I have a very exciting update to share with you! This is not groundbreaking research but I am so happy I just have to share. I wrote about the Nintendo Wii being used as therapy for recovering stroke and cardiac patients last week, and shared my strong want for one of these fabulous little game players. Well, guess what? My brother in law found one today at normal price and offered it up! So yup I am going to get myself in my caravanarama with cash in hand and travel southwest to his house and pick it up.
Oh boy, …read more

I am a bit disappointed at the amount of cardiac patients that do not take advantage of the cardiac rehabilitation programs that are offered.  I know that we are all busy and want to “get back to life” as quick as possible but there is overwhelming evidence that suggests how beneficial a rehab program can be for cardiac patients. Who is the biggest culprit…
Lead author Dr. Jose A. Suaya, of Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., found that women participated less in cardiac rehabilitation than did men, older people less than younger people and non-whites significantly less than whites.
Cardiac rehabilitation …read more

Have you ever thought, “what happens to my heart during sex?” I watched a special on the discovery channel a few evenings ago and learned more than I ever wanted to know about my body and sex! And I still find it interesting, well actually sad, that we do not incorporate sexual education into our cardiac patients treatment plan.
Let’s get real, your heart definitely gets a workout during the horizontal hokie pokie. Not enough to cancel your gym membership, but enough to mention. Here is a peek at how your heart reacts during the 4 stages …read more

Researcher’s at UT Southwestern Medical Center are studying a new device to treat chronic congestive heart failure. The system uses catheter’s and a very small external pump.
The Cancion System, manufactured by Orqis Medical Corp., is a pump device that is introduced into the body via catheters inserted through tiny incisions in the groin. Once placed, the pump draws blood from the patient’s iliac artery – located in the pelvis – into a small external pump. From there, the blood goes through another catheter placed in the heart’s descending aorta, where it is re-introduced for continuous blood flow.
Thus it will improve …read more

I posted this as well over at Diabetes Notes, but I think it is big enough news that you will excuse the duplication.
Ok, it is official… Avandia will stay on the market.  The FDA voted an overwhelming yes to keeping the drug on the shelves.  They stated that they are recommending that there be warning labels for the elder population and high risk cardiac patients. 
And as you can guess, this is getting a bag of mixed emotions.  Will this stop the 1000’s of lawsuits that are currently existing due to Avandia’s heart implications?  I think not.  But it will give …read more

“The key to the success of our intervention was taking time with patients to create a regular schedule for taking their medicines that fit their lifestyle,”
On the heels of yesterday’s post, education about cardiac medications is so important for insuring successful outcomes. Do you know your pharmacist well? Do you feel like him/her is helpful and caring towards your needs? Personally, I am on a first name basis with my local pharmacist and feel very comfortable in knowing that she “looks out” for my family. I have come to trust her and her professional capabilities.
The National …read more

What came first, the chicken or the egg? That is a question I often ask myself while “taking care of” my cardiac patients. As a nurse, my mind often wanders to the thought of, “what if they had taken better care of themselves years ago”? Now, I know that genetics and family history plays into cardiac disease, but so does obesity, lethargy and an unhealthy lifestyle.
So when my patients that haven’t exercised in years, not even a walk to the end of the driveway, are admitted to the hospital with CHF, MI, STEMI’s, angina, ACS and high …read more