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...

We have all heard about the increased risk of osteoporosis that older women face. Many middle-aged and senior females have been taking calcium supplements to try to reduce their risk, whether they have been diagnosed with this health concern or not. The results of a new study indicate that taking calcium in this form has little or no effect on the likelihood that a bone fracture will occur. Women are far better off ingesting calcium from the foods they eat than getting it in pill form, since doing so does not increase their risk of having a heart attack. Dr. Ian Reid headed a team of researchers from the University of Auckland have looked at the test results of more than 12,000 patients. The results of the study were posted in the online version of BMJ last Thursday. The risk of heart atta...

People who suffer from sleep apnea are at a higher risk for heart disease, according to the results of a study released by the American Heart Association. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where the individual experiences an interruption in his or her breathing during sleep. This condition affects approximately 24 percent of men and nine percent of women. Snoring is one symptom, but people who have sleep apnea may also experience drowsiness during the day, a lack of quality sleep and a choking or gasping sensation when they wake up. Headaches in the morning may also be a sign of sleep apnea. The study followed a total of 4,422 participants (1,927 men and 2,495 women) over a 8 1/2 year period. When the study started, all of them were screened and had healthy hearts. The male study su...

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a psychological disorder characterized by excessive worry about everyday events. People living with it experience a level of discomfort that is out of proportion for the cause of concern. If you have been diagnosed with GAD, you are in good company; over six million people in the United States have it. You also may be at a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. Patients with stable Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), where the symptoms of chest pain are relieved within 10 minutes with rest and/or medications, and GAD are more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or a stroke. Why are anxiety disorders and cardiovascular disease related? People with anxiety issues are less likely to be taking good care of themselves. They are...

All you World Cup soccer fans (and those who love them) take note: getting heavily involved following the action on the field can lead to heart attack. A study conducted during the last World Cup competition found that rates for heart attacks doubled during the competition. According to Dr. Gal Dubnov, chief of sports medicine at Sheba Medical Center, the problem stems from a combination of lack of physical activity and eating more snack foods during the tournament. Getting stressed out because your team isn’t doing well or celebrating because it is may be bad for your heart. The results of a survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine shared details about the number of heart attacks experienced by World Cup viewers in Germany in 2006. During the tournament when the Germa...

You already know that exposure to air pollution is hazardous to your health, but did you know that it can be fatal? The results of an Australian study have found that breathing in dirty air can trigger sudden cardiac arrest in some people. Heavily polluted air contains dust, soot and other materials that are inhaled into the lungs. These pollutants have been linked to various health issues, such as heart disease and clogged arteries. People who are living with chronic health issues, especially those affecting the respiratory system, are at a higher risk for lung damage caused by exposure to air pollution. Even those individuals who have no prior history of heart or lung problems can have a heart attack or even experience sudden cardiac arrest after exposure to polluted air. Australian rese...

If you have been thinking that spending too much time at work could be bad for your heart health, you may be right. The results of a study conducted on British civil servants indicate that working overtime can increase the risk of cardiac issues. The results, which were published in the European Heart Journal, followed 10,000 people, found that the government workers who worked more than three hours longer than the standard seven-hour workday had a 60 percent higher risk of having a non-fatal heart attack or angina, or developing heart disease. The reason working long hours and increased risk of heart disease are related may be due to increased stress involved in spending more time on the job. A person who puts in long hours at work may be a Type A personality. This type of person is alrea...

An implantable cardiac defibrillator is (ICD) is about the same size as a pager. It is worn internally to continuously monitor the heart. Like a pacemaker, the ICD can send a signal to a heart that is not beating quickly enough. It can also administer an electric shock to correct a situation where the heart is beating too rapidly. How an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator Works The ICD is positioned in the chest, near the collarbone. Wires connect the device to the heart. The ICD provides continuous monitoring of the heart, and takes steps to correct any abnormalities in the heart rate or rhythm. Who Needs a ICD? A person who has or is experiencing irregular heartbeats may be a good candidate for a ICD. Another case where the doctor may recommend a ICD is where the patient has had a heart a...

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...

Many of us have had our hearts broken when love doesn’t work out the way we had hoped. Broken Heart Syndrome, also known as “stress cardiomyopathy,” is a very real medical condition that can resemble a heart attack. Broken Heart Syndrome Defined Broken Heart Syndrome is a condition that is caused by a surge of adrenalin and other hormones in the body. It occurs when a person is under extreme stress, which causes the heart muscle to weaken. The left ventricle, which is the pumping chamber of the heart, stops contracting in a normal manner. Doctors treating patients who have been diagnosed with a heart attack are treating people with Broken Heart Syndrome in about 2 percent of cases. The classic case of Broken Heart Syndrome is where a woman gets the news that her husband h...