HEALTH DISCUSSION FORUM » HEALTH IN THE NEWS

I've always understood that keeping the brain active can help to ward off the onset of dementia and this is one of the reasons I value having access to a computer. Now while that does seem to be the case it comes with a caveat, see the article from the BBC website below.

Puzzles and crosswords delay dementia, study suggests.

People who do puzzles and crosswords may stave off dementia longer but experience a more rapid decline once the disease sets in, a study suggests.

While there has long been speculation that "exercising" your brain could protect against Alzheimer's, there has been little evidence to back this up.

Now US researchers who followed more than 1,000 people suggest the more mentally active may delay the disease.

But once symptoms appeared, decline was quicker, the research suggested.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

THIS IS FROM THE BHF WEBSITE.

30/08/2010

The Y chromosome, carried only by men, seems to carry genes that can increase men's risk.

The findings come from a team led by BHF Professor Nilesh Samani. They're based on data from the Family Heart Study, which was launched by the BHF and the Medical Research Council a decade ago. 

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the BHF, said: "These interesting findings are based on DNA collected in our Family Heart Study some years ago. They show that the Y chromosome, which only men have, carries genetic variations that increase the risk of heart disease.

"It provides genetic confirmation of what we already knew, that men are at increased risk of heart disease compared with women.

"Because the gene variant identified occurs predominantly in men of northern European descent, it may provide clues as to why men from northern Europe are more prone to heart disease than their southern counterparts."

ANOTHER ONE FOR THE FUTURE FROM THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION WEBSITE.

04/08/2010

Gene discoveries will help us beat heart disease A large international study has identified 95 gene variations that affect blood levels of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides.

The research, reported in the journal Nature, examined genetic information from over 100,000 people collated from 46 previous studies in Europe, the United States and Australia.

These included the British Heart Foundation (BHF)/Medical Research Council (MRC) Family Heart Study, set up in 2000 by BHF Professor Stephen Ball at the University of Leeds and BHF Professor Nilesh Samani at the University of Leicester.

The Family Heart Study analysed DNA samples from over 2,000 families in the UK affected by premature heart disease. Data from the Family Heart Study were used in the new study to assess which genes are associated with cholesterol control.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the BHF, said:

“We’ve known for a long time that having high levels of harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease. That’s why medicines that lower cholesterol, such as statins, are so effective at preventing heart attacks.

“The findings in this study, that as many as 95 different genes seem to be involved in regulating cholesterol levels in the blood, illustrate just how complicated the biology is.

“A great deal more research is needed to understand precisely what these genes do and how they interact.

“Although this is just a first step down a long road the good news is that the more we understand about cholesterol regulation, the more likely it is that new drugs will be developed to prevent heart disease

ONCE AGAIN THIS IS SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE BUT I ALWAYS FIND THESE SORT OF ARTICLES REASSURING AS THEY SHOW THAT RESEARCH CONTINUES.

05/08/2010

By studying the way embryonic heart cells develop, scientists have reprogrammed cells in mice from one cell type to another, creating ‘beating’ heart muscle from other non-specialised cells.

Our Medical Director, Professor Peter Weissberg, said: “This exciting report demonstrates how research into early heart development can lead to possible new treatments for heart disease.

“Using genes identified to be important in the development of embryonic heart cells, these scientists have been able to ‘reprogramme’ mouse fibroblasts – non specialised cells that exist in most adult tissues, including the heart – into cells that resemble and behave like beating heart cells.

“Although there is still a long way to go, the results raise the hope that one day we will be able to reprogramme human fibroblasts, which are abundant in damaged heart tissue, to repair damaged human hearts.”

FIT HEART CAN SLOW BRAIN AGING. US RESEARCHERS SAY.

Keeping your heart fit and strong can slow down the ageing of your brain, US researchers say.

A Boston University team found healthy people with sluggish hearts that pumped out less blood had "older" brains on scans than others.

Out of the 1,500 people studied, the team observed that the brain shrinks as it ages.A poor cardiac output aged the brain by nearly two years on average, Circulation journal says.

The link was seen in younger people in their 30s who did not have heart disease, as well as elderly people who did.

Lead researcher Dr Angela Jefferson said: "These participants are not sick people. A very small number have heart disease. The observation that nearly a third of the entire sample has low cardiac index and that lower cardiac index is related to smaller brain volume is concerning and requires further study."

The participants with smaller brain volumes on magnetic resonance imaging did not show obvious clinical signs of reduced brain function. But the researchers say the shrinkage may be an early sign that something is wrong. More severe shrinkage or atrophy occurs with dementia.

Dr Jefferson said there were several theories for why reduced cardiac index - how much blood the heart pumps out relative to body size - might affect brain health.

For example, a lower volume of blood pumping from the heart might reduce flow to the brain, providing less oxygen and fewer nutrients needed for brain cells.

READ MORE CLICK THE TITLE OF THIS PIECE.

It seems the government may be getting ready to hand responsibility for Public Health issues which are currently the responsibility of primary Care Trusts to our Local Authorities. My understanding is that this means things like Health Promotion activities.

Does the mean that our Local Authorities will recieve additional/sufficient funding for these activities? Or will it be like when responsibility for some areas of mental health such as care in the community were given to local authorities and many of our mental health establishments and hospitals disappeared and resulted in the obvious increase in the number of mentally ill people that we now see on our streets or incarcerated in prison?

FEARS PUBLIC HEALTH MAY BE HIT IN SHAKE-UP OF NHS.

The overhaul of the NHS may harm the public health drive, experts fear.

Under government plans, primary care trusts in England will be abolished and GPs given control of the budget. The shake-up will also mean public health is handed to councils, but the King's Fund health think tank said this could lead the NHS to turn its back on issues like smoking and drinking.

The government said it would be setting out detailed plans for public health in England later this year.

Public health has traditionally been the responsibility of local health managers working for the 151 PCTs. They have been in charge of recruiting local public health directors and coordinating campaigns to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles.

But under the changes announced earlier this month, that role is to be handed to local authorities.

This is from the British Heart Foundation website. It is often the case that the BHF website highlights developments in the treatments for heart conditions and often it can be quite heartening to know that treatments and interventional tecniques are improving all the time and will be available to those younger members of our families should they ever need them.

GOOD NEWS FOR HEART PATIENTS AS DEATH-RATE FALLS.

Deaths from heart and circulatory disease have fallen dramatically in the last decade, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Circulatory diseases, such as heart disease, remain the most common major cause of death. However, the number of deaths fell by 42 per cent for men and 40 per cent for women in England and Wales between 1999 and 2009.

Our Chief Executive, Peter Hollins, said: “This is great news for heart patients. It is evidence of the huge advances in the diagnosis, treatment and care available to people with heart and circulatory conditions over the last decade.

“Whilst we are clearly heading in the right direction, it’s important we don’t put the brakes on now. The fact fewer people are dying and more of us are living with heart disease and heart failure, means it’s crucial we stay focused and make sure people get the treatment and care they deserve."

The government seem to be suggesting that groups of GPs get together to form consortia to manage funds which will be redirected from Primary Care trusts to the direct control of GPs but I am already sensing more quangos around the corner.

But some experts have expressed concerns about the idea of devolving control to GPS.

"A report by the Civitas think tank said there was little evidence that GPs would be better than the current system and even warned the restructuring could set the NHS back by three years."

I see in the Advertiser that Hazel Blears was part of a delegation talking to the new Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, AGAINST the closure of maternity services at Hope Hospital. I wonder is this the same Hazel Blears who voted FOR the closure of the service when she was a member of the previous government.

