Tag Archives: Heart

Cigarette Smoking, Quitting, and the Risk of Heart Failure With Preserved and Reduced Ejection Fraction

For a study, researchers sought to measure the relationship between cigarette smoking and smoking cessation and the prevalence of HFpEF and HFrEF. They used multivariable Cox models to assess the associations of several established cigarette smoking parameters (smoking status, pack-years, intensity, duration, and years since cessation) with physician-adjudicated incident acute decompensated HF in 9,345 ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) study White and Black participants without a history of HF at baseline in 2005 (age range 61-81 years). There were 1,215 incident HF patients with a median follow-up […]

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Less than 1 in 5 adults with type 2 diabetes in the US are meeting optimal heart health targets

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Fewer than 1 in 5 adults with Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are meeting targets to reduce heart disease risk. Fortunately, available therapies can help when combined with new approaches that address social determinants of health and other barriers to care, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association’s flagship journal Circulation. A scientific statement is an expert analysis of current research and may inform future clinical practice guidelines. “This new scientific statement is an urgent […]

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Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Air Pollution May Raise Heart Failure Risk

City Traffic

A study including more than 22,000 female nurses in Denmark evaluated exposure over 15-20 years to air pollution and road traffic noise to evaluate the impact on heart failure. Exposure to small particulate matter and road traffic noise over three years was associated with an increased risk for heart failure. The risks were greater among women who were former smokers or women who had high blood pressure. Exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise over the course of many years may be associated with an increased […]

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Management of Obesity in Heart Patients Needs More Attention, Study Finds

At the time of hospitalization, 34.9% of patients were obese and 46.0% were overweight. About 16 months after hospitalization, 86% of patients who were obese during hospitalization were still obese, and 14% of patients who were overweight continued to gain weight, until they met the standard for obesity, which was defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or above; overweight was defined as a BMI of 25 to 30 kg/m2. Women under the age of 55 were particularly affected, with nearly half involved in the study being obese. […]

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Getting to the heart of peripheral artery disease

Published: 6/12/2021 8:58:41 PM Peripheral artery disease affects millions of Americans. What is Peripheral Artery Disease? Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a blockage of arteries, usually in the lower extremities. This blockage, known as atherosclerosis, is due to plaque buildup comprised of cholesterol, fats, and other substances. Cholesterol has a bad reputation; however, it is an essential building block of cell walls and precursor to both testosterone and estrogen. We all make cholesterol and all need it. Unfortunately, with age comes the deposition of cholesterol within arterial […]

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Efforts to prevent smoking, obesity could delay the need for angioplasty and stenting

Smokers needed their blocked arteries fixed nearly a decade earlier than non-smokers, and patients with obesity underwent these procedures four years earlier than non-obese patients, according to a new statewide study. The research included patients without a history of heart attack who were treated at hospitals across Michigan participating in BMC2, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium. The patients had undergone angioplasty and/or stenting to widen or unblock their coronary arteries and restore blood flow. Almost all of them had at least one traditional […]

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