Women's Health: Childbirth an athletic event? ♦ Personally tailored diabetes care reduces mortality in women, but not men ♦ Air pollution and cardiovascular disease

Personally tailored diabetes care reduces mortality in women, but not men A follow-up study to assess the effects of personally tailored diabetes care in general practice has revealed that such care reduces mortality (both all-cause and diabetes-related), in women.

Threats against children during the separation process for women in abusive relationships Mothers who separate from their abusive partners are four times more likely to report threats to take or to harm their children than those who stay in the relationship.

Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: Increased risk for women with diabetes Air pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and some people may be more susceptible to its effects than others. Investigators used data from a nationwide study of nurses to look for factors that made people more vulnerable to the effects of long-term air pollution exposure. One factor in particular stood out to the researchers is type 2 diabetes.

Childbirth an athletic event? Sports medicine used to diagnose injuries caused by deliveries Childbirth is arguably the most traumatic event the human body can undergo, and new imaging techniques show that up to 15 percent of women sustain pelvic injuries that don't heal.

Food Research: Impact of high-fat diet on red blood cells may cause cardiovascular disease ♦ Moderate coffee drinking may be linked to reduced risk of death

Eating sweets forms memories that may control eating habits Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form a memory of a meal.

Dietary potassium may help prevent kidney, heart problems in diabetics Higher levels of urinary potassium excretion, which closely correlate with intake amounts, were linked with a slower decline of kidney function and a lower incidence of cardiovascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes and normal kidney function.

Impact of high-fat diet on red blood cells may cause cardiovascular disease Researchers have discovered the negative impact a high fat diet has on red blood cells and how these cells, in turn, promote the development of cardiovascular disease.

Moderate coffee drinking may be linked to reduced risk of death Drinking coffee daily was associated with a lower risk of deaths from Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases in nonsmokers. Regular consumption of coffee can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Cardiovascular Research:Specific Vitamin D levels linked to heart problems ♦ Poor air quality increases patients' risk of heart attack ♦ Moving to a walking neighborhood is good for your blood pressure

Poor air quality increases patients' risk of heart attack

People with heart disease face an increased risk of a serious heart attack during poor air quality days.

New Milestone in Cardiovascular Disease Management for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cardiovascular disease deaths are declining in people who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after the year 2000, according to new research. This decline is found when compared to people diagnosed with RA in previous decades as well as when compared to people without the disease – signifying an encouraging milestone.

Specific vitamin D levels linked to heart problems

A lack of vitamin D can result in weak bones. Recent studies also show that vitamin D deficiency is linked to more serious health risks such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Moving to a walking neighborhood is good for your blood pressure

People who moved from a neighborhood that required a vehicle to run errands to one that made walking-errands convenient were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure than people who moved from one low-walkability neighborhood to another low-walkability neighborhood. Specifically, people who moved to a highly walkable neighborhood had a 54 percent lower risk of high blood pressure than those who moved to a more car-dependent neighborhood over 10 years of follow up

Cardiovascular Research: Cellular stress process identified in cardiovascular disease ♦ Thiazide may pose some risk for congestive heart failure patients

Cellular stress process identified in cardiovascular disease Combining the investigative tools of genetics, transcriptomics, epigenetics and metabolomics, a research team has identified a new molecular pathway involved in heart attacks and death from heart disease.The researchers found that stress on a component of cells called the endoplasmic reticulum is associated with risk of future heart events, and it can be detected in bits of molecular detritus circulating in the blood.

Mechanical and manual cpr produce equivalent survival rates for cardiac arrest patients Mechanical CPR, in which a device is used by Emergency Medical Service providers to deliver automated chest compressions during cardiac arrest resuscitation care, is associated with an equivalent survival rate for patients experiencing cardiac arrest outside of the hospital as manual CPR, according to new findings..

Cholesterol-lowering 'portfolio diet' also reduces blood pressure A diet developed for reducing cholesterol also lowers blood pressure, a new study has found. The portfolio diet lowered blood pressure by an average two per cent, when compared with another diet recommended to reduce hypertension

Thiazide may pose some risk for congestive heart failure patients Thiazide, a popular diuretic for lowering high blood pressure, may not excrete salt as expected in patients with congestive heart failure and or dehydration and should be taken with caution

Cardiovascular Research:New imaging agent can locate hidden blood clots ♦ Extreme makeover of the heart ♦ Cure for sickle cell in adults validated

Microbiome implicated in sickle cell disease; antibiotics can counter its effects New research on sickle cell disease (SCD) has found that using antibiotics to deplete the body’s microbiome may prevent acute sickle cell crisis and could offer the first effective strategy for warding off the disease’s long-term complications, such as organ failure. The study could also lead to better treatment for other inflammatory blood-vessel disorders including septic shock.

