Heart Disease Treatments May Be Possible With New Scanning Strategy

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 14 Dec 2011 - 0:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Patients with life-threatening heart valve disease could be helped with alternative scanning techniques that provide greater insight into the condition.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh used an imaging technique that could help predict which patients will need open heart surgery to replace their heart valves, and improve treatments to prevent the disease.

The narrowing and hardening of the heart's aortic valve - a common condition known as aortic stenosis - affects 1 in 20 people over 65 in the UK and is on the increase due to an ageing population. The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), trialled the use of positron emission tomography (PET) scans among patients with the condition.

The scans give a much clearer insight into the process that causes aortic stenosis than ultrasound scans, which are currently used for diagnosis. They involve using tracer chemicals, which highlight molecular changes within the body.

Dr Marc Dweck, of the University of Edinburgh's Clinical Research Imaging Centre, said: "Currently the only form of treatment is heart surgery which is not necessarily ideal as the majority of patients are over 65. These scans will help us better understand what is happening to the heart valves, and hopefully help us to halt the processes causing the narrowing. It may also allow us to predict which patients are likely to need an operation and when this might occur."

The scans showed that inflammation, possibly related to fatty deposits, was important in establishing the very early stages of the disease. However, after this initial trigger subsequent narrowing was instead mainly due to the build-up of calcium deposits in the valve.

The use of the PET scans mean that scientists can now analyse what is happening to heart valves earlier in the disease process, when treatments are more likely to be effective. The study has been published in the journal Circulation.

Dr Shannon Amoils, Research Advisor at the BHF, said: "Aortic stenosis is the most common reason for having a heart valve operation in the UK. It would be much better for patients if we could either prevent the condition or treat it with a drug at an early stage. But the fact is that there are currently no medicines for the condition, and no accurate way of predicting how quickly it will progress.

"We're delighted to have been able to fund this study, which has used state-of-the-art imaging technology to reveal clues about the biology underlying aortic stenosis and how it progresses. The researchers have shown that calcification, or 'hardening', of the aortic valve may be the most important process underlying its progressive narrowing. This could explain why attempts to treat patients by targeting the inflammation in the valve have not worked, and it offers hope that a change of strategy - targeting the calcification process - might prove more successful."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of Edinburgh. "Heart Disease Treatments May Be Possible With New Scanning Strategy." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Dec. 2011. Web.
14 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

The Toll On Human Health Is Still Being Counted 10 Years After Attacks On World Trade Center

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters;  Heart Disease
Article Date: 14 Dec 2011 - 0:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The World Trade Center disaster exposed nearly half a million people to hazardous chemicals, environmental toxins, and traumatic events. According to research published in the December 2011 issue of Elsevier-published journal Preventive Medicine, this has resulted in increased risk of developing physical and mental health conditions after 9/11.

"The New York City Health Department's volunteer and heart disease studies in this issue of Preventive Medicine reinforce the importance of tracking the long-term physical and mental health effects of 9/11 and help inform planning for future 9/11-related health care needs," said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

A study of volunteers who turned out in the thousands to assist the 9/11 rescue operation, shows they, along with others who were directly exposed to the events of the 9/11 disaster, are now suffering from a range of physical and mental illnesses. At particular risk for poorer health outcomes are volunteers not affiliated with groups such as the American Red Cross, whose earlier arrival at the WTC sites and day-to-day work left them less prepared for the horrific events and injuries of 9/11.

Volunteers not affiliated with an organization were more highly exposed to the WTC disaster than volunteers affiliated with recognized organizations and were at greater risk for developing physical and mental health conditions after 9/11, according to the volunteer study. The study showed the need to provide volunteers with long-term screening and treatment for 9/11-related conditions that resulted from hazardous exposures.

A study of adults exposed to 9/11 found that being in the dust cloud, being injured on 9/11, or developing posttraumatic stress disorder increased the risk of developing heart disease years after the disaster.

"This exploratory heart disease study suggests that adults who were directly exposed to the World Trade Center disaster and its aftermath have an increased risk for heart disease," said Dr. Hannah Jordan, first author of the study. "It will be important to confirm and expand upon these findings so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent heart disease in this population."

