The Beating heart patch:

Noserose · Aug 26, 2017

The Beating heart patch:

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/beating-heart-patch-offers-new-hope-desperately-ill-patients-ncna795336

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach

[Watching that patch beat in a petri dish is amazing. This is the way of the future. No more heart transplants, just put a patch on the diseased area of the heart and you're good to go!]

Merwen · Aug 26, 2017

Noserose said: ↑

The Beating heart patch:

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/beating-heart-patch-offers-new-hope-desperately-ill-patients-ncna795336

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach

[Watching that patch beat in a petri dish is amazing. This is the way of the future. No more heart transplants, just put a patch on the diseased area of the heart and you're good to go!]

Click to expand...

Great news. Thanks for the link.

Just_a_Citizen · Aug 26, 2017

Fantastic!

waltky · Sep 29, 2017

Spot the warning signs of Women and heart diseases...

Women and heart diseases: Spot the warning signs
Friday 29th September, 2017: With the new numbers suggesting that close to 50% women in India are at the risk of heart ailments, today, on World Heart Day, take a moment to think about your ticker.

A survey conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that women didn't consider heart disease as a major cause of concern, in spite of the condition being the no.1 killer in women. Typically, women think of heart disease as a potential threat for males and end up ignoring many symptoms of the same in themselves. The main reason for this is a lack of awareness about the symptoms and the causes of cardiovascular disorders. As per data from The Heart Foundation, 90% women are unaware about high cholesterol being a threat to their hearts. Several women end up blaming their physicians for their limited knowledge of possible risks, which makes them mistake the symptoms of heart-related disorders for a panic disorder or a stress attack.

In fact, almost a third of female heart patients experience chest pain in the month before they have a heart attack. Sadly, they fail to understand the symptoms and do not take necessary precautions. To empower women with the right medical knowledge and help them take corrective steps when the warning signs of a heart attack become apparent, Mahesh Jayaraman, Medical Researcher, Therapist, Health Advisor and Co-founder of health platform Sepalika.com, and Dr Manthan Mehta, Specialty Medical Officer, Dept of Pharmacology, TNMC and Nair Hospital, have listed down some points for ANI.

5 warning signs of a heart attack in women:

1. Is fatigue bothering you? The AHA survey revealed that fatigue is the biggest signal of an oncoming heart issue amongst women. Prior to a heart attack, 70% women experienced weakness even without exerting themselves. While fatigue can often be ignored as a common part of the ageing process, unexplained fatigue can be a warning sign of a heart attack. Fatigue that does not go away even after adequate rest and sleep needs to be addressed. What's the connection between fatigue and heart attack? Well, one of the causes of fatigue is the heart not pumping enough blood. As a result, the cells do not get sufficient oxygen to burn fuel and generate energy.

2. Unable to sleep properly? Ever wondered why your sleep is interrupted often? While work-related issues or other issues can often result in sleep disturbances, if there are no such apparent reasons then you cannot rule out the risk of a cardiovascular disease. A weak heart decreases oxygen levels in the body, which may lead to insomnia or unexplained bouts of waking up at night.

3. Trouble in breathing? If you often have to exert more effort than usual while breathing, then it could be a sign of a heart trouble. Women who are overweight and do not indulge in any physical activities may experience shortness of breath even while lying down or walking. If you're experiencing such symptoms, get yourself tested to ensure your heart is healthy.

4. Experiencing severe stomach pain? A heart attack may not always start with chest pain; it can start with a pain in the upper abdomen as well. The pain can worsen and spread up to your left shoulder and arm. A sharp pain in the stomach could be a sign of an impending heart attack.

5. Is it anxiety that's bothering you? Anxiety attacks can occur unexpectedly, and can leave you shaken. The symptoms you may experience are shortness of breath, sweating, numbness of hands and feet, which could be indicators of an unknown heart problem. Such bouts of anxiety can occur due to improper distribution of oxygen in the body, especially to the brain, and must not be ignored.

