Obesity costs $147 bn a year, US researchers say

Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 per cent of all medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion (£89 billion) a year, US researchers said on Monday. They said obese people spend 40 per cent more - or $1,429 (£867) more per year - in healthcare costs than people of normal weight. Overall obesity-related health spending has doubled in less than 10 years, according to the study published on Monday by the journal Health Affairs. "It is critical that we take effective steps to contain and reduce the enormous burden of obesity on our nation," Dr Thomas Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news conference at a CDC obesity meeting where the study was presented. "Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort," Dr Frieden said. "It will be done successfully as a society."

Heart risk rising in younger Canadians

"Cardiovascular disease is declining in Canada overall, but it is increasing in adults under age 50 of lower socioeconomic status, researchers said. The researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Center at Toronto General Hospital studied national trends in heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking prevalence from 1994-2005. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found the prevalence of heart disease and diabetes is rising fastest among Canadians of lower socioeconomic status. However, the prevalence of hypertension and obesity is increasing in nearly all Canadians, but is rising fastest in those with higher incomes" - UPI

Cigarette packaging design impacts safety (Canada)

"A majority of consumers say cigarettes are less hazardous when the packs display words such as "silver" or "smooth," Canadian researchers find. Study leader David Hammond of the University of Waterloo calls for for the list of words banned from cigarette packaging to be expanded beyond the current prohibition of "light," "mild" and "low-tar." Hammond also suggests that other pack design elements may need to be eliminated to prevent consumers erroneously believing that one brand is less harmful than another. "Our study found that commonly used words not covered by the bans, as well as other packaging design elements such as color, the use of numbers and references to filters, were just as misleading, which means there's a loophole that needs to be closed," Hammond says in a statement" - UPI

Raw and smelly, fresh crushed garlic is best for the heart

Garlic is best for your heart when it is raw, crushed and smelly rather than when it is processed or cooked, according to a study by U.S. scientists. For centuries garlic has been hailed for its health benefits but cardiovascular researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine said they have the first scientific evidence that freshly crushed garlic has more potent heart-healthy effects than dried garlic. Their study, based on feeding garlic to rats for 30 days, also challenged the belief that most of garlic's benefits are due to its rich array of antioxidants. - Reuters

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High calcium level in arteries "signals heart attack risk"

High calcium level in arteries may signal serious risk of heart attack, according to a new study. The study, published in the online edition of Radiology, claims that scientists may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease, thanks to coronary calcium scoring - ANI

Many heart disease patients not referred for rehab (USA)

Despite evidence that cardiac rehabilitation helps patients following discharge from the hospital, almost half of heart disease patients eligible for such rehabilitation are not referred for it, according to a new study. Cardiac rehabilitation involves exercise and counseling on diet and other risk factors. It has been shown to decrease the likelihood of future heart problems. Dr. Todd M. Brown, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, analyzed data from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines program. Included were 72,817 patients who were discharged from 156 hospitals in the US after a heart attack or procedure such as placement of a stent or bypass surgery to clear blocked arteries feeding the heart, between January 2000 and September 2007. Brown and colleagues note in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that just 56 percent of patients were referred for cardiac rehabilitation, the report indicates. Those who had undergone bypass operations were more likely - 74 percent overall - to be referred. "Increased physician awareness about the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and initiatives to overcome barriers to referral are critical to improve the quality of care of patients with coronary artery disease," the authors conclude. SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, August 4, 2009 - Reuters

New link between depression and heart disease (Canada)

Researchers have identified an enzyme that may trigger depressive symptoms in patients with heart disease and may help to explain why general antidepressants are often not as effective for these specific patients. "Our study confirms that depressive symptoms are associated with inflammation in patients with heart disease and suggests a mechanism by which the brain might be affected," says Walter Swardfager, lead author of a new study and PhD candidate in the Neuropsychopharmacology Research Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada

