Doctone » Heart

14 Year Old Survives Four Months Without Heart

tonks — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:41:53 +0000

14 year old D’Zhana Simmons is not your ordinary teenager. Last Spring she and her parents discovered that she had an enlarged heart that was not strong enough to pump blood. The only way that she would be able to survive is with a heart transplant. So she and her family traveled from their home in Clinton, South Carolina to Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida.

A cardiothoracic surgeon at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh – Dr. Peter Wearden – said that the decision to use the artificial pumps was “a big deal”. “For (more than) 100 days, there was no heart in this girl’s body? That is pretty amazing,” Wearden said.

D’Zhana said that for 118 days that she had no heart she felt like a “fake person”. “But I know that I really was here,” the 14-year-old said, “and I did live without a heart.” The young teen lived on the pumps for a total of four months in between two transplants.

Mediterranean Diet Helps Fight Against Heart Disease

tonks — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:34:32 +0000

A study was conducted by researchers at the University of Florence in Italy in hopes to discover the effects of eating a Mediterranean diet. Their research taught them that this diet can help to significantly reduce the risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and from developing brain diseases (such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s).

Researchers observed 1.5 million people who stuck with the diet that was created for them and was similar to the Mediterranean diet. The diet included high amounts of grains, vegetables, olive oil, fruit, and fish. It had a low amount of alcohol, dairy products, and meat. 9% of the people who participated were less likely to die of heart diseawse.

Those who ate a Mediterranean diet were also 6 percent less likely to develop all types of cancers or malignancies and 13 percent less likely to suffer Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. The review was published in the British Medical Journal.

Previous studies show that olive oil helps to provide high amounts of healthy oil that contain a small amount of bad fats. This coupled with fish and the oil from them help to fight against many different types of heart problems.

Antioxidants vitamin E and C in fruits and vegetables were also believed to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies suggested that eating a Mediterranean diet may lower the risk of death from cancer by up to 24 percent. The diet has been associated with reduced risk of cancers including those in the breast, bowel, stomach and mouth.

Erectile Dysfunction In Diabetic Men Could Predict Serious Cardiac Problems

tonks — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:15:07 +0000

Recent studies show that men who suffer with erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems may be at risk for other health problems which include heart disease, chest pain, and other cardiovascular problems. More often than not the men who suffer from ED (erectile dysfunction) have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Dr. Peter C.Y. Tong from the Prince Wales Hospital at the Chinese University of Hong Kong believes that the majority of men with type 3 diabetes must pay attention to these warnings and see a doctor immediately if they have ED no matter how embarrassing it is. “You must take action now to improve upon these modifiable risk factors,” Dr. Tong said.

Doctors can inspect them to see if they have any other heart or cardiovascular problems. Treatment may include different medications, exercise, or a new diet. Out of 118 men that suffered from ED close to 30% of them also suffered from serious cardiac problems over a 7 year span.

Erectile dysfunction is a good predictor of heart disease or stroke because both conditions occur when certain arteries fail to expand fully in response to stimulus. Because the arteries in the penis are smaller than those in the heart, for instance, the condition might show up sooner.

Too Much Drinking Can Damage Heart

tonks — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:07:29 +0000

Studies have shown that too much drinking can cause high blood pressure, rigid heart muscles, and stiff arteries in men and enlarged hearts in women. These problems increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

According to the study they listed heavy drinking as having over 14 drinks in one week for women and 21 drinks in one week for men. “We definitely see quite a deleterious effect,” said Dr. Azra Mahmud of St. James Hospital in Dublin. Mahmud presented her findings during meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New Orleans.

“The most worrisome aspect is in women. It has a direct toxic effect,” Mahmud said in an interview. “Basically, women are not able to cope with high alcohol consumption. It is going directly to the heart and damaging it.”

When the heart is enlarged it is a sign that it is being overtaxed and it is something that cannot be reversed easily. Those with an enlarged heart will most likely suffer close to 5-6 heart attacks in their lifetime.

Where heavy drinking can hurt people moderate drinking can actually have its benefits and help to keep the heart healthy. Yet, doctors state that those who switch from moderate to heavy will counteract all the good that was done.