Risk factors of heart attack in women: Some of the traditional risk factors for heart disease amongst women are high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and menopause, due to lower levels of estrogens, stress, depression and obesity. These factors have a bigger role in the development of heart diseases in women as compared to men. Also, women who smoke are at a higher risk of getting heart disease 19 years sooner than non-smokers. In India, both men and women are at an equal risk of heart attacks. However, women tend to disregard the warnings as age-related problems. This tendency needs to be curbed through proper education and awareness building. Women need to understand that they are as prone to heart disease as their husbands, fathers or brothers. Any time a warning sign crops up, they must take it seriously and visit the appropriate medical practitioner in time.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/254861100/women-and-heart-diseases-spot-the-warning-signs
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See also:

Diabetes induced heart diseases see steady rise
Friday 29th September, 2017: In order to spread awareness about multiple heart problems, September 29 is celebrated as World Heart Day worldwide every year.

Young people require more education on how they can improve their heart health. Efforts are being made to foster everyone about the small changes that can make a powerful difference and make the heart healthy. A survey conducted by Indus Health Plus indicates that there has been a three-fold rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Delhiites compared to last three years. The risk of heart attack and stroke increases if the person is suffering from diabetes and obesity. 40% of males and 38% women from the age group of 40-50 years have been tested positive for diabetes which has increased their chances of heart ailments. Out of these, 20% males and 22% females are obese too.

Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist Indus Health Plus says, "In Delhi young working women between the age group of 25 - 35 years are prone to heart diseases due to lack of estrogen. Prolonged intake of painkillers, hormonal and contraceptive pills can cause clotting of blood in the arteries. This coupled with unhealthy lifestyle and stress increases the risk of heart diseases. Day-to-day lifestyle modifications and changes like jogging, stair climbing, healthy eating, playing anoutdoor game, etc. help in reducing the risk of heart ailments".

Key findings from the survey:

More than 70% of urban males and 69% of rural men from the age group of 35-55 years are under the risk of heart diseases due to hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. 60% of urban as well as rural women between 25-40 years age group were ignorant of heart diseases. More than 50% of corporate employees (both men women) are suffering because of hypertension and heart ailments. Air pollution (caused by industries, vehicles, etc.) is at an all-time high in Delhi which is leading to heart diseases. Children and elderly in urban areas are the most affected with this condition. Young population aged 30 years are at higher risk of heart diseases, due to unhealthy lifestyles, stress, smoking, and drinking. 45% of urban and 43% of rural people were reported to have high cholesterol.

Intake of junk food, ready-to-eat meals are preferred along with lack of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains intake increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body, which can block the blood vessels. Pollution, smoking, high-stress level and sedentary lifestyles are the factors that have led to an increase in the burden of cardiovascular diseases in Delhi. In times when such diseases are on the rise, it becomes important to understand the risk factors and work in the direction to eradicate them especially, if one has a family history of heart diseases.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/254861026/diabetes-induced-heart-diseases-see-steady-rise
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Related...

Ill-effects of sedentary lifestyle on cardiovascular system
Friday 29th September, 2017: Cardiovascular disease is expected to cause 25 million deaths in the entire world in 2020. In India, cardiovascular disorders are the cause of 25 per cent deaths.

Heart disease is not just an ailment restricted to the urban and economically strong; it also affects the rural and underprivileged population. There are many risk factors that may lead to heart disease, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. The developing societies like India have to face an unfavourable setting characterized by changes in lifestyle, an increase in the consumption of foods with a high caloric density, a reduction of physical activity, and an increase in tobacco use. "Sedentary behaviours include sitting, reclining, or lying down while awake as well as reading, watching television or working on the computer for more than 10 hours. These "inactive activities" mean energy expenditure is less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents, or METs," says Dr Ram Anil Raj, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bangalore.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle can increase risk of dying from heart disease by 52 percent for men and 28 percent for women. In 2010 the World Health Organization estimated that 3.2 million people die each year due to the failure to engage in physical activity, which constitutes the fourth most important risk factor leading to death in the entire world. Sedentary behaviour is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, impaired insulin sensitivity (linked with diabetes) and an overall higher risk of death from any cause. Despite the health-promoting effects associated with regular physical exercise, physical inactivity not only continues to be a common problem, but also is becoming increasingly widespread.

