Latest news with #cardiovasculardisease
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Being hopeful could prevent heart attacks
Heart patients who give up hope are six times more likely to die than people who keep an upbeat outlook about their future, new research shows. Boosting emotional wellbeing could improve survival rates, according to experts at the British Heart Foundation who found the power of positive thinking has a protective effect on health. Researchers reviewed 12 studies involving 5,540 patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart valve problems in new research presented at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference in Manchester. Meanwhile, having less hope was associated with an increased risk of a first heart attack in people with no previous history of chest pain, even after taking into account other risk factors like age, perceived health status, depression and socioeconomic risk factors. In men with pre-existing heart problems, hopelessness was linked to a six-fold higher risk of death. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the foundation, said: 'This research is a good reminder of how staying hopeful wherever possible can be helpful when it comes to living with cardiovascular disease. 'It could be an important self-prescription for maintaining your wellbeing and quality of life, alongside your current medical care.' The review also showed that more hope was linked to reduced cardiovascular symptoms like chest pain and post-stroke fatigue. The authors are now hoping to conduct research to find out whether it is possible to boost patients' hope, for example by introducing specialist therapy, or chaplaincy support while in hospital, in case this could help improve health and lower death rates in this at-risk group. Dr Alexander Montasem, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Liverpool and author on the study, said: 'For many people, living with cardiovascular disease can be a difficult experience. 'Patients often struggle with debilitating symptoms as well as anxiety about the future. This study aimed to reveal more about how people's outlook on their situation can influence their health. 'Our systematic review suggests that hopelessness could increase people's risk of death, but also their symptoms and how well they stick to treatment plans. Mental health support could be very beneficial for a wide range of people with heart problems.' One study reviewed by the team found that higher levels of hope protected women against experiencing angina – pain or discomfort in the chest often caused by coronary heart disease. And in research on stroke patients of both sexes, greater hope was strongly linked to reduced levels of post-stroke fatigue. Six studies included psychological data, which showed that more hope was linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and improved resilience and quality of life. Those with higher hope scores may have had a reduced risk because they also showed greater levels of self-care and were less likely to skip taking their medications, the data showed. Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'The review showed that people with hope followed their treatment plans more closely, and it's important to remember that the best thing you can do for your health is to follow the advice recommended by your doctor. 'Looking after your physical and emotional wellbeing is important for people living with cardiovascular disease, and if anyone is struggling, they should speak to their medical team.'
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Lower Blood Pressure Targets for Type 2 Diabetes
This transcript has been edited for clarity. Today I am going to discuss a recent paper on intensive blood pressure control in people with type 2 diabetes. This was a big study. It included over 12,000 participants who were older than age 50, and had type 2 diabetes and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease; either they'd had a prior cardiovascular event, had two or more risk factors, or had a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The study was performed in China and it was really done to determine, potentially once and for all, what the target should be in treating patients with type 2 diabetes. The ACCORD trial tried to answer this question, but it didn't show overall improvement in outcomes with blood pressure reduction, although when they did subset analysis, they did show benefit in certain groups. It still didn't have that definitive feel, and I think this study does. They were looking only at systolic blood pressures, and they wanted to target a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg in the intensively treated group; in the standardly treated group, the blood pressure target was a systolic of less than 140 mm Hg. The primary endpoint was nonfatal stroke, nonfatal MI, treatment or hospitalization for heart failure, or death from cardiovascular disease causes. In this study, 45% were women. The average age was 63.8 years. Body mass index was 26.7 and 25% smoked. The baseline blood pressure was 140/76 mm Hg and the mean blood pressure over approximately 4 years of follow-up was 121.6 mm Hg in the intensively treated group vs 133.2 mm Hg in the standard treatment group. You basically began to see a difference between the two in terms of the primary endpoint after about a year, so you started to see this split. At the end of the study, there was a very significant difference in terms of the primary endpoint between the two groups. I want to point out that, in my brain, those blood pressure targets that were reached are actually fairly standard. The intensively treated group was about 120 mm Hg, and that's compared with the standard treatment group, which was around 130 mm Hg. I must say that, in my own practice, given all the changes that we've seen over the years in blood pressure targets, the results from this study have actually motivated me to lower my systolic target, at least in terms of how I treat patients in clinic, because I think they may get further benefit. That then begs the question of how did they measure blood pressures in this study? I get patients who have what's called white coat hypertension. They come into my office, their