Home Doctor News Cardiology News
Category:

Cardiology News

Cardiology News

A new study confirms the IDEAL blood sugar range for avoiding repeat heart attacks and strokes

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Key Highlights

• Diabetes increases your chances of having your first stroke.

• An ideal blood sugar level can help reduce the risk of a second stroke or heart attack.

• When people with A1C levels higher than 7% were admitted to the hospital, their chances of having another stroke increased by 28%.

According to new research, perfect blood sugar levels may exist for diabetics who suffer a stroke in order to reduce the risk of later vascular disorders such as a stroke or heart attack.

The study’s findings were published in the medical journal “Neurology.”

“We know that having diabetes may be associated with an increased risk of having a first stroke,” said study author Moon-Ku Han, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea.

“But our results indicate that there is an optimal blood sugar level that may start to minimize the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack or other vascular problems, and it’s right in the 6.8 per cent to 7.0 per cent range,” Han added.

There were 18,567 diabetics in the research, with an average age of 70. A blood clot produced an ischemic stroke in all of the subjects; therefore they were all brought to the hospital. Researchers utilized a test called hemoglobin A1C to evaluate people’s average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months after they were admitted.

This test determines the percentage of sugar-coated hemoglobin proteins in the blood. A level of less than 5.7 percent is considered normal, while a level of 6.5 percent or greater implies diabetes. The average A1C of the subjects was 7.5 percent.

The researchers then followed up a year later to see if A1C levels were linked to the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack, or dying from these or other vascular causes.

Within a year of commencing the trial, 1,437 people, or about 8%, had a heart attack or died from vascular illness, and 954, or 5%, had another stroke.

People brought to the hospital with A1C levels above 6.8% to 7.0 percent had a higher risk of having a vascular event, such as a heart attack, as well as having another stroke, according to the study.

After controlling for characteristics such as age and gender, researchers discovered that those brought to the hospital with A1C levels above 7.0 percent had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack or other vascular disease than those hospitalized with A1C values below 6.5 percent.

When people with A1C levels above 7.0 percent were admitted to the hospital, their chance of having another stroke was 28 percent higher than when they had A1C levels below 6.5 percent.

 “Our findings highlight the importance of keeping a close eye on your blood sugar if you’re diabetic and have had a stroke,” Han said.

The study’s main weakness is that participants’ blood sugar levels were only assessed once at the start of the study.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology News

Researchers develop low-cost sensor that detects heart attack in less than 30 minutes

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Florida have developed a sensor that could diagnose a heart attack in less than 30 minutes, according to a study published in Lab on a Chip.

Currently, it takes health care professionals hours to diagnose a heart attack. Initial results from an echocardiogram can quickly show indications of heart disease, but to confirm a patient is having a heart attack, a blood sample and analysis is required. Those results can take up to eight hours.

“The current methods used to diagnose a heart attack are not only time intensive, but they also have to be applied within a certain window of time to get accurate results,” said Pinar Zorlutuna, the Sheehan Family Collegiate Professor of Engineering at Notre Dame and lead author of the paper. “Because our sensor targets a combination of miRNA, it can quickly diagnose more than just heart attacks without the timeline limitation.”

By targeting three distinct types of microRNA or miRNA, the newly developed sensor can distinguish between an acute heart attack and a reperfusion — the restoration of blood flow, or reperfusion injury, and requires less blood than traditional diagnostic methods to do so. The ability to differentiate between someone with inadequate blood supply to an organ and someone with a reperfusion injury is an unmet, clinical need that this sensor addresses.

“The technology developed for this sensor showcases the advantage of using miRNA compared to protein-based biomarkers, the traditional diagnostic target,” said Hsueh-Chia Chang, the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Notre Dame and co-author of the paper. “Additionally, the portability and cost efficiency of this device demonstrates the potential for it to improve how heart attacks and related issues are diagnosed in clinical settings and in developing countries.”

A patent application has been filed for the sensor and the researchers are working with Notre Dame’s IDEA Center to potentially establish a startup company that would manufacture the device.

Bioengineers Chang and Zorlutuna are both affiliated with Notre Dame’s Institute for Precision Health. Additional co-authors from Notre Dame are Stuart Ryan Blood, Cameron DeShetler, Bradley Ellis, Xiang Ren, George Ronan and Satyajyoti Senapati. Co-authors from the University of Florida are David Anderson, Eileen Handberg, Keith March and Carl Pepine. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Source:University of Notre Dame

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology NewsNational & International News

Study finds ideal blood sugar range for lowering risk of recurrent strokes and heart attacks

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Washington: A new study has discovered that for people with diabetes who have had a stroke, there may be ideal blood sugar levels to lower the risk of future vascular diseases such as a stroke or heart attack.

The study’s findings were published in the medical journal ‘Neurology.’

“We know that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of having a first stroke,” said study author Moon-Ku Han, MD, PhD, of Korea’s Seoul National University College of Medicine.

But our results indicate that there is an optimal blood sugar level that may start to minimize the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack or other vascular problems, and it’s right in the 6.8 per cent to 7.0 per cent range,” Han added.

The study involved 18,567 people with diabetes with an average age of 70. All participants were admitted to the hospital for an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot. Upon admission, researchers used a test called the hemoglobin A1C to determine people’s average blood sugar level over the past two to three months.

This test measures a percentage of hemoglobin proteins in the blood coated with sugar. A level below 5.7 per cent is considered normal;6.5 per cent or higher generally indicates diabetes. The participants had an average A1C of 7.5 per cent.

Researchers then followed up one year later to find out if there was an association between A1C levels with the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack, or dying from these or other vascular causes.

Of all participants, 1,437, or about 8 per cent, had a heart attack or died from the vascular disease within a year of starting the study, and 954, or 5 per cent, had another stroke.

The study found that people admitted to the hospital with A1C levels above the 6.8 per cent to 7.0 per cent range had an increased risk of having a vascular event like a heart attack, as well as having another stroke.

After adjusting for factors like age and sex, researchers found that people’s risk for a heart attack or similar vascular diseases was 27 per cent greater when they were admitted to the hospital with A1C levels above 7.0 per cent, compared to those admitted with A1C levels below6.5 per cent.

People’s risk for having another stroke was 28 per cent greater when admitted to the hospital with A1C levels above 7.0 per cent, compared to those below 6.5 per cent.

“Our findings highlight the importance of keeping a close eye on your blood sugar if you’re diabetic and have had a stroke,” Han said.

A limitation of the study is that people’s blood sugar levels were measured only at the start of the study; no follow-up levels were available.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology NewsExclusivesInterviews

Cardiac diseases on the rise post Covid, here’s what Experts suggest to improve heart health

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

The incidence of Covid-recovered patients suffering from Cardiac illnesses such as sudden palpitation, chest discomfort, and even heart attack has increased substantially, particularly among young people. On the occasion of World Heart Day, Medically Speaking discussed the causes of such severe heart problems, early symptoms and possible treatments with a panel of esteemed experts that included: Padma Shri Dr Mohsin Wali, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine from Sir Gangaram Hospital; Dr Mukesh Goel, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery from Apollo Hospitals; Padma Shri Dr Balbir Singh, Chairman of Cardiology from MAX Hospitals and Professor Rakesh Yadav, Professor of Cardiology from AIIMS.

Here are a few excerpts from the exclusive interview:

 

What is the significance of talking about heart diseases in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Dr Mohsin Wali: COVID has proven to be a poison for the heart, particularly the smaller blood vessels which reach every organ of our body. Involvement of the cardiovascular system in covid causing complications, acute as well as delayed, has been very well understood by now. Initially we were not aware about it.

We have learnt that Covid causes severe complications and in that conditions, whole system gets affected and these are the basic effects of the covid, almost all organs are involved and heart is one of the most important organ. And on the world heart day, my first message would be that in the covid background everyday should be will be world heart day because we are taking care of hearts especially of the youngsters.

 

Why do we have so many young Indians of their hearts such risk at the time of the covid-19, pandemic?

Dr Balbir Singh: Two things that happen with covid in young people: one was the involvement of the heart muscle which led to a condition called Myocarditis which has been associated with heart, failure and sudden deaths. Second was formation of clots within the arteries, which lead to heart attacks and unstable angina or acute coronary syndromes, which led to deaths. We cannot take Covid lightly. Even after six months of infection, I would say that keep yourself healthy, eat well, walk and keep yourself free. Don’t exercise too much, I would advise against heavy exercise after Covid illness. This is how you can take care of yourself after Covid illness.

 

Many believed Covid-19 affected the oxygen levels and lungs. How is it affecting the hearts?

Dr Mukesh Goel: We have a term nowadays, which we call long Covid which has many specific symptoms, feeling tired all the time, lack of energy, loss of appetite and even some depression also. When somebody is having a real cardiac issues, those symptoms can get mixed up with those long covid or post covid syndrome and it can be neglected. So I will just say that maybe we should not ignore these symptoms thinking that this must be a long covid or post covid syndrome should take it seriously.

 

What is the correlation between anxiety, panic and hypertension experienced otherwise and post Covid-19 and what can a patient or his family members do?

Prof Rakesh Yadav: If you see the statistic of post covid, about 50 to 70% are going to have some neurological problems like depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, tiredness, even a memory loss is there, they are unable to concentrate. Now second important thing is we are seeing autonomous dysfunction in plenty of patient which means their blood pressure will fluctuate, either it will come down or it will shoot and they have inappropriate increase in heart rate. So you will encounter lot of patients who says that, “Doctor if I walk little, my heart rate goes to 130 140,” which is a syndrome called POTS. We have seen patients who are on 2 or 3 hypertensives post Covid which needs to be stopped after the blood pressure drops below 100. Therefore, do not be happy if we stop hypertensive, it may be an indicator of an autonomous dysfunction. There is no direct correlation of anxiety with hypertension, however, hypertension is directly related to heart diseases. There is a lot of debate over cardiac screening post Covid after 3 to 6 months but we are seeing a lot of patients.

