If you have a heart-zapping defibrillator implanted in your chest, you’re not supposed to compete in sports any more intense than bowling or golf. Lots of patients ignore those guidelines, trying everything from school basketball teams and community tennis leagues to running marathons and rock climbing — although no one knows if the life-saving implants work as well under that kind of stress.

Many of these athletes will now take part in a nationwide registry to see once and for all if this is a validated risk. Do the athletes need more “shocks” to the heart than other persons that would watch from the sidelines? Can the implanted defibrillators withstand a direct hit to the chest? This registry will hopefully be able to give us more answers.

With more and more ICD’s being used to combat fatal heart beats in younger patients, I think that a registry is a welcome idea. In my opinion, this is pertinent information that needs to be examined further!

via Associated Press, SFGate.com

Post from: Blisstree

Registry for athletes with AICD’s

If you have a heart-zapping defibrillator implanted in your chest, you’re not supposed to compete in sports any more intense than bowling or golf. Lots of patients ignore those guidelines, trying everything from school basketball teams and community tennis leagues to running marathons and rock climbing — although no one knows if the life-saving implants work as well under that kind of stress.

Many of these athletes will now take part in a nationwide registry to see once and for all if this is a validated risk. Do the athletes need more “shocks” to the heart than other persons that would watch from the sidelines? Can the implanted defibrillators withstand a direct hit to the chest? This registry will hopefully be able to give us more answers.

With more and more ICD’s being used to combat fatal heart beats in younger patients, I think that a registry is a welcome idea. In my opinion, this is pertinent information that needs to be examined further! And thank goodness because half of the research and abstracts that I read this morning were, how to say this nicely… pointless!

via Associated Press, SFGate.com

Post from: Blisstree

Nationwide Registry For Athletes With ICD’s

Results showed that in this population-based study, women who drank moderately had a significantly lower risk of heart attack than abstainers, and the benefits were greatest in women who had a drink daily. A lower risk for drinkers than abstainers also was evident in women who drank with food, as well as without, and in those who primarily drank wine or a variety of alcoholic beverages.Similar, but weaker, associations were found when patterns and volume were analyzed among drinkers only. Among these women, drinking alcohol in moderation in general was more important than the actual amount consumed. However, getting drunk at least once a month puts women at a significantly increased risk of heart attack, negating any of alcohol’s potential protective effect.

So, if you read the above carefully you will see one very important key factor, moderation! A small amount of alcohol here and there won’t hurt your health, but in no way am I giving you the okay to become intoxicated on a regular basis. After all, alcohol does carry the risk of other complications.

via Science Daily

Post from: Blisstree

Moderate Alchohol Consumption Lowers Women’s Risk Of Heart Attack