Angina medicine could protect from carbon monoxide poisoning

Scientists funded by The British Heart Foundation have found that a commonly-used drug for treating angina could help protect the heart from damage caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is difficult for people to detect - it can be produced by faulty gas appliances such as heaters. Poisoning from the gas causes 1.6 million deaths worldwide every year - it causes many people to develop heart rhythm problems called arrhythmias which, if left untreated, can be fatal. The team, made up of scientists from around the world but led by the University of Leeds, looked at how carbon monoxide triggers these arrhythmias. The researchers have improved our understanding of the damage that occurs in the heart's cells after breathing in carbon monoxide. This is vital if we are to develop effective treatments

Stem cell therapy for angina patients

About 250,000 people in Britain suffer from angina, a chronic condition usually caused by heart disease. While many have surgery or take medication, for a significant number this only has a limited effect and they continue to suffer frequent bouts of pain. However, now a US study has found that a novel stem cell technique could markedly improve their quality of life. The method involves patients being injected with a particular type of stem cell harvested from their own bone marrow, which help make blood vessels. A study of 167 patients found that those injected with doses of the CD34+ stem cells went on to report far fewer angina attacks than those given a placebo - The Telegraph

A North American first at the Montreal Heart Institute could help treat thousands of Canadians

The interventional cardiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute recently began patient enrolment for a new device, the Neovasc Reducer, designed to treat patients suffering from refractory angina. The treatment method is a first in North America and is being conducted as part of an international study, the COSIRA trial. This innovative treatment is promising for thousands of Canadians disabled by refractory angina and who lack alternatives for relieving their symptoms and improving their quality of life

Knowledgeable patients ignore chest pain (USA)

"When it comes to seeking treatment for chest pain, education doesn't always mean people do the right thing. In a new study, heart patients who received counseling about heart attack symptoms and when to get treatment were no more likely to get immediate care than those who had not received counseling. This is disappointing because patients who receive care within 90 minutes after the onset of heart attack symptoms fare much better. The study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, included 3,522 patients with documented heart disease. Patients had a mean age of 67 years; two-thirds were men. About half of the patients received counseling. During the next two years, 565 of the study participants were admitted to the hospital with chest pain symptoms. Some were admitted more than once. Even after learning the value of getting to the hospital quickly and using the emergency medical system (EMS), the group that received counseling was not significantly more likely to do these things than the comparison group that didn't get counseling" - WebMD

Heart study shows many suffer poor quality of life (Australia)

"The world's largest quality of life study of chronic angina patients has revealed that almost one in three experience frequent chest pain, which affects their daily life. The collaborative project between the University of Adelaide and Servier Australia surveyed more than 2000 chronic angina patients attending general practice clinics throughout Australia and has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Lead author Associate Professor John Beltrame says the study showed that 29% of patients experienced angina chest pain at least once a week, despite contemporary treatments which include medications, balloon/stent treatments and bypass surgery" - PhysOrg.com

Men with angina 'at greater risk' (UK)

"Men with angina are much more likely than women to develop further serious heart problems, a study suggests. Researchers found male patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack and almost three times as likely to suffer a heart disease-related death. Angina, a type of chest pain, is common and can be the first sign of heart disease - but the risks are unclear. The study of UK patients, led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, appears in the British Medical Journal"

How wonderpants cured my angina and gave me my life back (UK)

"Sandra Ansley was just 50 when she was diagnosed with angina, the painful and disabling heart condition that affects 100,000 new UK sufferers each year. 'I was fit and healthy,' says the mother of two from Charlton, West Sussex. 'I have never smoked, I wasn't overweight and swam regularly. The symptoms started gradually, but before long I was in agony almost constantly.' Within a few months Sandra was housebound. She was forced to give up her job as an accountant and unable even to play with her three young grandchildren. 'The frustration was almost worse than the pain,' she says. 'An attack could even be caused by happy emotions - anything that made my heart beat faster. 'The pain was sometimes sharp and sudden, making me almost double over, and sometimes more like my chest was being pulled apart. Just walking up stairs, turning over in bed or picking something up off the floor would bring one on. 'I was breathless and had to give up swimming. I couldn't work, because simply the stress of walking into a meeting would bring it on.' Considering the severity of her condition, it is remarkable that today Sandra, now 60, is symptom-free. She runs the Woodstock House Hotel with her husband Nicholas, 50, swims twice a week and, best of all, enjoys boisterous visits from the younger members of her family. And it is all thanks to a little-known treatment known as Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP), which involves wearing a pair of inflatable trousers. - Mail

Heart Attacks: The Tipping Point

"Twenty percent of American deaths each year are caused by heart attack or angina, sometimes without any warning. But thanks to new research from Dr. Sharon Zlochiver of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, there's new hope for potential heart attack victims. By looking at the electrical activity coupling two types of heart muscle cells, Dr. Zlochiver has discovered a new way of identifying an impending attack. Dr. Zlochiver can not only predict when a heart attack will occur, but he can also help doctors - and patients - buy time before a deadly attack takes place. His research was published last year in the Biophysical Journal"

Angioplasty performed on nonagenarian (India)

"Angioplasty was performed successfully on a nonagenarian woman, S Choudhary, who was brought to the Heart Hospital in Patna here with acute anginal pain. When the doctors' team led by cardiac unit chief of the hospital Dr Bhuvanesh Agrawal examined the patient, it found that three arteries of her heart were blocked which was causing her repeated anginal pain. Dr Agrawal said that successful angioplasty of a nonagenarian patient is rare and thereby it is a good news in the field of cardiology" - Times of India

'Painful legacy' of heart attack

"One in five people recovering from a heart attack is still having chest pain a year afterwards, a US study suggests. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine reported some suffered angina every day, despite bypass surgery. A Colorado University-led team, which quizzed nearly 2,000 patients, said it was linked to smoking or depression in some cases. A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation the study could help doctors spot who was at highest risk" - BBC

Talking to patients still the best test for angina, says BHF

"In response to a study in the British Medical Journal Doctor Mike Knapton, Director of Prevention and Care at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'In the UK around 2 million people over the age of 35 suffer from angina and early diagnosis is important. This study confirms that the best way to diagnose a patient is to talk through their symptoms and medical history with their Doctor.' 'Tests such as resting or exercise ECGs can be helpful when patients present with unusual symptoms or suffer from chest pain following a heart bypass. But exercise ECG is not very good at assessing future risk, as nearly 50% of angina patients who went on to have a heart attack or die initially had a normal exercise ECG. Better risk assessment of patients with angina is needed to help identify those most at risk of heart attack or death. Any results for ECGs should be in addition to consultation with your Doctor to properly monitor your condition.'" - BHF

EKG not strong predictor of heart risk

"Performing an electrocardiogram (EKG) - the standard test for measuring the activity of the heart - is of little use in predicting future coronary problems for people who are examined because of chest pain, a British study suggests. 'In patients with stable chest pain, suspected angina, the resting EKG was of no incremental prognostic value as a means of assessing the risk of patients having further coronary events,' said study author Dr. Adam Timmis, a professor of clinical cardiology at London Chest Hospital. The findings were published in the November 14 online issue of the BMJ." - HealthDay News

In women, oversize waistlines are a potent risk factor for heart disease

"A heart expert at Johns Hopkins is calling for all women with a waistline measuring more than 35 inches to get an annual check-up and detailed risk assessment for heart problems because excess abdominal fat, even in the mildly obese and overweight, leads more than a third of women to underestimate their lifetime risk of having a heart attack, stroke or chest pain (angina). Cardiologist Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S. says the recommendation is based on a national, multicity screening of 8,936 women, ages 35 to 63, for heart disease risk factors. The screening, she says, found a strikingly high number of overweight American women whose stretched girth was tied to a serious underestimation of risk using traditional tools to assess heart health"

Toni Braxton medical concerns as she takes on Dancing With The Stars

"Toni Braxton, 40, is facing a daily fight to get herself into shape for this season's Dancing With the Stars as she has been recently diagnosed with a heart condition. In May and June, Toni had to cancel a number of her Las Vegas shows after severe breathing problems sent her to the hospital. Toni has since been diagnosed with coronary microvascular angina, a condition which starves parts of the body of oxygenated blood. Due to the fact that she has spent the summer trying to control the condition by learning how to balance her medication, she has decided that her goal is not to win the contest, but make it through rehearsals to get to episode one" - RealityTVMagazine.com