Latest news with #heart disease
NHK
5 days ago
- Health
- NHK
Japan's Emperor Emeritus discharged from hospital in Tokyo
Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito has been discharged from a hospital in Tokyo after being admitted to the facility on Monday for adjustment of medicine to treat his heart disease. The 91-year-old Emperor Emeritus left the University of Tokyo Hospital in Bunkyo Ward around 11:30 a.m. on Friday, accompanied by Empress Emerita Michiko. The couple returned home before noon. The Emperor Emeritus was admitted to the hospital to start taking new medicine designed to ease strain on the heart. He underwent a coronary bypass operation in 2012 when he was 78, after being diagnosed with angina. He was diagnosed with right heart failure in 2022 and asymptomatic myocardial ischemia in May. Asymptomatic myocardial ischemia occurs when blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle is insufficient. This is caused when exercise stress exceeds certain levels. The Emperor Emeritus has restricted fluid intake and avoids excessive exercise stress. He has been taking new medicine to improve coronary blood flow since May, but his condition has not improved.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The health conditions that may increase risk of dementia
Developing illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes before the age of 55 could significantly increase the chance of having dementia in later life, a new study suggests. Strokes or the onset of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression between 55 and 70 could also increase risk two-fold, according to research. Experts at the University of Oxford said up to 80 per cent of dementia patients suffer from two or more chronic health conditions, but there is a "lack of understanding" when it comes to specific illnesses, age of onset and the link to dementia. They identified "critical time windows" in which certain illnesses pose the greatest risk to patients. For the study, published in Brain Communications, researchers analysed data from 282,712 people using the UK Biobank and looked at patterns for 46 chronic health conditions. They found that heart conditions such as heart disease and atrial fibrillation, as well as diabetes, before the age of 55 was most strongly linked to dementia risk. However, from 55 to 70 years of age, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as conditions such as stroke, increased the risk of dementia two-fold. Experts at the University of Oxford said up to 80 per cent of dementia patients suffer from two or more chronic health conditions (Getty/iStock) Sana Suri, an associate professor and Oxford Brain Sciences senior fellow, said: 'Although we knew that multimorbidity increased the risk of dementia, it was unclear which combinations of health conditions had the most impact and in what sequence. 'This study has identified how specific illnesses tend to co-exist with each other, and also the critical time windows in which they could pose the greatest risk.' Elsewhere, the study suggests people who have conditions such as heart disease and diabetes in middle age, followed later by conditions such as stroke and mental health disorders were at the greatest risk of developing dementia. Ms Suri said the presence of other illnesses should be taken into account when estimating a person's risk of developing dementia, and could help develop strategies that aim to reduce risk at certain points in life. She added: 'This study identified associations between multimorbidity and dementia risk but we need to understand more about why this happens. 'We also need to try to replicate the study in more diverse groups of people to ensure the results are representative of the population. 'Future studies could examine whether efforts to manage or prevent cardiovascular problems in early-to-midlife, followed by mental health and neurological disorders when people are in their 50s and 60s, might reduce the risk of dementia.'
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
£200 private health check gave incorrect blood pressure but I was denied a refund: SALLY SORTS IT
I had a private health assessment through Bluecrest Wellness in September. The results of my £199 check contained a blood pressure measurement, which was highlighted with a red flag and a comment that I was at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. I thought I might have a stroke at any minute, so was shaking with shock for three hours until my daughter, a nurse, came to see me. She read the report and told me the result was impossible and that Bluecrest should have known this before sending it out to me. The top figure, the systolic measurement, was 140, and the bottom, the diastolic, was 185. The bottom figure can never be higher than the top figure. Readings taken at my GP surgery earlier in 2024 recorded 130 over 72. I expected a full refund because of the anxiety caused, but after going through the complaints process, I was offered only £50. Can you help? D.M., Ipswich. Sally Hamilton replies: If you'd tested your blood pressure on receipt of your scary results, I imagine it would likely have been through the roof. Not a calming prescription for a woman of 80 with a family history of heart attacks. I can understand how an off-the-scale figure gave you such a fright. Luckily, your daughter saw immediately there was a mistake and tried to reassure you. But I wondered why Bluecrest hadn't spotted the error just as quickly and intervened before the paperwork was sent. It wasn't just the BP error that upset you. You were unhappy with the complaints process that followed – and the way the company, of which you have been a customer for more than a decade, went silent when you said you weren't happy with the £50 payout. On my