Whole-body PET scan with new imaging agent can locate hidden blood clots A novel radiopharmaceutical probe has the potential of providing physicians with information that could save the lives of patients with ischemic stroke or pulmonary embolism -- conditions caused when important blood vessels are blocked by a clot that has traveled from another part of the body.

Blood tests reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease risk in obese African-American teens Obese African-American teens, particularly girls, may have immune system changes that can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Taking steps to control weight early in life may reduce inflammation and its negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Blood tests are a possible new preventive tactic to identify teens who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Extreme makeover of the heart: Matrix therapy is first FDA-approved procedure of its kind A cardiovascular team has successfully performed a first-in-the-world heart procedure on a 72-year-old attorney after suffering a large heart attack. In the emerging heart procedure cardiac matrix is directly injected into a damaged heart

Cure for sickle cell in adults validated Physicians have cured 12 adult patients of sickle cell disease using a unique procedure for stem cell transplantation from healthy, tissue-matched siblings. The new technique eliminates the need for chemotherapy to prepare the patient to receive the transplanted cells and offers the prospect of cure for tens of thousands of adults suffering from sickle cell disease.

Food Research: How to reduce levels of arsenic in rice ♦ Drinking beet juice regularly may lengthen your workouts ♦ Soybean oil causes more obesity than coconut oil,

Drinking beet juice regularly may lengthen your workouts Regular consumption of beet juice had positive cardiovascular effects on subjects during exercise and led to increased endurance, a clinical study has found. The scientists report that healthy male subjects who drank beet juice for 15 days had lower blood pressure and more dilated blood vessels at rest and during exercise.

Mediterranean lifestyle may decrease cardiovascular disease by lowering blood triglycerides A new review article explores the effects of the “ingredients” of Mediterranean lifestyle as a whole on post-meal blood triglyceride levels (PPL). Consistently elevated PPL is a cardiovascular disease risk factor

How to cut worrying levels of arsenic in rice that is eaten all over the world Researchers have discovered a simple solution to worrying levels of arsenic in our rice. Rice is the only major crop grown under flooded conditions. It is this flooding that releases inorganic arsenic, normally locked up in soil minerals, which is then absorbed by the plant. Too much arsenic is associated with a range of health problems including, at worst, bladder and lung cancer.

Soybean oil causes more obesity than coconut oil, fructose  A diet high in soybean oil causes more obesity and diabetes than a diet high in fructose, a sugar commonly found in soda and processed foods, according to a new study. In the U.S. the consumption of soybean oil has increased greatly in the last four decades due to a number of factors, including results from studies in the 1960s that found a positive correlation between saturated fatty acids and the risk of cardiovascular disease

Massachusetts schools are improving food options Researchers examined schools across the commonwealth following the implementation of a statewide nutrition bill. Their findings show the feasibility of making significant improvements in the competitive foods and beverages available in schools.

Women's Health: Mothers who smoke, give birth preterm more than triple their cardiovascular disease risk ♦ Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15

Mothers who,, give birth preterm more than triple their cardiovascular disease risk Mothers who smoke and have a preterm birth more than triple their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to research in more than 900,000 mothers. The researchers also discovered that CVD risk was even greater in smoking mothers with more severe or recurrent preterm births.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy linked to liver cancer, other diseases later in life In a new study of more than 125,000 pregnant women, researchers found that the risk of hepatobiliary cancer and immune-mediated and cardiovascular diseases later in life is higher in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) than in women without this condition.

3D model to help researchers study pelvic floor disorder linked to childbirth Researchers have developed the first-ever 3D complete computer model to help study treatment for pelvic organ prolapse, a mysterious condition often linked to childbirth that causes distress and discomfort and requires surgery for more than 200,000 women a year

Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15 Since 1994, researchers have studied mothers -- some who used cocaine while pregnant and others who did not -- to understand how the drug affected their children's cognitive and social development . Their latest findings suggest a link between prenatal cocaine exposure and an adolescent's likelihood to have sexual intercourse before age 15.

Food Research: Peppermint oil and cinnamon could help treat and heal chronic wounds ♦ Vitamin C related to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

Reusable shopping bags encourage shoppers to buy produce -- and junk food? Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store often means you are an environmentally friendly shopper. But it also influences the very things you buy. According to a new study, bringing your own bags makes you more likely to purchase organic food -- and junk food as well.

Vitamin C related to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, early death High vitamin C concentrations in the blood from the intake of fruit and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

Peppermint oil and cinnamon could help treat and heal chronic wounds Infectious colonies of bacteria called biofilms that develop on chronic wounds and medical devices can cause serious health problems and are tough to treat. But now scientists have found a way to package antimicrobial compounds from peppermint and cinnamon in tiny capsules that can both kill biofilms and actively promote healing. The researchers say the new material could be used as a topical antibacterial treatment and disinfectant.