Not all GPs will be interested or competent to deal with the enormous budgets which it is suggested they should control. Would it not be better for a number of GPs - representing all GPs in a particular area - to sit on the board of the local hospital. In that way you would have those GPs who were interested influencing decisions on the care the hospital provides for the community and at the same time taking away a lot of the fuctions presently carried out by the PCT. Those GPs who sit on the hospital board would need to be recompensed for their time but it would be better than all GPs receiving large increases in their already more than generous salaries.

I just hope they have thought out properly the proposals to give GPs control of their budgets and in essence get rid of the Primary Care Trusts. Whilst in many ways PCTs are another level of bloated administration there needs to be a planned way to move financial control to GPs.

At the moment GPs complain that too much is expected of them (plea for more money?) and they will have to employ people to administer the finances and accounts. It will all take an awful lot of setting up. The whole notion may just disappear as so many government plans in recent years have done.

GP practices are set to be handed responsibility for most health services under ministerial plans for a radical shake-up of the NHS in England.

Local trusts and strategic health authorities would be sharply scaled back to make way for their new role.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley believes GPs are best placed to understand patients' needs and to decide where money should be spent.

This is from an item on the BBC website and is about how the "life expectancy gap" has widened in recent years. It measures the gap between average life expectancy and that of the poorest areas. Sadly Salford tops the table.

MORTALITY RATES FELL SLOWEST IN THE PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS OF:

• Salford: Bolton; Middlesbrough: Blackburn with Darwen: Hartlepool: Bradford: Oldham: Nottingham City: Sandwell: Ashton, Leigh and Wigan: Leicester City: Hull: Blackpool.

The gap between average life expectancy and that of the poorest in England is widening despite efforts to close it, a National Audit Office report says.

Life expectancy is now 77.9 years for men and 82 years for women but in poor areas it falls to 75.8 and 80.4 years. The NAO says this means that from 1995-97 to 2006-08 the life expectancy gap grew by 7% for men and 14% for women.

It is calling for more investment to help GPs tackle problems like smoking and poor diet in poor communities. The NAO says the figures mean a Labour government target to reduce the difference in life expectancy by 10% by 2010 is unlikely to be met.

TO READ THE FULL ITEM CLICK LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP

Many missing out on life saving care New statistics have revealed a great ethnic divide in access to heart treatments here in the UK.

In a special documentary on the BBC Asian Network, our very own campaign superstar Hina Shah helped reveal that even though our research shows South Asians are nearly 50 per cent more likely to develop heart disease, they are missing out on life saving care.

"Inequality of access and treatment is a major hurdle we need to overcome to ensure every patient is given the care and treatment they deserve regardless of race, colour or class."

What we found Does your ethnicity effect your chance of dying from heart disease? White patients are more than twice as likely as South Asian patients to get angioplasty or have a heart bypass procedure.

For every 100 hospital cases of heart disease in white people, there are around ten such procedures.
But for every 100 hospital cases of heart disease in South Asian people there are just four procedures.

Worryingly, it could be even worse. Gaps in the records reveal a lost group of patients admitted for treatment without recording their ethnicity.The NHS has been required to collect ethnicity data since 2001, but around 15 per cent of admissions still aren’t properly recorded.

Are you missing out on vital care?   Why is there such a difference?

Qaim Zaidi, Ethnic Strategy Co-ordinator at the BHF warns:

"South Asians may face a number of barriers when trying to access vital treatments which could prolong their lives. They could encounter language difficulties, services may not be culturally appropriate or they may not be aware of the services that are available to them.

“They should be subject to impact assessments requiring policymakers and service providers to take health inequalities into account.

"We also need full ethnicity coding of health data to understand the experiences of different patients."

You may read in your paper or see on TV a report that one of the major types of drugs for the treatment of some types of heart disease may increase the risk of cancer. Here is a part of such an article as an example:- But please read the response from the British Heart Foundation below it.

 CANCER LINK TO COMMON HEART DRUGS. A class of drugs commonly used to treat heart problems has been linked with a "modestly" increased risk of cancer.

Analysis of published data from all trials of angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) found one extra case of cancer for every 105 patients treated. The US researchers said the evidence from nine trials should prompt drug regulators to investigate.But they advised people not to stop taking the drugs, but to see their doctors if concerned.

 The results are published in The Lancet Oncology. ARBs are mainly prescribed for conditions such as high blood pressure and heart failure. They are used by millions of people worldwide.

 THIS IS THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATIONS RESPONSE TO THESE REPORTS TAKEN FROM ITS WEBSITE. 14/06/2010

 Findings of ARB drug study are inconclusive New analysis of previous trials has indicated that a group of drugs used to treat heart disease could increase the risk of developing cancer in people who take them.

 However, we say the findings, published in the Lancet, are inconclusive and if you are taking Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) you shouldn’t stop based on these findings alone.

 Our senior cardiac nurse, Judy O’Sullivan, said:“This analysis of previous research is inconclusive and anyone taking ARBs to treat their heart disease, or risk of developing it, shouldn’t stop based on this alone.

 “The benefits of taking the drug are well established and it remains an effective treatment for many of the 2.6 million people in the UK living with coronary heart disease.

 “We need more research to look specifically into any potential risks of developing cancer when taking ARBs. For now, anyone concerned about their risk of developing cancer should talk to their doctor.”

This is from the Brtish Heart Foundation commenting on some research that a persons Hieght may have some relationship to the chances of suffering from heart disease.

Link between height and heart disease needs more research A new study has shown there could be a possible link between someone’s height and their risk of heart disease.

However, we say there needs to be more research into the relationship. Concentrating on living a healthy lifestyle is still more important than keeping an eye on your height.

Our cardiac nurse, Fotini Rozakeas, said: “This study provides an interesting insight into the potential link between height and heart disease, but there needs to be more time and money spent researching this peculiar association.

“It’s the first time this association has been looked at using the combination of results from several different studies and, despite a number of theories, it is still unclear why short people should have an increased risk of heart disease.

“Whilst height is used to calculate Body Mass Index - a marker that might help indicate a risk of heart disease - there are lots of other risk factors to take into account like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and obesity.

Cheeses are generally seen as a bit of a no-no for people with heart or arterial diseases but this article fron Science Daily seems to show that there could be benefits from eating certain cheeses regularly. Here are some extracts:-

Cheese -- Acting as 'Carrier' for Probiotic Bacteria -- Found to Improve Immune Response of Elderly.

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2010) — Scientists in Finland have discovered that cheese can help preserve and enhance the immune system of the elderly by acting as a carrier for probiotic bacteria. The research, published in FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, reveals that daily consumption of probiotic cheese helps to tackle age-related changes in the immune system.

"The increase in the proportion of aged individuals in modern society makes finding innovative ways to thwart the deterioration of the immune system a priority," said lead author Dr Fandi Ibrahim from the University of Turku in Finland. "The intake of probiotic bacteria has been reported to enhance the immune response through other products and now we have discovered that cheese can be a carrier of the same bacteria."

Dr Ibrahim's team believe that the daily intake of probiotic cheese can tackle the age-related deterioration of the immune system known as immunosenescene. This deterioration means the body is unable to kill tumour cells and reduces the immune response to vaccinations and infections. Infectious diseases, chronic inflammation disorders and cancer are hallmarks of Immunosenescene.

