Tag Archives: heart

Neck manipulation may be associated with stroke

Treatments involving neck manipulation may be associated with stroke, though it cannot be said with certainty that neck manipulation causes strokes, according to a new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke. Cervical artery dissection (CD) is a small tear in the layers of artery walls in the neck. It can result in ischemic stroke if a blood clot forms after a trivial or major trauma in the neck and later causes blockage of a blood vessel in the brain…

Childhood cancer treatment takes toll on hearts of survivors

Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death among U.S. children, but the rate of survival has increased significantly from a 5-year survival rate of 58.1 percent in 1975-77 to 83.1 percent in 2003-09. "Research has shown childhood cancer survivors face heart and other health problems decades after treatment," said Donald R. …

Heart failure survivors at greater risk for cancer, study shows

"Heart failure patients are not only at an increased risk for developing cancer, but the occurrence of cancer increases mortality in these patients," explained Dr. Veronique Roger, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery and co-author of the study. …

The best city to have a heart attack?

A trip to Sin City isn't always fun and games, with MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas averaging roughly 45 to 50 sudden cardiac arrests a year on the casino floor. With heart attacks becoming commonplace in casinos, properties on The Strip are training employees to use defibrillators, also known as AEDs – turning casinos into what some consider the safest place to, well, have a heart attack. “We're able to get anywhere on a property a lot quicker than calling 911,” said Dr. David Slattery, the medical director for MGM Resorts defibrillator training program. A defibrillator applies electrical energy to the affected heart area, giving the individual a better chance of surviving by regaining their natural rhythm. Both MGM and Caesars properties, which make up a majority of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, train employees on the casino floor to use these defibrillators at a moment’s notice. Whether the heart attack is noticed by a security officer near a slot machine or by a surveillance camera, the odds are high you'll get some immediate help. “If you look just at the casino floor, where the response time is less than three minutes, about 60 to 70 percent of those come back after sudden cardiac arrest,” said Slattery. The AED training at MGM is certified by the American Heart Association, incorporating regular “mock drills” where employees reenact the situation, attaching the defibrillator to a mannequin while administering CPR. The drill incorporates three individuals, with each person taking a turn at resuscitating the individual. The training is becoming a model for other industries. “There are companies out there, and I'm associated with one called Cardio Ready, and these companies actually model what they do after the Vegas model,” said cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell. “They manage AEDs for hotels, businesses and banks, and that sort of thing.” Slattery calls the security officers the “special forces” since the officers arrive within the first minutes of cardiac arrest. It looks to be a special force that's definitely worth betting on.Pete Griffin is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News. Get more information on the program here.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/16/best-city-to-have-heart-attack/

Newly discovered gene strengthens heart, fights breast tumors

A new study has pinpointed a single gene that appears to both strengthen the heart –  without exercise – and halt the spread of breast cancer. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that the gene HEXIM1, discovered in 2012, not only suppressed the spread of breast cancer in mouse models, but also made the mice’s hearts healthier. with respect to enhanced strength and size. Normally, exercise helps to strengthen the heart and increase its size. However, researchers found that when the HEXIM1 gene was re-expressed in adult mouse hearts, their hearts grew in weight and size - without exercise. Researchers say this discovery has the potential to help treat people with cardiovascular disease. “Our Cleveland-based collaborative research teams revealed that increasing HEXIM1 levels brought normal functioning hearts up to an athletic level, which could perhaps stand up to the physical insults of various cardiovascular diseases,” said Michiko Watanabe, professor of pediatrics, genetics, and anatomy at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and director of Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Research at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Common cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and heart failure create a shortage of both oxygen and necessary nutrients in the heart muscles, preventing blood from circulating at a satisfactory rate. This ultimately results in a distended heart, which can continually grow weaker and has the potential to stop at any given moment. However, researchers showed that the artificial enhancement of HEXIM1 led to increased blood vessel growth and enhanced overall functionality of the heart. In essence, HEXIM1 could potentially serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of heart disease. Researchers also found that HEXIM1 increased the number and density of blood vessels in the heart, decreased the animals’ resting heart rates and allowed the transgenic heart to circulate more blood per heartbeat.  The study also demonstrated that untrained genetically altered mice with the HEXIM1 gene were capable of running twice as long compared to unaltered mice. Lead researcher Monica Montano, associate professor of pharmacology, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center member, and creator of the mice for the heart and breast cancer research, was very proud of the research’s findings. “Our promising discovery reveals the potential for HEXIM1 to kill two birds with one stone – potentially circumventing heart disease as well as cancer, the country's leading causes of death,” Montano stated. The study’s results add to previous findings from the team’s research, which revealed last year that increasing levels of HEXIM1 expression led to the inhibition of breast cancer metastasis. Given the discovery of the gene’s two therapeutic benefits, the researchers are currently developing a more potent version of the drug hexamethylene-bisacetamide, which is meant to enhance HEXIM1 expression. “Many cancer drugs have detrimental effects on the heart,” said Dr. Mukesh K. Jain, professor of medicine and director of Case Cardiovascular Research Institute at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. “It would be beneficial to have a cancer therapeutic with no adverse effects on the heart and perhaps even enhance its function.” The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cardiovascular Research.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/newly-discovered-gene-strengthens-heart-fights-breast-tumors/