Respiratory illness - dubbed 'World Trade Center Cough' - is also more likely to afflict first responders from the Fire Department of New York City than other U.S. males. According to the research in Preventive Medicine, bronchitis is nearly six-fold higher in young-WTC exposed firefighters. The study of 11,000 firefighters demonstrates that the firefighters exposed to the WTC disaster, along with volunteers of all kinds, continue to bear a heavy burden following their remarkable actions ten years ago.

The research appears in the special 'World Trade Center Disaster: 10th Anniversary' issue of Preventive Medicine.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our bio-terrorism / terrorism section for the latest news on this subject. Full article citation
Indira Debchoudhury, Alice E. Welch, Monique A. Fairclough, James E. Cone, Robert M. Brackbill, Steven D. Stellman, Mark R. Farfel, Comparison of health outcomes among affiliated and lay disaster volunteers enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry, Preventive Medicine, Volume 53, Issue 6 , 1 December 2011 0091-7435, DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.08.034.
Jessica Weakley, Mayris P. Webber, Jackson Gustave, Kerry Kelly, Hillel W. Cohen, Charles B. Hall, David J. Prezant, Trends in respiratory diagnoses and symptoms of firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center disaster: 2005-2010, Preventive Medicine, Volume 53, Issue 6, 1 December 2011, Pages 364-369, 0091-7435, DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.09.001.
Hannah T. Jordan, Sara A. Miller-Archie, James E. Cone, Alfredo Morabia, Steven D. Stellman, Heart disease among adults exposed to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster: Results from the World Trade Center Health Registry, Preventive Medicine, Volume 53, Issue 6, 1 December 2011, Pages 370-376, 0091-7435, DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.10.014.
Elsevier Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Elsevier. "The Toll On Human Health Is Still Being Counted 10 Years After Attacks On World Trade Center." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 14 Dec. 2011. Web.
14 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Physician Bias Leads To Variations In Cardiac Procedures

Main Category: Heart Disease
Article Date: 13 Dec 2011 - 2:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Physician preferences and hospital characteristics influence the type of procedures performed on blockages of the heart, leading to significant variations in rates of bypass, stent or angioplasty procedures, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)..

There is significant variation in the ratio of percutaneous coronary interventions to coronary artery bypass graft surgeries (PCI:CABG ratio). Both procedures are performed to address blockages of coronary arteries. PCI procedures are less invasive than bypass surgery and were initially used to treat single-vessel heart disease. However, PCI is now used more widely for other conditions, including multivessel heart disease and multiple coronary issues. Rates for the procedure have increased in Ontario but there are indications that certain patients with multivessel disease have better long-term outcomes with CABG surgery than with PCI.

Canadian researchers analyzed data for 8972 patients who underwent diagnostic procedures - cardiac catheterizations - to look at heart function and any blockages or abnormalities in function, between April 2006 and March 2007 at 17 hospitals that perform cardiac procedures in Ontario. They wanted to understand the reason for the variations in the PCI:CABG ratio.

Coronary anatomy was the most important factor in PCI procedures being performed rather than CABG surgery but the recommendation for the procedure and the hospital where it was performed were also influential. The researchers found significant variation in the types of procedures offered, mostly among patients with multivessel disease.

"The variation was not primarily the result of differences in patient characteristics or the utilization of primary PCI (i.e., for emergent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [MI])," writes Dr. Jack Tu, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), with coauthors. "Rather, it appeared to reflect variations in treatment preferences and practice styles of the cardiologists performing the index catheterizations with regard to the management of patients with non-emergent multivessel disease, patients who could potentially be recommended for either PCI or CABG surgery."

"We found that the recommendation of the physician performing the diagnostic catheterization and the treating hospital were strong independent predictors of the mode of revascularization," write the authors.

The authors suggest changes that can lead to more consistency and transparency, such as creating multidisciplinary teams with the interventional cardiologist, a cardiac surgeon and referring physician, if possible. "Although many patients may still prefer PCI because it is less invasive, cardiac surgeons need to be more involved in clinical decision-making when patients are candidates for either PCI or CABG surgery. Patients need to be fully informed about the benefits and risks of all alternative treatment options," they conclude.

In a related commentary , Drs. David Holmes Jr. and Charanjit Rihal of the Mayo Clinic write that, for patients who could be recommended for either PCI or CABG, "the experience and training of the physician performing the angiography plays an important role. For example, an experienced interventional cardiologist trained in procedures to treat chronic total occlusion may recommend PCI, whereas a less experienced interventional cardiologist may favour surgical referral."

They conclude that the decision should be made based on the risks and benefits of all treatment options so that a patient may decide without being influenced by physician bias.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Canadian Medical Association Journal. "Physician Bias Leads To Variations In Cardiac Procedures." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 13 Dec. 2011. Web.
13 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Risk Of Death And Stroke In Those With Heart Disease Increased By Herbal Amphetamine

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Also Included In: Stroke;  Heart Disease
Article Date: 13 Dec 2011 - 2:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Chewing the natural stimulant khat increases the risk of death and stroke in patients with heart disease compared to those who are not users, according to new research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Since ancient times, people in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa have chewed the fresh leaves of the Catha edulis plant which has effects similar to amphetamines and cocaine. It causes euphoria, hyperactivity, restlessness, loss of appetite and weight loss.

In Yemen, some people have khat picnics, chewing the leaves for as much as three hours, like tobacco chewing. Its use has spread globally throughout Western Europe and into the United States. Seven metric tons of khat travel through Heathrow Airport in England each week, and fresh and dried khat has been seized and confiscated in the United States where it is illegal, researchers said.

In the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2) Study, researchers - comparing 1,408 khat chewers to 5,991 people who didn't use khat - found: In the hospital, khat users had a 7.5 percent death rate from heart disease compared to 3.8 percent in those who were not khat users. At one month, the death rate was 15.5 percent among khat users and 6.4 percent for non-khat users. At one year, the death rate was 18.8 percent among khat users compared to 10.8 percent among non-users. For the study, researchers enrolled men and women from 65 hospitals in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

About 96 percent of the khat users were from Yemen, where khat is legal and socially acceptable, unlike the other countries in the study.

"Global awareness of the negative impact of khat chewing on health and social life is warranted before it becomes endemic," said Jassim Al Suwaidi, M.B., Ch.B., study co-author and Consultant Cardiologist and Director of Cardiovascular Research in the Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery at Hamad General Hospital in Doha, Qatar. "This report underscores the importance of improving education about the cardiovascular risks of khat chewing as well as the need for further studies in the field."

Furthermore, researchers found: Khat chewers were more likely to be men (only 14 percent were women) and had lower cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Death rates were consistently higher among khat users up to age 80, but khat chewing occurs across the spectrum of young and old, male and female. Users were more likely to experience adverse health effects, including heart failure, recurrent ischemia, a second heart attack, cardiogenic shock and stroke compared to non-users. Women were as likely as men to experience adverse heart effects. Male khat chewers were more likely to develop stroke, particularly hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke, compared to non-users. The increased risk of stroke wasn't significant among women using khat. The worse in-hospital outcomes may be related to delays in people getting to the hospital after the onset of symptoms and failing to receive thrombolytic (clot-busting) therapy or treatment with beta blockers, researchers said. Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our alcohol / addiction / illegal drugs section for the latest news on this subject. Co-authors are: Waleed M. Ali, M.D.; Al Habib KF, M.D.; Ahmed Al Motarreb, M.D.; Rajvir Singh, Ph.D.; Ahmad Hersi, M.D.; Hassam Al Faleh, M.D.; Nidal Asaad, M.M.B.S.; Shukri Al SaiF, M.D.; Wael Almameed, M.D.; Kadhim Sulaiman, M.D.; Haitham Amin, M.D.; Jawad Al-Lawati, M.D.; Nizar Al Bustani, M.D.; Norah Q. Al-Sagheer, M.D.; and Awad Al-Qahtani, M.B.Ch.B.
Author disclosures and sources of funding are on the manuscript.
American Heart Association Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

American Heart Association. "Risk Of Death And Stroke In Those With Heart Disease Increased By Herbal Amphetamine." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 13 Dec. 2011. Web.
13 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

STEMI Heart Attack Patients Who Receive PCI Commonly Back In Hospital Again

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 30 Nov 2011 - 8:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Results of an investigation published in the Nov. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, reveal that hospital readmission rates for individuals with a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; a certain pattern on an electrocardiogram after a heart attack) who received a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were 7% to 20% after three years for novel coronary revascularization procedures, heart attack, heart failure, and severe bleeding events, which were negatively connected with long-term survival for these individuals.

The researchers state:

"The implementation of primary percutaneous coronary intervention has significantly improved the clinical outcome of patients admitted for STEMI. However, some patients still develop recurrent adverse events, with a negative impact on survival."

In order to analyze the three-year readmission rate for cardiovascular causes and their influence on death, Gianluca Campo, M.D., of the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Sant'Anna and Laboratorio di Terapie e Tecnologie Avanzate, Ferrara, Italy, and colleagues examined data from the Regisiro Angioplastiche dell'Emilia-Romagna (REAL) registry. The population consisted of 11,118 individuals with STEMI (between January 2003 to June 2009) undergoing primary PCI who were enrolled in the REAL registry. After the initial hospitalization the team discovered 7,867 patients were readmitted.

The researchers explain:

"The most frequent diseases or conditions associated with hospital readmissions were coronary revascularization (CR; 28 percent), acute or congestive heart failure (HF; 26 percent), supraventricular arrhythmias (SA; 13 percent), MI (11 percent), and serious bleeding events (SBE; 10 percent). Interestingly, the patients with one hospital admission for HF, SA, or SBE frequently showed a second (or more) readmission for the same cause (36 percent, 34 percent, and 22 percent, respectively).

All these events tended to be more frequent during the first year. This was particularly evident for CR. Approximately 60 percent of these procedures was target vessel revascularization, whereas approximately 17 percent was staged intervention."

They discovered that overall, there were 1,779 deaths with a cumulative incidence mortality rate of 12.1% at year-1 and 17.5% at year-3. Mortality was linked to patients requiring new hospitalization due to adverse events.

They write:

"Several registries suggest that there is an underuse of effective cardiac therapies. Our findings reinforce the need for the application of timely and effective preventive and treatment strategies."

Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171[21]:1948-1949. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Grace Rattue. "STEMI Heart Attack Patients Who Receive PCI Commonly Back In Hospital Again." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Nov. 2011. Web.
9 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Reusing Pacemakers From Deceased Donors Is Safe And Effective

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 07 Dec 2011 - 1:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Many heart patients in India are too poor to afford pacemakers. But a study has found that removing pacemakers from deceased Americans, resterilizing the devices and implanting them in Indian patients "is very safe and effective."

Dr. Gaurav Kulkarni of Loyola University Medical Center is a co-author of the study, published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Cardiology. Kulkarni helped conduct the research before coming to Loyola while he was a medical student in India.

Fifty-three poor patients in Mumbai received pacemakers that had been donated by the families of deceased Americans. Following operations to reimplant the devices, all Indian patients were alive and doing well, researchers reported.

The Indian patients had severe heart rhythm disorders called complete heart block and sick sinus syndrome. Typically, the slightest physical exertion would leave them gasping for breath and exhausted. Without pacemakers, they likely would have died within weeks or months. But in India, a pacemaker costs $2,200 to $6,600, which is well beyond the means of many patients.

The pacemaker donations began as a philanthropic project. Physicians later decided to make a formal study of the safety and effectiveness of the donated devices. At every step of the study, patients gave informed consent. After receiving the reused pacemakers, they were followed for an average of nearly two years. There were no infections or other significant complications and no device failures. All but two patients reported marked improvement in their symptoms.

Of four patients who were previously employed, all were able to return to their manual jobs. Twenty-seven women said their symptoms had improved enough so they could resume household chores.

"Implantation of donated permanent pacemakers can not only save lives, but also improve quality of life of needy poor patients," researchers wrote.

Kulkarni added: "Without pacemakers, these patients would pretty much be forced to remain on confined rest, due to cardiac fatigue."

