Endorphins and other morphine-like substances known as opioids, which are released during exercise, don’t just make you feel good — they may also protect you from heart attacks, according to University of Iowa researchers.

That good ol’ “runner’s high” is caused by natural opioids that are released during exercise and they are super duper (that is a word from my kids) good! If we can harness exactly how these altered gene expression patterns work, we can reveal specific cardio-protective pathways and viola… we can mimic these same properties of exercise into treatments for heart disease. And that is that.

Read more here

A new study once again on CPR… UA’s Sarver Heart Center, and a CPR research group have pioneered a new type of CPR known as cardio-cerebral resuscitation. This this type of CPR suggests 100 forceful compressions with no mouth-to-mouth.

“Compressions, for them to be effective, have to be fast and forceful. People tend to do them too slowly,” Clark said. “Most lay people can’t do 100 compressions in a minute so we suggest that people do team compressions.

The thoughts behind this is that we do not need to get additional oxygen to the lungs but we certainly need to provide oxygen to the heart and brain. So based on this research the layperson’s CPR is very simple and easy, call 911 and start compressions. Have you heard anything about this? What is your opinion?

via The Wildcat Online

Just down a ways from where I live today, Britain’s first heart transplant was performed in 1968 at the National Heart Hospital in Marylebone, London. It was the tenth heart transplant ever to have been done in the entire world since Dr. Christian Barnard achieved it in Cape Town, South Africa just a few months earlier in December 1967.

Amazing considering that artificial hearts are routinely used now to keep patients alive until they receive a live organ transplant. As of June 2003, 66,353 heart transplants have been performed worldwide.

Via BBC On This Day

In case you had any doubts about the trustworthiness of information here at A Hearty Life, I have previously posted a full disclosure all about me and this blog. This blog is also listed in the Genetics and Health Honor Roll. Now, an independent body, the Health On the Net Foundation has certified A Hearty Life to adhere to their code of conduct for medical and health websites. You can see the seal in the sidebar.

For other health and medical bloggers interested in becoming certified, I’d recommend answering the full disclosure questions needed to join the G&H Honor Roll first. This will make your application to HONcode much easier.

Implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) may be less likely to fail now than before, but still malfunction 20 times more often than pacemakers and need to be replaced an average of 26.5 months after initial implant. Replacing problematic ICD’s is no easy matter, a survey of Canadian ICD implanting centers found:
Re

• 5.8% of patients who had ICDs removed after manufacturers issued recalls had major complications, including two deaths
• An additional 2.3% had minor complications

ICD’s are particular difficult to remove because they use a larger lead, which carries a “recognized higher risk of extraction” especially when using a laser lead extraction machine that requires a highly trained operator.

The solution? Replacement should be determined patient-by-patient because for some, removal may not be worth it.

MedPage Today, April 25, 2006

Fat Doctor is hosting this week’s Grand Rounds Vol 2 (30), the best of the medical and health blogosphere. A must-read for all patients and healthcare professionals. For readers interested in cardiovascular disease, these posts might pique your interest:

• ABCD of Hypertension Treatment in Different Ethnic Groups at Clinical Cases and Images
• NESS H200™ Restores Hand Mobility in Stroke Patients at Straight From the Doc
• Drug Eluting Stents at The Heart of the Matter
• Venous Access for Hemodialysis Part 1 and Part 2 at Inside Surgery