Cardiovascular Health

Predicting High Blood Pressure Reported April 29, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Factors of hormone metabolism may make African Americans more likely than Caucasians to develop high blood pressure and to develop it earlier in life. Left untreated, high blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney … [Read more...]

Antidepressants Benefit Heart Health? Reported April 28, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may boost cardiovascular health by affecting the way platelets -- small blood cells involved in clotting -- clump together.   Researchers at the Loyola University … [Read more...]

Predicting Future Heart Attacks Reported April 30, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – What if you could predict your chances of having a heart attack years ahead of time? New research shows the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) may be useful in doing just that.   A Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine study found that … [Read more...]

Can walking help guard against stroke? Reported April 21, 2010 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Walking may be an important weapon for women in the fight against stroke, a new study hints. The study found that women who walked for two or more hours a week had a lower risk of stroke than those who walked for less than two hours a week. It's well known … [Read more...]

Study: Walking seems to lower women's stroke riskReported April 06, 2010 DALLAS — Women can lower their stroke risk by lacing up their sneakers and walking, a new study suggests. Women who said they walked briskly had a 37 percent lower risk of stroke than those who didn't walk. Women who reported walking at least two hours a week at any pace had a 30 percent lower … [Read more...]

Too much sugar increases heart disease risk Reported April 20, 2010 CHICAGO - Eating a lot of sugar not only makes you fat. It may also increase a person's risk for heart disease, U.S. researchers said. They said people who ate more added sugar were more likely to have higher risk factors for heart disease, such as higher triglycerides and lower levels of … [Read more...]

New Heart Valve Implant Cuts Surgical Risks Reported April 13, 2010 April 13, 2010 -- Less-invasive "valve-in-valve" implants may help repair prosthetic animal-tissue heart valves in people who are not healthy enough to undergo a second open heart surgery, a study shows. The research is published in the April 27 issue of Circulation. A second surgery to replace a … [Read more...]

Heart disease risks increased by added sugar Reported April 21, 2010 LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Added sugars, especially in processed foods and beverages, may increase heart disease risk factors. As a diabetic, 46-year-old John Garavito keeps a close eye on his heart health. Now his primary doctor, John Liu, has new information that could … [Read more...]

Stroke Awareness: Victims Uninformed Reported April 21, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Even the obvious needs to be restated once in awhile: If you have a stroke, get to the hospital ASAP. Well over 60 percent of patients in a British-based study had no clue they suffered a minor stroke, and more than one-third failed to get medical … [Read more...]

Dissolving Dangerous Clots Reported April 22, 2010 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Up to 300,000 people will die from it this year: Deep vein thrombosis -- or DVT -- causes blood clots in the leg that can break off and travel to the lungs or heart. A new, surgery-free treatment is fishing out the killer clots and sending … [Read more...]

Kid-Safe Chemo Protects Hearts Reported April 21, 2010 MIAMI, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Kids are winning the battle against cancer. The survival rate is now 90 percent, but the powerful treatments come at a price. Researchers may have a solution to kick cancer and protect the rest of the child’s growing body. Daniela Leon battles … [Read more...]

Hypertension Hides Kidney Disease Reported April 16, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research suggests that as many as 8 million adults in the United States who have not yet been diagnosed with hypertension or have early-stage hypertension also have kidney disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that 27.5 … [Read more...]

Carbs Double Heart Disease Risk in Women Reported April 15, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women, beware: A high-carb diet may double your risk of heart disease. New research illuminates the health risk that foods with a high glycemic index pose to the body -- particularly in women. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index raise blood … [Read more...]

Heart Surgery Risky for Older Seniors Reported April 14, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The surgery you’re getting to “kick start” your heart may end up hurting you in the end. A new report released this week shows older patients are more likely to die in the hospital following surgery to implant defibrillators or pacemakers. “Certain … [Read more...]

Heart Disease: More Accurate Prediction Reported March 19, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new measure more accurately predicts risk for cardiac disease and death, according to recent research. The Intermountain Risk Score, a measurement tool that looks at age and sex, but also adds the results of routine blood tests not included in the … [Read more...]

Reducing Heart Disease Risk with Vitamin D Reported March 18, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Treating heart disease can be as simple as adding Vitamin D supplements to your diet. Researchers have found a link between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk for coronary artery disease. Two new studies show vitamin D supplements can … [Read more...]

