Canadians healthier, outliving Americans

Canadians tend to lead longer, healthier lives than Americans on average, say researchers who point to lack of universal health care in the U.S. as one reason. The study in the online issue in BioMed Central's journal Population Health Metrics was based on data from the 2002-03 Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health, which offered comparable data on the health of the population in both countries. David Feeny, a dual Canadian/U.S. citizen and investigator at the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Ore., and his U.S. colleagues calculated health-adjusted life expectancy, which takes into account not only mortality risk but also the health-related quality of life, such as being free of disability. The study's authors found a 19-year-old in Canada could expect to enjoy 2.7 more years of perfect health than a 19-year-old in the U.S. In this case, someone in perfect health would have a top score of 1.00 on the Health Utilities Index Mark 3.

Arteries age twice as fast in smokers

It's well-known that smoking is bad for the heart and other parts of the body, and researchers now have chronicled in detail one reason why - because continual smoking causes progressive stiffening of the arteries. In fact, smokers' arteries stiffen with age at about double the speed of those of nonsmokers, Japanese researchers have found. Stiffer arteries are prone to blockages that can cause heart attacks, strokes and other problems. "We've known that arteries become more stiff in time as one ages," said Dr. William B. Borden, a preventive cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "This shows that smoking accelerates the process. But it also adds more information in terms of the role smoking plays as a cause of cardiovascular disease." - MedicineNet.com

Blood protein increases heart disease risk (UK)

"A protein in the blood has been found to be associated with the same increased risk of heart disease as high blood pressure and cholesterol. Analysis of data from 79,000 people showed the protein, known as Lp-PLA2, also boosts the risk of stroke and early death, the Lancet reports. Drugs against the protein, which is involved in inflammation in blood vessels, are already being developed. But it remains to be seen whether such treatments cut rates of heart disease. The UK researchers who led the international study said Lp-PLA2 is carried in the blood alongside LDL or "bad" cholesterol" - BBC

Norwich Free Academy students win honors for video on sudden cardiac arrest awareness (USA)

"Norwich Free Academy juniors Josh Cingranelli and Michael Grant did not know Larry Pontbriant. But the two student video producers captured his spirit well enough to win national recognition from those dedicated to stopping the condition that took him three years ago at age 15. Grant of Norwich and Cingranelli of Lisbon were honored at NFA on Wednesday by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation for a video they produced last fall on the importance of defibrillators and CPR in increasing the chances of survival for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The condition killed Larry Pontbriant, a Norwich resident and athlete at NFA, while he was running in a fun run in 2007. His parents, Lawrence and Evelyn, have established the Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund, which provides heart defibrillators for youth sports venues in Southeastern Connecticut"

Australia plans plain-packaging rule for cigarettes

Australia has set out plans for new rules forcing tobacco companies to use plain packaging carrying graphic health warnings. From July 2012, manufacturers would be required to drop all colour and branding logos from cigarette packets. The move, billed as a world-first, comes after recommendations were made by the World Health Organisation. Australia also announced a 25% increase in tax on cigarettes, effective from 0001 on Friday. The move will put A$2.16 ($1.99, £1.31) on a pack of 30 cigarettes - BBC

Cholesterol machine pulls out LDL (USA)

"Every two weeks, Kay Dillie is drained of all her blood, one pint at a time. She gets it back, of course, but with less cholesterol. During a recent appointment at Regional Medical Center, Dillie reclined in a chair as tubing pulled her blood from her arm into a machine called the Liposorber. The machine, new to the center, removed her blood, strained out the bad cholesterol known as LDL and returned the blood to her body. Near the bottom of the Liposorber, the liquid LDL from Dillie’s blood began to pool in a bag. When first removed, it looks like melted butter, but will turn to a Silly Putty consistency if exposed to the air." - Rapid City Journal

CMAJ - 20 April 2010, Volume 182, Issue 7

The Canadian Medical Association Journal - 20 April 2010, Volume 182, Issue 7, is now available online

'Leftover' veins from heart surgery yield stem cells

Human veins left over from lifesaving bypass surgery could be a source of "master" cells to help treat future heart problems, say scientists. A University of Bristol team extracted stem cells from the veins, then used them to stimulate new blood vessel growth in mice, Circulation reports. The researchers say their findings could bring treatments to repair damaged heart muscle one step closer. However, a stem cell expert warned that they remained some years away. Stem cells are attractive to medical researchers because they have the ability to produce many different types of human cell, opening up the possibility of repair or renewal for tissues ravaged by disease or injury - BBC

