Heart disease is the narrowing or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the heart. It is caused by atherosclerosis, an accumulation of fatty materials on the inner linings of arteries that restricts blood flow. When the blood flow to the heart is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack because the heart is starved of oxygen.
More than half of all cancer is preventable — Public health researchers outline obstacles standing in the way of prevention – More than half of all cancer is preventable, and society has the knowledge to act on this information today. Researchers outline obstacles they say stand in the way of making a huge dent in the cancer burden in the United States and around the world.
Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to increased risk of heart disease in men – One soft drink a day raises ‘heart attack danger’ by 20 per cent – Men who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage a day had a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to men who didn’t drink any sugar-sweetened drinks, according to research published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
Study Links ‘Body Clock’ to Sudden Cardiac Death — ‘Biological clock’ may be behind sudden heart attacks – A new study uncovers the first molecular evidence linking the body’s natural circadian rhythms to sudden cardiac death (SCD). Ventricular arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms, are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death: the primary cause of death from heart disease. They occur most frequently in the morning waking hours, followed by a smaller peak in the evening hours.
Vitamin D Therapy Does Not Improve Certain Cardiac Measures for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease – Patients with chronic kidney disease who received the vitamin D compound paricalcitol for up to 48 weeks did not show improvement on measures of cardiac structure, function, or left ventricular mass, compared to patients who received placebo.
Short-Term Exposure to Most Major Air Pollutants Associated With Increased Risk of Heart Attack – Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack. The potentially harmful effect of episodes of high air pollution on health has been suspected for more than 50 years.
Dabigatran associated with increased risk of acute coronary events – The anticoagulant dabigatran is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or acute coronary syndrome in a broad spectrum of patients when tested against some other medicines.
Cognitive decline can begin as early as age 45, warn experts — Research: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: Results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study – The brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills (cognitive function) can start to deteriorate from age 45. But, previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted.
A new stent design may put patients at risk – Stent shortening – a newly observed deformity in cases using a particular family of stents, can cause serious complications for patients, says researchers. In this case the stent clotted off and the patient had a heart attack.
Professional dental cleanings may reduce risk of heart attack and stroke – Tooth scaling at least once a year reduced heart attack and stroke risks. Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study from Taiwan presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011.
Sugar-sweetened beverages may increase cardiovascular risk in women – Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day may expand a woman’s waistline and increase her risk of heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers compared middle-aged and older women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day, such as carbonated sodas or flavored waters with added sugar, to women who drank one or less daily.
Cardiac stress imaging more frequent among patients whose physicians provide, bill for procedures – Financial reimbursement and ownership of cardiac imaging equipment appears to influence physicians’ use of cardiac stress testing. The study finds that doctors who are reimbursed for both performing the test using their equipment and then interpreting the results were 50 to 100 percent more likely to order cardiac imaging tests on their patients than those who don’t bill the fees.
Quality of life benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cost effectiveness analysis demonstrates continued superiority over standard therapy – A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care.