Think twice before ordering your next steak High consumption of livestock products could have serious consequences for people and the environment, according to a recent article. The article emphasizes that the demand for livestock-based foods has soared over the last few decades. The article’s authors emphasize that, if left unchecked, worldwide meat consumption and production could lead to species loss, climate risks, poverty, and even social breakdown as large meat-producing companies continue to displace small-scale farmers.

Cardiovascular Research:Milk proteins may protect against cardiovascular disease ♦ Drug candidate can improve a failing heart’s function ♦ Interventions among healthy people save the most lives

Milk proteins may protect against cardiovascular disease The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that results in browned foods like seared steaks and toasted bread. When proteins and sugars are mixed together and heated, new chemical compounds are formed. Some are responsible for new flavors and some, according to a new study may protect us against cardiovascular disease.

Swift intervention doubles survival rate from cardiac arrest Researchers have found that early cardiopulmonary resuscitation more than doubles the chance of survival for patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The percentage of patients who receive life-saving resuscitation has also increased substantially thanks to so-called SMS Lifesavers

New powerful drug candidate can improve a failing heart’s function An experimental drug improves the ability of heart muscle cells damaged by heart failure to pump blood.

Severely impaired stroke survivors regain arm function after intensive physical therapy Time may heal all wounds, but in the case of stroke survivors, the key to better recovery is to spend more time in an intensive physical therapy program.

Interventions among healthy people save the most lives Mortality from coronary heart disease declined in Sweden from 1986 to 2002. The improvement was due mainly to a reduction in risk factors among the healthy population and, to a lesser extent, treatment of people who already had developed heart disease. A study explores the reasons for the trend

Cardiovascular Research: Heart attack risk increases 16-21% with use of common antacid ♦ Faulty gene can trigger fatal heart condition ♦ Antibiotic-laced sponges reduce exsternal infections in cardiac surgery

Heart attack risk increases 16-21% with use of common antacid Adults who use proton pump inhibitors are between 16 and 21 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than people who don't use the commonly prescribed antacid drugs

Obesity linked to adrenal disorder in teens may increase risk for cardiovascular disease Adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia have significantly increased amounts of abdominal fat tissue, placing them at greater risk for harmful conditions linked to obesity, including cardiovascular disease.

How a faulty gene can trigger fatal heart condition New research has revealed how a faulty gene can cause fatal abnormal heart rhythms that are brought on by exercise.

Stroke education helps patients recognize stroke symptoms, encourages fast response Clear, simple preparedness messages can help patients recognize symptoms of a subsequent stroke and speed up emergency room arrival times. Stroke education materials dramatically improved hospital arrival times, specifically among Hispanic stroke patients.

Implantable antibiotic-laced sponges reduce exsternal infections in cardiac surgery Cardiac surgeons often "crack open" the flat bone that forms the middle front section of the chest, known as the sternum, in order to reach important structures. When a sternal wound infection occurs, serious complications and even death may result. Implanting antibiotic-laden sponges between the sternal halves before closure has been adapted to prevent infections. While a recent report questioned this practice, a meta-analysis clearly established that the sponges do work.

Cardiovascular Research: Even Olympic athletes have cardiac abnormalities ♦ Pharmacists help patients control blood pressure ♦ Sleep apnea common among patients undergoing heart procedure

Pharmacists help patients control blood pressure Medical teams with a pharmacist helped patients with hypertension control their blood pressure more effectively. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death for Americans

Even Olympic athletes have cardiac abnormalities and may be at risk of cardiovascular disease Even athletes whose performance and fitness are at the very highest level may have life-threatening cardiovascular abnormalities. Indeed, a study of more than 2000 athletes eligible for the summer and winter Olympic games and screened for cardiovascular health has now revealed an unexpectedly high prevalence of cardiovascular conditions.

Atrial fibrillation after surgery increases risk of heart attacks, strokes  An irregular heartbeat following surgery known as postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) often is dismissed as a transient phenomenon. But a study has found that POAF can significantly increase the risk of heart attack or stroke during the first 12 months after surgery.

Sleep apnea common among patients undergoing heart procedure Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a coronary artery widening procedure used to treat heart disease, are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Cardiovascular Research: Hip strengthening might ease pain of clogged leg arteries ♦ New cause discovered for arterial stiffness ♦ Computer for acute stroke detection

Hip strengthening might ease pain of clogged leg arteries Exercise to strengthen hip flexor muscles may increase how far some patients can walk without calf pain. Gait analysis reveals that people with clogged leg arteries use calf muscles to compensate for weakness of certain hip muscles

Dexamethasone May Help Prevent Severe Kidney Injury Following Heart Surgery Acute kidney injury can be a serious complication following heart surgery. Patients who received dexamethasone during heart surgery had about a 2.5-times lower risk of developing kidney failure requiring dialysis compared with those receiving a placebo. The greatest benefits of dexamethasone were seen in patients with pre-existing advanced chronic kidney disease.

