Heart Disease Prevention -Who Should Take Coronary Calcium Scan?

In order to predict the incidence of heart attack, cardiologists sometimes may ask the patients to take coronary calcium scan. It is a CT scan of the heart that detects and measures the amount of calcium or calcified plaque in the walls of the coronary arteries. Find out more at:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/who-should-take-coronary-calcium-scan.html

Heart Disease Prevention - Is Heart Disease Only Causes Of Edema?

Edema is the medical term for swelling. Things like a twisted ankle, a bee sting, or a skin infection will cause edema. Prolonged standing or sitting, heart diseases like congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and other medical conditions like chronic lung diseases, kidney disease, liver disease, head trauma, and come critical illnesses can all lead to edema. Find out more at:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/is-heart-disease-only-causes-of-edema.html

Heart Disease Prevention - Can E-Cigarettes Cause Heart Disease

Will e-cigarettes cause heart disease? There have been evidences linking smoking to heart disease because of nicotine. E-cigarettes have nicotine, which is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure. Click the following link for more:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/can-e-cigarettes-cause-heart-disease.html

Heart Disease Prevention - What Is Ventricular Tachycardia?

Ventricular tachycardia (V-tach) is a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) caused by abnormal electrical signals in ventricles. V-tach reduces the heart’s efficiency. This often make V-tach a particularly dangerous cardiac arrhythmia. Find out more about V-tach at:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/what-is-ventricular-tachycardia.html

Heart Disease Prevention - What Cause Heart Failure In Women?

As with other types of heart diseases, women and men can get heart failure for different reasons, and it can affect them differently. Heart failure is usually a gradual decline in the heart’s ability to pump and circular blood. One can get heart failure because of a health issue that can gradually weaken, damage, or stiffen the heart. Find out more at:

https://howtopreventheartdisease.com/what-cause-heart-failure-in-women.html

Heart Disease Prevention - What Is Coronary Artery Disease?

Coronary artery disease (CAD, or coronary heart disease (CHD), is the most common form of heart disease. Also known as ischemic heart disease, CAD is a condition of the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries causing impaired blood flow. Find out more at:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/what-is-coronary-artery-disease.html

Heart Disease Prevention - Does Gender Difference Affect Heart Disease?

A women’s heart and some of its interior chambers, for instance, is usually smaller and the walls that divide some of these chambers are thinner. Men and women behave differently to stress, too. Because of these differences, women have risk factors and symptoms differ from that men have, and this will affect the treatments and outcomes of some common heart diseases.

Click the following link to find out more:

https://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/does-gender-difference-affect-heart-disease.html

Heart Disease Prevention - Chronic Coughing Can Be A Sign Of Heart Failure!

Coughing actually helps the body get rid of substances that do not belong in the lungs and windpipe, like inhaled dirt or food, and things that are irritating to the air passages. Nevertheless, a cough may be an important sign that heart failure treatment is adequate or even that the treatment may be causing problems. Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Chronic Coughing Can Be A Sign Of Heart Failure!

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Controlling Diabetes Is Important For Heart Disease Prevention?

Coronary artery disease is the major cause of death in patients with diabetes. It can lead to heart attack, heart failure or angina. The risk of developing coronary artery disease in diabetic patients is known to be several times higher at every level of cholesterol. That is why controlling diabetes is important. Read more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Controlling Diabetes Is Important For Heart Disease Prevention?

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Low Blood Pressure Is Sometimes Undesirable?

For many people, low blood pressure can signal an underlying problem, especially when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs and symptoms. A sudden fall in blood pressure by just 20 mmHg can cause dizziness and fainting when the brain fails to receive an adequate supply of blood. In severe cases, low blood pressure can be life-threatening. Find out why by clicking the following link:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Low Blood Pressure Is Sometimes Undesirable?

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Is Coronary Artery Disease Treated Differently Now?

Traditionally, CAD happens when there is buildup of plaque (known as atherosclerosis) in the inner walls of arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. As atherosclerosis grows, the blood flow to the heart will be restricted and the heart will become starved of oxygen. Over time, CAD can weaken… Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Is Coronary Artery Disease Treated Differently Now?

Heart Disease Prevention - Would Eating Nuts Prevent Heart Disease?

Traditional Mediterranean diet has been tied to reducing the risk of heart disease. One of the components of the diet is mixed nuts. Several studies conducted over the years have strongly suggested that eating an ounce of nuts 4 or 5 times a week can significantly cut the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) by as much as 40 percent. Would eating nuts really prevent heart disease? Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Would Eating Nuts Prevent Heart Disease?

Is Palpitation Dangerous?