"HeartPhone" is announced as 2010 Product Innovation Award winner the annual Aramark Healthcare Innovation Awards

HeartPhone, a pioneering connected healthcare solution that measures, monitors and manages the weight of congestive heart failure patients in their own homes was awarded the coveted "Product Innovation Award" at the Aramark Healthcare innovation awards over the weekend. The accolade recognizes HeartPhone as an exemplary innovative healthcare solution for 2010. HeartPhone, a system devised to help CHF patients actively participate in managing their own condition accurately, is being developed at NDRC (National Digital Research Centre) as a collaboration between Dr Mark Ledwidge and Professor Ken McDonald of St Vincent's University Hospital and Crofton Cardiac Systems, BiancaMed Ltd, NDRC and UCD (University College Dublin)

CARG Newsletter - May 2010

The CARG Newsletter - May 2010 is now available for download or for reading below:

Added sugars increase heart-disease risk

"For decades, advice to ward off heart disease has promoted a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol as a means of keeping blood cholesterol levels in check. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests there's something else we need to do - scale back our intake of added sugars. Folks with the highest - versus the lowest – intake of refined sugar had higher blood triglycerides (fat) and triple the risk of having a low level of HDL (good) cholesterol. While it's long been know that carbohydrates can boost heart-disease risk by altering blood lipid levels, this is the first study to investigate the link between added sugars and blood lipids. Added sugars are defined as those put in during food processing and preparation to enhance flavour, add texture and assist browning. On ingredient lists they go by many names, including corn syrup, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, glucose-fructose, honey and sucrose to name just a few"

Saskatoon Health Region selected as one of 'Best Employers for New Canadians 2010'

Some of the reasons why Saskatoon Health Region was selected as one of Best Employers for New Canadians 2010 by Mediacorp Canada Inc.:

* hired 100 internationally-trained nurses and staggered their arrival in order to provide enhanced settlement support, with nurses arriving in Saskatchewan in groups of 15-30 individuals over an 18-month period - recruitment staff collected feedback from each group about their settlement experience in order to track best practices and improve immigration supports for subsequent candidates
* helps new Canadian nurses prepare to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) with prep classes, mentoring and tutoring support - upon successful completion of the CRNE, internationally-trained nursing recruits can apply for permanent residency in Canada
* their commitment to the long-term success and retention of internationally-trained nurses is yielding excellent results - the health region boasts a more than 80% CRNE pass rate, an exceptionally high rate for internationally-trained nurses writing the exam for the first time

Vitamin D may protect from cardiovascular events (USA)

"Although many vitamins and supplements have been rigorously tested in large scale clinical trials for their role in the prevention of diseases, little is known about the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of cardiovascular disease. In new analysis of vitamin D and calcium research published in the last 43 years, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have found an association between vitamin D supplement use and a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. These findings are published in the March 2 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. 'In this analysis of the limited available research, we have found that vitamin D supplements in moderate-to-high doses may reduce the risk of CVD and that calcium supplementation seems to have a minimal effect on the prevention of CVD,' said Lu Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the paper and an instructor of medicine in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH"

US AGAINST ATHERO (USA)

"US AGAINST ATHERO is a campaign sponsored by AstraZeneca to increase our nation’s awareness of atherosclerosis (or athero, as we call it), with hopes that all Americans will take steps to take care of their arteries. Through education and valuable information about atherosclerosis, we support people in becoming advocates for their own health and for the health of others"

Researchers identify new heart condition (Sweden)

The discovery of a new heart condition may prevent more young people from becoming victims of cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Heart Rhythm Foundation, sudden cardiac arrest - which happens when the body's blood-pumping organ abruptly stops working - claims about 325,000 lives every year in the United States. Researchers in Sweden have discovered a new disorder linked to cardiac arrest that almost took a young man's life. A genetic defect in the protein glycogenin can lead to an energy crisis in muscle cells and ultimately cause cardiac arrest. The protein's function is to initiate the build-up of glycogen that makes up muscle cells' carbohydrate reserves. When the genetic defect causes the protein to malfunction, the body - including the heart - experiences a shortage of glycogen. Scientists discovered the defect in a young patient who suffered sudden cardiac arrest in Sweden. Experts say the newly discovered condition should be considered as a diagnosis when investigating heart trouble, although there is currently no cure. Source: New England Journal of Medicine, April 19, 2010