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Tag: Heart

Healthy Lifestyle Can Reduce Genetic Heart Attack Risk

Srijita, , , , , , ,

Following a healthy lifestyle can cut in half the probability of a heart attack or similar events even among those at high genetic risk, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin. “The basic message of our study is that DNA is not destiny,” said study senior author Sekar Kathiresan, Director, Center for Human Genetic Research at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that lifestyle factors — not smoking, avoiding excess weight and getting regular exercise — significantly alter the risk…

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Blood Pressure Spike Around Doctors Might Point to Heart Problem

Srijita, , , , , , , , ,

Some older people who get what’s known as white coat hypertension – a spike in blood pressure at the doctors’ office – may have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a study suggests. White coat hypertension is pretty common – lots of people get stressed out around doctors and it’s not unusual for this to result in high blood pressure readings for patients who have normal blood pressure outside the exam room, researchers note in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. When researchers examined data on…

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Weight Gain During Puberty May Lead to Heart Disease: Study

Srijita, , , , , , , , ,

Boys with excessive weight gain during puberty are at increased risk of death due to heart disease later in life, a study reveals. There is no corresponding risk among boys being overweight when younger and who have normal weight during adolescence. The study included over 37,600 men and the change in body mass index (BMI) during puberty was calculated using BMI values at eight and 20 years of age. The study evaluated the contribution of BMI during the two distinct developmental periods — childhood and puberty for cardiovascular mortality in…

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Poor Maternal Nutrition Can Cause Early Ageing of Baby’s Heart

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Children born to mothers who were undernourished during pregnancy are more likely to suffer early ageing of the heart, a research has showed. The animal study found that moderately reducing a mother’s food intake can make it more likely that the baby’s organs will show increased disease susceptibility and early ageing. These changes in the heart could contribute to decreased quality of life, decreased exercise capability, and increased vulnerability to other diseases such as diabetes and hypertension — major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the study said. Understanding…

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Heart attack or Heartburn: How You Can Find Out

Srijita, , , , , , , ,

With heart diseases being one of the major causes of death in India, it is perhaps not surprising that most people presume any pain in the chest area to be an attack. As a result, in a large number of cases a patient is rushed to the hospital, only to find that it is a mere heartburn. To prevent the panic following a presumed attack, the victim and the people around him must exhibit the capacity to use the resources at their disposal and differentiate between the two. According to…

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Cold Weather, Smog Could Lead to Rise in Heart, lung Cases

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The week following Diwali has seen Delhi and the National Capital Region shrouded in a blanket of smog that has made breathing difficult and led to a rise in heart and lung complaints. With the situation unlikely to change for a few more days and the nippy winter already knocking at the doors, cardiologists and pulmonologists have warned that prolonged exposure to the highly toxic air can cause cardiac arrest and lung complications. Noting that cardiovascular disease (CVD), over the past decade, has emerged as the single most important cause…

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