Have you ever felt that your heart is beating very hard or fast? If yes, then you might have a medical condition known as palpitations. These sensations might sometimes be felt in the throat or neck but the symptoms might often last for just a few seconds or minutes.

While palpitations are abnormal and can be bothersome or frightening, they are not serious or harmful and should go away on their own. Stress, and anxiety or consumption of stimulants like caffeine, nicotine or alcohol can cause palpitations. Palpitations can also occur during pregnancy.

However, palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart condition that can be potentially dangerous. So people with such symptoms should seek immediate medical help, especially if one also experiences shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, or fainting. Palpitation may be due to a heart rhythm problem or cardiac arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation (AF) or supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

Being due to fast abnormal electrical circuits in the atria, AF is most common in people aged 55 and above. The victims can experience a fast, irregular pulse that can cause a persistent heart flutter. AF, though can be uncomfortable, is not usually life threatening. But it can cause considerable distress to the person. For older people with other conditions like coronary artery disease and heart failure, AF is a key factor of stroke. This group of people may require medication to lower their risk of stroke.

SVT causes episodes of an abnormally fast heart rate, but the heart rate is often steady and not irregular. SVT affect the upper chambers of the heart, called the atria. SVT can occur in healthy people and cause palpitations to occur suddenly and unpredictably. SVT are usually harmless and tend to settle down on their own without the need for treatment. But if one has prolonged episodes of SVT, he or she should seek medical advice.

People with palpitations that affect the lower chambers of the heart, known as ventricles, can be traced to conditions like ventricular extra-systoles or ectopic beats and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Ventricular arrhythmias can be potentially dangerous, especially if the heart structure is abnormal, for instance, having an abnormally thick heart muscle or an enlarged heart. In some cases, ventricular arrhythmias may cause the patient to lose consciousness and experience a blackout.

Tests that can detect the type of cardiac arrhythmia one has include electrocardiogram, and a 24-hour ambulatory heart rhythm monitor or Holter monitor. After the test, the cardiologist should be able to assess if this person has any significant underlying heart problem and whether further tests are required. Some patients may just need reassurance and maybe a change in lifestyle, while others may need specific medication or even surgery.

Is There A Link Between Wildfire And Heart Disease?

A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation occurring in the countryside area. Sometime, it is also called forest fire, bush fire or brush fire. It differs from other kinds of fire by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, and its potential to alter the direction unexpectedly. 

Wildfires in Australia are a common occurrence because of the generally hot and dry climate. They can happen during all times of the year though mostly throughout the hotter months of summer and spring. In the United States, there are typically between 60,000 and 80,000 wildfires that occur each year, burning 3 million to 10 million acres (12,000 to 40,000 square kilometers) of land depending on the year.

Inhalation of smoke from a wildfire could pose some health risks. As reported by Australian researchers, air pollution from wildfire might trigger heart attack, cardiac arrest or other types of heart disease. The finer particulate matter, which is presented in extremely high concentration in wildfire, is small and easily inhaled making it harmful for the human body.

Smoke wildfires has long been linked to respiratory problems such as asthma. While some previous studies had already associated PM 2.5 (particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller) with inflammation and heart disease, the evidence of the relationship between wildfire smoke exposure and heart disease has been inconsistent. 

Due to the climate, vegetation and protracted droughts, Victoria is particularly vulnerable to wildfires. In December 2006 and January 2007, Victoria experienced a long-running series of wildfires that burned about one million hectares (2.4 million acres) of land with smoke reaching cities situated far away from the source fires.

Using the health data obtained during the period of December 2006 to January 2007, researchers from Monash University and associates examined the relationship between out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests, ischemic heart disease, heart attack, and angina (hospital admissions and emergency department attendance) and PM2.5 concentrations.

The findings, which were published July 15, 2015 in the ‘Journal of the American Heart Association’, reported that there were 457 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 2,106 emergency department visits and 3,274 hospital admissions for coronary artery disease during the fire period.

After taking into account of temperature and relative humidity, the researchers also found that as the concentration of fine particulates in the air increased over about a two-day period, the risk for cardiac arrest among men and people over age of 65 raised. The risk for emergency department visits due to coronary artery disease also rose, particularly among women.

During wildfire events, general pollution is advised to stay indoors, maintain medication, and if they are worried at any stage due to a health condition, they should seek help immediately. Taking note that elderly or people with preexisting conditions are at the highest risk.