The team asked volunteers aged between 72 and 103, all of which lived in the same care home, to eat one slice of either placebo or probiotic Gouda cheese with their breakfast for four weeks. Blood tests where then carried out to discover the effect of probiotic bacteria contained within the cheese on the immune system.

The results revealed a clear enhancement of natural and acquired immunity through the activation of NK blood cells and an increase in phagocytic activity.

It was obvious that there was a problem but the figures you have dug up Fez paint a far worse picture than even cynical old me had imagined.Looks as though we could finish up with a great hospital building but without staff to treat patients. The lesson to be learned is that when they (the politicians) tell you that they have spent more on a particular service ask yourself " Is it any better?".

As I implied yesterday you don't need the most expensive facilities to offer the best treatment. I wonder how those cancer patients who have been denied expensive drugs feel about the level of expenditure on new buildings.

Meldrew I think this illustrates one of the ways NHS/hospital spending seems a bit out of kilter with frotline needs. Unfortunately that name crops up again Hazel Blears. But it is not directly about her or her husband.

HAZEL BLEARS HUSBAND IN SALFORD HOSPITAL SICKENER.

 AS SALFORD ROYAL HOSPITAL PREPARES TO AXE 750 JOBS, HAZEL'S HUSBAND GETS ALMOST £80,000 IN FEES

While Salford Royal (formerly Hope) Hospital aims to slash 750 jobs over the next three years as part of vicious government cuts, we can reveal that by 2013 Hazel Blears' husband, Michael Halsall, will have been paid nearly £80,000 for attending meetings at the hospital.

Plans were leaked recently showing that the top rated Salford Royal Hospital aims to axe 250 jobs a year until 2013 in an effort to chop £16million from its budget. At the same time, Hazel Blears' husband, Michael Halsall, will be earning over £13,000 a year as a `non executive director' of the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

Halsall's day job is Litigation Manager at a local authority, and his speciality is cited on the Hospital's website as "looking at partnerships and new ways of working within the public sector". He is one of eight non executive directors of the Trust who between them were paid £125,000 in the year up to 31st March 2009, according to the Trust's last Annual Report. Half a dozen executive directors of the Trust were also paid £1,100,000 between them in the same year.

Leaked details in the Manchester Evening News showed 750 jobs to be axed at Salford Royal Hospital, involving 10% cuts in primary, community, acute and mental health sectors by 2013, and 15% cuts in acute and in-patient mental health care by 2013.

Meanwhile, Government figures show an initial capital cost of £190million for the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) redevelopment of Salford Royal Hospital – which will end up costing £620million by the end of its 34 year pay back to private investors. Next year payment instalments begin at £11.8million, rising to over £15million a year by 2021 and over £25million per year after 2040.

In my opinion mortality rates compare poorly with some other countries because of the way in which money has been spent. There is no doubt that the present government has substantially increased spending on the NHS but unfortunately has been obsessed with targets. I, personally, would rather have the best treatment for my condition than a have a guarantee that I will be seen within a few days. Timeliness is more important for cancer sufferers.

There has been too much emphasis on new buildings and recruiting administrative staff. I wonder how many decades it will take us to pay for the new Salford Royal under the Public Finance Initiative and wandering round the hospital one is immediately drawn to the number of people carrying briefcases and clipboards.

The last couple of occasions I have needed to see my GP I have been directed to a walk-in centre where the diagnosis was carried out by a nurse; I would much rather see a doctor.

Let's have more front-line staff instead of new buildings and find some way of controlling the disgustingly large amounts of money demanded by the drug companies.  

Britain used to be the envy of the world for it's health care. It was free and available at time of need. So what has happened? I keep reading of how much better other countries are doing and now another report seems to illustrate the point.

Where did it all go wrong or has it? From the BBC.

 UK 'has higher early death rate than many rich nations'

People in the UK have a higher risk of early death than those in many other wealthy countries, a study shows.

While deaths before the age of 60 in the UK have nearly halved in the past 40 years, the rate for women remains similar to Slovenia's and Albania's.

Experts said the large inequality gap was to blame for the findings, which were reported in the Lancet journal.

Globally, men in Iceland and women in Cyprus had the lowest risk, the Washington University-led team found.

Researchers looked at data, including censuses, death registrations and surveys, to compile the estimated number of early deaths in 187 countries in 1970, 1990 and 2010.

 During the period the overall risk fell by 34% in women and 19% in men, reflecting the progress in medicine and rising level of affluence.

South Asia saw the most rapid decline for women and Australasia for men.

Sub-Saharan Africa currently has some of the highest rates with half of people dying early, compared to one-in-20 in some developed countries.

Some parts of the continent even saw rates get worse, reflecting the spread of HIV in recent years, the report said.

SORRY THE GRAPHIC IS SO SMALL BUT TO SEE IT LARGER OR TO READ MORE CLICK MORTALITY RATES

This is from the British Heart Foundation and as I had bypass surgery some years back I find it interesting. As I understand it as we age our blood vessels start to lose their elasticity( harden) and this can make it difficult to find suitable veins for grafting in bypass surgery particularly if it is for a second time around. Once again it is something for the future but does illustrate the research that is ongoing in the fight against heart disease.

25/04/10

                        LEFT OVERS COULD HELP MEND BROKEN HEARTS.

Heart Bypass Surgery could save even more lives after scientists succeed in extracting vital stem cells from leftover veins.

Surgeons usually take out a section of vein from your leg and use it to help your blood bypass blocked veins in your heart.

However, they often take more vein than they need, and the leftovers usually end up in the bin. When Professor Paolo Madeddu and his team at the University of Bristol tested these leftover blood vessels, they managed to extract stem cells that could help new blood vessels grow.

In the future this ability to grow new blood vessels could help save heart muscle damaged by a heart attack.

The British Heart Foundation is proud to support the University of Bristol’s research. Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director of the BHF, says this kind of research is absolutely vital to improve the odds in the fight against heart disease.

“Repairing a damaged heart is the holy grail for heart patients. The discovery that cells taken from patients’ own blood vessels may be able to stimulate new blood vessels to grow in damaged tissues is a very encouraging and important advance. It brings the possibility of ‘cell therapy’ for damaged hearts one step closer”

"This is the first time that anyone has been able to extract stem cells from sections of vein left over from heart bypass operations."

"These cells might make it possible for a person having a bypass to also receive a heart treatment using their body’s own stem cells. We can also multiply these cells in the lab to make millions more stem cells, which could potentially be stored in a bank and used to treat thousands of patients."

 Professor Paolo Madeddu. University of Bristol 

FROM THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION. Another one for the future.

09/04/2010

NEW DRUG COULD STOP BLOOD CLOTS AT LOW TEMPERATURES.

Scientists believe that they may have found a way to stop blood clots during therapeutic hypothermia - hypothermia is used for many types of heart surgery and sometimes in patients who have suffered a cardiac arrest.

The body temperature of patients is lowered to prevent damage to the organs while surgery is performed - however, as the blood cools the risk of blood clots forming increases. Researchers from Australia have developed a blood thinning drug which only begins to work at low temperatures, ‘switching off’ when the patient’s body temperature is raised again.

Commenting on the findings Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This is a clever piece of science and may have uses in clinical practice.

“So far these scientists have shown that the drug works in the laboratory. The next step is to establish whether it works as predicted in patients, before it can become available for routine therapy.

“If, or when, that happens, it won’t replace the need for conventional anti-clotting drugs because in many patients you still need the blood thinning effect to be present after the patient has been rewarmed. So, even if it proves successful in clinical trials, it will only be useful for some patients undergoing heart surgery or other procedures using hypothermia.”