Relieve stress naturally with acupuncture

Your body is hardwired to react to stress. But if you are constantly on alert, your health can pay the price. We recently got this email from a viewer looking for some relief. Dear Dr. Manny, I heard acupuncture can help relieve stress, but how many treatments do you need? Thanks, MaryAnn Long-term stress on the body can put you at risk for numerous conditions: -Heart disease -Sleep problems -Digestive problems -Depression -Obesity -Memory impairment And new research shows you can actually wear the effects of stress on your face. Acupuncture can be a great way to relieve stress naturally. Each person responds to treatment in a different way, so the number of sessions required can vary. Experts recommend a minimum of one session per week for five to eight weeks, and patients often start to feel an immediate reduction in stress after just one session. You should always talk to your doctor before making any lifestyle changes, and make sure you find a licensed practitioner for treatment. Do you have a health question for Dr. Manny? Email it to him at DrManny@foxnews.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/09/relieve-stress-naturally-with-acupuncture/

Antidepressants may help with heart disease

For some patients with heart disease, taking antidepressants may reduce the risk of heart problems brought on by mental stress, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at patients with myocardial ischemia a condition in which the heart doesn't get enough blood as they preformed mentally stressful activities. All of the patients also had coronary heart disease, or a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Patients in the study who took the antidepressant escitalopram (sold as Lexapro) were about 2.5 times less likely than those who took a placebo to experience myocardial ischemia triggered by mental stress. The findings suggest that an antidepressant, or other treatments that help patients cope with stress, could improve symptoms for some people with coronary heart disease, said study researcher Dr. Wei Jiang, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. However, future studies are needed to confirm the results, and to identify the people most likely to benefit from such treatment, Jiang said. Stress and the heart About 30 years ago, doctors observed that mental stress could bring on myocardial ischemia.tudies also have found that people with mental-stress-induced myocardial ischemia are at increased risk of dying from heart disease. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and about 50 percent of patients with the condition experience mental-stress-induced myocardial ischemia yet few studies have attempted to find treatments. In the new study, 127 patients were randomly assigned to receive escitalopram or placebo for six weeks. Participants completed a number of tests at the beginning and end of the study, including a treadmill stress test, a math test and a test in which participants told a sad story in order to evoke emotion. During the tests, the researchers examined certain heart symptoms to diagnose myocardial ischemia, such as a reduction in blood pumped out of one of the heart's cambers. After six weeks, about 34 percent of participants taking the antidepressant did not experience myocardial ischemia during the mental-stress tests, compared with 17 percent in the placebo group. The antidepressant did not affect whether patients experienced myocardial ischemia during exercise. Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist at the National Jewish Health hospital in Denver, said it was not very surprising that drugs that blunt the brain's response to stress would also blunt the heart's response to stress. But what the findings mean for patients in the long term is not known, said Freeman, who was not involved in the study. Future studies are needed to see whether antidepressants might reduce the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks, Freeman said. How does it work?