Heart Disease Prevention - Role Of Inflammation In Causing Heart Disease

Inflammation has been placed an equally important role as cholesterol. Inflammation is an essential part of the body’s healing system because without it, injuries would fester and simple infections could be deadly. Its aim is to defend the body against bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders, to remove debris, and to help repair damaged tissue. Click the following link to find out more:

Heart Disease Prevention - Role Of Inflammation In Causing Heart Disease

How To Treat Atrial Fibrillation Induced Stroke?

Being an irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest heart rhythm problems in cardiological clinical practice. People with AF will have abnormal beat of the upper chambers of the heart, causing stagnation of blood in the left upper chamber. Clots can then be formed and be carried in the bloodstream to the brain. The consequence is a large area of brain is damaged and permanent disability and even dead could be resulted. More importantly, an AF-induced stroke can be recurrent.

About 1 percent of the population has AF, which is the cause for 1 in 5 stroke cases. The chance for octogenarians to get an AF is 15 percent. Congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, valve disease, coronary artery disease are some other conditions associated with AF.

While some people with AF can have symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath and tiredness, some might not feel anything at all. Taking appropriate anticoagulation drugs to prevent blood clots can actually reduce AF-induced stroke by 60 percent.

It is not recommended to prescribe anticoagulation drugs like Warfarin to patients who are not aware that they have AF, and do not have at least one of the risk factors like advanced age, hypertension, diabetes, prior history of stroke, and presence of heart failure. This is to avoid possible bleeding risk and side effects.

Fortunately, new drugs like Rivaroxaban (brand name Xarelto) have been proven to be easier to use and more effective than Warfarin. In fact, Rivaroxaban is a single fixed dosage that does not require monitoring.

In Germany, about 45 percent of the elderly with AF are not prescribed with blood thinners in fear of bleeding risk. But with Rivaroxaban, the risk of fatal bleeding is cut by 50 percent and the risk of intracranial bleeding is reduced by 35 percent. It is also 20 percent better than Warfarin in lowering stroke and systemic embolism.

But in reality, the biggest problem in preventing AF-related stroke is detecting AF itself. Many patients have no syndromes hence they do not even get diagnosed by ECG (electrocardiogram) that can detect AF for people having AF symptoms.

Meanwhile, there is a so-called temporary and transient AF, which can come and go, yet carry the same stroke risk. Unfortunately, doctors would only prescribe a blood thinner to patients who are confirmed by an ECG that they have an irregular heartbeat, and it is not a usual practice for patients to take ECGs on a regular basis just to detect AF.

AF is a tricky disease that carries a high stroke risk. But it is now possible, with the help of new drugs like Rivaroxaban that is effective and safe to take, to substantially reduce the stroke risks linked to AF.

Women Benefit More In Certain Heart Disease Treatment!

Heart failure is a condition in which heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate or in adequate volume. In serious cases, heart failure patients could lose their life with cessation of heartbeat.

There are numerous reasons why one might develop heart failure, which can be sudden or happen gradually over a periods of time. Some common causes are heart attack, high blood pressure, defective valves in the heart, cardiomyopathies (diseases of the heart muscle), too much alcohol, and congenital conditions that one is born with.

Besides taking right mix of medications, heart failure patients could have their condition reversed if the heart valve is repaired or fast heart rhythm is controlled. In some cases, certain devices are used to help the heart beat and contract properly. For example, cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D), which is a form of therapy for congestive heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, have been found to have remarkable benefits on appropriately selected patients with heart failure.

CRT-D can help guard against sudden death from irregular heart rhythm by using a specialized pacemaker to re-coordinate the action of the right and left ventricles in patients with heart failure. It can also help strengthen pumping action in patients with heart damage.

Researchers from the University of Rochester pointed out in their findings that CRT-D works twice as well in women. Their study, which was published on February 7, 2011 in the ‘Journal of the American College of Cardiology’, found that when using CRT-D, there was a 70 percent reduction in heart failure in women compared a 35 percent drop in men.

This is probably the first time in history of heart disease research that has credited a certain type of treatment that is more effective in women than in men. In the past cardiac studies, men and women generally received similar benefit from preventive medical therapy.

According to researchers, CRT-D works better in women because women tend to suffer from a different type of heart disease than men. The male participants in the study were more likely to have coronary heart disease while the female participants were more likely to suffer from non-ischemic heart disease.

Coronary artery disease, which is also known as ischemic heart disease, is a condition in which narrowed vessels restrict blood flow to the heart. Non-ischemic heart disease, on the other hand, is one that involves more generalized scarring of heart tissue.

Can Fish Oil Really Prevent Heart Disease?

Omega-3 fatty acid is healthy for all from growing children to heart disease patients. This is the message conveyed to people for years by many health professionals and doctors. In recent years, omega-3 has even been added to some foods such as margarine and eggs.

