Latest news with #Circulation:HeartFailure
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Your seemingly healthy habits may be damaging your heart: Here's how
Even well-intentioned lifestyle choices can harm your heart, if taken too far. If you believe Dr Dmitry Yaranov, heart-transplant cardiologist at Stern Cardiovascular in Tennessee, US, 'any extreme is likely not good for you'. Dr Yaranov, who also leads the advanced heart failure program at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, recently told Business Insider that he often sees younger patients in their 20s and 30s who arrive for chest pain or irregular heartbeats. Many arrive with traditional risk factors, only to discover that a seemingly harmless part of their weekly routine could be setting them up for future heart disease. 'You may look fit, but it doesn't mean you're healthy,' Yaranov said. He shared four everyday habits that seem healthy may actually increase the risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and inflammation. Here's what you need to know. Excessive protein Protein fuels muscle, hormone regulation, and weight loss. But when consumed in abundance, especially from red meat and ultra-processed protein supplements, it can backfire. Men in their 40s to 60s on high-protein, high-cholesterol diets were shown to have a 50 per cent higher risk of heart failure in a 2018 study, published in Circulation: Heart Failure – an American Heart Association journal. Dr Yaranov notes that excessive protein can strain the kidneys and increase inflammation, which in turn puts your heart at risk. 'I've seen bodybuilders and athletes who look great, but they lack balance when it comes to their diets,' Yaranov said. "They end up with weak hearts and blocked arteries.' He recommends adopting balanced eating patterns such as the Mediterranean or Blue Zones diets, which prioritise heart-healthy proteins like fish and beans and emphasise anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Weekend bingeing Even if you're sober during the week, excessive drinking on weekends can still damage your heart. Binge drinking, even once in a while, can lead to arrhythmias, high blood pressure, and a weakened, enlarged heart (dilated cardiomyopathy). Yaranov noted that some of the sickest hearts he has seen in younger patients belong to those who consume excessive alcohol in a single sitting. Dr Yaranov reminds us that there's really no safe amount of alcohol. While guidelines suggest weekly limits (up to seven drinks for women, 14 for men), binge episodes still carry serious cardiovascular risk. Binge drinking – four or more drinks per occasion for women, five or more for men, and adults over 65, must be avoided. A small, moderate drink midweek is much wiser than heavy shots on Saturday night, he shared. Frequent cannabis use Marijuana may feel natural, but heavy daily use is increasingly linked to heightened risks of heart attack and stroke, even in younger, otherwise healthy users. While research continues and some studies show mixed or neutral effects Dr Yaranov emphasizes the importance of not dismissing cannabis as harmless. Particularly when used frequently, it may pose unexpected cardiovascular dangers. 'With cannabis use as a daily habit, I think it's important for us to have this conversation now,' he said, speaking to Business Insider. 'A lot of times, this comes from this idea that it's harmless because it's an herb. I don't think that's the case.' Extreme workouts and poor sleep Pushing your workouts to the extreme, especially without sufficient rest, can mask serious heart conditions and elevate risk. Athlete's heart is a condition where the heart muscle thickens from intense training and is common among endurance athletes. Though not inherently dangerous, it can disguise more serious problems like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic but potentially fatal heart condition. Moreover, skipping on sleep to squeeze in early workouts triggers inflammation and stress hormones like cortisol, raising both blood pressure and visceral fat, both major culprits in cardiovascular issues. Moderation matters, whether it's how much protein you eat, when you drink, how often you use cannabis, or how intensely you train, extremes can turn healthy practices into heart hazards.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Two decades of progress in heart failure care
( NewMediaWire ) - May 22, 2025 - DALLAS — Hospitalized heart failure patients in the United States are living longer and receiving more optimized evidence-based care, according to new research drawn from nearly two decades of data in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines(R) - Heart Failure registry. Launched in 2005, the Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure program was created to improve care for people hospitalized with heart failure, a condition that led to the death of about one in three patients within a year. Today, more than 600 hospitals across the country are part of this effort to save lives. The program has helped close persistent care gaps through data-driven benchmarking, hospital toolkits, workshops, webinars and recognition programs, all aimed at accelerating adoption of evidence-based guideline-recommended therapies. 'The Get With The Guidelines program continues to be a cornerstone for improving heart failure care,' said Sabra Lewsey, M.D., MPH, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association's Heart Failure Systems of Care Committee and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. 