Death data boost to cardiac care

"Outcomes for adult cardiac patients in the UK have improved significantly since publication of information on death rates, research suggests. The study also found more elderly and high-risk patients were now being treated, despite fears surgeons would not want to take them on. It is based on analysis of more than 400,000 operations by the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery. Experts said all surgical specialties should now publish data on death rates" - BBC

Transplant for heart refusal girl (UK)

"A terminally ill girl who won the right to refuse a heart transplant is thought to have undergone the operation. Great Ormond Street Hospital in London has confirmed Hannah Jones, 14, from Marden, near Hereford, is a patient. In a statement, the hospital said she had been admitted but refused to comment further on her case. Hannah, whose heart has been weakened by medication for leukaemia, is thought to have been transferred to the hospital on Tuesday night" - BBC

Heart risks 'missed in smokers'

High blood pressure is picked up less often in people who smoke, despite them being at higher risk of heart disease, research suggests. A study of more than 20,000 men and women in England found smokers were less likely to be aware that they had high blood pressure than non-smokers. The University College London team said spotting the condition was particularly important in those who smoke. Being diagnosed can also prompt people to quit, heart experts said. Smoking and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are both key causes of early death, the researchers wrote in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation

Louisville man gets groundbreaking cardiac stem cell treatment

"After two heart attacks, Michael Jones of Louisville suffered heart failure that made him so weak he could manage only a few football passes now and then with his grandson. But after becoming one of the world's first heart patients to get an infusion of cardiac stem cells, Jones said he works out on a treadmill and bike and feels invigorated. 'I hope to have as normal a life as anyone,' 'the self-employed painting and remodeling contractor said at a news conference Friday. 'I might even start jogging again.' Jones, 66, received an infusion of his own stem cells through a minimally invasive catheterization procedure on July 17 - as part of a clinical trial being conducted by a team of University of Louisville physicians at Jewish Hospital

'New way' to repair heart damage

Scientists say they have found a new way to mend damage to the heart. When cells turn into fully-formed adult heart muscle they stop dividing, and cannot replace tissue damaged by disease or deformity. But a US team have found a way to coax the cells to start dividing again, raising hopes they could be used to regenerate healthy tissue. The study, carried out on mice and rats by Children's Hospital Boston, appears in the journal Cell. The researchers say their work could provide an alternative to stem cell therapy, which is still largely untested, and carries a potential risk of side effects. In theory, it could be used to treat heart attack patients, those with heart failure and children with congenital heart defects. The key ingredient is a growth factor known as neuregulin1 (NRG1) - BBC

Wanted: volunteers to eat chocolate every day for a year in the name of science (UK)

Researchers studying the potential health benefits of dark chocolate at UEA in Norwich, Norfolk, need 40 women to test specially made bars. Participants must be post-menopausal and have type 2 diabetes to help see whether flavonoid compounds in chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease. Some 150 volunteers who took part in the study's first round of tests last year will soon be tested for any health benefits. Dr Peter Curtis, of the UEA's School of Medicine, said: "Our first volunteers are about to return for their final visit to see if the markers of heart health – such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels – have changed. "A successful outcome could be the first step in developing new ways to improve the lives of people at increased risk of heart disease." Researchers believe that chocolate rich in flavonoid plant compounds found in cocoa and soy could help postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes ward off heart disease.

Healthy lifestyle halves heart failure risk

Men who follow a healthy lifestyle may cut their risk of heart failure in half. Researchers say it's the first time a large study has shown that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise, alcohol use, and smoking, can have a significant impact on the lifetime risk of congestive heart failure. About 550,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and 20%-50% die from the disease. The condition occurs when the heart is no longer strong enough to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Although medical treatments can slow the progression of the disease, there is no cure. In an editorial that accompanies the study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Veronique L. Roger, MD, MPH, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., says the findings underscore a powerfully simple message - that a healthy lifestyle will help prevent heart disease and greatly enhance overall health