Heart News Part II

"Scientists Find Gene Defect Link to Heart Disease"

" Five generations of a family in Dallas, Texas have helped scientists discover a genetic mutation that causes a common birth defect and contributes to heart disease in adults."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_25845.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_25907.html

"Low body levels of chromium, a mineral involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, are associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a new report. However, the value and safety of chromium supplementation remains to be determined."

teri,

great idea for a new thread!

the 2 things i've heard, 1 i believe is from your info, and the other is something i've been researching.

first:  vitamin E.  WAY too much controversy for me to feel safe in taking additional doses.  the cooper clinic, in dallas, which does TONS of cardiac research, promotes high levels of vitamin E use.  but other studies show increased signs of cardiac trouble with it's use.  my own cardiologist says that the amount you get in a daily vitamin is enough...at least until some research can definitively point to it's strengths.

second:  i believe you pointed us to an article that i loved reading, and that was about this new test called the cardiac MPO.  i CANNOT WAIT for this test to be widely available, but it seems that it will only be available in ER's for now.  i wonder how long 'til that changes?  the cardiac MPO will measure an enzyme in a simple blood test that will show whether or not you are at high risk for having an eminent heart attack.  that is, if you go to the ER, rather than starting all the long tests, which can take forever, and include unfortunate things like barium swallows - instead this test will indicate that you are probably having or about to have a heart attack, therefore you are treated immediately for that.  that sounds fantastic.  as we all know, an EKG is not always a perfect indicator.  neither is the cardiac MPO, but it sounds like it will be a stronger statement to the ER physicians in how to treat you.

libby

"Most health care providers recommend that patients with known cardiovascular disease take between 75 and 325 mg of aspirin daily. There is indirect evidence that higher doses yield no greater benefits but direct evidence is currently accumulating to test whether higher doses can retard hardening of the arteries."

http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=hrt_dis/2908

anytime Teri

Heidi

hi teri,

ugh, phd and all, i had a hard time wading through the bottom line of that article!

it DID sound though that MPO might be a relevant indicator...yes?

libby

Here's are a couple of the news articles that came out in my morning email...Hugs, Teri

Statins may help heart-failure patients

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_25941.html

Artery Plaques Affect Thinking Ability in Elderly

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_25929.html

boy, you know that's easy to figure out - since hostility and

anger raise the ole blood pressure, that long term effects cain't

be good on the ticker...

so what's your take on the fish oil, teri?  i know lots who take that caplet?

i'm thinking it can't hurt.  or most docs seem to say so.  but most also say

they really don't believe it helps much either. 

here's what i've been thinking so much lately.  in many ways, we are ALL

so lucky to be alive now, when there is so much that can be done for us,

drugs, surgeries, procedures, etc. that extend/save our lives and hopefully

make us feel better (sooner or later!).

i think that 50-100+ years ago, and...well, i imagine it would have been

very different for all of us on this site.

but imagine too, 100 years from now.  or even 10.  i wonder what is in the

works in the future for treating our heart probs?  i can just imagine that we'll

all take a pill once a day that will eliminate cholesterol, period.  and make our

hearts healthy.  who knows?  they've made such advances.  look at cancer.

so many changes.  i hope for the same thing, that in 10+ years there will be

a vaccine, a pill, something to take to prevent that nasty thing from ever rearing

it's ugly and unwanted haid again!

so...we are in a good time.  i think future times will of course be even better.

for now...i might try the fish oil!

libby

FDA TO OUTLAW USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN POULTERY !

The FDA is banning the antibiotic of BAytril in poultry because it seems the concerns of this drug could lead to anitbiotic resistant infections in people.

THE FDA Commisioner Lester Crawford ordered Thursday that the approval for use of this drug known generically as ENROFLOXACIN be withdrawn effective Sept 12thBAYTRIL is of the same family as the poular drug CIPO which is used in Humans.

Heidi

P.S> I use a certian brand of chicken I get at Winn Dixie only.

The findings from a study in Germany suggest that because of differences in symptoms, strokes affecting the right side of the brain may be underdiagnosed compared with to those affecting the left side."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_26060.html