Early cholesterol problems spell trouble for middle-aged arteries

"Researchers say too much cholesterol isn't safe - at any age. And a recent study suggests it really does matter what you eat and how much you exercise in your 20s and 30s. How come? A heart-healthy diet and regular exercise can lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. That's the stuff that can really clog up arteries that feed the heart. And, it turns out, the clogging process starts early. So it's never too soon to start being nicer to your heart. Seems obvious, right? But researchers say the medical community hasn't fully appreciated the consequences of high cholesterol during young adulthood. Now, though, a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine sheds some interesting light on how plaques build up" - GBP News

Scots' cholesterol research could be life-saver

Scottish scientists have discovered new genes linked to high cholesterol, paving the way for tests to predict a person's risk of heart disease. An international team of researchers, including experts at Edinburgh University, studied the genetic make-up of more than 100,000 volunteers to help to pinpoint genes which might have an impact on cholesterol levels. The scientists said the study showed for the first time that it was possible to predict who was likely to develop high cholesterol using a genetic blood test - Scotsman

Poorest people at highest heart disease risk: U.S. data

Socioeconomic status plays a more important role than race or ethnicity in cardiovascular disease risk disparities in the United States, a new study has found. Researchers analyzed data from 12,154 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2006) and found that the poorest people have the highest risk of cardiovascular disease, but there are few differences in risk between racial and ethnic groups. The study included whites, blacks, U.S.-born Mexican Americans and foreign-born Mexican Americans. The lower a person's socioeconomic status, the greater their risk for cardiovascular disease - in all racial and ethnic groups, the investigators found

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"

Staying up late may up heart disease risk

Staying up until 2 a.m. and upsetting the body's internal clock might come with serious consequences for lipid metabolism, a U.S. researcher suggests. M. Mahmood Hussain of the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center says circadian rhythm gets thrown off by staying up late or by traveling it may result in high triglycerides - fatty acids in the blood - a risk factor for heart disease. Plasma triglycerides double or triple during the course of the day, reaching their lowest point at night when nocturnal animals eat and are most active

Scientists find 95 blood-fat genetic links to heart disease

In the largest study of its kind, an international team of scientists has identified 95 genetic variants associated with fat, or lipid, levels in the blood that can contribute to heart disease. Together, the gene variants - 59 of which were linked to lipid metabolism for the first time - explain about one-quarter of the inherited variations in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, researchers reported in today's issue of Nature. Diet and exercise also influence blood lipid levels

A built-in source for new heart cells

"In heart disease, cardiac muscle gradually dies off and, with little or no way to regenerate those cells, that can ultimately lead the heart to fail. But scientists reporting in the August 6th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, might have found a way to fix those losses. They've devised a three-ingredient molecular cocktail that transforms fibroblasts – structural cells that the heart is chock full of – directly into beating heart cells. "In the cardiac field, we've been trying for over 20 years to figure out how to convert non-muscle cells into cardiac muscle," said Deepak Srivastava of the University of California, San Francisco. "Now we've found a way to change fibroblasts – which make up 50 percent of all heart cells -- into new cardiomyocytes." Researchers had been searching for a master regulator of cardiac muscle – a single ingredient that could drive the formation of heart muscle. That kind of master had been found for skeletal muscle in the 1980s, but finding the same for the heart turned out to be a bigger challenge" - EurekAlert

Aspirin doesn't prevent many heart attacks (Canada)

"A low-dose aspirin taken daily only reduces the risk of a first heart attack by less than 1 percent, Canadian researchers found. Study co-authors Dr. Michael Bayliss, a cardiologist now working in Ontario, and Dr. Andrew Ignaszewski, head of the University of British Columbia's division of cardiology at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, said they found a daily aspirin reduces the risk of having a first heart attack, a stroke or death from vascular disease by .06 percent per year, the Vancouver Sun reported Thursday. However, the study authors said previous studies showed for those with a history of heart attacks, an aspirin reduces the risk of another attack by 20 percent and reduced the risk of stroke in women. The study, published in the British Columbia Medical Journal, said there is no evidence that an aspirin reduces the risk of heart attacks for women or diabetics. The study authors said it is not known why aspirin might affect men more than women but it might have something to do with how the drug is metabolized in the presence of male and female hormones" - UPI

