Diuretics are confirmed as the best first-line treatment in older men and women with high blood pressure according to new research.
Medical researchers reported the findings of a study at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association this week. They reported that the thiazide-type diuretic chlorthalidone outshone three other treatments -- a calcium channel blocker, an ACE inhibitor and an alpha-receptor blocker -- in most areas. This was especially effective in lowering the incidence of stroke and heart failure.
An estimated 80 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 will have a new coronary attack this year according to the industry trade group.
The findings the medical experts note are largely unchanged. They note that the main message is that treating hypertension [high blood pressure] is very necessary and that treating hypertension with chlorthalidone resulted in a significant reduction in heart failure and stroke.
The original trial, begun in 1994, involved more than 42,000 patients with hypertension and at least one other risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The participants were randomly assigned to take one of the following anti-hypertensive drugs: chlorthalidone (the diuretic), amlodipine besylate (the calcium channel blocker), doxazosin mesylate (the alpha blocker) or lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor).
The five-year follow-up, which ended in 2002, was intended to see if new differences emerged with long-term use of the medications, especially regarding coronary heart disease, total mortality, heart failure and aggregate cardiovascular disease.
This is the largest hypertension trial to date, one researcher noted. Earlier results had also found that diuretics were as good or better than other blood pressure-lowering drugs for treating hypertension in patients with metabolic syndrome (a collection of factors that put people at risk of heart disease), especially black patients.
Showing posts with label heart attack deaths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart attack deaths. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fitness Level, Not Body Fat, Stronger Predictor Of Longevity After 60
Want to live longer? Focus on fitness. A study reveals that adults over age 60 who had higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness lived longer than unfit adults, independent of their levels of body fat.
Prior studies have provided evidence that obesity and physical inactivity each can produce a higher risk of death in middle-aged adults. Whether this is also true for older adults is uncertain, according to background information in the article.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, which tracks important developments and news that can help Americans remain healthy and avoid critical illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, Medical researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia examined the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, various clinical measures of adiposity (body fat) and death in older women and men. The study included 2,603 adults age 60 years or older (average age, 64.4 years; 19.8 percent women) enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed a baseline health examination during 1979-2001. Fitness was assessed by a treadmill exercise test and adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat. Low fitness was defined as the lowest fifth of the sex-specific distribution of treadmill exercise test duration. There were 450 deaths during an average follow-up of 12 years.
The researchers found that those who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors than survivors. However, there were no significant differences in adiposity measures. Participants in the higher fitness groups were for the most part less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels.
Fit participants had lower death rates than unfit participants within each stratum of adiposity, except for two of the obesity groups. In most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
Higher levels of fitness were inversely related to all-cause death in both normal-weight and overweight BMI subgroups, in those with a normal waist circumference and in those with abdominal obesity, and in those who have normal percent body fat and those who have excessive percent body fat.
The data provided further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival. It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better health, they noted.
Prior studies have provided evidence that obesity and physical inactivity each can produce a higher risk of death in middle-aged adults. Whether this is also true for older adults is uncertain, according to background information in the article.
According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, which tracks important developments and news that can help Americans remain healthy and avoid critical illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, Medical researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia examined the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, various clinical measures of adiposity (body fat) and death in older women and men. The study included 2,603 adults age 60 years or older (average age, 64.4 years; 19.8 percent women) enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed a baseline health examination during 1979-2001. Fitness was assessed by a treadmill exercise test and adiposity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat. Low fitness was defined as the lowest fifth of the sex-specific distribution of treadmill exercise test duration. There were 450 deaths during an average follow-up of 12 years.
The researchers found that those who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors than survivors. However, there were no significant differences in adiposity measures. Participants in the higher fitness groups were for the most part less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels.
Fit participants had lower death rates than unfit participants within each stratum of adiposity, except for two of the obesity groups. In most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
Higher levels of fitness were inversely related to all-cause death in both normal-weight and overweight BMI subgroups, in those with a normal waist circumference and in those with abdominal obesity, and in those who have normal percent body fat and those who have excessive percent body fat.
The data provided further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival. It may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better health, they noted.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Women Have More Heart Attacks; Survival More Likely
Hearts attacks among middle-aged American women have increased over the past two decades. That news is accompanied by a report that their chance of survival has improved.
Two new studies reveal that men still have a higher prevalence of heart attack than women. Medical researchers report that the gap has narrowed as heart attacks among women have increased while they have decreased among men.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that 2.5 percent of the men and 0.7 percent of the women reported a history of heart attacks in the prior surveys. In the more recent study, they found 2.2 percent of men and 1 percent of women reported heart attacks.