intervention, Bluecrest investigated swiftly. It admitted the health assessment specialist had mistakenly entered an incorrect number in your report but said this was corrected within three days and you were updated. However, it did confirm it had not responded to your last letter expressing discontent with the conclusion. This was because it considered your complaint closed and had informed you in that correspondence of your right to contact the Care Quality Commission should you be unhappy with the resolution. As a result of your experience, Bluecrest confirms it will now track letters that arrive after a complaint has been closed. It tells me your experience has led it to make improvements to its data input procedures. This includes making enhanced verification checks to stop results being submitted that fall outside expected and physiologically possible ranges, as happened with your BP readings. It is also refunding you the £199 cost of your assessment, offered you a further check free of charge should you want it, and donated £50 to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a charity you support. Openreach is bullying my 87-year-old mother In April, my 87-year-old mother received a request from Openreach to consent to a 'wayleave agreement' relating to the installation of fibre network cables on a route across her property to supply another customer. There was a lot of paperwork to review and she asked me to help. Three days after the first letter, she got a chasing letter saying it had heard nothing. A week later, a third arrived, this time mildly threatening, and a week after that a fourth advising they would take the matter to a tribunal and bemoaning the 'radio silence' on her part. My mother couldn't sleep with worry. I want an apology for the bullying approach. K.T., Norfolk. Sally Hamilton replies: Openreach is behind most of the country's phone and broadband infrastructure and is used by the likes of BT and Sky. When it needs to install, maintain or repair equipment on private land or inside a property such as a block of flats, it will often need permission from those not benefiting from the service. This comes in the form of wayleaves, which are written legal agreements. For individuals such as your mother, who have never come across these before, it can be bewildering. What might you be signing up to? Scam Watch Oasis fans who missed out on concert tickets are being warned about last minute scams. The band are currently on a sellout tour and will play Wembley, Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as shows overseas. Lloyds Bank says fans have lost £2 million buying fake Oasis tickets this year. The bank says 90 per cent of ticket purchase scams take place via fake ads and posts on social media. It warns fans only to buy tickets from official vendors – and never to send money to anyone you don't know and have only spoken to on social media. You were particularly aggrieved at the hectoring letters sent to your elderly mother and the lack of response as you tried to find out more from your sickbed. You called the number printed on the correspondence several times and only ever got an answer machine on which you left messages outlining the situation. You emailed, but also had no response. You only heard back from Openreach once you had emailed with the signed agreement on May 5, together with a formal letter of complaint about how the matter had been handled. Now it was Openreach's turn for radio silence. You have chased for a resolution to your complaint, but with no response. I agree it was over the top for Openreach to be sending four letters in a row with little appreciation that recipients might struggle to understand what was being asked of them – and who might need to ask for input from family or friends. In some situations, it can be sensible for a property owner to take legal advice before signing a wayleave agreement. Not many lawyers would move as quickly as Openreach was expecting your mother to. Openreach needed her permission because it involved her property being used to provide a service to another homeowner. Standard rates or recompense apply in these situations, which for your mother meant a one-off payment of about £184. But of more importance to her, and you, was an apology and a promise to improve the process. Once I contacted Openreach, it responded at lightning speed, sending a bunch of flowers, a note to say sorry and a promise of a gift card. An Openreach spokesperson says: 'This was a very unusual and unfortunate situation, and we're really sorry for causing such distress. We want to thank K.T. and her mother for their feedback and we've sent them a gesture of goodwill. We're also using their feedback to review and improve our wayleaves processes.' Straight to the point In December, I booked a two-night stay in a Liverpool apartment for June through But in March I was told the reservation was cancelled and my £183 would be returned to me. I have supplied all of the information has requested numerous times but my money has not been repaid. Last time I called, it could not find the reservation. D.E., via email. apologises for the delay and says a technical error deleted it from its system. It is getting confirmation of the charge from you and will then process the refund. *** I Bought a new car from a dealership for £52,000 in December and agreed to pay a £5,000 deposit along with £500 each month on finance. After driving just 200 miles, one of the wheels fell off while I was going over a speed bump. My breakdown cover engineer said the nuts must have been loose. I returned the car to the dealership and would like to either get a new one or get the money back I've paid so far. I'm still paying £500 a month. I've now had to put a deposit down on a new car. E.D., Leicester. You have been refunded the £6,500 you have so far spent on the vehicle and also been handed back the £7,157 you had splashed out on the deposit for your new car. Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@ — include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