GENE THERAPY COULD HELP HEART ATTACK VICTIMS. Once again this is something for the future but does help to show the research being done and the developments we may get.

THIS IS FROM THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION WEBSITE

01/04/2010 Gene therapy boosts recovery from heart attack Huge potential for helping damaged hearts

Our new research suggests gene therapy could be an effective way to improve survival rates among heart attack patients. Scientists at the University of Bristol found that boosting levels of a natural growth factor in the heart could help the muscle to recover after a heart attack. The death rate from a heart attack was halved in mice that received the treatment.

Dr Costanza Emanueli, a BHD Senior Research Fellow, said: “We’ve shown that in mice, Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) gene therapy improves survival rates after a heart attack, through both a direct protective effect on heart muscle cells and by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels.

“In the laboratory, we can deliver therapy directly to the heart at the time of the heart attack. But in a clinical context the therapy will have to be given hours or days later, ideally without the need for surgery. So next we need to see if we can get similar results in this situation.

“I’m convinced that NGF has huge potential for treating heart attack patients.”

THERE IS MORE ON THIS IN OUR A-Z OF HEART HEALTH. CLICK GENE THERAPY TO READ IT.

 The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have issued new guidelines for the early treatment of people with chest pain. The British Heart Foundation have welcomed the news.

24/03/2010

New chest pain guidelines could improve care and save lives

In response to new NICE guidance regarding the diagnosis of patients with chest pains, British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cardiac Nurse Judy O’Sullivan said:

“The new NICE guidance on chest pains is welcome. When carried out by hospitals, it will help heart attack patients to receive a more timely and accurate diagnosis, allowing them to get the right care more quickly and potentially saving lives. It will also help reassure anxious patients who have chest pain but are not having a heart attack at an earlier stage.

“In many hospitals, chest pain patients are already receiving the recommended treatment, but it will take a considerable amount of time before every hospital has the right equipment and expertise to use it.

“Every minute counts when you are having a heart attack, so anyone who experiences chest pain should call 999 immediately to give themselves the best chance of survival.”

There is good article from the Daily Telegraph in our Health A-Z and you can get directly to it by clicking CHEST PAIN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Rob Galloway, A&E and Intensive Care Specialist Registrar, says in the Daily Mail today:

Too often I find myself treating patients hours - or even days - after they've had a heart attack.

Only last week, just as I was starting my morning shift in A&E, the receptionist brought in a lady in her 60s who was short of breath.

All night she'd had a niggling pain in her arms and a band-like feeling in her chest. But she didn't want to disturb anyone in the middle of a Sunday night and so tried (unsuccessfully) to get back to sleep.

In the morning she told her husband, who brought her into A&E. She was short of breath because her heart wasn't beating properly, as a result of the heart attack she'd had in the night.

Unfortunately, ten hours down the line, the heart uscle was permanently damaged. Opening up her blocked arteries - the best treatment for her long-term health - was longer an option.

Though she will survive, she will be left with permanent disability - a weakened heart and an incredibly poor quality of life.

Sadly, this is a common scenario: people don't want to cause a fuss or convince themselves their symptoms aren't worth worrying about.

The fact is that the earlier you get treatment, the better your chances. So please do make a fuss and ring 999. Typically, the pain feels like a tight band in the chest or a heavy weight being placed on you. It may feel like indigestion. 

The pain can also run down either arm. However, you may just experience tingling in the arms or even simply shortness of breath and no pain. If you have any of these symptoms, you need urgent assistance, so call an ambulance.

Even if you think it's indigestion, leave it to the A&E staff and our tests to say it was the curry and not your heart!

Don't take a car to hospital - the paramedics need to start the treatment well before you'd get there.

And remember we are open 24 hours a day, so there's no need to wait for the morning. While the ambulance is coming, take 300mg of aspirin and lie down.

And finally, do not have a cigarette because you're feeling stressed, as this will make your blood sticky and that's the last thing you want because of the risk of dangerous clots.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1256526/How--survive-heart-attack.html#ixzz0hhyh61nq

SAVING LIVES AT FOOTBALL STADIUMS

I took my grandson on a tour of Uniteds' stadium last year. The stadium has a modern first aid room, fully equipped (including defibrilator) and, on match days, fully staffed.

SAVING LIVES AT FOOTBALL STADIUMS. This from the BHF

Early access to AEDs is vital link in saving lives during cardiac arrest

A study looking at the preparedness of football stadiums across Europe in saving lives during cardiac arrest, which most commonly occur due to a heart attack, has been published in the European Heart Journal (1).

In response to the study, Ellen Mason, a senior cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation, said:“Early access to a defibrillator – AED - increases the chance of survival during cardiac arrest, so it's reassuring to know that so many stadiums in England had an AED. Most UK clubs use the St John's Ambulance to provide first aid cover who have AEDs funded by the BHF.

“Some defibrillator manufacturers have also donated AEDs to clubs in Premiership and other divisions.

“The BHF has led the way in supporting the placement of AEDs in public places - so far we have helped to make 9,000 available across the country.”

There are a number of new videos on the British Heart foundation website. They include one which shows how the heart pumps blood, another shows the debris that can be in the system. There are also some pictures including one which may interest Sparky about growing new heart cells.

Some are produced using cutting edge technology and will help to understand how the heart works.

Click HERE to go to the page on the British Heart Foundation website

As February is National Heart Month the British Heart Foundation road show is on Morrisons car park until 13th February. Get down there for a free lifestyle check and/or a chat with the Heart Nurse.

It seems that there may be a more effective anti-clotting drug available soon that could be better than Clopidogerel (plavix) To read more click HERE to go to our A-Z. The matter is now in the hands of NICE who will decide when/if the drug will be made widely available

Yes it's interesting Surfer but a word of caution, they have tried to develop an artificial artery in the past but it failed. Trouble is you read these things and want them to happen tomorrow but even if they are successful in trials it can take years for them to become widely available. Having said that the changes in diagnosis and treatments I have seen since starting with heart disease have been quite remarkable.

The technology is mind boggling Fez. Such advances in science were only pipe dreams 20 years ago.

Now, an artificial 'spaghetti' artery.

London: In what could soon revolutionise bypass surgery, scientists have invented an artificial artery, resembling a short piece of spaghetti, which they claim would reduce the risk of heart attack.

Professor Alexander Seifalian of University College London,who led the British team which created the clot-busting coating, said up to 30 per cent of patients in need of a heart bypass  do not have a suitable vein they can use.

"In these cases, there's not much doctors can do and patients often die. So we have developed an artificial artery using nanotechnology. Once the stem cells are attracted to it, they cover the whole inside of it and turn into endothelial cells," he was quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying. "The clot-busting blood vessel is to be trialled on heart disease patients this year. And, if successful, it could vastly improve the results for many who undergo surgery every year to widen blocked and narrowed arteries." 

According to the scientists, the new device is made from a polymer flexible enough to pulse like a normal blood vessel. Inside, it has a revolutionary coating of millions of tiny spikes, each thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Created using nanotechnology, the study of controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale, the spikes attract stem cells or "master cells" from the blood. Once inside the artery, cells grow and fuse into an endothelium, the lining in blood vessels. This stops clots from forming.

ONCE AGAIN A POSSIBLITY FOR THE FUTURE BUT MY PAPER THIS MORNING SUGGESTED THAT TRIALS WOULD BE STARTING IN THE UK THIS YEAR.

