The Heart: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post Reply
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Cardiovascular disease risks the same in both sexes
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10- ... sexes.html
by University of Gothenburg
For men and women, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease are largely the same, an extensive global study involving University of Gothenburg researchers shows.

The study, now published in The Lancet, includes participants in both high-income and medium- and low-income countries. Cardiovascular disease is more widespread in the latter. The data were taken from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) Study.

The study comprised 155,724 individuals in 21 countries, in five continents. Aged 35–70 years, the participants had no history of cardiovascular disease when they joined the study. All cases of fatal cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure during the follow-up period, which averaged ten years, were registered.

The risk factors studied were metabolic (such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes), behavioral (tobacco smoking and diet), and psychosocial (economic status and depression).

No clear gender or income divide

Metabolic risk factors were found to be similar in both sexes, except for high values of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, often known as bad cholesterol), where the association with cardiovascular disease was stronger in men. In the researchers' opinion, however, this finding needs confirmation in more studies.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Polluting particles in the air are linked to cardiac arrests
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11- ... rdiac.html
by Duke-NUS Medical School
Small particles in air pollution in Singapore might have caused sudden cardiac arrests in some people who were not in hospital but simply going about their normal lives, according to scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School working with the National Environment Agency (NEA) as part of the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS).

Published in The Lancet Public Health, this finding, which is based on data collected between 2010 and 2018, resolves the uncertainty caused by inconsistencies in earlier studies due to limitations in the availability and quality of environmental and disease data.

The study team, which comprises members from NEA's Environmental Health Institute and the Environmental Monitoring and Modeling Division of the Clean Environment Group, assessed whether there was a correlation between out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) and the levels of tiny air pollution particles that are at least 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair. This PM2.5 category of particulate matter is known from previous research to significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular, respiratory and even ocular diseases.
User avatar
Time_Traveller
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 4:49 pm
Location: Clermont, Indiana, USA, October 7th 2019 B.C.E

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by Time_Traveller »

Genetic tests could identify people at risk of heart disease, NHS study finds
Mon 7 Nov 2022 16.00 GMT

GPs in the north of England have used predictive genetic tests to identify people most at risk of heart disease in the world’s first pilot of the technology.

The NHS study, called Heart, offered genetic tests to nearly 1,000 people aged 45 to 64, in the hope of better predicting their risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years.

Doctors at 12 GP surgeries in the north-east and north Cumbria found that the calculated risk of heart disease based on routine measures such as family history, blood pressure, body mass index and smoking status changed for about a quarter of participants when their DNA was taken into account.

In 13% of cases, GPs said the shift in heart disease risk was substantial enough for them to change their management of the patient, for example by recommending cholesterol-lowering statins.

Prof Sir Peter Donnelly, the founder and chief executive of Genomics, the company that developed the genetic tests, said a further 700,000 people in England aged 45 to 64 had a high enough risk of heart disease to be recommended statins, but were “invisible to the NHS” because existing assessments failed to identify them. Modelling by the company suggests that giving the drugs to this group could prevent 11,000 cardiovascular events in 10 years.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... tudy-finds
"We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams."

-H.G Wells.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Babies born to mothers with preeclampsia found to be at increased risk of stroke and heart disease later in life
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11- ... heart.html
by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Sweden, Finland and Denmark has found evidence that suggests babies born to mothers with preeclampsia have an increased risk of a stroke and/or heart disease later in life.

In their paper published in JAMA Network Open, the group describes studying millions of births in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden from the 1970s and 1980s and following the health patterns of the babies as they aged.

Preeclampsia is a condition involving blood pressure elevation and heightened levels of proteins in urine that can damage kidneys and sometimes other organs of pregnant women. Preeclampsia tends to occur later in pregnancy, though it can sometimes happen earlier. Preeclampsia has been found to stymie fetal growth if not properly treated by causing problems in the arteries that carry blood in the placenta. In this new effort, the researchers have found that it can also lead to other health problems for the baby later in life.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is incurable but animal model study suggests an experimental drug may be effective
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12- ... nimal.html
by Delthia Ricks , Medical Xpress
An experimental drug that is already in clinical trials for other diseases could disrupt a positive feedback loop that exacerbates pulmonary arterial hypertension, a dangerous and rapidly fatal condition for which there is no cure.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension develops when small arteries inside the lungs become unusually stiff, leading to dangerously high blood pressure and eventual heart failure. The stiffening and remodeling of pulmonary arteries also causes excessive cell growth and proliferation of pulmonary arterial vascular smooth muscle cells. This manifestation irrevocably damages the lungs and impairs breathing.

Patients experience shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pressure. Despite a combination of medications and oxygen therapy, which ameliorate symptoms, the condition inevitably worsens and quality of life declines.

"Pulmonary arterial hypertension is partially driven by the proliferation of pulmonary arterial vascular smooth muscle cells induced by stiffening of pulmonary arteries," reports Dr. Yuanjun Shen, lead author of a new study in the journal Science Signaling.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Identifying new genetic variants linked to heart failure
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01- ... ilure.html
by Olivia Dimmer, Northwestern University
Scientists have identified new genetic variants linked to heart failure, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

The study, which analyzed the genomes and ancestries of more than 115,000 patients experiencing heart failure, details 47 risk loci in the human genome where genetic variants may indicate an increased risk of heart failure. Additionally, investigators identified nine circulating proteins associated with heart failure or specific quantitative imaging traits.

The discovery highlights the importance of common genetic variations in the pathogenesis of heart failure, said Megan Roy-Puckelwartz, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology and a co-author of the study.