Aerobic cardiovascular exercise is best in heart disease prevention. It trains the heart to become more efficient and trains the body to better utilize oxygen. Cardiovascular exercise lowers blood pressure and reduces total cholesterol, two problems associated with heart disease. It increases insulin sensitivity, helping to prevent diabetes and other metabolic conditions. Obesity is often a precursor to heart disease, and cardiovascular exercise is the best method for weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends engaging in cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Methods of exercise include walking, jogging, cycling and swimming. Exercise increases circulation, helps clear arteries, lubricates joints and promotes well-being. It is important to adopt an exercise regimen before signs of heart disease occur and make exercise a lifestyle habit.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/...-sedentary-lifestyle-on-cardiovascular-system
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waltky · Oct 14, 2017

Treatments are evolving rapidly to improve clinical outcomes and help patients live an active and productive life ...

Managing heart disease through quality stents
Saturday 14th October, 2017: With cardiovascular diseases becoming new epidemic in the country, affecting younger and older population alike, treatment modalities are evolving rapidly to improve clinical outcomes and help patients live an active and productive life post-treatment

Responsible for 25% of all deaths in the country, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have also become a leading cause of premature mortality in terms of years of life lost. From the year 1990 to 2010, early deaths, because of CVD in India, have reportedly increased by a staggering 59%. By getting affected with heart conditions in working age, people not only lose out their productive years but also add to the overall economic burden of the disease.

According to a paper, published in the Journal of Harvard School of Public health, cardiovascular disease deaths alone give India the "highest loss in potentially productive years of life" of all countries in the world. "Compounded with a steep rise in the number of young patients, in Rajasthan itself, CVD contributes to approximately 11 percent of the disease burden. I get around 15 percent heart patients below 45 years of age in a month. The major reasons contributing to the early onset of the disease are work-related stress, unhealthy lifestyle, family history, diabetes, and habits like smoking, drinking and lack of sleep. Fortunately, the continuous advancement in technology is changing the way cardiovascular diseases are diagnosed early and treated effectively. But the key to it lies in early recognition of the susceptible individuals and its prevention," says Dr. Sanjeeb Roy, Director, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur.

Along with these risk factors, the lack of preventive measures at the appropriate time sometimes leads to an elevated risk of having a cardiac disease. In this case, the patient might require undergoing a surgical procedure like stenting to treat the complication. The stent is placed inside the artery through a process called coronary angioplasty, also known as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). While the type of stent used depends upon individual patient conditions, the most important thing to be kept in mind when choosing a stent is the quality of stent.

A stent, once implanted, remains in the body forever and hence, the quality of the device should be given prime importance. A bad quality stent might result in stent thrombosis and restenosis and can be fatal for the patient in some cases. This is why cardiologists always emphasize on using the highest quality stent. "With other innovations in cardiac technologies, advances are also taking place in the sphere of devices. A clear example of this is the consistent evolution in stent technology, leading to the development of newer generation stents. However, whichever stents are chosen for placement, it is important to understand that quality plays a vital role in improvising overall patient outcomes. Preference should be given to a stent which has been backed by significant clinical data and has gone through stringent approval norms. In this regard, US FDA approved drug-eluting stents (DES) have been proven to be the most effective," says Dr. Prakash Chandwani, Director, Heart General Hospital, Jaipur. Thus, better quality stent technologies further help to improve the clinical outcomes and optimize the PCI.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/255025786/managing-heart-disease-through-quality-stents
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Merwen · Oct 14, 2017

waltky said: ↑

Treatments are evolving rapidly to improve clinical outcomes and help patients live an active and productive life ...