Potential for New Treatment for Peripheral Arterial Disease Reported March 22, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Bone marrow stem cells suspended in X-ray-visible microbubbles dramatically improve the body's ability to build new blood vessels in the upper leg -- providing a potential treatment for those with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). … [Read more...]

Magnets Guide Hearts Back Into Rhythm Reported March 12, 2010 LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's one of the most common heart problems -- 2.2 million Americans have an irregular heart beat, or atrial fibrillation. If left untreated, it puts people at an increased risk of blood clots and stroke. Doctors are now using a new piece … [Read more...]

The Soda Epidemic Reported March 08, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A soda or sports drink may cool you off or quench your thirst, but as you satisfy your sweet tooth, you may also be causing serious harm to your body. New research shows the increase in consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas, sport drinks and fruit drinks has correlated to an increase in the number of … [Read more...]

Racial Differences in Hospice Use Reported March 10, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- White heart failure patients use hospice 50 percent more than blacks and Hispanics, a new study reveals. Hospice is a place for patients whose doctors have given them six months or less to live. The purpose of a hospice is to ease pain and other symptoms and offer psychological, social … [Read more...]

Skin Cells Could Soon Be Used to Repair HeartsReported March 03, 2010 University of Houston biomedical scientist Robert Schwartz has recently presented his latest research, which promises to make treating heart conditions easier and more efficient than ever before. He argues that the future is in stem cell research, and showcases a method in which skin cells are … [Read more...]

U.S. Attempts to Reduce Salt Intake Reported March 08, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- With 73 million Americans suffering from high blood pressure, the U.S. food service industry is attempting to make a change in public health by reducing the amount of salt added tp processed foods. Reducing salt intake could have widespread implications for the U.S population by … [Read more...]

Heart screening for kids with ADHD Reported March 08, 2010 LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A new report in the Journal Circulation suggests widespread heart screening would save 13 young lives out of every 400,000 kids screened. But is it really worth the cost? Are these tests a reliable predictor? Researchers come down on both sides of the debate. Ritalin and stimulant … [Read more...]

Happy people have lower likelihood of heart attack, Nova Scotia study indicatesReported February 17, 2010 TORONTO — We hear the advice "Don't worry, be happy," and "Smile, smile, smile" in upbeat song lyrics. And when it comes to the health benefits of a sunny disposition, they might be on to something. A 10-year study that tracked more than 1,700 adults in Nova … [Read more...]

Stroke Predictor in the Eyes? Reported March 04, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers may have found a new predictor of a person's stroke risk: the eyes. A new study suggests having a shingles infection in the eye could increase your chances of becoming a stroke victim. Ocular shingles is an infection of the eye and the skin around the eye caused by the same … [Read more...]

Defibrillator Test Linked to Cognitive Problems Reported March 05, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A standard test of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is linked to significant thought-processing problems which, for most patients, improve within a year after the device is inserted. After an ICD is inserted, doctors check its performance by medically causing … [Read more...]

Hearts in Danger: Kids and Insomnia Reported March 05, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newsire) -- Insomnia or shorter sleep durations in children may impair the rhythm of their hearts. In a study done involving 612 elementary school children with an average age of 9, researchers examined the children overnight in a sleep laboratory to measure sleep duration, trouble falling asleep, … [Read more...]

Menopause increases heart risk Reported March 02, 2010 CHICAGO, March 2 (UPI) -- Women entering menopause need to be aware of their increasing risk of heart disease, a U.S. doctor advises. Dr. Vera Rigolin of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago says women need to know their symptoms of heart attack may differ from those of men. Men often experience chest … [Read more...]

Sleep: Too Much or Too Little Adds Pounds Reported March 01, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Getting too much or too little sleep could add pounds to your waistline and leave you at risk for heart problems and diabetes. A new study in the journal SLEEP reveals in people younger than 40 years old, too little or too much sleep was associated with significant increases in … [Read more...]

Women 'Go Red' for heart health awareness Reported 26 February, 2010 Some 500 women went red on Friday for the American Heart Association’s local Go Red for Women luncheon at the Westin Hotel in downtown Providence. The women, and some men too, ate chocolate-covered strawberries, bid on designer handbags and had a healthy chicken … [Read more...]