Updated guide to help policy makers, providers fight cardiovascular disease (USA)

The American Heart Association has released new recommendations for policy makers and public health providers to combat heart disease and stroke on a local level. The "American Heart Association Guide for Improving Cardiovascular Health at the Community Level, 2013 Update" - evidence-based goals, strategies and recommendations for community-based public health interventions - is published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. "The future burden of cardiovascular disease, unless we can prevent it, is projected to have an enormous economic impact. Public health goals should focus on developing interventions that help make an individual's default decisions healthy," said Thomas A. Pearson, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., the co-lead author of the study. Maintaining optimal cardiovascular health can "avert the continuing progression of cardiovascular disease risk in each generation, which continues to demand remedial strategies that are too costly, too limited and often too late," said Pearson, who is senior associate dean for clinical research and director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y.

Only one in 1,000 'heart healthy'

The American Heart Association recently issued a list of seven steps to follow to minimise the chances of suffering cardiovascular disease. Its "Life's Simple Seven" are: not smoking, being physically active, not being overweight, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, keeping blood pressure down, regulating blood sugar levels, and eating healthily. But Professor Jean-Pierre Després, scientific director of the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk, said the number who met all seven criteria was vanishingly small. He said: "If you look at those simple seven, and you measure what percentage of different populations around the developed world meet those criteria, it's only 0.1 per cent. "In terms of having an optimal risk of cardiovascular disease, only one in 1,000 people is healthy." He continued: "If you only use the traditional risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure you would probably end up with 15 per cent." But when one included exercise - or the lack of it - and diet, the number who were really healthy was far smaller. "Exercise and nutrition are the two hardest indicators of cardiovascular health to meet,"he said

No proof that gum disease causes heart disease or stroke (USA)

Despite popular belief, gum disease hasn't been proven to cause atherosclerotic heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn't been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal. Keeping teeth and gums healthy is important for your overall health. However, an American Heart Association expert committee - made up of cardiologists, dentists and infectious diseases specialists - found no conclusive scientific evidence that gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, causes or increases the rates of cardiovascular diseases. Current data don't indicate whether regular brushing and flossing or treatment of gum disease can cut the incidence of atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries that can cause heart attacks and strokes. Observational studies have noted associations between gum disease and cardiovascular disease, but the 500 journal articles and studies reviewed by the committee didn't confirm a causative link

American Heart Association develops program to increase cardiac arrest survival

The American Heart Association has developed a program to help more people survive cardiac arrest. During a cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating, and unless it is restarted within minutes, the person usually dies. Mission: Lifeline is expanding to include a cardiac resuscitation program to establish and streamline systems of care for response and treatment to improve survival rates. The program will provide public education and support for coordination among the lay public, public health agencies, legislators and city officials with emergency medical services providers and hospitals to improve care for patients with cardiac arrest. Mission: Lifeline was originally launched in 2007 as a program to improve care for people suffering from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) - the deadliest form of heart attack - or damage to heart muscle caused by a blocked blood supply to the heart. The chain of survival for STEMI spans from what bystanders do to help the stricken person, to the actions of EMS and hospital personnel, to post-hospital care

Elizabeth Banks has heart attack for a cause (USA)

Elizabeth Banks has teamed up with the American Heart Association to put out a funny little public service announcement in support of heart wellness issues. In the video, part of the association's Go Red for Women campaign, Banks plays an over-stressed mom busy taking care of everything around her house while neglecting her own heart. Humor is a good way of broaching difficult subjects and the video combines serious facts along with a touch of Banks' Emmy-nominated flair. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women, according to the American Heart Association. It's also a personal issue for Banks. Her mother, father and sisters all suffer from heart disease. As a new mother, Banks says it's important for her to stay healthy for her son

Top 10 myths about cardiovascular disease (AHA)

How much do you really know about your heart's health? It's easy to be fooled by misconceptions. After all, heart disease only happens to your elderly neighbor or to your fried food-loving uncle, right? Or do you know the real truth - that heart disease can affect people of any age, even those who eat right? Relying on false assumptions can be dangerous to your heart. Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans each year than any other disease. But you can boost your heart smarts by separating fact from fiction. The American Heart Association sets the record straight on some common myths

Heart failure risk lower in women who often eat baked/broiled fish (AHA)

