About.com Heart Disease

December Heart Attacks Are the Most Deadly

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:05:37 +0000

Studied now confirm what many cardiologists have long suspected - patients admitted to the hospital with heart attacks during the month of December have a significantly higher chance of dying than during other months. There's a good reason for this, it turns out - and here's a case where patients really do have control over their own destiny. Read about it here.

December Heart Attacks Are the Most Deadly originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 07:05:37.

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Treating Coronary Artery Disease - An Overview

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:15:38 +0000

We have talked a lot about treating coronary artery disease on this site over the years, and there are so many options for treatment that sometimes it's easy to overlook the big picture. So here's an article that summarizes the various approaches to treating coronary artery disease, and that provides numerous links if you are interested in more details.

Treating Coronary Artery Disease - An Overview originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 05:15:38.

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A Post-Heart-Attack Checklist

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:42:17 +0000

After you've survived a heart attack, you've got a lot to learn about and a lot to think about. While in the good old days you might have had a week or two of hospitalization to go through all the testing, risk assessment, education, and initiation of therapy necessary to optimize your long-term prognosis, today whatever is going to get done must happen in the first three (or four, if you've got a liberal health plan) days.

Doctors and hospitals have mobilized nicely to provide adequate acute care for the patient showing up with an acute heart attack. But too often, many have dropped the ball when it comes to giving appropriate care after those first critical hours.

The key to successfully navigating your way to a long, healthy life after a heart attack is - YOU. You need to insist that the appropriate tests are done, the appropriate referrals are made, and the appropriate medications are begun. To this end, here is a convenient checklist of the things that should be done -- ideally before you even leave the hospital -- after your heart attack.

A Post-Heart-Attack Checklist originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 06:42:17.

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Does Daylight Savings Time Cause Heart Attacks?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:26:50 +0000

Now that we've said goodbye to Daylight Savings Time for another 6 months, perhaps (according to researchers reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine last year), we'd be better off saying goodbye forever. That's because, they say, there is an association between switching to DST in the spring, and heart attacks.

Do we really need to add Daylight Savings Time to the long list of useful, enjoyable or fattening pleasures of life that we're supposed to give up? Read about it here.

Does Daylight Savings Time Cause Heart Attacks? originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 06:26:50.

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Statins Might Be Helpful With Flu, and Other Serious Infections

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:57:44 +0000

This weekend at the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Philadelphia, researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that statins (drugs prescribed for reducing cholesterol levels) may be associated with a reduced risk of dying from influenza.

The study was conducted by reviewing data from the CDC's Emerging Infections Program. Among 2800 patients from 10 states admitted to the hospital with confirmed cases of severe influenza in 2007-2008, those who were taking statins had a mortality rate that was half that of patients not taking statins.

This result is consistent with earlier reports suggesting that statins might be beneficial in influenza. The existence of those earlier reports is what stimulated the CDC to do their study in the first place.

Statins Might Be Helpful With Flu, and Other Serious Infections originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 05:57:44.

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Nine "New" Cardiac Risk Factors Are Found Wanting

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:19:21 +0000

In an era when "preventive health" is all the rage, and we are all being urged to assess our risk factors for heart disease, developing and marketing new tools for cardiac risk assessment has become a big business. In fact, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) notes that more than 100 "emerging" cardiac risk factors are being advanced, by someone or another, as being potentially important.

Accordingly, the USPSTF recently conducted several systematic reviews to evaluate the usefulness of nine of the most commonly promoted "emerging" cardiovascular risk factors. They concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support routinely using any of them. Included in these now-disparaged risk factors are ones you've likely heard of and seen advertised - including C-reactive protein measurement and cardiac calcium scores.

Read here about the nine cardiac risk factors which the USPSTF has found to be less than compelling.

Nine "New" Cardiac Risk Factors Are Found Wanting originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 08:19:21.

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More Evidence that Coronary Artery Disease Is Different In Women

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:10:27 +0000

For several years, cardiologists have known that coronary artery disease (CAD) in women can be quite different than it is in men. Women's symptoms may be different, the diagnostic tests that are used for CAD can give the "wrong" answer in women, and the underlying disease itself can be quite different.

It now appears that a new, possibly more significant difference has turned up. You can read all about it here.

More Evidence that Coronary Artery Disease Is Different In Women originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 07:10:27.

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Medical Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:29:47 +0000

Evidence from clinical trials now indicates that in patients with stable angina, medical treatment can be as effective as the more invasive treatments we hear so much about, treatments like bypass surgery, angioplasty and stents.

But what, exactly, is medical therapy for angina? It turns out that treating angina medically is an art that involves the judicious use of several treatment modalities, some of which are well-known to doctors and others less so. You can read all about the medical therapy of angina here.

Medical Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 07:29:47.

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Three Runners Die Suddenly During Detroit Marathon

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:40:05 +0000

On Sunday, three apparently healthy and well-trained male runners (ages 26 to 65) collapsed and died while competing in the Detroit Marathon. At this point the precise causes of death have not been released for any of them. Fortunately, a cluster of sudden deaths - even a single sudden death - during a long distance race is an extremely rare event.

There are several cardiac conditions that can produce sudden death in athletes. And unfortunately, because of the physiologic effects of prolonged exercise (for instance, core body temperatures typically reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit during a marathon), it is often difficult to resuscitate victims under these circumstances, even if trained medical personnel are nearby.

Read here about sudden death in athletes , and here about screening for the cardiac conditions that can lead to this tragic event.

Three Runners Die Suddenly During Detroit Marathon originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 06:40:05.

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The H1N1 Flu and Heart Disease

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:58:24 +0000

Is the H1N1 flu more dangerous in people with heart disease? The answer is the same as it is for "regular" influenza - Yes.

If you have heart disease, you need to take precautions to reduce your chances of getting the H1N1 flu, and if you get sick, you need to know what to do. Read about H1N1 and heart disease here.

The H1N1 Flu and Heart Disease originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 07:58:24.

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