Kulkarni was born and raised in Mumbai, and at the time of the study, was a medical student at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. He interviewed patients before and after they received pacemakers and collected data for the study. "There was a dramatic change in patients after they received their pacemakers," he said.

The Food and Drug Administration prohibits reusing pacemakers in the United States. But there is no prohibition against donating and reusing pacemakers in other countries.

Researchers reported that between January 2004 and January 2010, 121 pacemakers were removed and donated. (The devices were made by Medtronic, St. Jude Medical and Boston Scientific.) Sixty pacemakers were selected because they had a battery life greater than three years, but seven were discarded due to further decay in battery life. The remaining 53 pacemakers were rigorously cleaned and sterilized. They were sent to Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai, which serves all patients, regardless of income.

There have been previous studies of reused pacemakers. But only one previous study involved the reuse of pacemakers donated by families in the United States. That study included 12 patients in the Philippines.

The authors conclude that reusing pacemakers could "alleviate the burden of symptomatic bradyarrhythmia (abnormally slow heart rate) in impoverished nations around the world."

Kulkarni now is a first-year resident in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Other co-authors are first author Bharat K. Kantharia, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center; Sandeep S. Patel, MD, of Louisiana State University; Arti N. Shah, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical School; Yash Lokhandwala, MD, of Holy Family Hospital; Erica Mascarenhas of Notre Dame of Bethlehem School; and Daniel A.N. Mascarenhas, MD, of Drexel University College of Medicine.

The authors expressed their gratitude to donors, family members, volunteers and others "who contributed to this charitable project and toward the welfare of poor and needy patients of India requiring cardiac permanent pacemakers."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Source: Loyola University Health System
Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject. Loyola University Health System Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Loyola University Health System. "Reusing Pacemakers From Deceased Donors Is Safe And Effective." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 7 Dec. 2011. Web.
9 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Depression Impacts Stress System, Fight Or Flight Response, Can Lead To Heart Disease

Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Heart Disease
Article Date: 30 Nov 2011 - 0:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Depression may have more far-reaching consequences than previously believed. Recent data suggests that individuals who suffer from a mood disorder could be twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to individuals who are not depressed.

This process has been poorly understood - until now. A new study led by Concordia University has found that depressed individuals have a slower recovery time after exercise compared to those who are non-depressed.

These findings suggest that a dysfunctional biological stress system is at play among depressed individuals. Published in the journal Psychophysiology, the research warns of the importance of testing for cardiovascular disease among people suffering from major depression.

"There have been two competing theories as to why depression is linked to cardiovascular disease," says first author Jennifer Gordon, who is a PhD candidate at McGill University. "Depressed people may have poorer health behaviors, which may in turn lead to heart problems. The other possibility is physiological: a problem with the stress system known as the fight or flight response. Our study was the first to examine the role of a dysfunctional fight or flight response in depression in a large population."

Heart rate recovery is a powerful diagnostic tool

A total of 886 participants, who were on average 60 years old, took part in the study conducted by Concordia in association with the Montreal Heart Institute, McGill University, the Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, the Université du Québec à Montréal and the University of Calgary.

Approximately 5 per cent of participants were diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. All individuals were asked to undergo a stress test after which their heart rate and blood pressure were recorded. Recovery heart rates and blood pressure levels were compared between depressed and non-depressed individuals.

"We found that it took longer for the heart rate of depressed individuals to return to normal," says senior author, Simon Bacon, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Exercise Science and a researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute. "Heart rate recovery from exercise is one way to measure the fight or flight stress response. The delayed ability to establish a normal heart rate in the depressed individuals indicates a dysfunctional stress response. We believe that this dysfunction, can contribute to their increased risk for heart disease."

"The take-home message of this study is that health care professionals should not only address the mental disorder, but also the potential for heart disease in patients who are suffering from major depression," adds Bacon. "Both of these health issues should be treated to minimize risk of severe consequences."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our depression section for the latest news on this subject. Partners in research: This work was supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Hypertension Society and le Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec.
Concordia University Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Concordia University. "Depression Impacts Stress System, Fight Or Flight Response, Can Lead To Heart Disease." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Nov. 2011. Web.
9 Dec. 2011. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here