blood pressure is higher, and then I have them test at home and it's better. In this study, they tried to take away some of that interference. They had patients come into clinic having had no exercise, no coffee, and no cigarettes for at least 30 minutes before their appointment. The patients had 5 minutes of seated rest, and then they had three blood pressure measurements, each done 1 minute apart. There was no talking or joking around. They just sat there and had their blood pressures measured in the appropriate way. The average systolic blood pressure was used of those three readings to determine whether treatment was changed. They followed pretty standard treatment regimens for hypertension, which are the ones we use in our ADA guidelines for the management of hypertension. People in the intensive group ended up on one or two additional medications compared with those in the standard group. The overall rate of severe adverse events was equivalent in both groups, but there was more symptomatic hypotension and hyperkalemia in the intensively treated group. As I said, this has actually changed how I'm treating my patients. The difference between 120 mm Hg and 133 mm Hg isn't that big in my brain, and yet there does seem to be a difference in terms of outcomes, primarily cardiovascular outcomes, as the primary endpoint. I think that, if a patient can tolerate a lower blood pressure without symptomatic hypotension, I am going to be treating them down to a lower target. I think this was a well-done study that actually will probably inform practice and guidelines in the future because I think it helps inform us of what is potentially the best target for our patients.
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
FMR FDA COMMISSIONER KESSLER: Sorry guys, that beer gut isn't cool. It's killing you
Men can get away with being fat. The beer belly is often joked about as a relatable feature of the typical male body. The reality is it is killing them. Studies have shown that men are less likely than women to see themselves as fat or overweight. They rationalize excess weight by prioritizing functionality and success. The acceptance of the "dad bod" reinforces this; it is seen as the hallmark of the "everyman" who relates to common struggles. In reality, many men don't feel good about carrying excess weight. Joking about one's "dad bod" is less an embracing and more of an embarrassed resignation. The passive acceptance of increased body fat — particularly belly fat — is proving deadly. Toxic visceral fat that accumulates in the abdomen gets into the liver, pancreas and heart. In contrast to the fat that sits just under our skin, deeper visceral fat is less able to hold on to fat molecules and is metabolically active, leaking free fatty acids and other molecules that cause inflammation. It also creates metabolic chaos, elevating insulin levels and laying the groundwork for insulin resistance. Men, especially as they get older, have more of this fat than women, especially compared to women before menopause. About two out of every five men, about 40-46%, in the United States meet the classification of obesity. Even men who are not overweight or obese but have increased visceral fat have an increased risk of mortality. This toxic fat causes cardiovascular and kidney disease, diabetes, certain cancers and likely contributes to neurodegenerative disease. Greater visceral fat is associated with increased mortality from all causes. Even if it does not result in an earlier death, it increases risk of disability from conditions such as diabetes and heart failure. I look around and see too many men suffering from these preventable conditions. And most have no idea how to tackle it. A waist circumference of more than 40 inches is an indicator that a man has too much visceral fat. While beer guts and dad bods are obvious signs of unhealthy fat accumulation, health-minded men who spend a good deal of time in the gym are not immune from this issue. In the course of researching my book, I attended a seminar on strength training in Los Angeles, where most men in the crowd could deadlift far more than I could. I asked an instructor about the composition of these barrel-shaped guys. "Many of them are strong, but they still carry too much body fat," he confessed. Even for this group, there is a lot of fat accompanying their large muscles. The key, then, is reducing the excess fat around the waist while maintaining as much muscle as possible. Men die at a younger age than women, on average five years sooner, in part because of this increased visceral fat. It's important to address the cultural standards reinforcing unhealthy body weight in men. And, while it would also be ideal to change the current food environment, that is unlikely to happen completely or anytime soon. The new anti-obesity medications provide an important tool for men to reclaim their health, but they are not a cure-all. They cause us to eat less, sometimes much less, which can be risky. These drugs work by their gastrointestinal effects, keeping food in the stomach longer, generating feelings that border on nausea, and sometimes outright distress, which induce feelings of fullness and satiation. Those feelings are able to counter the rewarding and addictive properties of food, reducing the "food noise" that reverberates in heads of people who have a hard time controlling their appetite. One of the gifts of these medications is that people condition themselves to eat less to avoid experiencing the ill effects of food staying in the stomach longer. A waist circumference of more than 40 inches is an indicator that a man has too much visceral fat. There are a lot of questions concerning these drugs that still need to be answered, especially around how they should be used in the real world. They are not for everybody, have a real risk of adverse events, and require good medical and dietary care. But they can help people control their appetite and learn to eat in a more healthful way. The American male body is in trouble, and the way to make it healthy again isn't simple, but it can be done with education and commitment. And it begins with making space for men to discuss their health vulnerabilities without stigma or shame. It is a matter of life and death.
