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Yes, and this is a problem. It would be soooo nice, if you could just tell your hart, like okay pal the gig was nice but you can halt that now before I get into even more trouble. Too bad, the heart doesn't listen and just keeps pounding at you forever. The biggest bully doesn't aspire to do this much beating.http://zippy.gfycat.com/IllfatedEnviousBat.webm
And it can do this 24/7 for more than one hundred years!
More @ See The Human Heart Like Never Before
Absent other associated symptoms, people with a slower than normal heartbeat are not at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease, researchers found in a new study. A slow heartbeat, called bradycardia, defined as fewer than 50 beats per minute -- between 10 and 50 fewer beats than normal for an adult -- can cause light-headedness, shortness of breath, fainting or chest pain. "For a large majority of people with a heart rate in the 40s or 50s who have no symptoms, the prognosis is very good," said Dr. Ajay Dharod, a professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, in a press release. "Our results should be reassuring for those diagnosed with asymptomatic bradycardia."
Bradycardia is characterized by an abnormally slow heartbeat closer to 50 beats per minute, as compared with the normal 60 to 100 beats-per-minutes an adult heart is expected to maintain at rest.
Researchers conducting the study, which is published in JAMA Internal Medicine, analyzed data on 6,733 people collected as part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis from 2000 to 2002, who were followed for 10 years after enrolling in the study. All the participants were between the ages of 45 and 84 and did not have a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease when they joined the original study. The researchers reported people with an average heart rate lower than 50 beats per minute were not associated with cardiovascular disease, and the mortality risk among people not taking heart rate modifying drugs was about the same for people whose heart rates were either below 50 or above 80.
Among the 902 participants taking heart rate modifying drugs, the risk for cardiovascular disease was no higher than those not on the drugs, however the risk for death was increased, researchers said. "Bradycardia may be problematic in people who are taking medications that also slow their heart rate," Dharod said. "Further research is needed to determine whether this association is causally linked to heart rate or to the use of these drugs."
Slow heart rate does not increase risk for heart disease
Writing in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Henry Ford Health System suggest those at risk of cardiovascular disease should start a fitness program to both stave off possible heart attacks, but also to boost chances of surviving the first one. "We knew that fitter people generally live longer, but we now have evidence linking fitness to survival after a first heart attack," says Michael Blaha, M.D., director of clinical research for the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "It makes sense, but we believe this is the first time there is documentation of that association."
New research shows that fitness level increases the chances of surviving a first heart attack
For the study, researchers looked at the medical records of 2,000 men and women who had taken a treadmill stress test before their first heart attack. From those records, the researchers were able to tell the relative fitness of each person by looking at their metabolic equivalent score, known as MET. The higher the score, the more fit the person is. MET numbers range from 1 to 12, where “1 is considered the equivalent of sitting on the couch, 3 aligns with walking, 7 with jogging, 10 with jumping rope and 12 with sprinting.” The most fit saw 40 percent fewer deaths from the first heart attack, while one-third of those with less fitness died within a year of their first heart attack.
Researchers caution that there are still questions remaining about the connection between fitness and surviving a first heart attack. For one, they still don’t know if the fitter people had less severe heart attacks or if they had the same size attacks but survived them better. Increased cardiovascular fitness has been shown to increase blood flow to the heart, which could boost healing. The American Heart Association says roughly 550,000 people in the U.S. have a first-time heart attack each year.
Being Fit Could Help Surviving First Heart Attack
A trawl of data on nearly 1 million Danes showed an elevated risk — lasting for about one year — of developing a heart flutter after the death of a life partner. People aged under 60 whose partners died unexpectedly were most in peril, the data showed. The risk was highest “eight to 14 days after the loss, after which it gradually declined,” a study published in the online journal Open Heart said. “One year after the loss, the risk was almost the same as in the non-bereaved population,” it said.
Much research has focused on explaining the observed phenomenon of people dying soon after their life partner has died. Several studies have shown that grieving spouses have a higher risk of dying, particularly of heart disease, but the mechanism is unclear. The latest study specifically asked whether bereaved partners were more likely than others to develop atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat and a risk factor for stroke and heart failure.
Researchers in Denmark used population data collected between 1995 and 2014 to search for a pattern. Of the group, 88,612 people had been newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and 886,120 were healthy. “The risk of developing an irregular heartbeat for the first time was 41 percent higher among those who had been bereaved than it was among those who had not experienced such a loss,” the study said.
