Many heart attack patients not referred to cardiac rehab

admin | September 7, 2009

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) — Even though cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to guard against future heart trouble once a cardiovascular event has landed someone in the hospital, only 56 percent of these patients are referred for the therapy, a new study finds.

Despite national guidelines that say hospitalized patients with a qualifying cardiovascular disease event should be referred to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation before hospital discharge, the study demonstrates this doesn’t happen often enough, the researchers noted.

“Cardiac rehabilitation improves clinical outcomes, but is widely underutilized,” said researcher Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Cardiac rehabilitation saves lives

admin | September 7, 2009

June 8th, 2009

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and a major driver of medical and economic costs, especially among older adults. It has long been established that cardiac rehabilitation improves survival, at least in middle-aged, low- and moderate-risk white men. Now a large Brandeis University-led study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that older cardiac patients benefit as much from cardiac rehab as their younger counterparts. , in 2004, 7.2 million people died from CHD, while in the United States alone, more than 13 million people suffered from CHD, and almost half a million died from in 2003. Moreover, Americans aged 65 and older account for more than 55 percent of heart attacks and 86 percent of CHD deaths.

Cardiac rehabilitation: Building a better life after heart disease

admin | September 7, 2009

(MayoClinic.com) Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program to help you recover after a heart attack, from other forms of heart disease or after surgery to treat heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation is often divided into phases that involve various levels of monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support, and support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of heart problems.

Cardiac rehabilitation often begins while you’re still in the hospital and continues through monitored programs in an outpatient setting until home-based maintenance programs can be safely followed.

Breaking report confirms exercise better than angioplasty for stable coronary disease–Can it be true?

admin | August 31, 2009

In stable coronary artery disease (CAD), analysis has shown a 27% reduction of total mortality from exercise, compared to more aggressive intervention. At least four mechanisms are at play: better endothelial (coronary artery inner lining) function, reduced rate of coronary deposits, reduced clotting risk, and improved new arterial growth.

When compared to balloon angioplasty with or without a stent, 12-months of exercise therapy in stable CAD patients was associated with higher event-free survival. From an article published in a European medical journal in 2004 (R. Hambrecht, University of Liepzig, Germay)

Dr. Dean Ornish: Resuscitating Health Care Reform

admin | August 10, 2009

Mon, 08/10/2009 - 05:01 — popdd.com - Health reform is in danger of failing because the focus has been too much on who is covered and not enough on what is covered. Health care reform is primarily about health insurance reform, with the main battle being over coverage and the payment system.

Of course, we need to provide coverage for the 48 million Americans who do not have health insurance. It is morally indefensible that we have not already done so.

Many Heart Attack Patients Not Referred to Cardiac Rehab

admin | July 28, 2009

MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) — Even though cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to guard against future heart trouble once a cardiovascular event has landed someone in the hospital, only 56 percent of these patients are referred for the therapy, a new study finds.

Despite national guidelines that say hospitalized patients with a qualifying cardiovascular disease event should be referred to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation before hospital discharge, the study demonstrates this doesn’t happen often enough, the researchers noted.

“Cardiac rehabilitation improves clinical outcomes, but is widely underutilized,” said researcher Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Taking Care of Your Heart

admin | July 14, 2009

July 6, 2009

The proverb runs like this, “Home is where the Heart is”. Literally as well a healthy heart is a by product of a healthy lifestyle, and vice versa.

Biologically speaking the heart’s an organ consisting of involuntary muscles that work on their own without any physical intervention: a wonder of nature. This organ is present in all living beings with the vertebral column known as “the vertebrates”. It is responsible to pump blood through the “blood vessels” by recurring, rhythmic contractions.

What Is Angina Heart Disease?

admin | July 14, 2009

By Yogesh Mishra
06 Jul 2009

Angina heart disease is a fatal condition occurring due to myocardial ischemia as a result of the loss of balance between myocardial blood supply and demand for oxygen.

The contraction of coronary arteries mostly causes disruption in blood supply resulting in arteriosclerosis and pain. This pain mostly occurs due to exertion particularly during walk. Climbing of stairs also leads to anginal pain.

Those with angina heart disease must exercise caution besides taking measures for recovery considering the deadly nature of this condition.

Fighting the Silent Killer, Heart Disease, With Exercise and Fat Loss

admin | July 14, 2009

There used to be a time when things like heart disease and high cholesterol were reserved for older folks. In fact, people in their 30’s and 40’s didn’t even give these subjects a second thought. That time is no more.
 
Nowadays, the numbers of individuals who are overweight have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and who have heart attacks is growing at a staggering rate. Technology has led to many people leading a more sedentary lifestyle as they sit behind their computers doing their jobs. (I am sitting behind the computer now, but I PROMISE I am going running as soon as I finish this…) In addition, the advent of new and innovative medications has led folks to rely on these instead of focusing on preventative measures, such as diet and exercise which lead to fat loss and can greatly reduce your risks.
 
The fact is many cases of heart disease and heart attacks could be completely avoided if people would just add a rigorous and consistent exercise program into their lives. Heart disease is caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and obesity, all of which can be combated by regular exercise and fat loss. When we exercise, our bodies create more HDL (high density lipoproteins) which is the GOOD kind of cholesterol. The more HDL we have, the more LDL (low density lipoproteins) which is the BAD kind of cholesterol is moved to our liver and removed by the body. In addition, as we exercise, we actually workout our heart. The heart is a muscle, so the more you work it, the stronger it become. It works to pump more and more blood through our arteries and vessels and make them stronger and more pliable as well. This results in less chance that blockages will occur and can lead to heart disease and potentially heart attacks. Finally, an intense exercise program will help to maintain a healthy weight. No matter how good someone feels about their body and how happy they are being overweight, it is NOT healthy. The more weight you carry, the farther your blood has to travel throughout your body. (Your fat is filled with blood vessels) So the farther your blood has to travel, the more your heart has to work and the greater the chances that a blockage could occur at some point. So, fat loss is a vital aspect in your fight against heart disease.
 
Listen, we KNOW that exercise will lessen the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, but many of us just don’t do it. Why? Well, for one thing, we don’t have a PLAN. Having a workable plan of action can help us organize our days in order to make certain that this exercise is and STAYS a part of our life. Perhaps we need a personal trainer. Perhaps we simply need to extract the information off the net. No matter what route you choose, you need to develop an exercise program that involves INTENSE physical activity and make it a part of your DAILY life. No exceptions. If you value your life, and want to be around for a few more years, this tip is VITAL for you to implement. Take action TODAY, because we get older every day and the threat of heart disease ALWAYS looms. It is YOUR job to fight it and with the right plan of action, you CAN win.

Learn to lower your risk for cardiovascular disease

admin | July 14, 2009

By Craig D. Hayward | For the Jackson Citizen Patriot
Wednesday July 08, 2009, 1:40 PM

It is commonly understood that numerous factors place a person at risk for cardiovascular disease, such as age, a high-fat diet, obesity, diabetes, stress, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and lack of exercise.

We now know that exercise combats many cardiovascular risk factors. As a result, one’s level of cardiovascular fitness alone is becoming recognized as a major reason: the lower one’s cardiovascular fitness, the higher the potential for heart disease.

Cardiac Care Options

Treatment
Cost
Invasive?
CABG
$$$$$
Yes
TMR
$$$$
Yes
Angio/Stent
$$$$
Yes
Medicine
$$
No
ECP
$
No
Rehab
$
No

For more information about each cardiac treatment please click on each treatment title or one of the tabs at the top of the page.

 


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