Every 34 seconds an American will suffer a heart attack according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and nearly half a million will have a recurrent attack.
The narrowing of the male-female difference is easily explained, according to medical experts. They point to the fact that risk factors are being better controlled in men than in women. In men, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol remained the same between the two surveys, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol improved. Blood pressure levels improved, and fewer men smoked.
Researchers noted that the improvements for women were marginal, with LDL cholesterol levels about the same. The only risk factor that improved in women was HDL cholesterol. Diabetes and obesity increased in both men and women, the study found.
They noted that societal changes may play a role. With more women in the work force, rising rates of obesity and diabetes can be attributed to job demands.
A second study used information from a different data bank listing death rate trends from 1994 to 2006. Researchers found a marked reduction in hospital deaths from heart attacks in all patients, especially among women. For women under 55, the risk of dying dropped by 53 percent, which was the greatest improvement noted. The least reduction, 33 percent, was seen in men under 55.
The studies are reported in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Two new studies reveal that men still have a higher prevalence of heart attack than women. Medical researchers report that the gap has narrowed as heart attacks among women have increased while they have decreased among men.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that 2.5 percent of the men and 0.7 percent of the women reported a history of heart attacks in the prior surveys. In the more recent study, they found 2.2 percent of men and 1 percent of women reported heart attacks.
Every 34 seconds an American will suffer a heart attack according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Some 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack and nearly half a million will have a recurrent attack.
The narrowing of the male-female difference is easily explained, according to medical experts. They point to the fact that risk factors are being better controlled in men than in women. In men, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol remained the same between the two surveys, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol improved. Blood pressure levels improved, and fewer men smoked.
Researchers noted that the improvements for women were marginal, with LDL cholesterol levels about the same. The only risk factor that improved in women was HDL cholesterol. Diabetes and obesity increased in both men and women, the study found.
They noted that societal changes may play a role. With more women in the work force, rising rates of obesity and diabetes can be attributed to job demands.
A second study used information from a different data bank listing death rate trends from 1994 to 2006. Researchers found a marked reduction in hospital deaths from heart attacks in all patients, especially among women. For women under 55, the risk of dying dropped by 53 percent, which was the greatest improvement noted. The least reduction, 33 percent, was seen in men under 55.
The studies are reported in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Protein May Predict Heart Attack
October 21, 2009. People with high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein may be at higher risk for heart attack.
According to a study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology the C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may predict those at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke.
The study involved over 2,200 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors.
Participants were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths. The group was comprised of 63 percent Hispanic, 20 percent non-Hispanic black and 15 percent non-Hispanic white residents.
The study's researchers found that people with CRP levels greater than three milligrams per liter were 70 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 percent more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of one milligram per liter or less of the protein in their blood. The protein was not associated with an increased risk of stroke once other risk factors were taken into account.
Prior studies have found the C-reactive protein to be a marker for predicting risk of heart disease. CRP protein levels are associated with such medical and lifestyle risk factors as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. A lead researcher noted that by living a healthy lifestyle, one may be able to lower these protein levels, thus lowering the risk of cardiac events and possibly early death.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Reported by Jesse Slome, American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
According to a study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology the C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may predict those at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke.
The study involved over 2,200 people who were 40 years old or older and stroke-free. All participants had their blood tested for CRP levels and were evaluated for stroke and heart attack risk factors.
Participants were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, there were 198 strokes, 156 heart-related events and 586 deaths. The group was comprised of 63 percent Hispanic, 20 percent non-Hispanic black and 15 percent non-Hispanic white residents.
The study's researchers found that people with CRP levels greater than three milligrams per liter were 70 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 55 percent more likely to die early compared to people who had levels of one milligram per liter or less of the protein in their blood. The protein was not associated with an increased risk of stroke once other risk factors were taken into account.
Prior studies have found the C-reactive protein to be a marker for predicting risk of heart disease. CRP protein levels are associated with such medical and lifestyle risk factors as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. A lead researcher noted that by living a healthy lifestyle, one may be able to lower these protein levels, thus lowering the risk of cardiac events and possibly early death.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Reported by Jesse Slome, American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Vitamin D Is Heart Healthy For Older Adults
An estimated 800,000 Americans will have a first heart attack according to data from the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. "The combined financial cost of heart attacks and strokes is over $225 billion," notes Jesse Slome, director. "Most personal bankruptcies today are directly tied to medical and healthcare costs."
A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital studied the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older.
Researchers found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin. The results are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
It's likely that more than one-third of older adults now have vitamin D levels associated with higher risks of death and few have levels associated with optimum survival noted the lead author on the study.