The risk of developing heart failure was lower for postmenopausal women who frequently ate baked or broiled fish, but higher for those who ate more fried fish, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal. In a large-scale analysis, women who ate the most baked/broiled fish (five or more servings/week) had a 30 percent lower risk of heart failure compared to women who seldom ate it (less than one serving/month). Previous research has found that fatty acids (omega-3) in fish - EPA, DHA and ALA - may lower risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing inflammation, resisting oxidative stress and improving blood pressure, cardiac and blood vessel function. This study showed that they type of fish and cooking method may affect heart failure risk. The researchers found that dark fish (salmon, mackerel and bluefish) were associated with a significantly greater risk reduction than either tuna or white fish (sole, snapper and cod). In a similar analysis, eating fried fish was associated with increased heart failure risk. Even one serving a week was associated with a 48 percent higher heart failure risk

The Patient Channel works with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association to fight cardiovascular disease in hospitals

"The American Heart Association, the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, and the Patient Channel, the largest hospital-based health and wellness TV channel in the United States, have announced a new year long campaign to help consumers understand the risks of cardiovascular disease, the nation's number one killer. The joint campaign will kick off in December with the simultaneous launching of a series of heart health related programming online and the distribution of four million educational pamphlets to hospitals, free of charge"

Essex Start! Heart Walk seeks event volunteers (USA)

"The American Heart Association is seeking volunteers to help during the Essex County Start! Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, October 17, at the ADP Corporate Campus. Presented nationally by Subway, close to 3,000 participants are expected to walk toward heart health while helping to raise funds to support the American Heart Association's mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The Essex County Start! Heart Walk is the signature fundraising event for the American Heart Association's Start! movement. This movement is a national initiative to get Americans and their employers to incorporate at least 30 minutes of activity into every day"

Evidence growing of air pollution’s link to heart disease, death (USA)

The scientific evidence linking air pollution to heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death has "substantially strengthened," and people, particularly those at high cardiovascular risk, should limit their exposure, according to an updated American Heart Association scientific statement. The evidence is strongest for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) having a causal relationship to cardiovascular disease, said the expert panel of authors who updated the association's 2004 initial statement on air pollution, also published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The major source of PM2.5 is fossil fuel combustion from industry, traffic, and power generation. Biomass burning, heating, cooking, indoor activities and forest fires may also be relevant sources, particularly in certain regions

Online program helps patients self-monitor blood pressure (USA)

An online blood-pressure monitoring program made a major difference in health management for patients with uncontrolled hypertension, new research has found. The researchers studied more than 350 patients, aged 18 to 85, who had uncontrolled high blood pressure - hypertension. The study participants were randomly assigned to receive ordinary treatment or take part in a monitoring program in conjunction with the American Heart Association's Heart360.org Web site, which helps people manage their heart health at no cost. Those who took part in the online program transmitted blood pressure readings via a home computer to their physicians. Pharmacy specialists reviewed the numbers and adjusted the medications of the patients accordingly, the study authors explained. After six months, 58 percent of those in the program had lowered their blood pressure to healthy levels, compared to just 38 percent of those in the other group, Dr. David Magid of Kaiser Permanente Colorado and colleagues found. The study findings are scheduled to be presented Friday at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke 2010 Scientific Sessions, in Washington D.C.

Walking associated with lower stroke risk in women

Women who walked two or more hours a week or who usually walked at a brisk pace (3 miles per hour or faster) had a significantly lower risk of stroke than women who didn't walk, according to a large, long-term study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The risks were lower for total stroke, clot-related (ischemic) stroke and bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke, researchers said. Compared to women who didn't walk:

* Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 37 percent lower risk of any type of stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 30 percent lower risk of any type of stroke.
* Women who typically walked at a brisk pace had a 68 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke and those who walked two or more hours a week had a 57 percent lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
* Women who usually walked at a brisk pace had a 25 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke and those who usually walked more than two hours a week had a 21 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke - both "borderline significant," according to researchers

Statement from American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown on Publication of FDA Rule Prohibiting Sales and Marketing of Tobacco to Children (USA)

Washington, DC (March 18, 2010) - The new Food and Drug Administration rule is an important step towards breaking the cycle of addiction and preventing children from developing a deadly habit. Too often, children are swayed by insidious marketing campaigns from the tobacco industry that encourage them to adopt a destructive lifestyle. About 3,500 children a day smoke their first cigarette - more than the total population of many small towns and municipalities - and about 1,100 become new, regular daily smokers. This rule will prohibit the sale, distribution and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to youth and put an end to certain marketing gimmicks used by the industry to sell and promote cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to children. Cigarette advertising and promotional expenditures have more than doubled over the last decade and much of this increase has been used to reach children and teens in places such as convenience stores and magazines. Cigarette smoking dramatically increases the risk for heart disease and stroke with one-third of smoking related deaths linked to cardiovascular disease. Millions of children who begin a lifelong smoking habit will eventually die prematurely and put the health of their loved ones at risk. We're gratified that the regulation, which implements part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, will help children lead healthier lives and curb the tobacco industry's campaign to recruit young smokers.

