Wish To Keep Your Brain Healthy? Take Care Of Your Heart First

It turns out maintaining low blood pressure does not just help prevent heart attacks — it can also keep your mind sharp. Research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago found that at-risk people whose blood pressure was kept lower than the recommended level had a significant reduction in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the precursor to dementia. The research was part of the federally funded Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), a large-scale, long-term clinical study that also measured the effects of lower blood pressure on cardiovascular…

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Too Much Protein Isn’t Good For Your Heart, Says New Study

A group of researchers wanted to look into the long-term effects of one of society’s most popular diets, so they watched the eating habits of over 2,400 Finnish men for more than 20 years. What they found was eating a high-protein diet isn’t entirely harmless as once thought. Foods rich in protein has been the center of controversy in recent years. Some think it’s a good idea to eat large amounts of protein — after all, it’s one of the building blocks of muscle development. Yet some studies say that too much…

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Pacemaker for heart, study suggests leadless variant better than transvenous one

Good news for heart patients. If you want to keep your heart healthy, you should opt for leadless pacemakers over the conventional transvenous variants. While you can you avoid heart attack and stroke risk by following a disciplined exercise and diet routine to keep ensure a healthy heart, you need to be careful with the pacemaker variant you choose after a heart attack. According to a new study, heart patients who opt for leadless pacemakers are likely to have lesser short-term and mid-term complications than those with transvenous pacemakers. Approximately a million pacemakers are annually implanted…

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This wireless device can detect heart dysfunction in cancer survivors

Scientists have designed a novel wireless device which may accurately detect heart dysfunction in children who have survived cancer. Childhood cancer survivors are advised to undergo screening for the detection of heart dysfunction because of known anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, screening with echocardiography — the standard of care for monitoring heart function — can be highly variable and limited. Another alternative is cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, which is expensive and is not widely accessible. In the study, the team tested Vivio — a prototype handheld instrument which collects pulse waves…

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Smoking damages your heart, leads to high blood pressure, infertility

While the popular belief is that smoking largely affects the lungs because they get directly exposed to inhaled smoke, health experts warn that it also impacts the entire cardiovascular system. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), smoking tobacco is globally the second leading cause of heart diseases after high blood pressure. Nearly 12 % of cardiovascular deaths worldwide occur due to tobacco abuse and secondhand smoking. In tobacco cigarette, there is combustion, a burning of an organic material that generates temperatures up to 900 degree Celsius. Chronic exposure to…

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Heart failure causes and symptoms, experts say even moderate drinking could be fatal

Alcohol is bad for our health and we don’t need a doctor to tell us that. However, how much alcohol is ok has always been debatable. There have been many studies conducted on the consumption of alcohol and its impact on our bodies, but there has never been a conclusive figure or amount that we could agree on. But in the interest of good health, it is best to avoid alcohol. Because according this latest study, even moderate level of alcohol consumption may worsen the condition of heart failure patients with a…

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