Managing heart disease through quality stents
Saturday 14th October, 2017: With cardiovascular diseases becoming new epidemic in the country, affecting younger and older population alike, treatment modalities are evolving rapidly to improve clinical outcomes and help patients live an active and productive life post-treatment
Click to expand...

At some point employers that cause unnecessary levels of worker stress are going top be identified as such and penalized by increased taxes.

waltky · Nov 12, 2017

Uncle Ferd says, "Yeah - is fun exercise...

Sex unlikely to cause cardiac arrest, study finds
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 - Sudden cardiac arrest is linked to sexual activity far more often in men than women, a study finds.

Sudden cardiac arrest is associated with sexual activity far more often in men than women, research suggests. But sex is a rare trigger for sudden cardiac arrest. Only 34 out of the 4,557 cardiac arrests examined occurred during or within one hour of sexual intercourse and 32 of those affected were men. Sumeet Chugh, of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, said his study is the first to evaluate sexual activity as a potential trigger of cardiac arrest. The research was presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association.

A cardiac arrest happens when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating. It causes someone to fall unconscious and stop breathing and unless treated with CPR, it is fatal. This differs from a heart attack, where blood flow to the heart is blocked. It is known that sexual activity can trigger heart attacks, but the the link with cardiac arrest was previously unknown.

Couples feet in bed

Cardiac arrest facts

* Almost 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die
* Every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation reduces someone's survival chances by 10%
* CPR, especially if performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person's chance of survival
* During CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. The beat of the Bees Gees' hit Stayin' Alive is a perfect match for this

Source: American Heart Association

Dr Chugh and his colleagues in California examined hospital records on cases of cardiac arrest in adults between 2002 and 2015 in Portland, Oregon. Sexual activity was associated in fewer than 1% of the cases. The vast majority were male and were more likely to be middle-aged, African-American and have a history of cardiovascular disease. The study also found CPR was performed in only one-third of the cases, despite them being witnessed by a partner.

Dr Chugh said: "These findings highlight the importance of continued efforts to educate the public on the importance of bystander CPR for sudden cardiac arrest, irrespective of the circumstance." He said it shows the need for people to be educated about how to administer CPR. Another study presented at the conference showed children as young as six can learn it. After a heart attack or surgery, the British Heart Foundation suggests patients should typically wait four to six weeks before resuming sexual activity.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41929167
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waltky · Mar 22, 2018

New Technology Being Developed for Pacemakers...

New Technology Being Developed for Pacemakers
March 21, 2018 | WASHINGTON — You may have seen this on TV: Someone whose heart has gone into a wildly abnormal rhythm, or whose heart has stopped, is shocked when a medic uses defibrillator paddles to restart the heart.

The electric shock is so powerful that the body convulses and the patient screams. You can see it on YouTube if you search for “defibrillator shock.” The video makes clear what patients go through, including those who have defibrillators implanted in their hearts. Aydin Babakhani, an engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, likens implantable defibrillators to dial up telephones, which have long since been replaced by smartphones. “Pacemakers use a very old technology. They still use wires. They still use batteries. And they are bulky and large,” he said.

New ways for the heart

Babakhani places tiny sensors on very small chips for industrial and medical use. Before his move to UCLA, he worked at Rice University, where he began collaborating with Dr. Mehdi Razavi, a cardiologist at the Texas Heart Institute. The men were investigating new ways to pace and defibrillate the heart. The collaboration was easy because Rice is across the street from the heart institute.

As a cardiac electrophysiologist, Razavi wants to be able to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm without shocking the patient. Razavi says the idea of placing a number of small chips in the heart could achieve that goal. “The limitation up to now with using pacing is that we simply do not have enough pacing sites to distribute this energy across the heart muscle,” he said. Babakhani developed small chips to pace the heart and help it stay in a normal rhythm. They are smaller than a dime, less than 18 millimeters long. This pacing system has no battery and no leads, the wires that connect the battery to the heart in traditional pacemakers.

