Researchers at the University of Auckland examined the effects of calcium supplementation on heart attacks stroke and sudden death. 1,471 healthy post-menopausal women aged 55 years or over took part in the study. And just what did they find?

Dietary calcium intake was assessed and women were seen every six months over five years. Adverse events were recorded at each visit. Heart attacks were more commonly reported in the calcium group. The occurrence of any three vascular events (heart attack, stroke or sudden death) was also more common in this group.

The results are somewhat disturbing, don’t you think? I am sure that further research will take place on this subject. If these findings were to be accurate and correct then the increased risk of a heart attack would certainly out way the benefits of bone health!

Post from: Blisstree

Calcium Increases Ones Chance Of A Heart Attack???

Yup- that pretty much sums it up-the holidays blow in and out like a flash of light. It is hard sometimes to stop and think about what the true meaning is and to not get caught up in the hub bub!

And what 2 days of the year do you think have the highest incidences of heart attacks and heart related deaths? I’m sure you guessed it…

The two riskiest days of the year for heart-related deaths Dec.25 and Jan. 1. Christmas and New Year’s, it appears, can line up alongside smoking, obesity and high blood pressure as risk factors for cardiac mortality, said the study.

Please take a deep breath and remember that is all about your family and friends and being with the ones that you truly care about and love. If the cards don’t make it to the post office- oh well. You can always send New Years or Valentine’s day cards out! And the cookies- the stores around my parts make some darn good homemade knockoffs. Cut yourself some slack and just enjoy!

via China View

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What Are The Two Riskiest Days For Heart Related Deaths?

So much of what I read really bothered me. “The difference is that panic attacks are not crushing and heart attacks you feel into your left arm” and “Heart attacks are not associated with palpitations and shortness of breath”. Really?????

I think not, I have had patients explain all of the above for both MI’s and panic attacks. I decided to do a little poll to see what you have experienced or heard first hand. I wanted to see what the rest of the world thinks…

Post from: Blisstree

What Exactly Is The Difference Between A Panic Attack And A Heart Attack- You Tell Me!

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

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That Good Ol’ “Exercise High” Protects Against Heart Attacks

A five-year study found people treated in the summer were on average 8% more likely to see their blood pressure come down to healthy levels.

These same findings were reported from 15 VA hospitals across the US. Not only are blood pressure’s elevated in the winter months but the incidence of stroke and heart attacks are also higher. Is it the slowed activity, the colder weather and thus vasoconstriction or the salty “winter”type hot foods that we consume? Maybe it is all of the above.

via BBC 

Post from: Blisstree

The Winter Season Affects Blood Pressure

Physicians in the emergency department should become familiar with this drug because of its emerging trend toward its use, advise the case report’s authors. Although it was once thought that the drug does not cause dependency and adverse side effects, this belief has been overturned by many reports of side effects in recent literature, the report further explains.

via Science Daily

Post from: Blisstree

Ecstasy Causing Heart Attacks Much Like Meth

Top 10 Hearty Trivia Facts

1. Author of Frankenstein Mary Shelley kept her dead husband’s, poet Percy Shelley, heart wrapped in silk until she died. Imagine how that smelled!

2. You can purchase the largest model of a human heart for a small price of $5795.95 US dollars. Um huh, I said five thousand. It is 8 times the size of an anatomical heart at 100×90x70 cm. Wow, that is a lot of money!

3. The smallest person believed to ever have open heart surgery was just over 25 weeks gestation and about 1.4 lbs. This was back in 2002 and I think it to still be the smallest baby to have open heart. I searched and searched. If you know different, shoot me a hello.

4. Throughout your life your heart contracts about 70 times a minute and pumps about 5 liters of blood each minute. That is amazing!

5. You heart muscle, or myocardium, is unique to just that… your heart. It is not found anywhere else in your body!

6. When you are in love, you really do “feel” with your heart. Yes, it is true. Your heart, more than any other organ, feels and senses emotions and responds accordingly. Everybody now… awwwww!

7. During an average lifetime, your heart will beat over 2.5 billion times. Seriously, that is one hard working muscle!

8. About 1.2 million Americans have heart attacks every year and over 400,000 of them will never make it to the hospital.

9. The word heart, meaning soul or feeling, is termed cor in Latin.

10. The cardiovascular system is my favorite by far, and always has been. Anatomy, micro, nursing, physiology, biology, chemistry, psychology… the heart is so fascinating in every capacity! I am absolutely amazed by it and at times can not even wrap my brain around the fact that it’s muscle never, ever gets a break and keeps us going from the time we are born till the time of our death. Wow!!!

Post from: Blisstree

Top 10 Hearty Trivia Facts…

In a study of 9,011 British civil servants, most of them married, those with the worst close relationships were 34 percent more likely to have heart attacks or other heart trouble during 12 years of follow-up than those with good relationships. That included partners, close relatives and friends.

Being in a bad marriage proved to be a risk factor for increased heart disease but dissolving that same marriage is not exactly the answer either as non married persons proved to also be at a higher risk. Bottom line? Who the heck knows, if I had that answer I would be the next Dr. Phil. But I would suggest a nice long “courtship” and pre-marital counseling. I think of it as an insurance factor and preventing the problem before it can begin. Just a suggestion though… it has worked for me thus far.

via Comcast

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A Bad Marriage Can Put You At A Higher Risk For Heart Disease

… Discovered surprising responses of the heart to mock cardiac surgery in a mouse model. When the heart was stopped and restarted — mimicking the conditions used in most heart bypass surgery — scientists found hearts with coronary disease from genetically modified mice were more resistant to damage than hearts without coronary disease.

So what do you think? Have you ever heard of this before? The research team detailed their findings in the October issue of the journal of Critical Care Medicine.

via Science Daily/United Press International

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Confirmed Heart Protection Mechanism Among Cardiac Patients

Implanting human embryonic stem cells in rats four days after they had heart attacks repaired heart muscles and improved heart function, researchers from the University of Washington and the biotechnology company Geron report in an article appearing Monday in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Previous attempts to “heal” with stem cells in a cardiac fashion have failed secondary to the limited success of deriving heart cells from the stem cells, as well as their failure to thrive. Imagine what could happen to the stem cell market if these same results can be found in humans. Wow!

via Science Daily

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Heart Cells Rebuilt Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells