Heart Disease - Top 10 Advances of the Millenium (well, so far)   

9)  Aggressive therapy for unstable angina validated

During the year 2000, several studies demonstrated that certain subsets of patients presenting with unstable angina fared far better with early catheterization and angioplasty/stent therapy.  This approach was publicly illustrated in November, when Dick Cheney was admitted to a Washington hospital with unstable angina.  For details, see Unstable Angina – Dick Cheney Disease.

10)  Caffeine is ok for the heart

A large Finnish study examining the relationship between coffee drinking and the development of coronary artery disease was published in the December, 2000 Archives of Internal Medicine.  Finland has both a very high rate of coronary artery disease, and a high per capita consumption of coffee.  Over 20,000 men and women were surveyed in this study on several health habits – including coffee drinking – and then followed for 10 years.  There was no association between the level of coffee consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease.  Indeed, the highest risk of death from coronary artery disease was found in those who did not drink coffee at all.

Ok, so this one isn’t exactly earth-shattering science, but it means a lot to DrRich.

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