Author Archives: MaryO

Coronary Artery Disease Risk among Obese Metabolically Healthy Young Men.

Posted on by MaryO

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Eur J Endocrinol. 2015 Jun 3. pii: EJE-15-0284. [Epub ahead of print]

Coronary Artery Disease Risk among Obese Metabolically Healthy Young Men.

Twig G1, Gerstein H2, Ben-Ami Shor D3, Derazne E4, Tzur D5, Afek A6, Tirosh A7.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to assess CAD risk among obese young men without metabolic risk factors.

DESIGN:

longitudinal study in a historical cohort Methods: Incident CAD during a median follow-up of 6.1 years was assessed among 31,684 young men (mean age 31.2±5.7 years) of the Metabolic, Lifestyle and Nutrition Assessment in Young Adults (MELANY) cohort. Participants were categorized by BMI and the number of metabolic abnormalities (based on the Adult Treatment Panel-III). Metabolically healthy (MH) obesity was defined as BMI≥30 kg/m2 in the presence of normal blood pressure and normal levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol levels (n=599; 1.9%). Cox proportional hazard models were applied.

RESULTS:

There were 198 new cases of CAD that were diagnosed during 209,971 person-years of follow-up, of which 6 cases occurred among MH obese. The incidence of CAD among MH lean, overweight and obese participates was 0.23, 0.45 and 1.0 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. In a multivariable model adjusted for clinical and biochemical CAD risk factors, a higher CAD risk was observed among MH-obese (HR=3.08; 95%CI=1.10-8.68, p=0.033), compared to MH-normal weight subjects. This risk persisted when BMI was treated as a time-dependent variable, or when fasting glucose, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides or blood pressure were added to the model. Similar results were also obtained when a more permissive definition of metabolic health was used.

CONCLUSIONS:

Obesity may continue to contribute to increased risk for incident CAD in young men even in the presence of a healthy metabolic profile.

PMID: 26041076 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

via Coronary Artery Disease Risk among Obese Metabolically Healthy Young Men. – PubMed – NCBI.

Snow shoveling: How to avoid a heart attack – WTOP

Posted on by MaryO

“Shoveling snow can, in fact, precipitate a heart attack, and it does for thousands of Americans every year,” says Dr. Warren Levy, chief medical officer of Virginia Heart, one of the largest cardiology practices in the region.

He says shoveling snow involves a level of exertion that most of us just are not used to and don’t do on a daily basis.

“It is the same sort of trouble people get into [when they] have never exercised and decide to suddenly train for a marathon,” Levy explained.

People most likely to have problems while shoveling snow are those already diagnosed with heart disease, or who have significant risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, cigarette smoking, a strong family history or a sedentary lifestyle.

Read more at Snow shoveling: How to avoid a heart attack – WTOP.

How to cook vegetables – Cook Smarts

Posted on by MaryO

veggies

This infographic and the videos below teach you our favorite cooking formulas (or techniques) for enjoying a wide variety of vegetables: sauteing, steaming, roasting, boiling, microwaving, including in salads, pureeing into soups, and turning into zucchini noodles. Enjoy them in season for the tastiest (and least expensive results).

Read more at How to cook vegetables – Cook Smarts.

NINDS Know Stroke Campaign – Know Stroke Home

Posted on by MaryO

Each year in the United States, there are more than 795,000 strokes. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the country and causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65 and the risk of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after the age of 55.

The National Institutes of Health through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) developed the Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time. campaign to help educate the public about the symptoms of stroke and the importance of getting to the hospital quickly.

Read the entire article at NINDS Know Stroke Campaign – Know Stroke Home.

2014 in review

Posted on by MaryO

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 940 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 16 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report complete with fireworks!

Heart failure symptoms easy to miss for unsuspecting patients – Chicago Tribune

Posted on by MaryO

“I have hardly been sick a day in my life. I take vitamins, try homeopathic remedies and have a great immune system,” says Kilian, 53.However, little did she know while treating her flu/bronchitis symptoms at home in November 2013, that she would end up in the hospital for nearly three weeks.”