The study noted that older adults are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency often because their skin has less exposure to the sun as a result of less time spent outdoors as well as the body's reduced ability to make vitamin D.
The study analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics that was of the 24 million older adults in the United States. Compared to those with optimal vitamin D status, those with low vitamin D levels were 3 times more likely to die from heart disease and 2.5 times more likely to die from any cause.
"Vitamin D has health effects that go beyond strong bones," one of the researchers explained. "It's likely that it makes a vital contribution to good health."
A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital studied the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older.
Researchers found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin. The results are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
It's likely that more than one-third of older adults now have vitamin D levels associated with higher risks of death and few have levels associated with optimum survival noted the lead author on the study.
The study noted that older adults are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency often because their skin has less exposure to the sun as a result of less time spent outdoors as well as the body's reduced ability to make vitamin D.
The study analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics that was of the 24 million older adults in the United States. Compared to those with optimal vitamin D status, those with low vitamin D levels were 3 times more likely to die from heart disease and 2.5 times more likely to die from any cause.
"Vitamin D has health effects that go beyond strong bones," one of the researchers explained. "It's likely that it makes a vital contribution to good health."
Friday, September 18, 2009
Heart Risk Factors Shorten Men's Lives
Middle-aged men with risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are taking 10 to 15 years off their lives.
Death from heart disease has been declining according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the industry trade group. Some 800,000 Americans will have a first heart attack this year and roughly half will survive.
Due in part due to better control of cardiovascular risk factors and better care, a study by British researchers looked at death from heart disease in terms of life expectancy.
The researchers collected data on nearly 19,000 men ranging from 49 to 69 years of age. The men were first evaluated between 1967-1970. At the start of the study, the men completed a questionnaire that included questions about their medical history, smoking, employment and marital status. In addition, height, weight, blood pressure, lung function, cholesterol and blood sugar levels were also measured.
After about 28 years of follow-up, 7,044 surviving men were examined again in 1997. When the study began, 42 percent of the men smoked, 39 percent had high blood pressure and 51 percent had high cholesterol. By 1997, about two-thirds had stopped smoking and their blood pressure and cholesterol levels had also dropped, the researchers noted.
Despite these changes in risk factors for heart disease, men who had three heart risk factors in middle age had a threefold higher risk of dying from heart disease and a twofold increased risk of dying from other causes, compared with men with none of these risk factors, the study found.
Men who had all three risk factors at the time they entered the study lived 10 years less than men with none of the risk factors. Life expectancy after 50 was an additional 23.7 years for men with three risk factors, compared with 33.3 years for men without the risk factors, the researchers found.
Individuals who choose to not treat and control these major cardiovascular risk factors should recognize they may be giving up, on average, as much as 10 to 15 years of life by doing so, te research team reported. The study was published in the Sept. 18 online edition of the British Medical Journal,
SOURCES: Robert Clarke, M.D., reader in epidemiology, University of Oxford, UK; Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Sept. 18, 2009, British Medical Journal
Death from heart disease has been declining according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the industry trade group. Some 800,000 Americans will have a first heart attack this year and roughly half will survive.
Due in part due to better control of cardiovascular risk factors and better care, a study by British researchers looked at death from heart disease in terms of life expectancy.
The researchers collected data on nearly 19,000 men ranging from 49 to 69 years of age. The men were first evaluated between 1967-1970. At the start of the study, the men completed a questionnaire that included questions about their medical history, smoking, employment and marital status. In addition, height, weight, blood pressure, lung function, cholesterol and blood sugar levels were also measured.
After about 28 years of follow-up, 7,044 surviving men were examined again in 1997. When the study began, 42 percent of the men smoked, 39 percent had high blood pressure and 51 percent had high cholesterol. By 1997, about two-thirds had stopped smoking and their blood pressure and cholesterol levels had also dropped, the researchers noted.
Despite these changes in risk factors for heart disease, men who had three heart risk factors in middle age had a threefold higher risk of dying from heart disease and a twofold increased risk of dying from other causes, compared with men with none of these risk factors, the study found.
Men who had all three risk factors at the time they entered the study lived 10 years less than men with none of the risk factors. Life expectancy after 50 was an additional 23.7 years for men with three risk factors, compared with 33.3 years for men without the risk factors, the researchers found.
Individuals who choose to not treat and control these major cardiovascular risk factors should recognize they may be giving up, on average, as much as 10 to 15 years of life by doing so, te research team reported. The study was published in the Sept. 18 online edition of the British Medical Journal,
SOURCES: Robert Clarke, M.D., reader in epidemiology, University of Oxford, UK; Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Sept. 18, 2009, British Medical Journal
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