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All Medical Information provided in this website are only informative. Ask your Physician for any personal application.

 

 

 

Aspirin associated to NSAID,  more cardiac protection

 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs =( NSAID = diclofenac, naproxen and ibuprofen ) associated to low dose Aspirin =(80 to 325 mg per day) reduce cardiac risk in patients who suffered from myocardial infarction more than aspirin alone.

Source = 66th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology

 

 

More Antibiotics, Less Stroke.

Patients previously infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae may reduce their CRP and their carotid thickness if treated by roxithromycin 150 mg twice-daily for 30 days. Stroke (and cardiac events) are thus significantly prevented.

Source = Circulation. 2002;106

 

 

Inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein & TNF-alpha) have important adverse properties in promoting acute coronary events.

They are significantly reduced by statins but not by diet.

People under statins & diet can be satisfied even if their lipid levels are not normalized since statins lower cardiovascular risk by through independant ways.

Source = Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2002;22:e19-e23

 

 

Smokers, Do Check your Homocysteine!

High Plasma Homocysteine associated with smoking increases tremendously the cardio vascular disease risk .

Smokers + Homocysteine superior to 12mmol/ml have 13 times more cardiovascular disease risk than non smokers with normal homocysteine! ( <12mmol/ml)

In general, smokers have higher homocysteine levels than non-smokers, less folate, vitamins b6 & b12.

There should be a great benefit to screen and treat these smokers.

Source = Eur Heart J 2002;23:1580-1586

 

 

The presence of preinfarction angina (heart pain prior to infarction) has a favorable effect on left ventricular function (better ST resolution) after Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Source = Am J Cardiol 2002;90:465-469

 

 

Magnesium is abdolutely not benefitial after myocardial infarction.

 

 

Losartan not better than Captopril after severe myocardial infarction.

 

 

Treatment with Roxithromycin in acute Myocardian Infarction is not useful.

 

 

A new study published this week shows again that antibiotics given at moderate dose for one week during a heart attack can decrease by 40 % heart events for one year at least. This benefit is not linked to present infection or not but seems to act through decrease of CRP and Fibrinogen.

Source = Circulation. 2002;106 (August issue)

 

 

Depression in patients with heart disease can be treated with Sertraline with no significant harm.

Source = JAMA. 2002;288(6):701-709, 750-751

 

 

Ischaemic cardiomyopathy may benefit more (better long-term results) from bypass surgery than medical treatment.

Source = Am J Cardiol 2002;90:101-107

 

 

Angioplasty associated to stenting has better results compared to angioplasty  without stenting concerning nonfatal acute myocardial infarction or need of a new revascularization procedure. But mortality is the same with or without stenting, due to the condition of the patient during the procedure    ( unstable angina, hypertension etc…)

Source = Am J Cardiol 2002;90:112-118

 

 

Lack of sleep and long working hours increase myocardial infarction by 100 % in middle age population  5 hours or less of sleep per day and more than 60 hours of work per week for 1 year can cause an increase in myocardial infarction by 100 %. This is more enhanced by immediate stress during the last 7 days. People who are used to work hard and lack of sleep should avoid sudden stress.

Source = Occup Environ Med 2002;59:447-451

 

 

Helicobacter Pylori is a small bacteria which enters human stomach early in life and persists for ever if not treated, causing at least gastric pain. Now a new study certifies that  Helicobacter Pylori Infection Elevate by  49% Coronary Heart Disease Risk

and by 44% Myocardial Infarction. Helicobacter Pylori Infection becomes an independent cardiovascular risk factor.

Source = Heart 2002;88:43-46

 

 

More Glasses of Water,  Less Fatal Heart Events

Five or more glasses of water are much more useful than two : less blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, and fibrinogen concentration.

Up to 54 % reduction in fatal cardiovascular events!

Source = Am J Epidemiol 2002;155:827-833.

 

 

Death of cardiac people can be reduced by 75% by a simple shot of the Flu vaccine plus a reduction in infarction and angina.

Source = Circulation 2002;105:r82-r86

 

 

The World Health Organization recommend the vaccine for cardiac people for a long time ago, but these results are more inportant than expected. Previous studies showed also a reduction in stroke after a shot of flu vaccine. The mechanism of action of the flu vaccine is still not specified but it concerns the inflammatory process.