New cause discovered for arterial stiffness, a contributor to cardiovascular disease Previous studies of aortic stiffness have focused on changes in structural proteins that alter the properties of vascular walls causing them to become rigid. Now, researchers have determined that smooth muscle cells, which line the interior of vascular walls, are a major contributing factor to vascular stiffness, one of the major causes of hypertension.

Novel computer intelligence system for acute stroke detection Medical researchers have developed a novel computer-aided detection system for acute stroke using computer intelligence technology. The detection accuracy is 90%, which is as high as that conducted by specialists, but at a much reduced time from 10-15 minutes to 3 minutes.

Cardiovascular Research: Deaths from cardiovascular disease increase globally ♦ Adding peanuts to a meal benefits vascular health ♦ Strokes of unknown origin

Adding peanuts to a meal benefits vascular health 

A study of peanut consumption showed that including them as a part of a high fat meal improved the post-meal triglyceride response and preserved endothelial function. Vascular dysfunction plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis and the formation of coronary plaques and lesions that lead to coronary artery disease.

Presence of heart pouch may explain strokes of unknown origin, study finds

A pouchlike structure inside the heart's left atrial chamber in some people may explain strokes that otherwise lack an identifiable cause, according to researchers. Stroke is the leading cause of long-term severe disability and the fourth-most-common cause of death in the U.S.

Barriers found that prevent Ugandans with rheumatic heart disease from receiving needed Penicillin

Access to penicillin can prevent deaths from rheumatic heart disease. Researchers collaborated to learn about obstacles that prevent people from receiving the medication and find ways to overcome them

Deaths from cardiovascular disease increase globally while mortality rates decrease

Deaths from cardiovascular disease increase globally while mortality rates decrease, a new report suggests. Cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of premature death in the world, include heart attacks, strokes, and other circulatory diseases. At the same time, efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases appear to be working as the rise in deaths is slower

Prenatal Health: Prenatal exposure to common air pollution ♦ Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical ♦ Evidence against the fetal origins of cancer

New moms more satisfied after giving birth in a public hospital  Women who give birth in a public hospital are more confident parents compared to women who have babies privately. "We found that compared to women in a private hospital, women who birthed in the public sector had six times the odds of being telephoned by a care provider, 34 times the odds of being visited at home and five times the odds of visiting a GP within 10 days of being at home,"

Prenatal exposure to common air pollution linked to cognitive, behavioral impairment  A powerful relationship between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and disturbances in parts of the brain that support information processing and behavioral control have been identified by researchers. The study showed reductions in nearly the entire white matter surface of the brain's left hemisphere -- loss associated with slower processing of information during intelligence testing and more severe behavioral problems, including ADHD and aggression

Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical for infant development, research shows A research team studied the first 600 women in a cohort during and after their pregnancy to see whether they were consuming enough omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3-LCPUFA) to meet current recommendations. They found that in fact, most of these women were not.

Study provides evidence against the fetal origins of cancer, cardiovascular disease A study evaluated the relationship between nutritional conditions in early life and adult health, and found that famine exposure during the first pregnancy trimester was associated with increases in mortality from causes other than cancer or cardiovascular disease. This is the first study to quantify the possible long-term effects of nutrition deprivation at different stages of pregnancy and long-term mortality.

Heart Research:Heart bypass surgery outperforms new generation stents ♦ Patients 80 years old benefit from aggressive treatment ♦ Healthy diet reduces risk of cardiovascular disease + more

Heart bypass surgery outperforms new generation stents Despite the advent of a new generation of stents, patients with multiple narrowed arteries in the heart who received coronary artery bypass grafting fared better than those whose arteries were opened with balloon angioplasty and stents Continue Reading

Acute coronary syndromes: Patients 80 years and older would benefit from aggressive treatment  Patients over age 80 with acute coronary syndromes would likely benefit from more invasive tests and therapies that may otherwise be denied them due to their age, according to research .Continue Reading

Frequency of blood tests in heart surgery patients may lead to anemia. Laboratory testing among patients undergoing cardiac surgery can lead to excessive bloodletting, which can increase the risk of developing hospital-acquired anemia and the need for blood transfusion, according to a new article. Continue Reading

Healthy diet reduces risk of cardiovascular disease by a third in over-40s  Men and women who adapt their daily diet to meet current UK dietary guidelines could reduce their risk of a heart attack or a stroke by up to a third. Those on the modified diet ate oily fish once a week, more fruit and vegetables, replaced refined with wholegrain cereals, swapped high-fat dairy products and meats for low-fat alternatives, and restricted their intake of added sugar and salt  Continue Reading