 

Heart diseases are killing over 17 million people worldwide, especially at rise among youngsters. What are the probable causes for this?

Dr Mohsin Wali: We were taught as students about young Coronary Artery Disease. But now, the diet patterns have changed and youngsters are more into junk foods, disturbed sleep patterns, excessive work load, stress and smoking are on the rise. Therefore, we are seeing changed patterns of Coronary Artery Disease in India. Furthermore, cases are more complicated now. We have to regulate our diet, sleep and stress and control hypertension and sugar and overall have a healthy lifestyle.

 

As head of Cardiology department, do you see cases of resuscitation worsen due to lack of knowledge?

Dr. Balbir Singh: CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator must become a practise that everyone must learn. I believe that the training class should begin in schools, and that police officers should be engaged. Every human being should be aware that if someone collapses on the road, you must provide artificial respiration and pump his heart. I know there are AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in several malls and airports, but let me tell you that none of the security personnel in the malls or airports understands how to use them. It is a waste of money to install an AED without adequate training on how to utilize it. Having an AED everywhere is good but people at local levels should know how to use it and save lives around them because there is know way you can save a person suffering a sudden cardiac arrest without the basic knowledge. Therefore people must come forward to learn it.

 

What sort of lifestyle changes can a person need to ensure better health overall and ensue better cardiac health most importantly?

Dr. Mukesh Goel: as far as rise in incidents of heart disease in women is concerned, we were not much aware about it earlier. In fact even medical community has become more aware about looking and treating heart disease in women only in last decade or so. It was a common perception that women do not get heart disease much often.

But now we know why one in 25 women die of breast cancer and one in two will die of heart disease. As far as lifestyle changes is concerned, there is really no gender difference. If you are a man or a woman, the guidelines are same: Regular physical activities, keep a check on your diet, smoking should be avoided by both men and women, and check your blood pressure regularly.

 

Many believe that ayurvedic herbs have anti-inflammatory properties and can help those living with cardio issue. Would you agree with that statement?

Prof Rakesh Yadav: Any herb proven by science is accepted, but until that, I will not comment on it. Secondly, believe it or not, all our scientific medicines come from ancient herbs, may it be for diabetes or hypertension. So I’ll never blame Ayurveda for nothing. I know what will happen if I take an excessive dose of, let’s say an allopathic medicine for diabetes. I will suffer from hypoglycemia. Same goes with Ayurvedic medicines where people suffer from organ dysfunction due to excessive intake of Kadhas.

 

How do regular heart checkups reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases?

Dr Mohsin Wali: Any checkup on a regular basis is beneficial. Routine checkup should be a part of everyone above the age of 25 which includes ECG, Electro-Cardiography, Sugar Screening, Blood Pressure Screening, Kidney Function, etc. After the age of 35, regular cardio checkup should be made mandatory. If one is a smoker, overweight or diabetic, these checkups must be taken frequently, at least once a year. Sometimes, diabetic patients do not have warning symptoms like chest pain so they are not aware about it. Dr Balbir Singh treats a lot of patients with Arrhythmias, which is also a cause of sudden death and is common among youngsters. Most importantly, if you have an abnormal symptom, like excessive sweating or even exhaustion, one should go for a cardiac checkup.

 

Many of the symptoms of cardiac issues are quite generic. What are the basic ones to watch out for?

Dr Balbir Singh: Foremost reason for such conditions is denial. For example if a person is facing difficulty with climbing stairs, they excuse it as weakness and think they cannot have a cardiac problem. This is a psychological problem that happens with everyone. These symptoms are so generic that these could be nothing or can be a serious heart ailment. The only way to distinguish is to get yourself tested without which you won’t be able to know. An ECG and a blood test will be sufficient to test it.

 

What are the alarming and more specific signs for these?

Dr Balbir Singh: There are two or three risk factors one should take care of. If one is a smoker, obese of diabetic, or has a family history of heart disease, one is under risk and should not take gas or acidity lightly, and ask for medical help. If 9 out of 10 get no signs of heart risks after tests, it is better than not getting tested at all.

 

Now let’s come to treatment which takes us to the real developments, which are happening when it comes to saving people’s lives. Of course, there was a time when major surgeries required stands, and of course, they were extremely expensive, but now things have changed completely. What’s the most recent news on the subject?

Dr Mohsin Wali: Things have improved. We used to treat cardiac attacks with morphine injection and giving oxygen. We can now map the diseased portion of the heart by doing echocardiograms, even by ECG’s. We were taught to map the area of the heart disease affected and then visualise it physically, by doing angiography. Beyond that, we have progressed to cardiac MRIs.

So these are the recent things we can implant: cardio, vascular, defibrillator, Walter devices, and very compact things like pacemakers. Initially we used to have only pacemakers, now we have defibrillators with portable, small and implantable cardioverters. So these are all the recent changes in the cardiac transplants that are extreme.

So maybe certain things we can do beyond that. