Tag: heart health

What’s An Aortic Aneurysm? Here Are The Causes And The Signs Of One.

[ad_1]

American sports journalist Grant Wahl died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Wahl, who was 48, collapsed early Saturday during the soccer match between Argentina and the Netherlands and was taken to Doha’s Hamad General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In the week leading up to his death, Wahl had been experiencing respiratory issues and was being treated for a possible case of bronchitis. Suspicions grew that Wahl’s health had declined due to unhealthy conditions in Qatar, and some worried there was “foul play.”

However, an autopsy, which was performed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office, found that the soccer journalist died from an ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium — a condition in which the heart’s main blood vessel swells and bursts.

“The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death,” Wahl’s wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, said in a statement.

What is an aortic aneurysm?

The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body — it’s an inch wide and a foot long, traveling from your chest to your pelvis, where it splits off into the legs. Its main job is to carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. It also transports nutrients and hormones to various organs and tissues.

“It’s the highway for the blood to go,” Dr. Suyog Mokashi, director of the aortic surgery program at Temple University Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, told HuffPost.

Ascending aortic aneurysms, which are located in the chest region, occur when a bulge starts to form in the aorta. According to Mokashi, essentially a whole segment of the aorta enlarges, which puts a ton of stress on the wall of the aorta. The larger the aneurysm gets, the more likely it is that the weakened wall of the artery will rupture or tear.

Aortic aneurysms typically develop and grow without causing symptoms, which is why they can be so hard to detect. As the aneurysm grows, it can cause a range of symptoms, including back pain, cough, a weak, scratchy voice, shortness of breath and chest pain — though many people will remain asymptomatic.

In fact, Mokashi says about 95% of aortic aneurysms are totally asymptomatic until there is a rupture, tear or dissection in the aortic wall — which is what Wahl had. “If they were symptomatic, we would be able to detect more of these, but again 95% are asymptomatic until something bad happens,” Mokashi said.

Signs and symptoms that the aortic aneurysm has ruptured include sharp, sudden upper back pain, chest, jaw, or neck pain, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness and trouble swallowing. A dissection or rupture can lead to sudden death — about half of people who have an aortic dissection die before they’re able to get to a hospital, Mokashi said.

What causes aortic aneurysms.

Data shows that men and people 65 and older have a greater risk for aortic aneurysms. There also appears to be a genetic factor — the odds of developing an aortic aneurysms is 1 in 5 for people who have an immediate family member with the condition.

There are several genetic conditions that have been linked to a higher risk of aortic aneurysms; they include Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, Loeys–Dietz syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Turner syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and bicuspid aortic valve. Other conditions associated with aortic aneurysms include high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and kidney disorders.

Lifestyle habits, including cigarettes and stimulants like cocaine, can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of developing an aortic aneurysm, too. Certain antibiotics — known as fluoroquinolones — can potentially increase your risk of a rupture if you have an aortic aneurysm or one of the above health conditions that can increase your risk.

How aortic aneurysms are detected and treated.

The only way to identify an aortic aneurysm is to be screened via an advanced imaging test. For the general population, there’s no routine screening recommendation. However, those with a first-degree relative who has (or had) an aortic aneurysm should get screened by a cardiologist or aortic specialist. People who have a first-degree relative who died suddenly under the age of 50 should also be screened, Mokashi said.

Early diagnosis and treatment can help slow the development of the aneurysm to prevent it from bursting, as can lifestyle modifications — like healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation.

“We do see a higher prevalence of smokers in this group, so obviously smoking cessation is critically important,” Mokashi said. Management of hypertension and unhealthy cholesterol, two risk factors for aortic aneurysms, is also crucial.

In general, people diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm should take it easy and avoid activities and substances that will put stress on the heart (think: competitive sports, amusements parks and smoking). If you’ve been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, it’s important to follow up with your physician and undergo routine screening.

If screening shows that the aneurysm is expanding, an elective surgery can be performed. If the aneurism grows and bursts before elective surgery is done, emergency surgery will be necessary. The goal is always to prevent a dissection or rupture from occurring so emergency surgery isn’t necessary, Mokashi explained.

