People who have had a stroke and have been taking Vitamin B supplements to guard against a subsequent occurrence or a heart attack may not be protected, if the results of a new study are accurate. Earlier medical studies had found that elevated levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Taking Vitamin B supplements lowers the level of this amino acid was thought to lower the risk of this type of health issue. Dr. Graeme J. Hankey, of the Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia, has stated that while taking Vitamin B supplements is safe, it doesn’t lower an individual’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Dr. Hankey’s study involved 8,164 participants who were divided into two groups. One group was given Vitamin B supplements, wh...

Loading up your shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables isn’t just a low-calorie option; it can also help to lower your risk of stroke. Researchers at the University of London examined the results of multiple studies involving 250,000 people. The results indicated that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily reduced the risk of stroke by 25 percent. Another group of scientists from the University of Cambridge have done work on the link between the levels of Vitamin C in the blood and the likelihood of having a stroke. The results of this study found that people with a higher level of Vitamin C reduced their chance of having a stroke by 42 percent. Vitamin C is found in a number of fruits and vegetables. To get your daily requirement, choose foods like apples, oran...

If you want to lower your risk of having a stroke, put on your shoes and get moving. The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study where researchers examined the exercise records of 39,315 women working in the health care industry. The results were very interesting: The participants who walked for at least two hours each week lowered their risk of stroke by 30 percent. Hitting the pavement at a rate of three miles per hour or higher meant that the likelihood of having a stroke dropped by 37 percent. Walking is a great way to get (and stay) in shape. It’s an inexpensive option; all a person needs to get started is a sturdy pair of shoes. Getting some fresh air during a walk helps to improve one’s mood, too, since it releases the body’s “feel good” hor...

People who have been laid off from their job have a lot of things to worry about, and the results of a 2006 study conducted by a group of epidemiologists at Yale University found that when older workers join the ranks of the unemployed, their risk of heart attack and serious stroke doubled. Chronic stress is to blame for the health issues, as well as unhealthy lifestyle choices that can result when someone is faced with a layoff. Stress resulting from a negative life event, such as a job loss, can trigger a heart attack in some people. Chemicals released into the body when it is under acute stress are to blame in that situation. Worry about financial issues in the short term and whether the individual will be able to find work again can cause the person to experience chest pain and other s...

The presence of a protein found in the blood indicates that a person is at risk for a heart attack, but is not a good way to predict the likelihood they will have a stroke. High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation, may indicate that a heart attack is likely, but the same doesn’t hold true when it comes to predicting the likelihood of a stroke. Researchers followed 2,240 people in New York. All of them were over the age of 40 and stroke free. The study tracked them for eight years. During that time, participants with a CRP level higher than 3 mg/L of blood were 70 percent more likely to have a heart attack and (at a 55 percent higher risk of dying as a result) than those people who had a CRP level of 1 mg/L or less. ...

The asthma drug Xolair has been linked to heart failure, blood clots, stroke, heart enlargement and cardiac arrhythmias. The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it will be assessing the preliminary results to determine whether “further regulatory actions are necessary to protect patients.” The medication has been approved for use by children over the age of 12 and adults who have asthma that is complicated by severe allergies. The issue of a possible connection between the drug and heart ailments came to light as the result of a trial involving 5,000 people taking Xolair and 2,500 participants who were not using the drug. In 2007, the manufacturer or Xolair, Genentech, was ordered to include a “black box warning” on the packaging to advise patients ...

Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic health condition affecting more than 16 million Americans. A person with this disorder has a higher-than-normal level of blood glucose. Glucose levels are elevated because the person’s body doesn’t produce enough insulin, the substance needed to convert glucose into energy. Glucose levels stay high, while the cells that need it can’t the the nutrition they need. People who have diabetes are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Here are 8 symptoms of Type II diabetes that you shouldn’t ignore: Blurred vision Cuts that don’t heal Dry mouth Excessive thirst Increased urination Itchy skin Pain in the lower extremities Yeast infections If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor. They may be cau...

If you are taking Plavix, an anti-clotting medication, you need to know that drugs prescribed to treat heartburn, known as proton-pump inhibitors, may be dangerous to your health. These medications, which include Nexium and Prilosec, can actually increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. This presents a problem for patients, since their doctor may prescribe a proton-pump inhibitor to lower the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding that is a side effect of taking Plavix. This combination of medications appears to stop patients from reaping the benefits of taking Plavix in the first place, which is to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Several lawsuits have been started alleging that Bristol-Myers and Sanofi Aventis, who manufacture Plavix, failed to warn the public about side effec...

Your risk of having a stroke or developing early onset coronary artery disease may be genetic. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have discovered a single gene defect that causes these two health issues, as well as thoracic aortic aneurysms, ischemic stroke, and Moyamoya disease (a rare disorder affecting the cartoid arteries in the brain). If someone has the mutated ACTA2 gene, then vascular screening tests can be ordered. Early diagnosis means that appropriate treatment can be started to lower the risk of disability or death. Family history is only one of the risk factors for coronary disease, and your lifestyle choices can help to reduce it. Here are the basics you need to remember: Don’t smoke. Eat a balanced diet that is low in saturated fat....

Work addiction is often disguised as working hard or trying to hang onto one’s job. With companies laying off workers in mass numbers, those people who are left are expected to pick up the slack and be even more productive. Most people who are workaholics won’t admit it, even to themselves. When you get to the point where work is something that you focus on constantly, even during your off hours and you can’t relax when you are off the job, you may be living with a work addiction. Some workaholics even get stressed out when they are supposed to be on vacation because they are away from work. This kind of stress means that you are at increased risk for heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. Treatment is available for this type of behavior; ask your doctor for a referr...