Contact: Suzanne Ffolkes, Director of Media Advocacy, 202-785-7929

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages daily linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, increased healthcare costs

More Americans now drink sugar-sweetened sodas, sport drinks and fruit drinks daily, and this increase in consumption has led to more diabetes and heart disease over the past decade, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. Using the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Policy Model, a well-established computer simulation model of the national population age 35 and older, researchers estimate that the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages between 1990 and 2000 contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease (CHD), and 50,000 additional life-years burdened by coronary heart disease over the past decade. Sugar-sweetened soda, sport and fruit drinks (not 100 percent fruit juice) contain equivalent calories, ranging from 120 to 200 per drink, and thus play a role in the nation’s rising tide of obesity, researchers said. Previous research has linked daily consumption of these sugary beverages to an increased risk of diabetes, even apart from excessive weight gain - AHA

Long-term physical activity has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level (USA)

"Intensive exercise prevented shortening of telomeres, a protective effect against aging of the cardiovascular system, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers measured the length of telomeres - the DNA that bookends the chromosomes and protects the ends from damage - in blood samples from two groups of professional athletes and two groups who were healthy nonsmokers, but not regular exercisers. The telomere shortening mechanism limits cells to a fixed number of divisions and can be regarded as a "biological clock." Gradual shortening of telomeres through cell divisions leads to aging on the cellular level and may limit lifetimes. When the telomeres become critically short the cell undergoes death. The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to researchers who discovered the nature of telomeres and how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase."

Meditation 'eases heart disease' (USA)

"Heart disease patients who practise Transcendental Meditation have reduced death rates, US researchers have said. At a meeting of the American Heart Association they said they had randomly assigned 201 African Americans to meditate or to make lifestyle changes. After nine years, the meditation group had a 47% reduction in deaths, heart attacks and strokes. The research was carried out by the Medical College in Wisconsin with the Maharishi University in Iowa. It was funded by a GBP2.3m grant from the National Institute of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute" - BBC

American Heart Association - Scientific Sessions 2009

Scientific Sessions, November 14-18 2009, Orlando, Florida, USA, is structured around seven cardiovascular cores that reflect the evolution of scientific investigation and practice; include and integrate basic, clinical, population and translational science; and will increase interaction among attendees. Our goals in organizing this year's Scientific Sessions are listed below:

* To present recent advances in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke for physicians, scientists (basic, clinical population and translational), nurses and healthcare professionals.
* To present new clinical research advances through the Late-Breaking Clinical Trials sessions.
* To provide a forum for the exchange of new research by scientists/investigators working in cardiovascular disease and stroke.
* To provide an opportunity, in various forums including small groups, for attendees to interact with experts in question-and-answer sessions related to daily practice and public health issues.
* To provide, through the Cardiovascular Seminars, How-To Sessions, Daytime Seminars and Sunday Morning Programs, a review of current patterns in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
* To provide attendees, through the Plenary Sessions, an opportunity to learn about state-of-the-art cardiovascular research and how it applies to clinical practice.

American Heart Association launches quality improvement program for healthcare professional offices

"The American Heart Association has launched a new program to improve the quality of patient care in the healthcare professional office setting. Get With The Guidelines®-Outpatient is the latest in a series of the association’s quality improvement initiatives. It builds on the success of nearly 10 years experience in quality improvement and over two million lives touched through the Get With The Guidelines suite, including Get With The Guidelines®-Coronary Artery Disease, Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure and Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke"

Women's cardiology pioneer receives American Heart Association's 2009 Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award

"C. Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., an internationally recognized authority on women's heart health, will receive the American Heart Association's 2009 Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award at the organization's Scientific Sessions 2009, to be held in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center November 14-18. Bairey Merz is director of the Women's Heart Center and the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. She also holds the Women's Guild Endowed Chair in Women's Health and is a professor of medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Since 1997, Bairey Merz has served as chair of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored multicenter study, Women's Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation (WISE). The ongoing study investigates the diagnoses and treatment of women's heart disease, often uncovering differences between the genders when it comes to heart disease symptoms and treatments"

Heart Insight - November 2009

Heart Insight is a free quarterly magazine published by the American Heart Association and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, for patients, their families and caregivers. November 2009 Vol 3. Issue 4 now available online