“If you think about cardiovascular catastrophes, aortic dissection is definitely one of the deadliest,” Mokashi said.

It’s not common, but it’s not unheard of. The take-home message: Anyone with a first-degree family member who’s had one should get screened. “Those are the patients who need to be carefully screened for and follow up closely with their cardiologist,” Mokashi said.

[ad_2]

Source link

December 14, 2022
Several Supplements May Give the Heart a Boost
[ad_1]
Dec. 8, 2022 – Certain antioxidant supplements – such as omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and coenzyme Q10 – may benefit your heart’s health, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers looked at the findings from nearly 900 studies with almost 900,000 patients and found some of these micronutrients reduced the risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or death, while others appeared to have no effect, and still others appeared to be potentially harmful.

“Our study highlights the importance of micronutrient diversity and the balance of health benefits and risks,” says Simin Liu, MD, the senior study author and a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Brown University in Providence, RI.

“Identifying the optimal mixture of micronutrients is important, as not all are beneficial, and some may even have harmful effects,” he says.

The research team focused on cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, and things like heart attack or stroke.

Overall, the researchers found evidence that many micronutrients offer a potential boost to the heart, including:

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables

Omega-6 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds

L-arginine, an amino acid that helps the body build protein. It can be found in protein-rich foods like fish, red meat, poultry, soy, whole grains, beans, and dairy products.

L-citrulline, a nonessential amino acid found in watermelon

Folic acid, a form of vitamin B9 used for deficiency and to prevent pregnancy complications. It is added to cold cereals, flour, breads, pasta, bakery items, cookies, and crackers, as required by federal law. Foods that are naturally high in folate include leafy vegetables, okra, asparagus, certain fruits, beans, yeast, mushrooms, animal liver and kidney, orange juice, and tomato juice.

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in a few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Fatty fish (such as trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources.

Magnesium, which keeps blood pressure normal, bones strong, and your heart rhythm steady. In addition to supplements, magnesium can be found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, nuts, beans, peas, and soybeans, as well as whole-grain cereals.

Zinc, found in chicken, red meat, and fortified breakfast cereals

Alpha-lipoic acid, an antioxidant made naturally in the body and also found in foods. It is in red meat, carrots, beets, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes.

Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant found in cold-water fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines; vegetable oils; and meats

Melatonin

Plant-based polyphenols such as catechin, curcumin, flavanol, genistein, and quercetin
Many of these micronutrients lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin levels.

In particular, omega-3 fatty acid supplements were shown to lower cardiovascular disease deaths by 7%, coronary heart disease events by 14%, and heart attacks by 15%. Folic acid supplements also decreased stroke risk by 16%, and coenzyme Q10 decreased all-cause deaths by 32% in heart failure patients.

In contrast, supplements of beta-carotene (found naturally in plants, such as carrots, and fruits) increased stroke risk by 9%, all-cause deaths by 10%, and cardiovascular disease deaths by 12%. And finally, in the long term, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and selenium showed no effect on cardiovascular disease outcomes or type 2 diabetes risk.

Previous studies have shown that antioxidants benefit the heart, likely because they reduce stress that contributes to heart disease. Heart-healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), feature antioxidant-rich foods. But studies of particular antioxidant supplements have been mixed or inconsistent.

“Research on micronutrient supplementation has mainly focused on the health effects of a single or a few vitamins and minerals,” Liu says. “We decided to take a comprehensive and systematic approach to evaluate all the publicly available and accessible studies reporting all micronutrients.”

More studies are needed to find combinations that improve someone’s individual diet and heart health, the study authors wrote.

[ad_2]

Source link
December 8, 2022
HIV-positive heart donor’s family, recipient meet

[ad_1]

NEW YORK — Brittany Newton’s family grieved last spring when her life was cut short, at age 30, by a brain aneurysm. But they got to feel close to her again this week, listening to her heart beating in the chest of a thankful New York woman whose life was saved by an organ transplant.

Miriam Nieves, 62, on Tuesday eagerly hugged Newton’s mother and sisters, who she met for the first time at Montefiore Medical Center, where the heart transplant was performed last April.

“The only words that come this Thanksgiving for me is, I am so thankful and so grateful for science, for my family, for my God,” Nieves said. “But I can’t express enough that if it wasn’t for the donors, they are my angels, because they are the ones that allow me this second opportunity.”

Newton’s mother, Bridgette Newton, carried a large photo of her daughter, a certified nursing assistant who had lived in Louisiana.

“My child is still walking around,” she said. “And for that I will forever be grateful.”

Nieves, a former public relations professional who now lives in New York City’s suburbs, beat a heroin addiction 30 years ago but was left HIV-positive.

The married mother of three and grandmother of six started experiencing heart failure after problems with her kidneys.

In order to find a match when the shortage of donors is acute, doctors at the hospital expanded their search to include HIV-positive donors. Enter Newton, an organ donor whose family only learned of her HIV status after her death.

Doctors transplanted her heart and kidney into Nieves.

Newton’s sisters, Breanne and Brianca Newton, used a stethoscope to listen to the beating heart. Breanne Newton said she wasn’t surprised when she heard Nieves say she felt more energetic since the transplant.

“That was my sister. She had energy. She was a goer,” she said, adding, “We are very, very thankful. And it’s just a blessing.”

Surgeons have been transplanting organs from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients for several years but doctors at Montefiore said this was the first such transplant of a heart.

“I think it’s going to be done again because we’ve shown that it’s safe,” said Dr. Omar Saeed, a transplant cardiologist at Montefiore.

“The reality is that there are more people who need hearts than there are hearts available,” said Dr. Vagish Hemmige, an infectious disease specialist at the facility. “The HIV heart transplant program enables people living with HIV to receive life-saving transplants from donors that otherwise wouldn’t be used.”

[ad_2]

Source link

November 23, 2022
Happy Marriage Helps Recovery After Heart Attack

[ad_1]

Nov. 22, 2022 — Being less stressed in general is linked to better heart health. Now, a large study shows that having a less stressful, happier marriage is associated with better recovery in people who have a heart attack at a relatively young age — less than 55.

Researchers found that those who had the most stressful marriages were more likely to have more frequent chest pain or be readmitted to hospital in the year following their heart attack.

People with a stressful marriage had a worse recovery after a heart attack compared to other heart attack survivors of the same age, sex, education, and income level, as well as employment and insurance status, their study found.

“I would tell young cardiac patients that stress in their marriage or partnered relationship may adversely affect their recovery after a heart attack,” says Cenjing Zhu, a PhD candidate at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, CT. “Managing personal stress may be as important as managing other clinical risk factors” such as blood pressure, for example, “during the recovery process.”

General advice for everyone is to be aware of whether you have common risk factors for heart disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, or smoking, and for younger people to be aware of a family history of heart disease, particularly premature heart disease, Zhu says.

“Patients should know there is a link between marital stress and delayed recovery” from heart attack, says AHA spokesperson Nieca Goldberg, MD, who was not involved with this research.

“If they have marital stress, they should share the information with their doctor and discuss ways to get a referral to therapists and cardiac rehabilitation,” says Goldberg, a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and medical director of Atria New York City.

“My final thought is women have often been told [by doctors] that their cardiac symptoms are due to stress,” she says. “Now we know stress impacts physical health and is no longer an excuse but a contributing factor to our physical health.”

Stressful Marriage

A lot of studies have reported that psychological stress is linked with worse heart health outcomes, Zhu says.

However, little was known about the effect of a stressful marriage on younger survivors of a heart attack.

The researchers analyzed data from participants in a study known as Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients (VIRGO).

This included 1,593 adults — 1,020 women — who were treated at 103 hospitals in 30 U.S. states. Most of these heart attack survivors were married and 8% were living as married/living with a partner.

Most (90%) were age 40 to 55, and the rest were younger. Their average age was 47. Three-quarters were white, 13% were Black, and 7% were Latino.

A month after their heart attack, they replied to 17 questions in the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale about the quality of their emotional and sexual relationships with their spouses/partners. Then 1 year after their heart attack, the patients replied to several questionnaires about their health.

A year later, those who reported severe marital stress had significantly worse scores for physical health, mental health, general quality of life, and quality of life related to their heart health, compared to the patients with no or mild marital stress.