"This study opens up new ways to think about heart failure," Puckelwartz said. "These loci now become a target for treatment and because we also show the strength of association between heart failure and these cardiometabolic imaging traits, we can use these as markers to determine someone's risk of heart failure."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 6.2 million Americans have some form of heart failure—meaning that the heart cannot pump enough blood to support the body, but the heart does not fully stop beating.

Heart failure is common, and the role that genetics play in the condition is complex. Prior to this study, only 11 common risk loci for heart failure had been identified using genome-wide association, a research method that links genetic variants across the genome with heart failure.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Viagra lowers the risk of heart disease in men by up to 39 percent. And men who take the drug also appear less likely to suffer an early death from any cause. Research looked at 70,000 adult men with an average age of 52, all of whom had an erectile dysfunction diagnosis at some point in their life.


Effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors on major adverse cardiovascular events and overall mortality in a large nationwide cohort of men with erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors: A retrospective, observational study based on healthcare claims and national death index data
https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/20 ... ogin=false
Robert A Kloner, MD, PhD, Eric Stanek, Pharm D, Christopher L Crowe, MPH, Mukul Singhal, PhD, Rebecca S Pepe, MPH, Julia Bradsher, PhD, MBA, Raymond C Rosen, PhD
The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Volume 20, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 38–48, https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdac005
Published:
13 January 2023
Article history
Treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5is) is effective in treating erectile dysfunction (ED).
Aim

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of PDE-5is on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE; composite outcome of CV death, hospitalization for myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke, heart failure, and unstable angina pectoris) and overall mortality.
Methods

A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in a large US claims database in men with ≥1 diagnosis of ED without prior MACE within 1 year, from January 1, 2006, to October 31, 2020. The exposed group had ≥1 claim for PDE-5i and the unexposed group had no claims for PDE-5i, and the groups were matched up to 1:4 on baseline risk variables.
Outcome

The primary outcome was MACE and the secondary outcomes were overall mortality and individual components of MACE, determined by multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling.
Results

Matched plus multivariable analyses showed that MACE was lower by 13% in men exposed (n = 23 816) to PDE-5is (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87; 95% CI 0.79-0.95; P = .001) vs nonexposure (n = 48 682) over mean follow-up periods of 37 and 29 months, respectively, with lower incidence of coronary revascularization (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.73-0.98; P = .029), heart failure (HR 0.83; 95% CI 0.72-0.97; P = .016), unstable angina (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.64-0.96; P = .021), and CV death (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.41-0.90; P = .014) with PDE-5i exposure. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor–exposed men had a 25% lower incidence of overall mortality (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.65-0.87; P < .001). Men without coronary artery disease (CAD) but with CV risk factors at baseline showed a similar pattern. In the main study cohort, men in the highest quartile of PDE-5i exposure had the lowest incidence of MACE (HR 0.45; 95% CI 0.37-0.54; P < .001) and overall mortality (HR 0.51; 95% CI 0.37-0.71; P < .001) vs the lowest exposure quartile. In a subgroup with baseline type 2 diabetes (n = 6503), PDE-5i exposure was associated with a lower MACE risk (HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.64-0.97; P = .022).
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

CRISPR gene editing can treat heart disease and repair damaged tissue after a heart attack
Corrie Pelc | Medical News Today | February 3, 2023
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2023 ... rt-attack/
Each year, cardiovascular disease (CVD) — also known as heart disease — accounts for about 32% of all deaths around the world.

The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, where blood is not able to flow properly to the heart. If blood flow is completely blocked to the heart, this can cause a heart attack.

Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center believe a new CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing therapy can both help treat heart disease and repair damaged tissue immediately after a heart attack via a mouse model.

The study was recently published in the journal Science.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Major international study finds thrombectomy highly effective treatment for large strokes
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02- ... ctive.html
by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

A large international clinical study finds that patients with large strokes had a dramatically better recovery after endovascular thrombectomy plus medical management than patients receiving only standard medical management.

Endovascular thrombectomy is mechanical recovery of a clot blocking blood flow in an artery.

The study was published Feb. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with its presentation at the International Stroke Conference in Dallas.

The SELECT2 study, which involved 31 medical centers in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, was stopped early because of the successful results seen in patients who received thrombectomy versus medication only.

Global Principal Investigator and Lead Author of the study, Amrou Sarraj, MD, said, "We went on to challenge the current practice where patients with large strokes would be precluded from thrombectomy." Dr. Sarraj is the Stroke Center and System Director, the George M. Humphrey II Chair in Neurology at University Hospitals, and Professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12727
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Heart disease and stroke news and discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Stroke survivor moves her hand for first time in a decade after groundbreaking treatment
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/0 ... dbreaking/
Heather Rendulic cries tears of joy as pioneering electrical stimulation gives her enough mobility to complete everyday tasks
By Joe Pinkstone, Science Correspondent 20 February 2023 • 4:34pm
A stroke survivor has been able to use cutlery to cut food and feed herself for the first time in a decade, thanks to insertions of electricity into her spine.

Heather Rendulic, who had a stroke in 2012 when she was 22, was left with no mobility in her left hand as a result of chronic post-stroke muscle weakness.

Scientists recruited Ms Rendulic, now 33, and one other stroke survivor, a 47-year-old woman, to be the first people to try out electrical stimulation of the spinal cord with the aim of improving arm and hand motor movements.

The system has been used previously to improve lower leg functionality in people with nerve damage. However, very little research has been done on using it to help people suffering with upper limb impediments.
Post Reply