Fit heart can slow brain ageing, US researchers say

"Keeping your heart fit and strong can slow down the ageing of your brain, US researchers say. A Boston University team found healthy people with sluggish hearts that pumped out less blood had "older" brains on scans than others. Out of the 1,500 people studied, the team observed that the brain shrinks as it ages. A poor cardiac output aged the brain by nearly two years on average, Circulation journal says. The link was seen in younger people in their 30s who did not have heart disease, as well as elderly people who did"

Researchers tap inner fat to predict heart attack risk (Canada)

"First came BMI. Now comes hypertriglyceridemic waist - a cheap and simple way to identify people at increased risk of heart attack due to excess abdominal fat, even if they do not look obese. In a study published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers from Quebec City's Laval University are reporting that a large waistline and high triglycerides - a type of blood fat - substantially increase the risk of coronary artery disease in both men and women" - Canada.com

The European Cook Book

"The European Cook Book is a unique collection of mouth-watering and culturally diverse recipes provided by the European Society of Cardiology National and Affiliated Societies. More than 40 tempting 3-course menus from around the world, combined with a comprehensive, but easy-to-understand section about the cardiovascular system, conditions which affect it and tips for improving and maintaining a healthy heart"

Life After Stroke Awards 2010 winners (UK)

"As the only national charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke, The Stroke Association recognises the huge and overwhelming impact a stroke can have. A host of celebrities honoured the achievements of stroke survivors at a star-studded Life After Stroke Awards in Central London on Tuesday June 15, 2010. Outstanding stroke survivors, carers, volunteers, major donors, corporate supporters and health professionals from across the UK were presented with their awards by a number of famous faces. This year's winners ranged from a 15 year old girl who is battling back to fitness following a devastating stroke at the age of 12, to a 70 year old lady who spent five years recovering from her stroke before setting up her very own local stroke club. There was a total of eleven Life After Stroke Awards dished out at Claridge's Hotel in what proved to be an emotional day for both winners and guests alike. The Life After Stroke Awards were hosted by DJ Neil 'Doctor' Fox with other celebrity guests including fashion designer Gareth Pugh, TV health expert Dr Hilary Jones, Welsh rugby star Michael Owen, acclaimed businesswomen Karren Brady and Hilary Devey, and actors Rupert Graves, Wendi Peters and Michelle Collins. Over 220 people from across the UK were nominated for a Life After Stroke Award in 2010. The Life After Stroke Awards 2010 are sponsored by LighterLife and Next"

Eating chocolate 'as good for your heart as 30 minutes exercise' (Australia)

"Researchers at the University of Adelaide found that dark chocolate "significantly" decreased blood pressure in subjects with hypertension. The benefits stem from chemicals called flanavols, which are present in high quantities in cocoa beans. The chemical stimulates the production of endothelial nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to dilate. The research concluded that eating food high in flanavols could have an effect on blood pressure equivalent to that produced by 30 minutes of exercise. But the study stopped short of recommending the replacement of hypertension drugs with a chocolate diet. The sugar and fat found in the snacks could have a harmful effect on the heart, they said. "

Mixed results from major 5-year US diabetes study

A five-year study aimed at finding ways to reduce some complications of diabetes tried several approaches but failed to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. But the study did identify some effective ways to reduce common vision, kidney, and nerve-related problems

Mending Broken Hearts Art Tour (UK)

"The British Heart Foundation will be celebrating its 50th birthday next year. To mark this occasion, a fantastic array of leading contemporary British artists, including Sir Peter Blake, have created original works of art on the theme of 'Mending Broken Hearts'"