'Its impact on long-term survival demonstrates how quality improvement efforts can transform patient trajectories.' The research manuscript, published in Circulation: Heart Failure, details how hospitals engaged in the program consistently outperform peers on heart failure process measures and patient outcomes, even after adjusting for variables like hospital size and geographic region. Notably, lower 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates at participating hospitals correlate with significantly better long-term survival for people with heart failure. Insights from the program have helped shape modern understanding of the disease. Among other findings, Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure data challenged longstanding assumptions that individuals with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction had more favorable prognoses — a discovery that spurred new lines of clinical investigation and public health strategy. Despite measurable progress, challenges remain. 'Heart failure mortality is still too high, and far too few people receive the full benefit of available, evidence-based therapies,' said Gregg Fonarow, M.D., FAHA, longtime American Heart Association volunteer who helped to establish the program. Fonarow is also interim chief of the division of cardiology, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, co-director of the Preventative Cardiology Program and the Eliot Corday Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and Science at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'This legacy quality improvement program improves the health care landscape for heart failure and serves as a guidepost for other cardiovascular and stroke conditions.' The research authors note that Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure registry remains a robust engine for future research, now with more than 170 peer-reviewed publications, nearly half of which appear in high-impact journals. 'This program is no longer a data repository but a nexus for outcomes sciences, data science, and implementation science, all of which now drive innovations in personalized care, inform national policy, and strengthen hospital systems across the country,' said Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., FAHA, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association (2009–2010) and chief of cardiology in the department of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago. Yancy was also instrumental is championing the development of the Get With The Guidelines program. Additional Resources: ### Statements and conclusions of studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173 Michelle Rosenfeld: 214-706-1099; [email protected] For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) and
Associated Press
02-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Large-scale heart failure initiative boosts use of lifesaving medications
( NewMediaWire ) - May 02, 2025 - DALLAS — About 6.7 million adults in the U.S. are living with heart failure, and that number is expected to increase to more than 8 million by 2030. [1] A new analysis published in Circulation: Heart Failure shows hospitals participating in the American Heart Association's multiregional IMPLEMENT-HF(TM) initiative significantly improved adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for patients hospitalized with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the most common type of heart failure. The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, launched the three-year quality improvement initiative in 2021. The goal: improve uptake of quadruple medical therapy and integrate health-related social needs assessments into routine care. Quadruple medical therapy is a combination of four evidence-based drugs proven to reduce mortality: angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), evidence-based specific β-blocker (BB), mineralocorticoid antagonist (MRA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i). The effort involved more than 100 hospitals across the U.S. and built on the Association's Get With The Guidelines(R) - Heart Failure program. The study included data from more than 43,000 patients at 67 hospitals and found: 'This initiative represents an important leap forward in closing the treatment gap in heart failure,' said Andrew Sauer, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer, a lead author of the research and a cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City. 'By supporting collaborative learning and leveraging real-time data, IMPLEMENT-HF enabled hospitals to better serve patients in varied communities.' HFrEF affects nearly half of people hospitalized for heart failure and carries a 75% five-year mortality rate. Although clinical trials have shown that quadruple therapy can significantly improve survival, use of this treatment has remained low nationwide, particularly among underrepresented populations. By creating a structured, 'all-teach, all-learn' environment, the Association's initiative offered participants tools for identifying care gaps, sharing best practices and monitoring performance at both hospital and regional levels. 'The improvements we've seen through IMPLEMENT-HF underscore the power of collaboration,' said Mariell Jessup, M.D., chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. 'The Association is committed to transforming systems of care to ensure every person has access to the highest standard of heart failure treatment, no matter where they live.' Additional Resources: ### Statements and conclusions of studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173 Michelle Rosenfeld: [email protected] For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) and [1] Martin S, et al. 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association. Chapter 22. Circulation. 2025;151(8):e41–e660.