Broken hearts are at higher risk of failing: study - Taipei Times
Taking omega-3 improves heart function and reduces scarring in undamaged cardiac muscle, results from a clinical trial have shown. After a heart attack, the heart's shape and function may be "remodelled" in ways that lead to a poorer prognosis for the patient and increase the risk of heart failure. Heart attack patients taking part in the trial were given either a 4g daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids for six months or a placebo. Those taking omega-3 experienced a 5.8% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume index, a clinical marker which predicts heart attack patient outcomes.
Those taking omega-3 experienced a 5.8% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume index
They also had a 5.6% lower indication of scarred connective tissue formation in non-damaged heart muscle. Lead researcher Dr Raymond Kwong, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US, said: "Heart failure is still a major problem after a heart attack despite all the therapy we have and the advances in interventional care. "Our findings show that omega-3 fatty acids are a safe and effective treatment in improving cardiac remodelling, so it may be promising in reducing the incidence of heart failure or death, which are still major healthcare burdens to patients who suffer a heart attack."
The results, published in the journal Circulation, suggest that omega-3 fatty acids allow the heart to contract more efficiently and reduce scarring, said the scientists. There were also signs that the fish oil fats were reducing inflammation in the heart. The study involved 360 patients who were treated within a month of suffering a heart attack.
Omega-3 fatty acids 'help recovery after heart attack' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
A large study found that every 3% increase in calories from plant protein reduced the risk of death from all causes by 10%. It was also associated with a 12% lower risk of death from heart disease. In contrast, raising the animal protein share of calories by 10% led to a 2% higher risk of all-cause death and an 8% greater chance of dying from a heart problem. Animal protein foods include all types of meat, fish, eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Plant sources of protein include cereals, beans, nuts, legumes, soya and bread.
The greater risk of dying linked to eating animal protein was more pronounced among people who were obese, had a history of smoking, drank heavily, and who did little exercise. Among the healthiest participants, the association disappeared - possibly because health-conscious people tended to eat more fish and poultry rather than red and processed meat, said the researchers. Replacing processed red meat with plant protein was linked to a 34% lower risk of death from all causes for every 3% of calorie intake. Substituting plant protein for eggs led to a 19% reduction in death risk.
Plant sources of protein include cereals, beans, nuts, legumes, soya and bread
Lead scientist Dr Mingyang Song, from Massachusetts General Hospital, US, said: "Overall, our findings support the importance of the sources of dietary protein for long-term health outcomes. "While previous studies have primarily focused on the overall amount of protein intake - which is important - from a broad dietary perspective, the particular foods that people consume to get protein are equally important. "Our findings suggest that people should consider eating more plant proteins than animal proteins, and when they do choose among sources of animal protein, fish and chicken are probably better choices."
The researchers analysed data from two large US studies focusing on diet and health, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Together, they recruited a total of 131,342 participants with an average age of 49 whose progress was followed for up to 32 years. Each participant filled out food questionnaires detailing his or her diet. During the follow-up period more than 36,000 deaths were recorded. Almost 9,000 of these were due to cardiovascular disease, 13,000 to cancer and about 14,000 to other causes. The findings are reported in the journal Jama Internal Medicine.
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That's what happened in Seattle last week when Stephen DeMont collapsed at a bus stop in front of University of Washington Medical Center. While a medical student rushed over and began chest compressions, a cardiac nurse just getting off her shift was alerted by her phone, sprinted outside and assisted until paramedics arrived. Five days later, DeMont, 60, is walking, smiling and talking about how the PulsePoint app helped save his life.
Stephen DeMont, center, gets a hug from medical student Zach Forcade, right, as nurse Madeline Dahl looks on as they visit DeMont Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 at the University of Washington Medical Center, in Seattle. When DeMont collapsed at a bus stop in front of the UW Medical Center days earlier on his morning commute, Dahl was one of 41 people within a 330-yard radius who happened to have a cell phone app alerting them to the emergency. Forcade witnessed the collapse and rushed over to begin chest compressions, as within moments Dahl, a cardiac nurse just getting off her shift in the hospital, was alerted by her phone and sprinted down the sidewalk, assisting until paramedics arrived.
Seattle officials say the rescue shows the potential the free download has for connecting CPR-trained citizens with patients who urgently need their help. It's being used in 2,000 U.S. cities in 28 states. "I put it on my phone yesterday," said DeMont's wife, Debi Quirk, a former registered nurse. "He would not be here as we see him today." Seattle officials hope DeMont's story will help persuade thousands more people to sign up for notifications; so far, about 4,000 people in Seattle have downloaded PulsePoint since the city adopted it earlier this year with financial support from an employee charitable fund at Boeing. The goal is to have 15,000 using it.
