Heart Disease and Cardiology in the News
A
scientific case for wine drinking
A study from the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that
drinking wine may reduce mortality over and above any beneficial effect of
alcohol.
Garlic
has only modest effect on cholesterol
In this meta-analysis, garlic is found to have some effect on lowering
cholesterol, but certainly not enough to make garlic haters feel guilty.
Jarvik
2000 artificial heart implanted in a British patient
This new Jarvik is a fraction of the size of the one implanted in Barney
Clark in 1984. Critics decry the cost and call for an emphasis on
prevention. But this new artificial heart - despite the criticism - looks
promising.
Cigar
smoking is no safe harbor
New data destroys myth that cigar smoking is substantially safe
Good
news for beer drinkers - no need to switch to wine
Leave it to the British. The British Medical Journal
reports that drinking beer offers cardiac protections similar to drinking
wine.
New evidence
that genetic factors help cause coronary artery disease
AHA research opens up a new line of investigation for preventing
coronary artery disease.
Typical
symptoms often not present with a heart attack
When symptoms are atypical, patients delay seeking medical attention.
Since early intervention is the key to a good outcome with a heart attack,
people with known or suspected coronary artery disease should be aware of the
common "atypical" presenting symptoms reported in this study.
Bypass
surgery vs. angioplasty in people with diabetes
This study suggests that diabetics may do better with bypass surgery.
Diabetics
may have special risk factors for heart disease
Blood studies now suggest that chronic inflammation in diabetics may
predispose to coronary artery disease.
Olive
oil is good for blood pressure
In a randomized trial, patients using olive oil had significant reductions
in blood pressure.