Japan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Southeast Asia sees near 150% rise in heart disease, study shows
The number of people with cardiovascular disease surged by 148% in Southeast Asia over the past three decades, with the condition becoming the region's leading cause of mortality and morbidity, according to new research. A total 37 million people in the region suffered from cardiovascular disease in 2021 and 1.7 million died from it. The findings by researchers at Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the National University of Singapore are based on analysis of health data between 1990 and 2021 from 10 Southeast Asian countries that make up the ASEAN bloc. The results, published this week in a special edition of The Lancet Public Health dedicated to the region, highlight the growing burden of public health, including cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, smoking and road injuries. The main reasons contributing to cardiovascular disease were high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, air pollution, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and tobacco use. The aging population in the region also contributes to the big jump in case numbers, according to Marie Ng, the lead author and affiliate associate professor at IHME and associate professor at NUS. "Without immediate action from each of the countries, these preventable health conditions will worsen causing more death and disability across ASEAN,' said Ng, who sought proper resource allocation from governments. It's worth noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of deaths due to cardiovascular disease rose more than predicted and a separate study from 2023 flagged the risk of increase in cardiovascular disease in children born to mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy. The latest study published in The Lancet Public Health found that more than 80 million people in ASEAN suffered from major mental disorders, 70% higher than in 1990. A closer look by age showed 15- to 19-year-olds had the steepest climb in prevalence at nearly 11%.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Heart disease is Southeast Asia's biggest killer after 30-year surge, new research reveals
The number of people with cardiovascular disease surged by 148 per cent in Southeast Asia over the past three decades, with the condition becoming the region's leading cause of mortality and morbidity, according to new research. A total of 37 million people in the region suffered from cardiovascular disease in 2021 and 1.7 million died from it. The findings by researchers at Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the National University of Singapore are based on analysis of health data between 1990 and 2021 from 10 Southeast Asian countries that make up the Asean bloc. The results, published this week in a special edition of The Lancet Public Health dedicated to the region, highlight the growing burden of public health, including cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, smoking and road injuries. The main reasons contributing to cardiovascular disease were high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, air pollution, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and tobacco use. Dietary risks and high systolic blood pressure are two of the main contributors to the region's heart disease epidemic. Photo: Shutterstock The ageing population in the region also contributes to the big jump in case numbers, according to Marie Ng, the lead author and affiliate associate professor at IHME and associate professor at NUS. 'Without immediate action from each of the countries, these preventable health conditions will worsen causing more death and disability across Asean,' said Ng, who sought proper resource allocation from governments. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the incidence of deaths due to cardiovascular disease rose more than predicted and a separate study from 2023 flagged the risk of increase in cardiovascular disease in children born to mothers infected with Covid during pregnancy. The latest study published in The Lancet Public Health found that more than 80 million people in Association of Southeast Asian Nations' member states suffered from major mental disorders, 70 per cent higher than in 1990. A closer look by age showed 15- to 19-year-olds had the steepest climb in prevalence at nearly 11 per cent.
