Vice-President Dick Cheney went to the hospital this afternoon after his doctors detected an abnormal rhythm to his heartbeat. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, meaning that the upper chambers of his heart, the atria, weren’t beating properly, and doctors prepared to give his heart an electric shock to restore its proper rhythm.
Atrial fibrillation isn’t an immediately life-threatening condition, unlike ventricular fibrillation, when the heart’s lower chambers stop beating, blood stops pumping, and the body begins to shut down. Patients with atrial fibrillation may feel palpitations or shortness of breath, but often it causes no symptoms at all. When it happens, blood isn’t pumped completely out of the atria. That increases the likelihood that the blood will form a clot, which can then travel into the brain and cause a stroke. That’s the most important reason for treating the condition [The Wall Street Journal health blog].
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An enzyme that helps the human body break down alcohol has another beneficial function, researchers say: In rat studies the enzyme reduces the amount of damage during a heart attack. Researchers also developed an experimental drug that can increase levels of the enzyme in rats, and say these findings could lead to a drug that could prevent damage to the heart from heart attack[s] or during coronary bypass surgery and other events in which the heart does not receive enough blood [Reuters].
During a heart attack, a clot blocks blood flow to the heart. The lack of oxygen and build up of toxins causes tissue to die. This is also a danger during coronary bypass surgery, when blood flow is redirected to allow surgeons to operate [BBC News]. Researchers believe the enzyme works by removing toxic molecules known as free radicals from the cells that are struggling to live through the episode of oxygen deprivation. Although not all cardiac damage is avoided, “any time you can save cells, you have a better chance of recovery,” says study co-author Thomas Hurley [Scientific American].
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California is striking a blow against obesity and heart disease: On Friday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill outlawing the use of trans fats in all restaurants and bakeries. The bill creates the first state-wide ban of trans fats, but follows the path set out by cities like New York City and Philadelphia, which have already evicted the substance from restaurants within city limits.
Trans fats are created by pumping hydrogen into liquid oil at high temperature, a process called partial hydrogenation. The process results in an inexpensive fat that prolongs the shelf life and appearance of packaged foods and that, many fast-food restaurants say, helps make cooked food crisp and flavorful [The New York Times]. The artificial fats have been shown to increase levels of “bad” cholesterol and decrease levels of “good” cholesterol, and are therefore linked to heart disease.
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In an experiment that could have applications in treating heart disease and strokes, researchers have taken certain cells from the blood and used them to grow entire networks of blood vessels in mice.
“What’s really significant about our study is that we are using human cells that can be obtained from blood or bone marrow rather than removing and using fully developed blood vessels,” said Harvard’s Joyce Bischoff, who led the study.[Reuters].
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The day after the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs to some 8-year-olds, howls of protest arose from many doctors and parents. While the academy maintains that prescription drugs could help cope with the rising tide of childhood obesity and could prevent children from developing heart disease later in life, many observers say the guidelines send the wrong messages to families.
Some doctors said the recommendation would distract from common-sense changes in diet and exercise, which are also part of the new guidelines. “To be frank, I’m embarrassed for the A.A.P. today,” said Dr. Lawrence Rosen [The New York Times]. Childhood obesity expert David Ludwig adds: “My concern is what this is saying about society when we are so quick to prescribe drugs for these conditions before having systematically attacked the problem from the public health perspective” [The New York Times].
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The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that call for testing at-risk children’s cholesterol levels from the age of 2, and advise giving some children cholesterol-lowering drugs from the age of 8 in hopes of preventing heart disease later in life. Writing in the journal Pediatrics, doctors say that the recommendations have taken on “a new urgency, given the current epidemic of childhood obesity.”
The new guidelines are likely to stir the controversy over prescribing long-term medications to children, especially for treating symptoms related to obesity, which can also be treated with diet and exercise. But proponents say there is growing evidence that the first signs of heart disease show up in childhood, and with 30 percent of the nation’s children overweight or obese, many doctors fear that a rash of early heart attacks and diabetes is on the horizon as these children grow up [The New York Times].
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New York City made another attempt to improve the health of its citizens yesterday, as a ban on trans fats in the city’s restaurants, cafeterias, and even hot dog and pretzel stands took full effect. Trans fat, also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, is linked to clogged arteries and heart disease. But restaurants have found many uses for the man-made vegetable shortenings and oils, which give pastry its flakiness and french fries their crispiness.
It’s the first such ban by a major U.S. city, and most give credit for the idea to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has been on a health crusade during his tenure in office. He banned smoking in bars and restaurants during his first term…. New York restaurant chains were recently ordered to start listing calorie information on their menus [Telegraph]. The first phase of the trans fat ban took effect last year, when restaurants were ordered to stop using them in cooking oils and spreads. Now, after a short grace period, any restaurant found using any trans fats will be fined up to $2,000.
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Go ahead, order that latte with a double shot of espresso. Then do it again and again. A new study shows that drinking up to six cups of coffee a day won’t shorten your life span, and for women that daily coffee habit may even protect against heart disease.
The Spanish researchers who conducted the study are excited about their findings, but they stop short of prescribing coffee jolts to all. “Our results suggest that long-term, regular coffee consumption does not increase the risk of death and probably has several beneficial effects on health,” said lead researcher Dr. Esther Lopez-Garcia…. Lopez-Garcia stressed that the findings may only hold true only for healthy folk. “People with any disease or condition should ask their doctor about their risk, because caffeine still has an acute effect on short-term increase of blood pressure,” she said [HealthDay News].
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NBC newsman Tim Russert died from a massive heart attack on Friday, reminding a nation of the dangers of heart disease, which can kill without warning and is still a leading cause of death in the United States. The American Heart Association reports that over 300,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest each year, and many of those people don’t realize they’re at risk. Unfortunately — and in a 58-year old male [this] is typical — sudden death may be the first manifestation of underlying heart disease [WebMD].
Russert’s doctor, Michael Newman, says the journalist was being treated for coronary artery disease and took prescription medication to lower his cholesterol, but there were no prior indications that he had reached the end of his days at the age of 58. He was carrying excess weight, Newman observed, but he got regular exercise and he performed well on an exercise stress test in April [The Wall Street Journal].
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For decades, doctors have warned the public about the dire risks of too much sunbathing and ultraviolet radiation, and the public has responded by slathering on sunblock. Now, medical advice is swinging back in the other direction.
A host of new studies have indicated that vitamin D, which is produced by the body when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.
The latest study followed over 18,000 men and found that men with vitamin D deficiency were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack than those with normal levels of the nutrient. They were also more likely to die as a result of heart disease. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine [subscription required].
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At a scientific meeting of the American Diabetes Association this weekend, researchers had some disappointing and some downright confusing news. Two new studies showed that contrary to expectations, drastically cutting blood-sugar levels in diabetic patients did nothing to reduce their risk of heart disease and strokes.
In the most disquieting result, one of the studies was halted early because the patients who were given intensive treatment to lower their blood sugar had a higher death rate. Researchers say they don’t know whether to blame the treatment regimen, a mix of diabetes drugs and insulin, or the patients’ reduced blood-sugar levels. However, the second study showed no similar increase in mortality rates.
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This is the kind of medical news that always leads to people feeling happy and virtuous as they rush to the nearest liquor store. A new study has just revealed that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, slowed down the genetic aging of middle-aged lab mice, and appeared to keep their hearts particularly young and healthy.
Of course, resveratrol is also found in grapes, pomegranates, and other foods, and medical researchers still don’t know whether the amount found in a glass of red wine has a clear effect on humans. But the report in the journal Public Library of Science ONE brings enough interesting and promising data to the table to warrant the popping of a few corks.
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