THIS FROM THE BBC WEBSITE. ONCE AGAIN SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE BUT ENCOURAGING.

Heart study targets immune cells in the arteries.

Scientists are to try to develop a treatment to target harmful immune cells in the arteries that are believed to trigger many heart attacks.

It is two decades since it was established a patient's immune system could produce the inflammation in the arteries that leads to an attack. But treatments based on this knowledge have so far proved ineffective.

The Bristol Heart Institute says this could be because drugs kill off the helpful as well as the harmful cells. With the backing of the British Heart Foundation, they want to look at developing a treatment that specifically targets the more harmful immune cells.

It is thought these are drawn to the arteries as a result of the plaques of fatty deposits that build up here. This can lead to the artery becoming inflamed, and the wall damaged. Plaques can then rupture, causing the formation of a blood clot, which can then lead to a heart attack.

"This research could point to new ways to protect fatty deposits from becoming unstable by selectively modifying the harmful immune cells while preserving their helpful activity," said Professor Andrew Newby, who will lead the £750,000 research.

"Such a discovery will help pave the way for new treatments to prevent heart attacks, which could save thousands of lives each year."

NOW THIS IS A BIT OF A STRANGE ONE AND I WASN't SURE WHERE TO PUT IT SO I STUCK IT IN HERE. it is from the BBC but please take note of the comment from the BHF at the bottom and if you want to read the whole article click CIRCADIAN

Body clock link to heart disease

Scientists have raised the possibility that cardiovascular disease is linked to disturbances in the body's 24-hour clock.

Working on mice, the Japanese team found a genetic risk factor for a form of high blood pressure is influenced by 24-hour or circadian rhythms.

The study appears online in the journal Nature Medicine.

Malfunctions in the body clock - which influences much of the body's chemistry - have been linked to many diseases.And lead researcher Professor Hitoshi Okamura said the latest study was in line with data which suggested shift workers, long-distance flight crews and people with sleep disorders have a heightened risk of heart problems.

High blood pressure - known as hypertension - can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and many other medical problems. Many genes have been identified as being essential elements making up the circadian clock. For example, mice lacking a pair of molecules known as cryptochromes have an abnormal circadian rhythm.

The latest study, by Kyoto University, found these mice were vulnerable to high blood pressure because of abnormally high levels of a hormone called aldosterone that prompts water retention in the kidneys.

Professor Bryan Williams, an expert in hypertension at the University of Leicester, described the study as "fascinating". He said: "We know that there is a strong correlation between time of day and cardiovascular events, which often coincide with the early morning surge in blood pressure. "So this does provide some insights into the mechanism that might underpin blood pressure deregulation in some people."

Professor Williams said some people with high blood pressure were known to have high levels of aldosterone. But he added: "What we don't know is how common this mutation might be in human hypertension."

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Hypertension is common, but the genes controlling blood pressure are not well understood.

"Their identification will help design better treatments for high blood pressure."

But he also stressed more research was needed before it became clear whether the study had identified a potential target for new treatments.

Meldrew, I found your post on Vitamin D interesting and very feasible. It will be interesting to see if a larger study is done as suggested in the item. I have problems in the winter but put it down to cold rather than less sunlight. I have been hospitalised in 5 out of the last winters Oct-Feb each time resulting in one or more stents. Here's something I found on the subject on WebMD, it also mentions the "light" factor

 Leahy's advice is especially prudent in winter months when research has shown heart attacks are more common and more severe. A report in the Dec. 13, 2004, issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found that the rate of heart disease-related deaths (as well as deaths from other causes) rose sharply between Dec. 25 and Jan. 7. In fact, the death rate peaked on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Exactly why winter is prime time for heart attack is still an evolving story, but many theories exist and possibly overlap.

KEEP WARM

During the winter months, "there is a change in the ratio of daylight hours to dark hours, which changes the hormonal balance, and the hormones involved, such as cortisol, can lower the threshold for a cardiovascular event," explains Stephen P. Glasser, MD, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, in Birmingham, Ala.

The Plot Thickens

But that's not all that's going on. Cold temperatures cause arteries to tighten, restricting blood flow and reducing the oxygen supply to the heart, all of which can set the stage for a heart attack.

"In cold weather, there is more oxygen demand by the heart because it is working harder to do the work and maintain body heat," Glasser says.

Glasser says studies have shown that heart attacks and complications related to heart disease occur more frequently in the morning hours.

Research suggests that the early-morning rise in blood pressure, or "a.m. surge," that occurs in most people may dramatically increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. "In the winter, people tend to exert themselves or do yard work in the morning because it gets dark earlier," he tells WebMD.

"This shift of activities to morning hours adds to the normal circadian variation in mornings --further increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and the hormones that lower the threshold for a cardiovascular event," he says.

I fully agree with your last post Meldrew. It's long been discussed that 'bad' weather has a 'bad' effect on our health, both physically and mentally. I would think that most people feel as though they have had some sort of 'pick-me-up' after enjoying a good day out in the sunshine.

I also think the medical proffessionals rely much to much on their learning and reasearch concerning heart trouble, but are blinkered in their horizons. They jump on the first or favourite reason for a patients ill health. So often you hear the question "Do you smoke" answered with "That is why you are ill then!", or "Do you eat your 5 a day greens" "No! Then that is where you are going wrong."

It seems there is more in the detail of the postcode lottery!

How this horrible weather could give you heart disease

We are fond of grumbling about Britain's grey skies, but there may be a good medical reason for doing so. It seems the dreary weather is bad for our hearts - worse, even, than raised cholesterol and an unhealthy diet. That's the controversial claim being made by Dr David Grimes, a gastroenterologist from Blackburn. He's been gazing at the sky for 20 years for clues about why his patients get more sick than those in the south of the country. And what he's found turns key assumptions about heart disease on their head. 'It's not diet or cholesterol levels that raise your risk of heart disease,' he claims. 'It's where you live. People in the north are more likely to be ill because they get less sunshine.' 

Basically they are suffering from 'latitude' sickness. The link is vitamin D. While we get some from our diet, the main source is the sun - sunlight converts a compound in the skin into vitamin D, so the amount you make is directly related to the amount of sunshine you get.

In a new book Dr Grimes argues the higher the level of vitamin D in your blood, the lower your risk of heart disease and a range of other illnesses. If he's right, what we need is not diet and lifestyle advice, but food fortified with vitamin D. For years the vitamin was thought to be useful only for preventing rickets. Dr Grimes, who works at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, was one of the first to ask whether it had a wider role. This was prompted by his observation that many Asian patients became ill after arriving in Britain, often suffering from a severe vitamin D deficiency.

His first clue was a 1988 study of three towns showing that if you lived in Ipswich you were least likely to have heart disease; your risk rose further north in Stoke-on-Trent and even further in Wakefield.

'If you believe poor diet strongly raises the risk of heart disease, then the obvious explanation is that the further north of London you go, the more unhealthily people eat -lots of fat and processed foods and too little fruit and vegetables,' says Grimes. 

 But that didn't fit because the study also analysed diet in the three towns and found there was no major difference. In fact, those in Ipswich actually ate more fat, carbohydrates and sugar than people in the more northerly towns.

Most heart experts ignored the study because everyone 'knew' poor diet led to heart disease.

But for Grimes it was a lightbulb moment. He obtained figures for annual hours of sunshine in each of the three towns and discovered that the one with the lowest risk of heart disease - Ipswich - also had the most sunshine, 1,591 hours a year.

