Heart Health Archives

Newsbriefs: Beta-Blockers; Obesity; Tinnitus; Exercise

Oct 25, 2016 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Beta-Blockers Not Always Necessary After a Coronary Intervention. After a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI—angioplasty and stenting), beta-blockers can lower the risk of heart attack in patients who continue to have angina or hypertension. But in older patients with stable angina and no history of heart attack or heart failure, these … Read More

Drugs That May Cause or Exacerbate Heart Failure

Oct 25, 2016 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Most heart failure patients need six to seven different prescription medications to remove excess fluid from their body, help their heart squeeze more forcefully, prevent it from overexerting itself, and keep their blood pressure under control. But that’s not all. About 40 percent of patients with heart failure take medications … Read More

Q&A: Weight Loss Surgery; Blood Pressure Medication; Tick Bites

Sep 30, 2016 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Q. Can weight loss surgery help my osteoarthritis? I’m considered obese by BMI (body mass index) standards. A. If you’re obese, you’re three to four times more likely to have knee osteoarthritis than people of normal weight. Excess weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints, such as hips and knees. Osteoarthritis … Read More

Gut Bacteria Linked to Cardiovascular, Kidney Diseases

Sep 30, 2016 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

For years, cholesterol was thought to be the primary cause of cardiovascular disease. However, new research has found direct links between gut bacteria and heart failure and chronic kidney disease. The process involves two nutrients, choline (a component of lecithin, which is found in meat and eggs) and L-carnitine (found … Read More

TIAs Can Have Long-Term Impact

Sep 30, 2016 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

For many patients, there is nothing “transient” about suffering a transient ischemic attack (TIA), an event that disrupts blood flow to the brain and causes symptoms much like those of a more severe stroke. These include difficulty with speech and vision, and numbness or weakness in the extremities and face, … Read More

Newsbriefs: Stroke Prevention; Fatty Fish and Colorectal Cancer

Sep 29, 2016 · Kate Brophy · Heart Health

The Top 10 Risk Factors for Stroke Are Preventable A large study published in The Lancet, July 15, suggests that the main risk factors for stroke are preventable. The study compared the lifestyles of 13,447 people who had suffered a stroke with 13,472 people who had not. Researchers identified 10 … Read More

Study: 90 Percent of Strokes Are Preventable

Sep 28, 2016 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Heart Health

Avoiding a group of 10 controllable risk factors could help people worldwide ward off an amazing 90 percent of strokes, according to a study published July 15, 2016 in The Lancet. Researchers studied the health records of nearly 27,000 residents of nations around the world to determine the extent to … Read More

Manage Heart Failure for a Higher-Quality, Longer Life

Sep 27, 2016 · Dawn Bialy · Heart Health

About 5.1 million Americans have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and of that number, 2.5 million are women. These numbers reflect the fact that the average age of Americans is increasing—most people with the condition are older adults—but they also reflect advances in medicine … Read More

Ask the Doctor: Daily Aspirin Caution; Drug Dependency; Pain’s Effect on Memory

Sep 19, 2016 · UHN · Heart Health

Q: My friend says all older adults should take a daily aspirin to help prevent a stroke or heart attack, but I say that aspirin should be used with caution because it can be dangerous for some people. Who’s right? A: You’re right—a daily aspirin is not for everyone, and I would … Read More

Half of Adults With Hypertension Aren’t Controlling Blood Pressure

Sep 13, 2016 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Heart Health

Many Americans with hypertension (high blood pressure) don’t know that they have it, or do not have their blood pressure under control, according to a large study published in the January 2014 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular and Quality Outcomes. The findings are alarming, given that hypertension is associated with heart … Read More

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