Oh boy, I am so excited. I can’t play with it until after the kids pull it out from under the tree on Christmas morning. Who will be more excited- my hubby, the girls or me?? I will fill you in on my Wii fitness progress!

Post from: Blisstree

I Got A Wii!!!!

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 consists of monitored exercise protocols as well as lifestyle and nutritional education.   It wouldn’t be offered if it didn’t prove to be a positive experience in ones treatment.  So get your butt going!  Go on, don’t be scared.

via Science Daily 

Post from: Blisstree

Cardiac Rehabilitation Not Being Taken Advantage Of Consistantly

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 of your “hot and heavy”…

Arousal- Your heart rate and respiratory rate go up. Your blood pressure quickly follows suit and you get a flushed feeling from head to toe. Just imagine walking the mall briskly, but only way more enjoyable!

Plateau- All of the above changes are magnified. This would be the second heaviest workload right before orgasm. Yes, once again I have use one of those funny, uncomfortable and clinical words. Think of this phase as walking up a few flights of stairs. But once again, a heck of a lot more fun.

Orgasm- This would obviously be your greatest increase in blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Maximum workload for the ol’ ticker. This lasts about 15-30 seconds. All that work for just 15 seconds! I’m not sure what to compare this to. I will just say it is a very happy place to be and leave it at that!

Resolution- Your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing very quickly returns to normal. This is the heaviest workload after you orgasm. Let’s see, I will compare this to the end of a soccer game when you are sucking down your water and catching your breath. You are so sad to see the game end but so darn glad you played!

I am sad to report that this whole process on the average takes 10-20 minutes. Yes, that is all. If you have angina during the warm up, feel that your heart is “beating out of your chest” or have trouble regaining your breath after sex, you need to make an appointment with your cardiologist. Don’t be embarrassed, anxious or ashamed! Isn’t it better to discuss the problems rather than ignore them and have a heart attack in the throws of passion? Personally, I think that it would be more embarrassing, but not uncommon! But we will save that discussion for another time.

Post from: Blisstree

From Arousal To Resolution… This Is How Your Heart Reacts During Sex

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 heart function, ie. muscle function, without replacing the heart or most of it’s parts. Much less invasive and less risky then a transplant. This will hopefully give chronic heart failure patients a longer amount of time outside the hospital and a more “normal” style life.

What do you think? Would you be willing to be a part of a study like this? Are you as excited as me over the prospects of this type of system improving cardiac patients quality of life?

Post from: Blisstree

A New Device To Treat Patient’s With Chronic Congestive Heart Failure

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 the pharmaceutical company more than a leg to stand on.

It is estimated that Avandia was responsible for contributing to 80,000 heart attacks over the last 8 years.  Can they point the finger solely at Avandia?  Were there pre-existing factors?  Who is to say, I will leave that one to the attorneys and such. 

It is a bit like the Vioxx scare a few years back.  Did all orthopedics stop prescribing this medication after the cardiac warnings and accusations came out?  Nope, not even close.  Heck, my orthopod even uses it himself.  But there were tons, and I mean tons, of money awarded in the courts. 

Time will tell how much of an effect the FDA approval has on the already suffering Avandia.  Will it bounce back?  I know that personally while I was at the doctor’s office this morning, the drug rep came skipping in pushing the use of Avandia and proclaiming it’s innocence.  What do you think?  Do you still take Avandia?  Do you have a heart condition?  Will you stay on the medicine?  So many questions, so little time! 

Post from: Blisstree

FDA Gives Avandia The OK To Stay On The Market

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 Institute of Health funded a study that examined the role in which a pharmacist plays in polypharmatic, or multi drug, cardiac patients. Just how key is that ol’ white coat wearing individual that fills your medicine bottles? Very!

The patient’s who received special intervention and education from the trial’s pharmacist…

• took their medications 16 percent more consistently,
• visited the emergency room and were hospitalized 19 percent less, and
• had direct annual health-care costs nearly $3,000 lower per patient.

“We made sure that patients understood how their medications worked and why taking them consistently was so important,”

Get to know your pharmacist! Don’t feel incompetent if you have a worry or concern. Ask away! There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially when it comes to your health. I say over and over again… you are your own best advocate.

via Science Daily

Post from: Blisstree

The Pharmacist Plays An Important Role In The Treatment Of Your Heart Disease

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 lipids, I have to revisit the whole chicken or the egg thing. Did the cardiac disease process interrupt life? Or was life always sedentary, which led to the cardiac syndrome?

I know it could go either way, and in no way am I suggesting that there is only one right answer. What I am suggesting is that we each take a long hard look at our own lifestyles and make conscious efforts to better ourselves and bodies.

We only get one go around, better make it good!

Post from: Blisstree

What Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?