And the one with highest risk, Wakefield, had the least: 1,259 hours a year. But that was only three towns.

So Grimes checked sunshine levels in several of his neighbouring towns and found that moving from east to west produced as much variation as going north. While there's less sunlight generally in the north, local factors can also make a big difference.

Furthest west with most sunshine (1,476 hours) was Blackpool, which had the fewest deaths from heart disease. The fewest hours of sunshine (1,196 hours) were to be found 40 miles east in Burnley, which had the most heart disease deaths.

Blackburn is between the two and so were its hours of sunshine (1,281) and the death toll. When it came to local factors, he found that living on higher ground usually also means more intense sunlight energy compared with towns such as Blackburn or Burnley, which sit at the foot of some hills (as these encourage clouds).

Soak up the sun: We need the vitamin d to prevent a wide range of diseases

Anyone with darker skin is particularly at risk because they need longer sun exposure. 'We have a large Asian community in Blackburn, and they have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes,' says Grimes.

'Of course, these are only correlations,' he acknowledges. 'They don't prove lack of sunshine causes heart disease.'

His theory would have to be tested by comparing what happened to heart rates when one group gets extra vitamin D while the other is given a placebo. In the meantime, he's been testing his patients' vitamin D levels.

'We've been doing many more vitamin D tests in recent years and finding a staggering level of deficiency.'

As a guideline, a reading below ten puts you at risk of rickets and some experts, including Grimes, believe you need more than 30 to be healthy. 'More than 90 per cent of my patients are below 30 and, shockingly, 40 per cent don't reach ten.'

So how does he treat them? 'You can do it with diet,' he says 'One Bangladeshi woman eats oily fish every day and now has a vitamin D blood level of 40. 'We give supplements of 1,000 international units (IU) a day or we can give an injection of 300,000 IU that lasts for a year.

'The patients respond well,' says Grimes 'but what's needed is a proper controlled, long-term trial and who is going to fund that? Not a drug company.'

Grimes had to stop his own research in 1990 when he became medical director of the hospital. But when he started again five years ago and began writing his book, he found he was no longer a lone voice.

Others were pointing to the damage too few hours of sunlight could do. Research has linked lack of vitamin D to a wide range of diseases, from cancer to diabetes and inflammatory conditions.

Only last week, researchers told the annual meeting of the American Heart Association that a study of more than 27,000 people aged 50- plus found that those with very low levels of vitamin D were 77 per cent more likely to die early than those with normal levels and 45 per cent more likely to have heart disease.

Last month researchers reported that giving the vitamin to pregnant women in a controlled trial reduced the risk of premature births and boosted the health of newborn babies.

The women also had a 25 per cent reduction in infections. Nutrition experts in the UK are moving slowly in Grimes's direction.

'His research ties in with other studies suggesting that higher levels of vitamin D are linked with better health outcomes,' says Dr Inez Schoenmaker, an expert in bone health with the Medical Research Council nutrition unit. 'But we need more research.

The Food Standards Agency is running studies in the North of Scotland and Surrey to discover the factors that most affect vitamin D levels in the blood.

'How much people get from sunlight, how much food contributes and what difference does being overweight make? Once there is more of an evidence base, higher daily amounts might be recommended.'

But if Grimes is right, it suggests we may need to rethink our approach to heart disease at least.

'At the moment public policy on many diseases involves blaming the victim,' he says. 'Patients are seen as architects of their own sickness because they didn't eat and live right. But what if they are just casualties of their geography?'

VITAMIN D And Cholesterol: The Importance Of The Sun, by Dr David Grimes (Tennison Publishing, £24.95).

My brother is going through this procedure now and hopefully it will just be a routine thing as he's not feeling unwell but took the tests below and now he's been asked to go for a colonoscopy.

It's estimated that screening for bowel cancer could save at least 1,200 lives a year by finding polyps and cancers at an earlier, treatable stage.

"In America people aren't frightened of colonoscopy - nearly half of the population over 50 have had one and they'll just say, `Oh, I'm going for my colonoscopy.'

A colonoscopy is an investigation to look directly at the lining of the large bowel using a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera attached at the end. If polyps are found most can be removed painlessly during the procedure. It is the most effective way to diagnose bowel cancer. If screening detects blood in your stool you will be invited for a colonoscopy, but this does not mean you have cancer - only one in 10 people who have colonoscopy will be found to have cancer.

Regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16 per cent. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. People in this age group will automatically be sent an invitation, then a screening kit to do the test at home.

Basically you get a poo kit sent to you in the post. "It's not horrible to do - you smear a bit of poo on a card and it's all very hygienic. You send it off through the post then if they have concerns about it they'll probably come back and get you to repeat it just to make sure that you weren't eating black pudding the day before or had some reason to affect the kit.

"Some people will then be invited for colonoscopy - most of them will not have cancer, however, as you get older you are more likely to develop little growths called polyps or little flat cancers and a colonoscopy can detect and remove these - so anyone who is offered a colonoscopy I would definitely take it."

This is from the British Heart Foundation website and does make me think?

Can exhaust fumes trigger a heart attack?

BHF Professor David Newby is studying the effects of air pollution on the heart.

Heart attacks occur when a blood clot blocks a coronary artery, cutting off the blood supply to the heart muscle. In the UK, a person dies of a heart attack every six minutes.

Professor Newby, who works at the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh, is focussed on finding out more about what factors can trigger a heart attack.

"There was a lot of circumstancial evidence that high levels of air pollution can trigger heart attacks in people with underlying heart disease," Prof Newby said.

"A significant proportion of heart attack victims report being in heavy traffic prior to the event.

"What isn't fully understood is how heart attacks can be triggered by associated air pollution. How does diesel exhaust affect the heart and circulation, and the biological processes that go on during and after exposure to pollution."

Prof Newby is collaborating with researchers in China to find out more about how exhaust fumes affect the heart in busy cities.

From this week's NHS Choices newsletter, about vitamin C and colds:

Vitamin C
"Research has found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds," says Dr Hasmukh Joshi, vice-chair of the Royal College of GPs.

In 2007, the authors of a review of 30 trials involving 11,000 people concluded that, “regular ingestion of vitamin C has no effect on common cold incidence in the ordinary population”.

A daily dose of vitamin C did slightly reduce the length and severity of colds. When it comes to flu, one in three people believe taking vitamin C can cure the flu virus. It can’t.

"Studies found that vitamin C offers a very, very limited benefit," says Dr Joshi. "I wouldn't recommend it."

Despite what Dr Joshi says, the review would seem to indicate that it is worth taking vitamin C once you've got a cold, but not preventatively.

This is from the British Heart Foundation and is really something for the future and please notice that it is not about the vitamin C we can get from eating fruit etc so don't go out buying sackfuls of oranges?

The discovery is surprising to scientists since pro-oxidant activities are usually seen as bad for health, while antioxidants are credited with many of the healthy effects of fruit and vegetables.

Research has shown that taking vitamin C supplements doesn’t reduce the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke, but injections of vitamin C are known to help arteries to relax in people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart failure.

In people with these conditions, the arteries often stay tightly constricted, placing strain on the heart. Vitamin C can help the arteries relax and widen, but until now it wasn’t fully understood how this process worked.

The new research, from the School of Medicine at the University of Cardiff, has revealed that the effect is partly due to vitamin C acting as a pro-oxidant. It generates a potentially harmful chemical called hydrogen peroxide, which boosts signals telling the artery to relax.