Over the winter, I just wasn’t getting better,” says Kilian. “I was having trouble breathing and was starting to feel like I was gaining weight from eating healthy foods to keep my strength up. But, in reality, I was retaining fluid from heart failure.”

Kilian said that her water retention started out slowly, but it became more rapid as her symptoms progressed. Eventually, her brother, who lives in Naperville, brought her to the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Emergency Department.”

The doctors were shocked at the amount of fluid that I had around my heart. I ended up with a pacemaker in the process,” says Kilian.

Read the entire article at Heart failure symptoms easy to miss for unsuspecting patients – Chicago Tribune.

A New Surgery Risk – NYTimes.com

Posted on by MaryO

Thousands of Americans every year develop an abnormal heart rhythm after having major surgery. These episodes have long been considered a fleeting phenomenon that is generally not a cause for concern.

But a large new study suggests that doctors should take these abnormal heart rhythms, known as atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, more seriously. It found that patients who experienced one or more episodes after surgery had a striking increase in their risk of having a future stroke. The findings are likely to encourage doctors to potentially monitor and in some cases treat the patients who experience them.

“This is telling us that once you see atrial fibrillation in the hospital, that’s a marker of potential trouble to come,” said Dr. Donald Easton, a clinical professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco medical school.

Read more at  A New Surgery Risk – NYTimes.com.

Big Step in regenerating the heart muscle

Posted on by MaryO

A remarkable discovery in heart research was made by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart: they found the surface markers of cardiovascular functional living progenitor cells CPCs. This discovery is extremely important for heart research because it demonstrates that the cardiovascular progenitor cells CPCs can be derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, iPS cells. Investigation results were recently published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Progenitor cells are cells that are normally found only in the fetus and have the ability to develop into all cell types of the heart: cardiomyocytes, etc. The goal of the study led by Prof. Dr. Katja Schenke-by Layland from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart, was to produce functional cardiomyocytes from progenitor cells. Cardiomyocytes are heart muscle cells that play an essential role in contraction. Myocardial infarction leads to loss of functional cardiomyocytes. As a result of a blockage of a coronary artery, myocardium served by that artery will not be supplied with oxygen anymore, thus it will die. A frequent consequence of patients who suffer a heart attack is heart failure, which means decreased ability of the heart contraction.

Read more at Big Step in regenerating the heart muscle.

44 Ways to Make the Day of Someone With Cancer | Elana Miller, MD

Posted on by MaryO

These would work for Cushing’s, as well.

“…Over the following months I experienced a whirlwind of physical and emotional changes. The treatment became increasingly arduous, and I lost the ability to perform even simple functions, including working, driving, preparing food, and running errands. At 31 years old, I thought anyone taking away my independence would be prying it from my cold, dead hands. Unfortunately, that was almost the case.

Thankfully, I had a community of supporters — family, coworkers, friends — who stepped up and took care of me when I needed it most.

When a person first gets a cancer diagnosis, they’re often so overwhelmed they have no idea how to ask for help or what to ask for — but they sure need it. If you have a friend or family member with cancer you want to help, don’t make the mistake of making a vague, questionably-sincere offer “Well, call me when you need me!” (they won’t).

Instead, make your friend’s life easier by anticipating his or her needs and giving tangible, much-needed support. Here is a list of the top favors people did for me that made my day (and made my life much easier!) after my cancer diagnosis…”

From 44 Ways to Make the Day of Someone With Cancer | Elana Miller, MD.

Heart healthy: The benefits of fish

Posted on by MaryO

eat-fish

 

Eating fish 2-3 times a week can benefit your heart.

The American Heart Association has recommended consuming fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week for the benefit of your heart.

Yes, omega-3 supplements are popular nowadays, and are easily accessible in any supermarket or nutrition store. However, it is best to consume omega-3 through food rather than supplements for the best results.

Read more at  Heart healthy: The benefits of fish | NJ.com.