Traumatic, painful event

Even when there’s no pain, defibrillation has a huge impact. When John O’Leary’s implanted defibrillator sent shocks to his heart to get it back into a normal rhythm, it stopped him cold. “I thought I walked into a lamp post,” he said. “There was no pain whatsoever. I really felt that I walked into something hard.”

Razavi says another problem with the pacemaker/defibrillators now in use is that once patients are defibrillated, many of them feel traumatized. It can take more than one shock to get the heart back into a normal rhythm. Anne Bunting said she screamed in pain through repeated defibrillations. “It saved my life that day, but it was also a fearsome thing to go through because it was so painful,” she said.

Preclinical trials promising
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See also:

Implantable Heart Defibrillators Deliver Shock in More Ways Than One
March 20, 2018 - A resting heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute can be life-threatening. It means the heart is beating too fast to pump blood to the rest of the body, including the brain and the lungs. This can cause the heart to suddenly stop beating. It can cause a stroke or heart failure.

A implantable cardioverter defibrillator, commonly known as an ICD, can prevent sudden death, but the device has drawbacks. One is pain. The other is fear of defibrillation. John O'Leary got an ICD about a year after having a heart attack. "I had a couple of episodes where I became dizzy while exercising. I was out biking, and in one instant, actually, I think I lost conscious for a brief second or so," he said. "I thought it was probably just dehydration, heat, what have you." But it wasn't anything he suspected. Instead, O'Leary had the classic symptoms of a heart rhythm disorder. The lower chambers of his heart were beating too fast and irregularly. The ICD acts instantly when a patient's heart rhythm goes out of sync.

Medronic, a company that makes ICDs, reports that every month, 10,000 people in the U.S. have one implanted. Here's how it works: A doctor inserts a small electronic device under the skin, usually under the collarbone. The ICD is powered by a battery. It's connected to one or more sensing wires, called leads, that are implanted in the heart. If the heart is out of rhythm, the ICD automatically sends small electrical signals through the leads to correct it. If that doesn't work, the defibrillator delivers a shock to restore the heart to a normal rate. "That's just the basic physics of the process," said Dr. Mehdi Razavi, an electrophysiologist at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. "When you deliver a shock, there's pain involved."

Like 'lightning'

O'Leary didn't experience any pain, but Anne Bunting did. "It was like being hit by lightning. I actually saw a flash of white light and the sound that lightning makes coming down a tree, and then, boom! And it shocked me five times in a row, and I was screaming. That's how much it hurt." Bunting got on the floor to keep herself from falling. Razavi said that when shocks are delivered, they can happen more than once. "You can have half a dozen shocks in a row, and that's typically because the underlying cause has not been immediately reversed," he said. O'Leary compares the shock to walking into a lamp post or a wall. It happened while he was walking toward his car in a parking lot. "There was no lamp post, no wall, there was nothing between me and the car. But that's exactly what it felt like." He also saw a flash of light, which he figured to be the electrical discharge. Then he realized what had happened.

More improvements sought

Over the years, ICD designs have improved. The devices are smaller and less invasive than they used to be. But Razavi wants them smaller still. And he doesn't want patients to even notice that they are being defibrillated. He is working with an electrical engineer at the University of California-Los Angeles to develop small chips that provide small, inconspicuous shocks that return the heart to a normal rhythm, without the patient's noticing — no flash of light, no pain, no feeling of having walked into a wall. Razavi and Aydin Babakhani, the UCLA professor of engineering, feel that they are on to something that fills the bill. It's at least five years away from being available to heart patients, but the men are confident they'll get there.

https://www.voanews.com/a/implantab...iver-shock-in-more-ways-than-one/4307551.html
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