Aortic valve stenosis occurs when calcium deposits in the valve cause leaflets hardening. It is a degenerative process that gets worse as the person ages. As the disease develops, valve opening is narrowed, obstructing blood flow and forcing the heart to pump harder. Aortic valve replacement is the standard treatment for severe aortic stenosis. Without…
Mortality by infarction is lower in men and higher in women
In the last decades, mortality by MI infarction has seen a reduction in men but keeps increasing in women and one of the reasons points out symptoms are more visible in men, which results in better and effective treatment for men. According to official data, a total of 380,000 women suffer heart attacks in the…
Warning against cardiovascular risk of Diclofenac
Diclofenac is the most popular of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) in 15 countries, according to studies, and it is listed as an essential medicine in 74 middle and high income countries, despite its association to heart attack and stroke in vulnerable patients, alerts a study published in PLoS Medicine manazine. This risk, claim the authors,…
Unemployment can affect cardiovascular health
Obesity, tobacco, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, the main causes of more than 17 million deaths by infarction in the world, now add to this list loosing or working precarious jobs. Though there is no significant research on this issue, Dr Mauricio Torres, specialized in occupational health and president of the Health Policies International Association,…
Deaths by cardiovascular disease drop less than expected
Death caused by cardiovascular disease still strikes hard in Argentina. During the last decade, mortality rates from cardiovascular conditions, including infarction, stroke, hypertension and arrhythmia, dropped a mere 6%, according to the registry of vital statistics of de National Health Ministry. In the previous decade, this rate was lower: it had reduced 22%. This difference…
Calcium intake did not affect cardiovascular health
Medical experts say there is no excuse to suspend calcium intake or calcium mineral supplements and that everyone should consume between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day to prevent osteoporosis and, consequently, the risk of fractures. Controversy indicated that calcium intake promoted the formation of atheromatous plaques and increased the risk of heart attack was…
Living with a partner reduces the probabilities of having a heart attack
Being married, living with a spouse or partner, is a factor in reducing risk of heart attacks in men and women of all ages, according to a study conducted in Finland and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. According to the study results, single men, divorced or widowed suffered between 58 and 66…
Vegetarians have lower cardiovascular risk
A British study has shown that vegans have a 32% lower risk of suffering from vascular diseases. The trial that included 45,000 men and women stated that vegans also have lower risk of developing diabetes and lower MBI (max body index) which signals overweight and obesity. Results also show the importance of eating habits in…
What do adults have in common with unexplained stroke, patients with migraine with aura and divers with decompression mishaps?
A small hole in the atrial septum can cause any severe neurological disorders, patent foramen ovale (PFO) – a cause or trigger that today can be given safe treatment without drug therapy for a long duration. Before birth there is a connection between the two atria, which closes immediately after birth, but for approximately 20%…
Alcohol dilemma: Cardiovascular enjoyment and benefits versus cancer
Moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to cardiovascular health benefits however, this finding could be affected by a recent study that links alcohol intake to an increased risk of mortality caused by several types of cancer. A team of researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute revealed that within 560,000 cancer deaths during 2009 in…
Hair: measuring stress and cardiovascular disease
A recent study has shown that hair analysis allows us to evaluate the level of cortisol and stress hormone over a few months while the results from blood tests indicate the status only at the particular time of the test. A rising level of cortisol, like hypertension and excess abdominal fat, increases the risk of…