heart-letter
A researcher has determined that the recommended “moderate intensity” exercise level can be accomplished by walking at least 100 steps per minute. An inexpensive pedometer can help you determine your walking speed.
People with peripheral artery disease will most likely benefit from an exercise regimen, regardless of whether or not they are experiencing the leg pain that frequently accompanies the condition.
Brief updates on the benefit of the Maze procedure, St. John’s wort’s interference with statins, the safety of angioplasty performed through the radial artery, and the cardiac risks of newer antipsychotic drugs.
Brief updates on a drug combination that may cause muscle damage, a blood test for rejection after a heart transplant, a possible link between retinopathy and heart disease, and running for heart health and longevity.
Having a home defibrillator was found to be no more useful at saving the life of someone in cardiac arrest than having family members trained in CPR.
People with atrial fibrillation benefit from aggressive blood pressure control, resulting in fewer deaths from stroke and other cardiovascular causes.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the middle layer of the heart. It may be caused by a virus, allergic reaction, or exposure to a toxin. Diagnosis is difficult because symptoms are not specific and may suggest other causes.
The Framingham heart disease risk-assessment tool has been refined and improved with the addition of several new risk factors that contribute to the overall score and make it a more accurate predictor of heart disease risk.
Brief reports on CPR and an improved cardiac arrest survival rate, chewable aspirin as a rapid heart attack aid, and the effect of lack of sleep on blood pressure.
CT scans can detect calcium in arteries, but the presence of calcium does not automatically indicate the presence of heart disease. The test may still be of some benefit to those with an intermediate risk but without symptoms.