The heart attack survivors with the most marital stress were 49% more likely to report more frequent chest pain/angina and 45% more likely to have been readmitted to hospital for any cause, compared to the patients with no or mild marital stress.

Study limitations include that the findings are based on a self-reported questionnaire.

“Additional stressors beyond marital stress, such as financial strain or work stress, may also play a role in young adults’ recovery, and the interaction between these factors require further research,” Zhu says.

The researchers will present their findings at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2022 Scientific Sessions, being held in Chicago this weekend.

[ad_2]

Source link

November 2, 2022
Getting Omega-3s From Plants May Help Heart Failure Patients

[ad_1]

Oct. 25, 2022 — Including more foods rich in an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) could help people with heart failure, a new study suggests.

ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid found mainly in plants. Higher blood levels of ALA were tied to fewer deaths and fewer first trips to the hospital for heart failure compared to lower levels in the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Some of the best sources of plant-based omega-3s include flax, which can be purchased as seeds or oil and is often found in cereals, baked goods, and other products. Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, soy foods, canola oil, seaweed, edamame, and kidney beans are also good sources.

“The most striking finding to us is the clear difference between patients in the bottom 25% — the lowest ALA levels — compared to the other 75%,” says Aleix Sala-Vila, PHD, of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain.

The researchers studied blood samples from 905 heart failure patients. The average age was 67, and about a third were women. After a follow-up of about 2 years, 140 people died of any cause, 85 died from cardiovascular disease, and 141 people were hospitalized for the first time with heart failure.

Patients with higher blood levels of ALA were significantly less likely to die or have a first heart failure hospitalization than those with lower levels, according to the analysis.

More research is needed to show definitively whether increasing dietary ALA can improve heart failure outcomes, Sala-Vila says. But for now, “including some ALA-rich foods such as walnuts in the diet might translate into cardiovascular benefits for anyone, whether they have heart failure or not. There is no evidence of any harmful effect of one daily serving of walnuts, not even on weight gain.”

Diet Often “Overlooked”

JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, called the study findings “promising.”

“Diet is often overlooked as an important factor in maintaining good health and good heart health,” she says. “This study gives further support that a dietary factor may influence heart health, including heart failure. Until recently, most of the dietary emphasis has been on salt intake, which is very important, but not as much as some of these other dietary factors.”

However, the study doesn’t prove that increasing ALA blood levels will definitely improve heart failure prognosis, she says.

“It may be that the foods that are leading to this higher blood level of ALA make up the type of plant-based diet that’s been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, such as the Mediterranean diet. The findings also could be the result of other factors that aren’t fully controlled for in the analysis, or the study participants may be more compliant with their medications.”

Nevertheless, she says, “It’s reasonable to recommend that people with a history of heart failure or who are at high risk increase their intake of ALA-enriched foods.”

It’s also good advice for everyone to follow a heart-healthy diet, including plenty of ALA, she adds.

“Have a large salad or a couple of smaller salads every day, add canola or flaxseed oil, and sprinkle on some walnuts,” she advises. “This will give you a high intake of ALA every day.”

[ad_2]

Source link

October 25, 2022
More Evidence Sleep Counts Toward Heart Health
[ad_1]

Oct. 21, 2022 – Including how long a person sleeps in a heart health score was able to predict heart disease risk among older adults, results of a new study show.

The study supports the American Heart Association’s recent decision to make sleep duration “an essential component for ideal heart and brain health.”

“Sleep seems to be the first thing that people squeeze out of their schedules when they are busy, but making sleep a priority is vital for health and well-being,” says lead author Nour Makarem, PhD, of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City.

The study is the first to show that sleep metrics matter in predicting heart health, she says.

Makarem and her colleagues studied 1,920 people participating in a large sleep study. The average age was 69, and a bit more than half were women. The researchers used the data to test scores of heart health that included sleep as a measure versus the American Heart Association’s guidelines known as Life’s Simple 7, which does not include sleep as a data point. (The AHA recently added sleep to the guidelines and unveiled the new Life’s Simple 8.)

