I’m beat but I see so many interesting stories about the heart I want to share so I’m going to cheat and list them quickly.

• Animal-Tissue Heart Valves Appear Safe

  Young patients who receive replacement heart valves made from animal tissue live just as long as those who get mechanical valves, new research shows.

• Popular painkiller may pose heart danger

  Researchers looking at the safety of various arthritis and headache remedies said on Thursday they had found some more evidence that the popular analgesic naproxen may cause heart problems.

• Migraine Study Brings Men New Headaches
  Men With Migraines at Higher Risk of Heart Disease

  According to the new study, men who experience migraine attacks have a 24 percent increased risk of suffering from major cardiovascular problems and a 42 percent increased risk of suffering a heart attack.

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Ever the snarky wit, Wendy Boswell of Gryffindor Gazette sent me these jokes from Brain Candy. Might be fun to forward them to a few doctors. Here are a few of my favorites.

Doctors: What They Say & What They Really Mean

Says: “Let’s see how it develops.”
Means: “Maybe in a few days it will grow into something that can be cured.”

Says: “How are we today?”
Means: “I feel great. You, on the other hand, look like hell.”

Says:: “I’d like to prescribe a new drug.”
Means: “I’m writing a paper and would like to use you for a guinea pig.”

Hope these jokes don’t get me into any trouble!

Technorati Tags: jokes, doctors, medicine, diseases, illness, health

If you’re a heart patient taking anticoagulant warfarin also known as Coumadin, you might be interested in learning more about the Warfarin Sensitivity DNA Test that will be available in 2007. Getting tested could help you calibrate the drug dosage that’s just right for you.

Technorati Tags: coumadin, warfarin, heart, heart disease, warfarin sensitivity dna, test, dna, diseases, illness, health

Those Dancing with the Stars contestants have more than just sexy outfits, hot bods, and big smiles going for them. They’re also engaging in a heart healthy activity that’s comparable to other forms of exercise.

A recent study has found that people with heart failure who learned to waltz were able to breath better, exercise for longer periods of time, and enjoyed overall better health. Other types of slow dances should provide the same benefits.

But perhaps Dancing with the Stars is a bit too vigorous for the average person. I just watched it for the first time when I saw this YouTube video of Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo. Not for the fainthearted!

This waltz is probably more appropriate.

CBS News, November 13, 2006

Technorati Tags: waltz, dance, dancing with the stars, kelly monaco, alez mazo, heart disease, heart failure, heart, diseases, illness, health, exercise

Earlier this week, I wrote about a new initiative that will encourage hospitals to develop procedures to speed up angioplasties for patients who’ve experienced a myocardial infarction aka heart attack. Reducing the time between heart attack and angioplasty–ideally less than 90 minutes after arriving at the hospital–is even more important in light of this recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

More than 2,000 patients with blocked arteries 3 to 28 days after a myocardial infarction were randomized into two groups.

• One received standard medications to prevent blood clots and maintain heart rhythm
• One got the same drugs in addition to an angioplasty

Contrary to previous practice, angioplasty that did not take place within 12 hours of the heart attack (late angioplasty) did not appear to improve patient survival or prevent recurrent heart attacks or heart failure during the more than three years of observation. In fact, some evidence (although not statistically significant) even suggested that by restoring blood flow to the heart via the previously clogged artery may increase the risk of secondary heart attack.

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Today’s Dear Doctor letter comes from Kelly Saunders of Thrifty Mommy who works with doctors every day in the catheterization lab.

Dear Doctor,

Growing up, my family always put doctors on a pedestal. You know, the whole hero syndrome. Whatever the doctor says, goes. I believed that for years. You go to school for years to become experts on our bodies so why shouldn’t we treat you differently? We would never dream of questioning anything you say and always do what you tell us. After all, if someone else makes $1million+/yr, we usually treat them slightly different as they hold some sort of prestige in society.

I work with cardiologists all week long in the cath lab at my local hospital. They can be right on target one day and up for 48 hrs the next. They are human just like the rest of us. I have a whole new respect for them now. Recently, one of my favorites made a statement to me that encourages me that there are STILL good guys practicing medicine.

I was talking to him about a family member not being comfortable with something their doctor said. My doctor said that they should get a second opinion. I asked him if that would have offended him. He said that if a physician gets offended when you sugggest getting a second opinion, then you don’t want that physician anyway. My doctor would welcome a second opinion anytime as this would hopefully just confirm that his diagnosis was correct.

This got me to thinking. We, as a society, don’t even want a second opinion from another hair stylist much less offend our doctor with one. Maybe we should get second opinions when we don’t feel exactly comfortable with our first doctor. Just keep in mind “if they get offended, you don’t want them anyway!”

Now that is the mark of a great physician if you ask me.

Kelly

I agree. Never be afraid to do something to improve the health care you deserve.

Do you have a Dear Doctor letter to share? Email me!

Technorati Tags: second opinion, doctors, healthcare, health care, heart, heart disease, diseases, illness, health

After a heart attack, how quickly are you able to receive treatment? Best case scenario is for patients to receive a balloon angioplasty within 90 minutes of arriving at the hospital. Angioplasty helps to reopen clogged arteries and if performed in a timely fashion, can reduce the risk of death by 40%.

Yale cardiologist, Dr. Harlan Krumholz:

You’ve had a heart attack. You’ve rushed to the hospital, and now you’re waiting for a procedure to open the blockage. Most Americans wait two hours or more. And every minute you wait, your heart is being deprived of oxygen.

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Over at the British Psychological Society, they discuss a recent study that found people with anxiety were less effective at detecting normal vs abnormal heartbeats. Because heart attacks in many people, women in particular, can be mistaken for panic attacks, it’s particularly important to understand how people interpret their own heart rhythms.

Technorati Tags: panic attack, anxiety, heartbeat, heart, heart disease, diseases, illness, health, psychology

Cholon Chinatown, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

From April 2004 to January 2006, I lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, so I have an interest in the country’s progress. Yesterday, the Vietnam-Germany Hospital signed an agreement with the Siemens Company to establish a program to train specialists for human organ transplantation. Already, the hospital performs 15 to 20 heart valve procedures a week and has a four month waiting list.

Last month, the Law on Organ and Tissue Donation was discussed at the National Assembly. Some of the concerns:

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