However, Dutch researchers found in their study of about 5,000 heart attack survivors that eating about 400 milligrams of fish fatty acids per day did not significantly decrease the risk of getting heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular events for those patients who were already getting good care. 400 milligrams of fish fatty acids is the equivalent of 2 fatty fish meals.

At the end of 3 and half years, there was no change in death, heart attack and other heart problems between those who consumed margarine with added omega-3 fatty acids and those who did not.

The findings were presented by researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands during the month of August 2010 at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, and published online by the New England Journal Of Medicine.

Does the results mean that getting more of the fatty acid does not has any benefit? Of course NO!

As confirmed by several studies, omega-3 fish fatty acid (mostly from fish oil) help reduce heart disease. It would reduce the risk of abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) that can lead to sudden death, decrease triglyceride (harmful fats) levels, slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque that could clog arteries, and lower blood pressure (slightly).

The reason that adding a low-dose of omega-3 fatty acid did not offer extra protection, as explained by the researchers, is that the participants were taken good care by their doctors: they were taking the best medicines to prevent future heart problem. Among the participants, about 98 percent were on anti-platelet treatments, 90 percent were taking blood pressure lowering agents and 85 percent were taking lipid-lowering agents.

As compared to those heart patients in earlier research who did benefit by taking fish oil pills, the participants in this study were also older (aged between 60 and 80) and took part in the study years after their heart attack.

Have People Strived Hard to Lower Their Bad Cholesterol?

When people’s bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is high, they actually have a much higher risk of developing high blood pressure, stroke and even heart disease. As such, it is advisable for them to lower their LDL level.

A recent study by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco showed that over the last decade, the number of patients who have lowered their LDL to the recommended level has nearly doubled in 9 countries, namely Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United States.

Published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation on June 22, 2009, the findings revealed that patients in the United States, Brazil, France and South Korea had accepted a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes to improve their bad cholesterol.

In the study, close to 10,000 people with an average age of 62 were surveyed. The number of patients, who had successfully reached their target LDL level, was found to rise from 38 percent to 73 percent over the last 10 years.

On the other hand, only 30 percent of the high-risk patients, who have existing coronary artery disease or risk factors such as obesity, diabetes or smoking, had successfully reached their target LDL of 70mg per deciliter or less.

Although there is still some room for improvement, particularly in very high-risk patients, the results did indicate that LDL-lowering therapy has been applied much more successfully than it had been a decade ago.

The target LDL level in the United States depends on how many risk factors are present in the patient.

For patients without coronary artery disease, diabetes, or other cardiovascular risk factors, the ideal LDL is 160 mg/dL or less. People without either coronary artery disease or diabetes but with at least 2 other risk factors should keep their LDL level to less than 130 mg/dL

Patients who have cardiovascular diseases or diabetes should keep their bad cholesterol level no higher than 100 mg/dL, and should try to maintain a level lower than 70 mg/dL if they also have other risk factors.

Drugs Combination Could Raise The Risk of Another Heart Attack!

It is common practice for doctors to prescribe blood-thinning medication such as Plavix or aspirin together with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like Prilosec to their patients who had heart attack.

Plavix is also known as clopidogrel, and is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. On the other hand, Prilosec is a drug for heartburn and is product of AstraZeneca Plc. The purpose of taking PPI is to cut the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding from blood thinners.

However, the latest research showed that people who suffer a heart attack will nearly double their chance of getting another if they are taking Plavix together with a heartburn drug.

A study conducted by researchers from the Denver VA Medical Center indicated that two-thirds of the heart attack patients who took Plavix and aspirin together with a PPI, primarily Prilosec, had almost double the risk of having another heart attack or bout of unstable angina, comparing with those not taking a PPI. Their findings were published on March 3, 2009 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the study, the researchers tracked some 8,205 United States patients, who were treated for a heart attack or chest pain known as unstable angina, and who were given Plavix and aspirin. The study highlighted a potential interaction between clopidogrel and PPI medication, and the researchers believed that this drug combination might be responsible for thousands of repeat heart attacks.

Therefore, they suggested that PPI medication should not just be prescribed routinely or prophylactically in patients who are on aspirin and clopidogrel.

Nevertheless, the findings have not been widely accepted among medical circles and some doctors actually express their worries. If PPIs are not prescribed for heart attack patients, it is possible that more bleeding complications would occur among the patients. It is undeniably that a big bleed for a patient with significant coronary artery disease could be fatal.

As such, some doctors urged caution regarding the findings. Perhaps, more studies should be carried out to strengthen the findings and better still to look for alternative ways of treatment.