Heart Disease - General

A very well done research study by a Finnish Medical Group looked at substituting polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats. The results were astounding. Cholesterol dropped by about 30 mg/dl, and heart events fell by 50 to 66%.

The National Institute of Health had full intentions of replicating this study in the United States; however, one thing after another stumbling block occurred, and the study was deferred indefinitely.

A number of new findings presented during the American College of Cardiology meeting has left many heart patients wondering which treatment is best for their particular cardiovascular condition.

One study overturned the long-held notion that surgical techniques such as angioplasty and stenting were better than drug therapy at treating stable heart disease. Other studies questioned the usefulness and safety of expensive, drug-coated stents. And other trials trumpeted the expanding benefits of statins, raising the question of who shouldn't be taking these drugs.

For anyone concerned about the health of their heart, walking is probably the best exercise. Why?

• It’s inexpensive (only requires a sturdy pair of shoes

• It has no harmful side effects; other exercise could result in injury; but unless you trip over your own feet and fall, minimal harm is associated with walking)

A healthy human heart pumps 10 pints of blood more than 1400 times a day. It is the hardest working muscle in the body.

Treating Angina

Angina (chest pains), along with breathing difficulty during exertion, is a sign that heart disease is in its early stages. Angina can be treated with medication that reduces the heart's overall workload.

Effect of Very High-Intensity Statin Therapy on Regression of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Journal of the American Medical Association
JAMA. 2006 Mar 13; [Epub ahead of print]
JAMA. 2006;295:(doi:10.1001/jama.295.13.jpc60002)

The Effects of Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Treatments on Severity of Coronary Artery Disease
Annals of Internal Medicine, 21 February 2006, Volume 144 Issue 4, Page I-22

This study was done to

Although the first report by the Institute for Health was released in 1999, stating that medical errors were responsible for as many as 98,000 deaths each year, when you read the statistics from the 2006 report, you will be shocked to learn that hospital patients should still expect to suffer one adverse drug event (due to human error) every day they remain hospitalized. Not very comforting... Perhaps legislation is needed to ensure (at the very least) that prescriptions are PRINTED legibly.