Developed by a former fire chief in Northern California, Richard Price, the app works through a city's 911 system. When a call comes in, operators alert people within a certain radius that CPR assistance is needed, along with the location of the nearest portable defibrillator. About 900,000 people around the country have downloaded and carry the app, and 34,000 people have been activated to respond, he said, adding that alerts have been issued in 13,000 cardiac events.
Madeline Dahl, left, looks on as Zach Forcade, right, pulls out his cell phone while Stephen DeMont sits with them while being interviewed at the University of Washington Medical Center Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, in Seattle. When DeMont collapsed at a bus stop in front of the UW Medical Center days earlier on his morning commute, Dahl was one of 41 people within a 330-yard radius who happened to have a cell phone app alerting them to the emergency. Forcade, a medical student, witnessed the collapse and rushed over to begin chest compressions, as within moments Dahl, a cardiac nurse just getting off her shift in the hospital, was alerted by her phone and sprinted down the sidewalk, assisting until paramedics arrived.
He came up with the idea in 2009, he said. He was in a restaurant when he heard sirens from his crews at the San Ramon Valley fire department. As he wondered where they were going, they arrived at the restaurant. "The patient was unconscious, unresponsive. I was 20 feet away on the other side of the wall," Price said. "The whole time I was listening to that siren, I could have been making a difference." It occurred to him that at any given time, two-thirds of his staff was off duty — in restaurants, out in the community. If there was a way to alert them to such emergencies by phone, it could save lives, Price said. It's not clear how many lives have been saved thanks to the app. Patient confidentiality laws often prevent hospitals from disclosing a patient's outcome.
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However, among nonadherent patients, CABG affords better major adverse cardiac event–free survival. When they don’t take their meds as directed, CABG patients are 68 percent more likely to avoid complications than PCI patients. "Therefore, patient compliance with medical therapy may inform clinical decision making and should be incorporated into all future comparative studies of comparative coronary revascularization strategies," the authors write in Circulation October 24th.
For patients who do take their meds, however, it matters less which intervention they got – they’re all nearly three times more likely to survive complication-free than those who skip the medications. “The take-home message for patients with coronary artery disease is even if you don't feel any differently when taking the medications, your very survival may depend upon them,” said lead study author Dr. Paul Kurlansky of Columbia University in New York. To assess how medication compliance influences outcomes, the authors followed 973 CABG patients and 2,255 patients who underwent PCI and stent placement, from February to July of 2004.
Follow-ups were performed between 12 months and 18 months and starting again in 2009 to monitor both adherence to prescribed medication and to report any circulatory difficulties, including fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, or any repeated bypass or angioplasty procedures. Optimal medical therapy included blood thinners (aspirin or one year of double antiplatelet therapy for stent patients), statins to lower cholesterol and beta-blockers to curb high blood pressure and maintain a normal heart rhythm for heart surgery patients. Among patients who adhere to recommended medication therapy, there may not be a clinical benefit for bypass over PCI, the authors say.
Patients who got either procedure, left the hospital on aspirin and statins and were still on both medications at all follow-up checkups enjoyed significantly better event-free survival rates than patients who at any point were not on their medication. Some patients may avoid medications due to costs or side effects, but it may also be because they don’t feel sick, Kurlansky said. “Hypertension is usually clinically silent, we cannot feel our cholesterol level, and we don't perceive our platelet reactivity, therefore, to expend money and effort to take medications, some of which may have side effects, in order to feel absolutely no different is, for most people, highly counterintuitive,” Kurlansky said. “This, I believe, is why so many people, even after heart attack or heart surgery, discontinue their medications.”
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Researchers say they’ve grown beating human heart cells on spinach leaves, using the vascular network of the plant to transport fluids. The finding could eventually lead to being able to grow working human cardiac tissue that could one day be used to replace heart cells damaged by heart attacks. “Plants and animals exploit fundamentally different approaches to transporting fluids, chemicals, and macromolecules, yet there are surprising similarities in their vascular network structures,” said researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Arkansas State University-Jonesboro. “The development of decellularized plants for scaffolding opens up the potential for a new branch of science that investigates the mimicry between plant and animal.”