Over more than 4 years of follow-up, both the heart health score that included the LS7 plus sleep duration alone and the score that included the LS7 and various aspects of sleep health, such as sleep duration, sleep regularity, daytime sleeping, and sleep disorders, were able to predict future heart disease events such as heart attack, bypass surgery, or chest pain.

Study participants who scored highest on the LS7 and various versions of the sleep health scores had up to 80% lower odds of getting heart disease, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Of note, participants with a short sleep duration had higher chances of having low sleep efficiency; that is, less than 85% of the time sleeping in bed after lights off, irregular sleep patterns, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleep apnea. They also had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Consistent Patterns

Good sleep hygiene is key for getting enough restful sleep, as well as for heart health, Makarem says. Good sleep hygiene includes setting a sleep schedule, your bedtime routine, and sleep environment for consistent sleeping patterns.
Her tips include:

Stick to a stable sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, to avoid disrupting your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm.

Use the hour before bedtime to relax and unwind – for example, by reading or taking a hot bath.

Optimize your sleep environment by making your bedroom comfortable, quiet, cool, and dark. Use heavy curtains or an eye mask to prevent light from interrupting your sleep, and avoid sources of bright light such as computers, TVs, and phones.

Drown out any noise by using earplugs or a white noise machine.

Avoid stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine, particularly close to bedtime.

“Sleep isn’t your enemy; it’s your friend,” says American Heart Association volunteer expert Michael A. Grandner, PhD, of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. “People often sacrifice sleep to work more, but the data show that the people who are getting more sleep actually get more done at the end of the day because they’re more efficient and they get sick less and get injured less.”
Also, he says, if you think have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor, and get it diagnosed and treated. “No sleep tips in the world are going to fix an untreated sleep disorder.”

“And if you’re in bed and you’re not asleep, get up,” he says. “Laying there awake actually creates the bed as an awake place and programs you to be awake in bed. If you’re in bed and you can’t sleep, don’t make things worse by staying in there.”
[ad_2]

Source link
October 21, 2022
Do Multiple Sclerosis and Alcohol Mix?

[ad_1]

When it comes to your multiple sclerosis (MS), you want to do what’s best for your body. But you wonder about alcohol. Is it OK to enjoy a drink from time to time? Or is alcohol completely off the table? The answer is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Don’t Overdo It

“For most people with MS, the answer is to use alcohol in moderation,” says Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurosciences and director of the Neuroimmunology Research Program at the University of California, San Diego.

According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that means no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman or two if you’re a man.

“Regularly having several drinks could worsen neurological damage and function for patients living with MS, but a glass of wine or single beer at dinner is unlikely to cause significant issues,” says Graves.

Alcohol is neither all good nor all bad. For example, the antioxidants and flavonoids in red wine may actually lower your risk of heart disease, which is a concern when you have MS. But this isn’t a reason to start drinking if you don’t already. These compounds are in other food and drink, says Graves.

And in case you’re wondering if past alcohol use may have caused your MS, set your worries aside.

“Based on data available, that’s unlikely,” says Graves.

Alcohol’s Effect on MS Symptoms

If you do decide to enjoy an occasional glass of wine or beer, know that it could ramp up certain symptoms of MS. Even one drink can make issues like unsteadiness worse.

“If you have a lot of trouble with balance, thinking, or memory symptoms from MS, it may be better to avoid alcohol altogether,” says Graves.

Alcohol can also lead to sleep problems and worsen bladder symptoms. You also raise your risk of other conditions when you drink alcohol, especially if you drink too much. Your chances of certain cancers, high cholesterol, and stroke go up. Some of these conditions can make your MS worse overall, says Graves, so doing what you can to keep them from happening is important.

Several medications used to treat MS symptoms like pain, headache, insomnia, and depression don’t mix well with alcohol. “Combining these medications with drinks could lead to excessive sedation and health risks,” says Graves.

Be sure to ask your doctor how your specific treatments might act with alcohol so you know what to look for.

Short and Sweet

Remember that everyone with MS is different. Have an honest conversation with your doctor about your habits so you can make smart decisions for yourself.

It’s likely fine for you to celebrate with a glass of bubbly, add a nice red to your meal, or enjoy a beer while you watch the game. Just know your limits and try your best to stay within them.

[ad_2]

Source link

October 17, 2022