“The reactive chemicals targeted by antioxidants can be damaging if we have too many of them, but we’re now finding out that they’re not always bad,” said Professor Tudor Griffith, who led the research.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said the research opened up new possibilities for the treatment of conditions in which the artery lining is faulty, such as diabetes and heart failure.

“It suggests that pro-oxidant strategies might be effective at helping arteries to relax and reducing strain on the heart.”

Prof Griffith warned that although vitamin C is a vital part of our diet, the results do not suggest that dietary vitamin C can lower blood pressure.

“Taking vitamin C orally probably can’t achieve the high blood concentrations necessary to have these beneficial effects on arteries because it quickly gets filtered out by the kidneys,” he said. “But we’re hoping that other pro-oxidants might be effective orally to lower blood pressure.”

Dangers of Plaque & Gingivitis to Your Health. (This is an article from WebMd that is why the terminology is a little strange)

Sticky bacterial plaque that builds up on your teeth. Inflamed, bleeding gums. They don't just threaten your dental health.

A growing body of research finds that bacteria and inflammation in your mouth are also associated with other problems, including heart attack and dementia, and may well jeopardize your overall health.

Scientists have identified several associations between poor oral health and other health problems -- although they can't yet establish cause and effect. This list of health problems has been growing as research continues.

Gum Disease and Heart Disease

Over the years, many studies have found an association between periodontal disease and heart disease, with patients who have gum disease more likely also to have poor heart health, including heart attacks.

In 2009, a consensus paper on the relationship between heart disease and gum disease was developed by the American Academy of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology. It was published in the Journal of Periodontology and The American Journal of Cardiology.

The joint recommendations encourage cardiologists to ask their patients about any gum disease problems, and the periodontists to ask their patients about any family history of heart disease and their heart health.

So don't be surprised if your periodontist or your internist or cardiologist asks you some new questions on your next visit.

Here we go again at todays Conservative party conference coming up with a policy if elected of trying to force people with geniune illness off Inacpacity Benefit into non existant jobs.

All pie in the sky. These politicians just don't live in the real world. Make the poor and ill even poorer and more ill with worry and pressure. They just look after number one as with the expenses scandal. if they hadn't have been caught out I'm sure the Tories would have followed suit if they win the election claiming all they could.

RHETORIC, RHETORIC, RHETORIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"NEW WAY" TO REPAIR HEART DAMAGE.

Now this is still at the experimental stage but if all goes well it seems that it could bring big advantages in the management of heart disease, but you won't be getting it tomorrow.

Scientists say they have found a new way to mend damage to the heart.

When cells turn into fully-formed adult heart muscle they stop dividing, and cannot replace tissue damaged by disease or deformity.

But a US team have found a way to coax the cells to start dividing again, raising hopes they could be used to regenerate healthy tissue.

The study, carried out on mice and rats by Children's Hospital Boston, appears in the journal Cell.

The researchers say their work could provide an alternative to stem cell therapy, which is still largely untested, and carries a potential risk of side effects.

In theory, it could be used to treat heart attack patients, those with heart failure and children with congenital heart defects.

The key ingredient is a growth factor known as neuregulin1 (NRG1).

The Boston team envisages patients going to a clinic for daily infusions of NRG1 over a period of weeks.

However, researcher Dr Bernhard Kühn said more work to establish the safety of the therapy was needed before it could be tested in humans.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: "This fascinating study shows, remarkably, that a significant fraction of adult heart cells in mice can be made to replicate and help to repair damaged hearts.

"If the same mechanisms identified by the researchers can be shown to work in the human heart, it opens up real possibilities for new and more efficient ways to treat people with heart disease."

ASPIRIN CAN CAUSE SMALL BLEEDS IN THE BRAIN??.

If you've read a recent report in any of the papers that regular use of aspirin can cause bleeds in the brain and are worried here is the British Heart Foundation response to that report.

In response to a study published in the in the Archives of Neurology focusing on how Aspirin may cause bleeding in the brain Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director (Prevention and Care) at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says:

“This study demonstrates that people taking aspirin or carbasalate calcium can develop more microscopic bleeds in the brain than people not taking these drugs. These bleeds appear to cause no ill effects in the people studied.

“Aspirin is a great benefit to patients with established heart disease and stroke, or those at a high risk of developing heart disease or stroke.

“Before prescribing any medication it is vital for the GP to weigh up the benefit and risks in discussion with the patient.  Any patients concerned by the findings of the study should discuss this with their GP

HEARTBURN OR HEART PAIN?IT's sometimes difficult to know.

Heartburn is that awful burning sensation in your chest or throat, usually when acid rises up from your stomach. Heartburn is always an annoyance. But if you’re like many people with heartburn, you also probably find yourself worrying from time to time. Could it be something more serious? Is there something wrong with your digestive system? Or maybe you think it’s your heart.

Even when you’re pretty sure it’s heartburn, it can be hard to know what to do. Should you take an antacid, schedule an appointment to see your doctor, or call 911?

Here’s information you can use to know what to do the next time heartburn gives you that burning feeling.

Heartburn,  also called acid indigestion, is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). It can occur when acid or other contents from your stomach "back up" into the esophagus. That’s the tube food passes through going from your mouth to your stomach.

The problem stems from a muscle that may be weak or may relax at inappropriate times. It’s called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES, and it’s located between your stomach and your esophagus. If it doesn't close quickly enough, it can’t prevent the acid backwash. That results in heartburn.

If you do suffer from HEARTBURN this is an informative article. to read more click the title of this piece.

This is the latest comment from The British Heart Foundation on the seeming failure of the government to come up with a new national strategy for tackling Heat Disease. The current strategy ends this year and remember in reading it that Salford is one of Britains hotspots for heart disease.

27/01/2009

In response to the Health Profile of England 2008 statistics released today (Tuesday 27 January) by the Department of Health, Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation said:

"These new statistics reveal that the battle against heart disease is far from won.

"These statistics paint a picture in which the UK suffers a higher premature heart and circulatory disease death rate than most Western Europe countries, and has the highest rates of obesity. 

“Behind the statistics is a grim fact - that people living in deprived areas of the UK still more likely to suffer an early death from heart disease (1).

“The figures also fail to capture the burden carried by the 2.6 million people living with heart disease in the UK today.

"Despite the enormous gravity of these threats, we're still waiting for the Government to confirm it will have a strategy to tackle heart disease in England.  Without a new plan to treat heart disease, how can we hope to tackle Britain’s biggest killer?”

More on the governments strategy to tackle Heartdisease.

Dear Heart Support Group,

We’re contacting you to tell you about an exciting opportunity to get involved with contributing to proposals for a new Cardio and Vascular Strategy for the next decade. We are giving you the opportunity to have your say and tell us what is important when it comes to the treatment and care of those with cardiovascular disease. Your contribution is vital to these proposals. Please read to the end of this email to find out how you can take part.If you have any problems filling in the survey or would like more information please email <cvc@bhf.org.uk or phone 0207 487 8604.

The public survey is available online at: <www.consultationfinder.com/cvc This is your opportunity to make a difference.

There is no need to register to take part in the public survey, just click on the ‘Public Survey’ link and this will take you straight through to the survey.

Kind regards,

The Cardio & Vascular Coalition

This is from the British Heart Foundation Website. It doesn’t seem to say much that we perhaps don’t already know but one point of concern is the statement that the governments strategy for heart disease finishes next year but there is no sign of anything to replace it

. Does this mean they are giving up on us or is there something on the drawing board?