CHAMPS Camp celebrates a decade of helping kids in Saskatchewan
Ten years ago, a group of pediatric cardiology patient mothers saw a need for programming for their children. 'They recognized that there's no kind of rehab or physical activity program for children. There's lots in the adult world ... they decided that we needed some kind of programming for kids,' said Doctor Charissa Pockett, a pediatric cardiologist at Jim Patterson Children's Hospital and a member of the Mending Little Hearts Fund Group. That need created CHAMPS Camp, which offers opportunities for kids ages 4-17 with congenital or acquired heart disease to enjoy some physical activity. 'I get to see kids in hospital at their worst, and then I get to see them at camp doing amazing things that they never thought they could do, and especially families never thought they'd be able to do,' Pockett said. The program is celebrating a decade of success, and many of the families who took part in the camp gathered at Saskatoon's Gordie Howe Sports Complex to mark the occasion and talk about how it helped them. 'I just thought that I was the one kid who went and had surgeries done and procedures and all that stuff. And then when I finally came to camp in 2019, I felt like I was part of something, and I wasn't alone, and I was able to talk and learn about my heart,' Morgyn Moule said. CHAMPS Camp staff and families gathered at Saskatoon's Gordie Howe Sports Complex to celebrate a decade of success, Sunday, July 13 (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News) (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News) Morgyn's mother, Jennie, says the program has brought a lot of joy to many medical parents. 'It was nice to see her hang out with kids who experience the same heart conditions or different recognition, going to the doctor's office, going through procedures. It was nice to see her being with people with whom she felt like she belonged,' Jennie Moule said. 'They have rock climbing, swimming, playing games. It's just so great. I like it, and it's kind of fun ... to do stuff like that so kids can try new things,' nine-year-old Adaline Macpherson said. Organizers say kids with heart conditions are often discouraged or were previously unable to play sports or engage in physically demanding activities. The purpose of CHAMPS Camp is to allow kids to gain confidence in their abilities. The program also offers clinical psychology sessions for kids and their families. 'They go back to gym class and say, 'no, I can do this.' They want to participate. And it's really an amazing thing to see how lives have changed because of it,' Pockett said. Pockett says the program started off quite small but has remained successful over the years thanks to a lot of community support. 'The families and the patients who keep showing up year after year with a lot of enthusiasm who trust us with their children ... there's been lots of local businesses that have sponsored us ... the volunteers have been essential in helping the camp run and be successful,' Pockett said. The pediatric cardiologist says her hope to see the program expand outside of Saskatchewan. 'It's not just affecting the lives of kids in Saskatchewan but it's actually helping shape and educate our field as far as how to get kids physically active, especially when they've had congenital heart disease and have had heart surgeries,' Pockett said. The past ten years have certainly proved that there is a need for programs like CHAMPS Camp, which is something Pockett will be the first person to attest to. 'Watching kids gain that confidence, be able to really live healthy lives and be the best that they can be, and then carry that through to throughout the years... It's just a weeklong summer camp, but really, I get to see that when they come to their appointments and checkups, they live that day-to-day in their regular lives,' Pockett said.
NHK
14-07-2025
- Health
- NHK
Japan's Emperor Emeritus hospitalized for heart disease medication
Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito has been hospitalized in Tokyo for adjustment of medicine to treat his heart disease. The 91-year-old Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita Michiko left their residence at the Akasaka Estate by car on Monday afternoon. They arrived at the University of Tokyo Hospital in Bunkyo Ward around 3:30 p.m. The former Emperor underwent a coronary bypass operation in 2012 when he was 78 years old, after being diagnosed with angina. He was diagnosed with right heart failure in 2022. At a heart examination in May, he did not feel chest pain or other symptoms, but was diagnosed with asymptomatic myocardial ischemia. The condition occurs when blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle is insufficient. This is caused when exercise stress exceeds certain levels. The Imperial Household Agency said the Emperor Emeritus had restricted fluid intake and avoided excessive exercise stress. It said he began taking new medicine to improve coronary blood flow after the recent examination, taking into consideration that hardening of his arteries is advancing due to aging. The agency said that as his condition has not improved, he will now take another medicine designed to ease strain on the heart. The Emperor Emeritus was admitted to hospital so that doctors can adjust the amount of the new medicine. They say they will keep checking electrocardiographic and other data to be able to quickly respond to any side effects of the medicine, such as irregular heartbeat.
