American Heart Association reports Protein modified by researchers may reduce heart attack damage
March 5, 2012
Dallas, TX – Scientists modified a protein in the heart which dramatically reduced cell damage after heart attacks, according to new research published the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
The modified protein reduced cell damage by 50 percent in mice without causing harmful inflammation, the researchers found. Those results came during research looking at ways to prevent heart failure induced by heart attack. [Read more]
American Heart Association reports Long-time diabetics have increased Risk of Stroke
March 1, 2012
Dallas, TX – The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk for stroke, according to a study in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal.
In the study, diabetes increased stroke risk 3 percent each year and tripled the risk for people who had diabetes for 10 years or more, compared to people without diabetes.
“The findings emphasize the chronic nature of diabetes and the fact that it damages the blood vessels over time,” said Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., the study’s senior author and associate chairman of neurology for clinical research and training at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. [Read more]
Tennessee Department of Health confirms Rabies in Two Horses in Middle Tennessee
March 1, 2012
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Departments of Health and Agriculture announce that rabies has been diagnosed in two horses. One horse, submitted for testing in January 2012, died in rural Rutherford County, and the other was submitted in February from Marshall County.
Both horses had a type of rabies virus found in skunks in Tennessee, although it is not known how they were infected. [Read more]
American Heart Association reports eating Citrus Fruit may lower Women’s Stroke Risk
February 26, 2012
Dallas, TX – A compound in citrus fruits may reduce your stroke risk, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
This prospective study is one of the first in which researchers examine how consuming flavonoid subclasses affects the risk of stroke. Flavonoids are a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine. [Read more]
American Heart Assocation reports Pregnancy-related complications predict cardiovascular problems in middle age
February 24, 2012
Dallas, TX – If you develop pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders or diabetes, you may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“We wanted to learn about possible explanations as to why women with pregnancy complications tend to have more heart disease later in life,” said Abigail Fraser, M.P.H., Ph.D., School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. [Read more]
Peripheral artery disease undertreated, understudied in Women
February 16, 2012
American Heart Association Scientific Statement
Dallas, TX – Women with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, are two to three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack than those without it ― yet it’s often unrecognized and untreated, especially in women, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.
The statement is published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. [Read more]
Calls for Lower Sodium Food Grow
February 3, 2012
Consumers Union Urges FDA to Limit Sodium Levels in Food
Washington, D.C. – When it comes to sodium levels in food, consumers are asking the food industry for just a pinch. Nearly 7,000 consumers joined Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, in a recent petition supporting regulatory efforts to set national, industry-wide targets to reduce sodium in processed and restaurant foods. [Read more]
American Heart Month reminds us what we can do to beat the No. 1 killer
February 1, 2012
Nashville, TN – Today is the start of American Heart Month and it’s a good time to look at the statistics – and how we can improve them.
Cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 killer of men and women, killing about 800,000 Americans each year, and nearly 20,000 right here in Tennessee. That’s more than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. [Read more]
Grief over losing loved one linked to higher heart attack risks
January 12, 2012
Dallas, TX – Your risk of heart attack may increase during the days and weeks after the death of a close loved one, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Caretakers, healthcare providers, and the bereaved themselves need to recognize they are in a period of heightened risk in the days and weeks after hearing of someone close dying,” said Murray Mittleman, M.D., Dr.P.H., a preventive cardiologist and epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and School of Public Health’s epidemiology department in Boston, MA. [Read more]
A Pap Test and a Vaccine May Save Your Life
January 11, 2012
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Nashville, TN – January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and the Tennessee Department of Health is urging all women to get screened for cervical cancer in 2012. Cervical cancer is a silent killer that strikes without symptoms or pain until the disease is in the most advanced stage.
“The survival rate is almost 100 percent for women whose cervical cancer is found at an early stage. Deaths from cervical cancer could be decreased dramatically through the combination of vaccination and regular Pap testing,” Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, said. “We urge all women to get screened for cervical cancer and talk to their health care providers about ways to prevent and reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.” [Read more]
