beneficial, but aerobic exercise is what gets your heart rate up and burns calories. Examples of aerobic exercise include: running, swimming, biking, rowing and walking.
An effective aerobic exercise program should include a workout at least three time...
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Larger Men at Greater Risk for Atrial Fibrillation
WEDNESDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- Larger men are more likely to suffer atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythms) than other men, according to Swedish researchers.
Beginning in 1970, the study surveyed more than 7,000 men aged 45 to 55, including questions about their lifestyle an...
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Certain Diabetes Drugs May Pose Eye Risk
TUESDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- A class of diabetes drugs called glitazones are associated with an increased risk of a vision-threatening complication called diabetic macular edema (DME), which features swelling and fluid accumulation in the retina.
Glitazones are a newer class of di...
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Exercise Might Benefit Some With Heart Failure
TUESDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- A regular program of moderate exercise will not harm people with heart failure and probably will benefit some of them, a new study has found.
That admittedly tepid conclusion comes from a major government-funded trial that en...
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Health Tip: Sticking With Exercise
(HealthDay News) -- Starting an exercise routine isn't the hardest part -- sticking with it is. After a few days or weeks of exercise, you may be tempted to start skipping days, and before you know it, you're not exercising regularly. But there are things you can do to keep yourself motivated. <...
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Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
TUESDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Swedish studies add heart failure to the list of cardiac problems linked to overweight and obesity.
"The take-home message is that body-mass index, however we measure it, is associated with the risk of heart failure," said Em...
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Health Tip: Jump Rope for Fitness
(HealthDay News) -- If you're tired of the gym, going for a run, or home exercise equipment, you may want to opt for jumping rope.
The American Council on Exercise suggests these tips to help you enjoy a safe, fun workout by jumping rope:
Keep a firm but gentle grip on the...
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More U.S. Kids Taking Diabetes, Blood Pressure Drugs
MONDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- The number of American children and teens taking drugs to lower blood pressure and control diabetes has risen significantly since 2004, according to a new study.
The study is one of several reports on childhood obesity in the April issue of Archives...
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Psychotherapy Can Ease Post-Surgical Depression
MONDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Two non-drug treatments -- cognitive behavior therapy and supportive stress management -- seem to be more effective than usual care for treating depression in patients who've had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, a new stud...
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Nicotine Replacement May Help Smokers Quit Gradually
FRIDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- For smokers who want to cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke, using nicotine replacement therapy not only helps them smoke less but makes it twice as likely that they will quit altogether, British researchers report.
Although using nicotine r...
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Health Tip: About Heart Arrhythmia
(HealthDay News) -- A healthy heart beats at a steady, regular pace to keep blood flowing throughout the body. But sometimes, the heart can beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly. This condition, when serious, often requires prompt treatment.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine li...
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Human Heart Can Make New Cells
THURSDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- Solving a longstanding mystery, scientists have found that the human heart continues to generate new cardiac cells throughout the life span, although the rate of new cell production slows with age.
The finding, published in the April 3 issue of Sc...
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Many Smokers Don't Tell Docs About Their Habit
THURSDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- More than half of smokers aren't fretting over their personal health, and almost a quarter of those who have health-care providers haven't discussed their tobacco use with that person, a new online survey shows.
The survey of more than 1,000 adult smo...
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Atkins Diet Tougher on Heart After Weight Loss
WEDNESDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- In the "maintenance" phase that occurs after initial weight loss, the popular Ornish and South Beach diets seem to be easier on the heart than the high-fat, low-carbohydrate Atkins regimen, a new study finds.
Unlike numerous studies that have evalua...
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Health Tip: What's Behind High Cholesterol?
(HealthDay News) -- High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. If your numbers are rising, there are a few possible reasons.
The U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute lists these factors that can affect blood cholesterol:
A diet high in saturated fat...
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Effort Could Lead to Blood Tests for Heart Problems
TUESDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- A new project to discover blood markers that could identify people at increased risk for heart disease and stroke has been launched by the Framingham Heart Study.
Researchers taking part in the initiative, called the Systems Approach to Biomarker Rese...
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New Device 'Fingers' Heart Risk
TUESDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- A simple finger sensor is highly accurate at predicting a heart attack or stroke in people considered at low or moderate risk for major cardiac events, U.S. researchers report.
They tested a device called the EndoPAT, which measures the health of endo...
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Patient's Own Stem Cells Might Treat Heart Attack
TUESDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Treating a heart attack with the patients' own bone marrow stem cells boosts blood flow within the heart and may help reduce long-term complications, a new U.S. study finds.
The study included 31 patients who underwent angioplasty and stent placement...