Death atlas reveals grim inequalities in heart disease, says heart charity

In response to today’s publication of ‘The Grim Reaper's road map: An atlas of mortality in Britain’, Dr Mike Knapton, Director of Prevention and Care for the British Heart Foundation, said:

"This new report emphasises that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the UK, and tackling this issue continues to be the major challenge for our generation.

"We know this is a largely preventable disease that unfairly affects some people more than others, particularly those in lower socio-economic areas.

"The government’s strategy to tackle heart disease in England ends next year and there is currently no replacement. It is vital that the UK government and all devolved administrations have strategies to vigorously tackle these inequalities and ensure all patients receive the best possible care and treatment."

For more information please call the BHF press office on 020 7487 7172 or 07764 290381 (out of office hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk

- This statement was prepared in response to the report ‘The Grim Reaper's road map: An atlas of mortality in Britain’, published today by The Policy Press

ASPIRIN.

There has been a lot in the news over the last few days about the use of daily low dose aspirin and as many of us probably take these it is worth trying to clarify what is being said. If I get anything wrong please correct me.

• The research involved was looking at the prescribing of daily aspirin, as a preventative measure, to people with diabetes who had shown no symptoms of heart disease.
• But in people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, or have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of future "events" by around 25%
• 
  

  Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said it would be worth revisiting the guidelines.
  

  "But patients shouldn't panic or stop taking aspirin," he said.
  

  Judy O'Sullivan, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study adds weight to the evidence that aspirin should not be prescribed to prevent disease of the heart and circulation to people with diabetes, and other high risk groups, who do not already have symptoms of the disease."

I think the bottom line at this stage is that for those of us currently taking daily aspirin we should continue to do so and if we are unsure about anything ask our GP for more informatiom next time our paths cross.

For the full BBC report click  HERE  there are links to other interesting articles about the use of aspirin as well.

Heart disease risk of chemical used in food and drink containers

This is from a report in the Independent which is mirrored in other papers. It is important to point out that the results are not conclusive and need more exploration.

One of the world's most widely used chemicals, a key constituent of plastic food and drink containers, has been linked for the first time with increased rates of heart disease and diabetes in adults.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the 10 most common chemicals produced worldwide and gives plastic its rigidity, durability and light weight. Researchers now fear that tiny amounts which leach out of plastic containers into food and drink may cause harm to health.

A team of British toxicologists analysed findings from an American survey of 1,455 adults and showed that the 25 per cent with the highest levels of the chemical were more than twice as likely to have heart disease and/or diabetes compared with the 25 per cent with the lowest levels. They also had higher levels of liver enzymes indicative of metabolic abnormalities

Iain Lang, an epidemiologist from Peninsula Medical School and lead author of the study, said: "This is something everyone is exposed to. It is the first ever study in a large human population. But this is a single scientific study and we would not want to leap to conclusions on the basis of it."

IT IS A LONG REPORT SO I HAVE PUT IT IN THE GLOSSARY WHICH YOU CAN GET TO BY CLICKING  BISPHENOL A or read it in the independent by clicking the title

HOSPITAL DEATHS FROM SUPERBUG C.DIFFICILE RISE BY 28%?

How long have we been hearing promises from the government that the problems of hospital superbugs will be sorted out? Yet deaths are still rising in our hospitals from known superbugs. While the number attributed to MRSA have fallen and that is to be applauded the number of deaths at least in part attributed to C.Difficile has risen by 28%. Some of this may be due to better reporting on death certificates. But isn't it time that what is a matter of basic hygeine now be sorted out with urgency and openess not empty promises?

"The number of reported deaths involving the infection has more than doubled since 2005 when there were 3,757 mentions on death certificates"

Professor Brian Duerden, the Government’s inspector of microbiology and infection control, said: “Patients have a right to high-quality, safe care.

“We take this very seriously, which is why we have made infection prevention and control a legal requirement and a number one priority for the NHS.

“We have taken significant steps to tackle infections, including C difficile.

“These include stringent hand-washing guidance for the NHS, clear guidance on appropriate antibiotic prescribing and the clinical care of patients with C difficile.

“Cases of MRSA and C difficile infections are falling and for the first time we are seeing the number of recorded deaths from MRSA falling too

The correlation between heart disease and mental capacity seems to be retrospective in this study. That is, they are trying to associate mental skill, or lack of it, to a greater risk of heart problems. But could it not be that people with a job that stretches their mental abillity causes stress, which, in turn, causes stress related heart problems?

Also, what could the consequenses be for the future. Will people of lower mental capacity find life insurance etc loaded to a higher premium because medical evidence suggests that they have a greater risk of claims due to heart disease!

Sorry to cast this bad light on the study, but it does make me wonder.

HEART DISEASE BAD FOR BRAIN?

A study in the UK shows that heart disease may be linked to poorer mental performance even in middle age. The study wasn't conclusive but is worth a look at. Maybe one of the symptoms is a confusion over dates.

The study included some 10,300 middle-aged British government workers in London. They were followed from the mid-1980s through 2004.

Participants got checkups and answered questions about their health and lifestyle periodically throughout the study. At the end of the study, they took tests of mental skills including reasoning, vocabulary, short-term memory, and verbal fluency (in which they had one minute to name as many words beginning with "s" or as many animals as possible).

The researchers, who included Archana Singh-Manoux, PhD, of France's Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), looked for differences in the test scores of people with and without a history of heart disease.

Participants with a history of heart disease had lower test scores than those with healthy hearts, regardless of age, sex, years of education, and use of cardiovascular drugs.

The study doesn't show why that is, and it doesn't prove that heart disease hampered mental skills.

But the researchers note that the heart and the brain can both suffer from smoking, unhealthy diets, and inactive lifestyles -- and that healthy habits might help keep the mind sharp and the heart healthy.

The study has some limits. For instance, participants didn't take the mental skills tests at the study's start for before-and-after comparisons.

Press release: 27 May 2008

The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) has selected Greater Manchester as the venue for a prestigious new Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC).

The CLAHRC - a collaboration between the University of Manchester and 19 NHS Trusts across Greater Manchester - will receive £20 million over five years to fund research into health care for people with cardiovascular conditions and ensure that knowledge gained from this research is used to improve health services across Greater Manchester.

The Greater Manchester CLAHRC is one of seven others in England that were selected by the NIHR to generate a step change in the quality of NHS care through knowledge transfer between a leading university and its surrounding NHS trusts. The award of a CLAHRC to Greater Manchester testifies to the exceptionally high quality of health sciences research in The University of Manchester and its strong track record of partnership working with the NHS.

CLAHRC Director, Professor Bonnie Sibbald, said: “Manchester researchers are among the best in the world in developing and evaluating new ways to improve health care. The CLAHRC will help us to ensure that knowledge gained from this research is effectively translated into improved health services for the people of Greater Manchester.”

Salford Teaching Primary Care Trust leads the collaboration whose NHS partners include all ten Primary Care Trusts in Greater Manchester together with the mental health care services, ambulance service and five major hospitals. The Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts have pledged £10 million to the CLAHRC with matched funding of £10 million to be provided by the NIHR.

Speaking on behalf of NHS collaborators, Dr Mike Burrows, Chief Executive of Salford Teaching Primary Care Trust, said: “The £10 million we have pledged is a testament to our confidence that the collaborative will develop essential outputs that are of value to the NHS. We will be able to harness the knowledge and skills of leading researchers in the University of Manchester to improve our services for people with cardiovascular conditions, including stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and heart disease.”