May Living Close To Major Roads Be Linked To Reduced Survival After a Heart Attack?

A new study, published in "Circulation" finds that heart attack survivors who live close to major roads are at increased risk for death from all causes during a 10-year span. "Investigators" looked at more than 3,500 heart attack survivors with an average age of 62 and found that those who lived less than about 330 feet from a major road were 27 percent more likely to die over 10 years than those who lived about 3,300 feet or more away. The researchers found that "patients who lived about 330 to 650 feet away from a major road had a 19 percent increased risk of death, and those who lived about 650 to 3,300 feet away had a 13 percent increased risk of death."

Elective PCI May Be Safe At Centers Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery.

The CPORT-E trial, presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, "provides strong evidence that PCI can in fact be performed safely and effectively at hospitals without surgical backup." At nine months, the rate of major adverse cardiac events -- a composite of death, Q-wave MI, or target vessel revascularization -- was 12.1% in patients treated at centers without surgical back-up and 11.2% in those treated at centers with back-up (P=0.05 for noninferiority). Investigators reported that, "of the individual components of the endpoint, target vessel revascularization was significantly more common in the group without surgical back-up (6.5% versus 5.4%, P=0.01)." "The overall findings support recently updated ACC/AHA guidelines that gave a qualified thumbs-up to elective PCI at non-cardiac-surgery centers. Chocolate is heart Friendly; good for the heart especially dark chocolate.

Survey looks at doctors' happiness, health by specialty

Of physicians surveyed, rheumatologists rate themselves happiest, scoring 4.09 on a 5-point scale, while dermatologists, urologists, ophthalmologists and emergency medicine physicians also showed high happiness rates, according to the Medscape/WebMD's 2012 Physician Lifestyle Report. The unscientific poll, which also asked participants to rate their health, found that dermatologists said they were healthiest, closely followed by plastic surgeons, diabeticians/endocrinologists, orthopedists and cardiologists.

More Research Points To Importance Of Controlling Blood Pressure Early.

An increasing number of studies indicate that taking steps to control blood pressure earlier in life may better help individuals reduce heart risks, compared to waiting until reaching middle age. Being that blood pressure generally increases as one gets older, it is especially imperative to spot signs of hypertension early in order to reduce the risks associated with the condition.

Women Taking Statins May Have Increased Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes.

People who take statins to reduce their cholesterol are at slightly higher risk of diabetes. According to the study published online Jan. 9 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, "women who take Lipitor [atorvastatin] or other statin drugs for cholesterol have approaching a 50% greater chance of developing diabetes, according to this study," a find that "affects potentially millions of Americans." Chief science correspondent Robert Bazell added, "The study out today from the governments Women's Health Initiative, followed more than 150,000 women over 50 with and without heart disease for about ten years. They found those taking statin drugs had a 48% greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes." The heightened risk for diabetes was most pronounced in statin-taking women of Asian origin or those with a body mass index, or BMI, in the healthy range. Despite these findings, the "study authors advise patients not to stop taking their medications without talking to a doctor, because statins' proven power to prevent heart attacks and strokes outweighs any potential increase in type 2 diabetes risk

Group Says Sex Poses Little Risk For Heart Attack Survivors.

The American Heart Association [AHA] answered the question of when it is safe to resume sex following a heart attack "with new guidelines." Its first science-based recommendations on the subject, the American Heart Association says having sex only slightly raises the chance for a heart attack. And that's true for people with and without heart disease." The act of intercourse is generally comparable to climbing two flights of stairs, said Glenn Levine, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the paper's lead author. The scientific statement, published in the...heart group's journal, Circulation, may provide a road map for doctors to counsel patients, he said. That individuals "who undergo cardiac rehab or who exercise regularly have a lower risk of complications related to sexual activity, the authors said." Typically, "medications for erectile dysfunction are safe for men with stable cardiovascular disease." "Most cardiologists fail to raise the topic with their patients, and they are even less likely to ask about anxiety or depression, Levine says." The heart association also cautions that there needs to be more research into how sexual activity affects the cardiovascular system of women and older people who have specific conditions. Another important consideration raised in the AHA statement-which is also endorsed by several groups, including the American College of Cardiology Foundation, "is that cardiac rehabilitation and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications in people with heart disease."

High Levels Of Harm Avoidance May Be Linked To Higher Stroke Risk.

High levels of a personality trait called harm avoidance -- which includes excessive worrying, pessimism, fear and fatigue -- is associated with a higher stroke risk, according to a study presented at the American Stroke Association meeting. Researchers found that individuals "who scored high on the Harm Avoidance Scale had a 2.4 times increased risk of microscopic stroke and a 1.8 times increased risk of a stroke that's easily visible in the brain.

Eating Purple Potatoes May Lower BP Without Weight Gain.

When overweight people included two servings of purple potatoes a day in their diet for a month, they not only reduced their blood pressure, they also didn't gain weight in the process, according to a study published online in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study of 18 middle-aged overweight adults revealed that "compared to those who went spud-free, purple potato eaters had on average drop of slightly more than 4% in diastolic pressure (the bottom number in a reading) and a drop of more than 3% in systolic pressure (the top number)." What's more, even though "potato eaters took in more calories compared to adults given no potatoes, their weight didn't change." Regardless of prior history of ischemic events

Swimming May Help Reduce Blood Pressure In Older Adults.

According to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology, swimming may help reduce blood pressure and promote healthy arteries in older individuals. The study is the fist to show vascular benefits of swimming in elderly, sedentary patients.

Air Pollution May Raise Risk Of Stroke, Cognitive Decline.

Car exhaust and other air pollution, even at levels considered safe by federal regulations, may substantially increase the risk of a stroke, a research team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has found. After reviewing the medical records of more than 1,700 stroke patients in the Boston area over 10 years, the researchers found a 34 percent increase in the risk of ischemic strokes on days with moderate air quality compared with days when the air was rated good by the US Environmental Protection Agency. A lifetime's exposure to air pollution may contribute to mental decline in older women, according to the study published online Feb. 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers found that "both exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution -- less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, or about 1/30th of the diameter of a human hair -- and coarse particulate matter -- between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter -- were associated with mental declines in women." In addition, a second study published in the same journal "found that more people were admitted to a Boston hospital for ischemic stroke on days when levels of fine particulate air pollution were high." The second study "found that short-term exposure to fine particulate matter -- even at levels allowed by the EPA – can increase the risk of ischemic stroke." Researchers "also found that the relationship between higher particulate levels and increased risk of stroke was linear, strongest within 12 hours of exposure, and was seen among patients with strokes caused by large-artery atherosclerosis or small-vessel occlusion but not cardioembolism. The reported association between ambient fine particulate matter, defined as less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5), and ischemic stroke said that the study "'adds to the already strong evidence' linking PM 2.5 to cardiovascular effects, and [added] that the analysis on cognitive function shows that 'we may not fully understand the breadth of PM health burdens.'" A second commentary also pointed out that "these findings are important, because current US and World Health Organization air quality standards focus only on daily and annual PM 2.5 mean concentrations."