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Plavix Plus Aspirin Lowers Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Combining the clot-preventing drug Plavix with aspirin is an effective substitute treatment for people at high risk of stroke and heart attack because of the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation but who cannot take the recommended therapy, a new s...
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Kidney Nerve Deactivation Could Ease Hypertension
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Using a catheter-based technique to deactivate nerves in the kidneys -- a process called renal denervation -- could help people with tough-to-treat high blood pressure, a new study suggests.
About 30 percent to 40 percent of the world's population has...
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Omega-3s of No Added Benefit to Heart Attack Patients
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients receiving optimal drug therapy after suffering a heart attack do not gain any additional benefit from taking supplemental omega-3 fatty acids, a new study finds.
In a study of almost 4,000 people who suffered heart attacks, researchers found n...
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One Pill Might Prevent Heart Disease
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Create a single pill that contains a statin, three blood pressure drugs and aspirin, and you have an inexpensive medication that can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
Or so researchers hope.
A first tria...
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Statins May Help Before Artery-Opening Surgery
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Giving statins just before artery-opening angioplasty procedures reduces the incidence of heart attacks and other problems, even for people who already have been taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs, Italian trials show.
It's not the effect that stati...
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Stem Cell Injections Seem to Reduce Angina Pain
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- In people with severe angina, injecting their own stem cells into the heart muscle appears to reduce pain and improve their ability to exercise, say U.S. researchers.
"The results from this study provide the first evidence that a patient's own stem cel...
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Hormone Reduces Mortality in Heart Patients With High BP
SUNDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- The hormone relaxin reduces shortness of breath and cardiovascular death in people with heart failure who also have high blood pressure, according to a phase 2 trial conducted in eight countries.
The study included 234 people who, within a few hours o...
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New Surgery for Heart Failure Proves Ineffective
SUNDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- A surgical procedure called ventricular reconstruction that doctors hoped would improve symptoms in people with heart failure does not seem to work, a new study has found.
The hope was that by isolating the damaged part of the left ventricle -- the c...
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No Increase in Clots With Drug-Eluting Stents
SUNDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Despite initial concerns that stent thrombosis, a blood clot inside a stent, is more common with the drug-eluting device, there appears to be no difference in the clot risk for either drug-eluting or bare metal stents, a large new study found.
After...
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Statin Might Help Fight Blood Clots in Veins
SUNDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- In addition to dramatically reducing the incidence of heart attacks and stroke, the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor appears to have another important benefit: reducing the rate of blood clots in the veins, new research has found.
Interestingly, parti...
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New Device Treats Common Heart Rhythm Disorder
SATURDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- An implanted device may soon replace the anti-clotting drug warfarin as the first line of treatment for many people with atrial fibrillation, a new study suggests.
People with atrial fibrillation have a sixfold increased risk of stroke, the researche...
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Kidney Ailments May Rise Along With Blood Pressure
FRIDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of kidney problems, according to a new report.
Analysis of data from the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) also found evidence that more advanced stages of chronic...
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New Guidelines for Treating Heart Failure
THURSDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- New guidelines for treatment of heart failure are being issued by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, with a strong emphasis on management of people hospitalized for the condition and also on the treatment of blacks.
<...
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Registry Created for Broken Heart Syndrome
THURSDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- New details about the symptoms and outcomes of a relatively rare but potentially life-threatening condition called broken heart syndrome have been collected by U.S. researchers into a registry of people treated for the syndrome.
Two-thirds of the 70...
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Using Too Much Salt Is Common in U.S., CDC Says
THURSDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- The average American consumes far more salt each day than is considered healthy, a new government report finds.
Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people, on average -- including people with high blood pre...
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What Causes Mystery Heart Condition?
THURSDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- The unusual heart syndrome called stress cardiomyopathy can be triggered by some commonly used heart medications, Johns Hopkins University researchers report.
Nine cases of the condition followed injections of adrenaline or dobutamine, according to a...
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Faulty Household Wiring Can Trigger a Heart Defibrillator
WEDNESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- A literally shocking tale of the potential dangers of do-it-yourself home repairs for people with implanted defibrillators comes from cardiologists in Denmark.
"We recently cared for a patient who, after receiving an implantable cardioverter defibri...
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Health Tip: Remember to Take Your Medicine
(HealthDay News) -- Many medications should be taken at the same time every day, both to ensure their effectiveness and so that you remember to take them.
The American Heart Association offers these suggestions to help keep you on schedule:
Make taking your medication a par...
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Music Can Help Restore Stroke Patients' Sight
WEDNESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Music may have charms to help restore sight to those recovering from a stroke, a new study finds.
Stroke survivors can suffer impaired visual awareness called visual neglect. It's caused by stroke-related damage in brain areas that integrate vision,...
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Danon Disease Can Be Quickly Fatal, Study Fin |