Researchers say they've grown human heart cells on spinach leaves
The breakthrough is important because so far, bioengineering such as 3-D printing, can’t replicate the complex system of blood vessels in the human body that deliver the oxygen, nutrients, and essential molecules required for proper tissue growth. For the experiment, researchers first stripped plant cells from spinach leaves and passed beads the size of human blood cells through the leftover vascular system and seeded the spinach veins with human cells that line our blood vessels. “We have a lot more work to do, but so far this is very promising,” said Glenn Gaudette, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering at WPI and corresponding author of the paper. “Adapting abundant plants that farmers have been cultivating for thousands of years for use in tissue engineering could solve a host of problems limiting the field.”
Researchers added that other plants have been shown to offer the same kind of promise, including parsley, Artemesia annua (sweet wormwood), and peanut hairy roots. “The spinach leaf might be better suited for a highly vascularized tissue, like cardiac tissue, whereas the cylindrical hollow structure of the stem of Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) might better suit an arterial graft. Conversely, the vascular columns of wood might be useful in bone engineering due to their relative strength and geometries,” the authors wrote.
A time lapse view shows plant cells being removed from spinach leaves, leaving behind the leaf's vascular system.
Using plants could also be economical. “By exploiting the benign chemistry of plant tissue scaffolds,” researchers wrote, “we could address the many limitations and high costs of synthetic, complex composite materials. Plants can be easily grown using good agricultural practices and under controlled environments. By combining environmentally-friendly plant tissue with perfusion-based decellularization, we have shown that there can be a sustainable solution for pre-vascularized tissue engineering scaffolds.” The paper, “Crossing kingdoms: Using decelluralized plants as perfusable tissue engineering scaffolds” is published online in advance of the May 2017 issue of the journal Biomaterials.
Human Heart Cells Grown on Spinach Leaves
A survey conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that women didn't consider heart disease as a major cause of concern, in spite of the condition being the no.1 killer in women. Typically, women think of heart disease as a potential threat for males and end up ignoring many symptoms of the same in themselves. The main reason for this is a lack of awareness about the symptoms and the causes of cardiovascular disorders. As per data from The Heart Foundation, 90% women are unaware about high cholesterol being a threat to their hearts. Several women end up blaming their physicians for their limited knowledge of possible risks, which makes them mistake the symptoms of heart-related disorders for a panic disorder or a stress attack.
In fact, almost a third of female heart patients experience chest pain in the month before they have a heart attack. Sadly, they fail to understand the symptoms and do not take necessary precautions. To empower women with the right medical knowledge and help them take corrective steps when the warning signs of a heart attack become apparent, Mahesh Jayaraman, Medical Researcher, Therapist, Health Advisor and Co-founder of health platform Sepalika.com, and Dr Manthan Mehta, Specialty Medical Officer, Dept of Pharmacology, TNMC and Nair Hospital, have listed down some points for ANI.
5 warning signs of a heart attack in women:
1. Is fatigue bothering you? The AHA survey revealed that fatigue is the biggest signal of an oncoming heart issue amongst women. Prior to a heart attack, 70% women experienced weakness even without exerting themselves. While fatigue can often be ignored as a common part of the ageing process, unexplained fatigue can be a warning sign of a heart attack. Fatigue that does not go away even after adequate rest and sleep needs to be addressed. What's the connection between fatigue and heart attack? Well, one of the causes of fatigue is the heart not pumping enough blood. As a result, the cells do not get sufficient oxygen to burn fuel and generate energy.
2. Unable to sleep properly? Ever wondered why your sleep is interrupted often? While work-related issues or other issues can often result in sleep disturbances, if there are no such apparent reasons then you cannot rule out the risk of a cardiovascular disease. A weak heart decreases oxygen levels in the body, which may lead to insomnia or unexplained bouts of waking up at night.
3. Trouble in breathing? If you often have to exert more effort than usual while breathing, then it could be a sign of a heart trouble. Women who are overweight and do not indulge in any physical activities may experience shortness of breath even while lying down or walking. If you're experiencing such symptoms, get yourself tested to ensure your heart is healthy.
4. Experiencing severe stomach pain? A heart attack may not always start with chest pain; it can start with a pain in the upper abdomen as well. The pain can worsen and spread up to your left shoulder and arm. A sharp pain in the stomach could be a sign of an impending heart attack.
5. Is it anxiety that's bothering you? Anxiety attacks can occur unexpectedly, and can leave you shaken. The symptoms you may experience are shortness of breath, sweating, numbness of hands and feet, which could be indicators of an unknown heart problem. Such bouts of anxiety can occur due to improper distribution of oxygen in the body, especially to the brain, and must not be ignored.