 

 

Take care when you are taking Aspirin and switch to COX-2 inhibitor (an anti-inflammatory agent) : Platelets can be activated which leads to thrombosis and cardiovascular events (infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism etc...)

Source = Science 2002;296:539-541

 

 

Atherosclerosis, renovascular disease and Chlamydia infection:

A notable renal artery stenosis can be excluded if Chlamydia Pneumoniae IgG serology is negative.

Atherosclerosis for both the aorta and renal arteries are strongly associated with a positive serology of Chlamydia Pneumoniae.

Source = Arch Intern Med 2002;162:786-790

 

 

Cardiac patients (those who had a myocardial infarction) are at greater risk of death than diabetes type 2 patients.

Source = BMJ 2002;324:939-942

 

 

C-reactive protein (CRP) may predict sudden death ?3.2 g/mL of CRP is associated with sudden death (normal CRP for the heart = 1.4 g/mL).

 Source = Circulation 2002;105 April 16.

 

 

The British "Angina Plan":Relaxation techniques, learning heart risk factors and angina mechanism : Less anxiety, depression & angina.

 Source = Br J Gen Pract 2002;52:194-201         

 

           

Garlic reduces the primary lesion of arteriosclerosis if directly applied.The results seem moderate but very quick.The eaten effective dose is still to be determined.

 Source = International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medical Research in Boston, Dr. Gunter Siegel, of The Free University of Berlin.

 

 

Bigger the hospital volume, smaller the surgical mortality for cardiovascular procedures and cancer resection.

 Source = N Engl J Med 2002;346:1128-1144,1161-1164.

 

 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) beneficial for heart disease since it decreases arterial calcification of the breast?

 Source = J Med Screen 2002:9:38-39

 

 

For cardiac patients:Do rest at least for 5 hours after a High-Fat Meal. Postprandial Angina mostly to occur 5 hours after High-Fat Meals (Significant dcrease in coronary flow and increase in Triglycerides).

 Source = Ann Intern Med 2002;136:523-528

 

 

CRP:specific and strong marker for cardiovascular  disease in women but not specific marker for cancer.

 Source = Ann Intern Med 2002;136:529-533

 

 

Nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or Aspirin ? Same benefit after myocardial infarction.Patients receiving chronic NSAID treatment should not receive aspirin post MI.Those allergic to Aspirin may replace it by Nsaid.

 Source = Am Heart J 2002;143:381-382,475-481

 

 

Vitamins C and E slow the progression of arteriosclerosis  in heart transplant patients.Animal Studies : Vitamins C and E, can improve survival.

 Source = Lancet 2002;359:1108-1113

 

 

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may be an early marker of coronary artery disease since it is found associated with high blood pressure, dyslipemia, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol.

 Source = Eur Heart J 2002;23:376-383.

 

 

Angioplasty (PTCA) which might improve outcome after acute MI better than thrombolytic therapy, stenting  is also better !

 Source = N Engl J Med. 2002;346(13):957-966

 

 

Insulin has anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce thrombosis, that leads to heart attack and stroke, and enhance fibrinolysis.

 Source = J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002;87:1419-1422

 

 

Older white men and women have more coronary calcifications than older black men and women.High coronary artery calcium scores are : age, male sex, smoking, triglyceride levels and presences of cardiovascular disease.

 Source = Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2002;22:424-430

 

 

Aspirin Resistance. Some patients may be redistant to aspirin and thus more exposed to cardiac events such as Myocardial Infarction, Stroke and may benefit from additional antiplatelet treatments or other antithrombotic therapies. High urinary levels of 11-dehydro thromboxane B2 may reveal those patients.

 Source = Circulation. April 9th issue, published online March 26th.          

 

The vulnerable morning periods: between 6 AM and noon. More cardiovascular events : Aortic Dissection, Myocardial infarction, Stroke etc...Prevention could include appropriate calm behaviour, progressive day start, better morning coverage treatment since most drugs are taken in the morning and their action is not immediate.

 Source = American College of Cardiology (ACC) 51st Annual Scientific Session.

 

 

Sudden Death : Amiodarone better than Lidocaine for patients with shock-resistant out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF).

 Source = N Engl J Med 2002;346:884-890.

 

 

More important predictors of myocardial salvage after first myocardial infarction : QRS and T inversion on the Electrocardiogram. More important than time to thrombolytic treatment or others.

 Source = Eur Heart J 2002;23:347-349,399-404.