Risk factors of heart attack in women: Some of the traditional risk factors for heart disease amongst women are high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and menopause, due to lower levels of estrogens, stress, depression and obesity. These factors have a bigger role in the development of heart diseases in women as compared to men. Also, women who smoke are at a higher risk of getting heart disease 19 years sooner than non-smokers. In India, both men and women are at an equal risk of heart attacks. However, women tend to disregard the warnings as age-related problems. This tendency needs to be curbed through proper education and awareness building. Women need to understand that they are as prone to heart disease as their husbands, fathers or brothers. Any time a warning sign crops up, they must take it seriously and visit the appropriate medical practitioner in time.
Women and heart diseases Spot the warning signs
Young people require more education on how they can improve their heart health. Efforts are being made to foster everyone about the small changes that can make a powerful difference and make the heart healthy. A survey conducted by Indus Health Plus indicates that there has been a three-fold rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Delhiites compared to last three years. The risk of heart attack and stroke increases if the person is suffering from diabetes and obesity. 40% of males and 38% women from the age group of 40-50 years have been tested positive for diabetes which has increased their chances of heart ailments. Out of these, 20% males and 22% females are obese too.
Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist Indus Health Plus says, "In Delhi young working women between the age group of 25 - 35 years are prone to heart diseases due to lack of estrogen. Prolonged intake of painkillers, hormonal and contraceptive pills can cause clotting of blood in the arteries. This coupled with unhealthy lifestyle and stress increases the risk of heart diseases. Day-to-day lifestyle modifications and changes like jogging, stair climbing, healthy eating, playing anoutdoor game, etc. help in reducing the risk of heart ailments".
Key findings from the survey:
More than 70% of urban males and 69% of rural men from the age group of 35-55 years are under the risk of heart diseases due to hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. 60% of urban as well as rural women between 25-40 years age group were ignorant of heart diseases. More than 50% of corporate employees (both men women) are suffering because of hypertension and heart ailments. Air pollution (caused by industries, vehicles, etc.) is at an all-time high in Delhi which is leading to heart diseases. Children and elderly in urban areas are the most affected with this condition. Young population aged 30 years are at higher risk of heart diseases, due to unhealthy lifestyles, stress, smoking, and drinking. 45% of urban and 43% of rural people were reported to have high cholesterol.
Intake of junk food, ready-to-eat meals are preferred along with lack of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains intake increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body, which can block the blood vessels. Pollution, smoking, high-stress level and sedentary lifestyles are the factors that have led to an increase in the burden of cardiovascular diseases in Delhi. In times when such diseases are on the rise, it becomes important to understand the risk factors and work in the direction to eradicate them especially, if one has a family history of heart diseases.
Diabetes induced heart diseases see steady rise
Heart disease is not just an ailment restricted to the urban and economically strong; it also affects the rural and underprivileged population. There are many risk factors that may lead to heart disease, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. The developing societies like India have to face an unfavourable setting characterized by changes in lifestyle, an increase in the consumption of foods with a high caloric density, a reduction of physical activity, and an increase in tobacco use. "Sedentary behaviours include sitting, reclining, or lying down while awake as well as reading, watching television or working on the computer for more than 10 hours. These "inactive activities" mean energy expenditure is less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents, or METs," says Dr Ram Anil Raj, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bangalore.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can increase risk of dying from heart disease by 52 percent for men and 28 percent for women. In 2010 the World Health Organization estimated that 3.2 million people die each year due to the failure to engage in physical activity, which constitutes the fourth most important risk factor leading to death in the entire world. Sedentary behaviour is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, impaired insulin sensitivity (linked with diabetes) and an overall higher risk of death from any cause. Despite the health-promoting effects associated with regular physical exercise, physical inactivity not only continues to be a common problem, but also is becoming increasingly widespread.
Aerobic cardiovascular exercise is best in heart disease prevention. It trains the heart to become more efficient and trains the body to better utilize oxygen. Cardiovascular exercise lowers blood pressure and reduces total cholesterol, two problems associated with heart disease. It increases insulin sensitivity, helping to prevent diabetes and other metabolic conditions. Obesity is often a precursor to heart disease, and cardiovascular exercise is the best method for weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends engaging in cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Methods of exercise include walking, jogging, cycling and swimming. Exercise increases circulation, helps clear arteries, lubricates joints and promotes well-being. It is important to adopt an exercise regimen before signs of heart disease occur and make exercise a lifestyle habit.
Ill-effects of sedentary lifestyle on cardiovascular system
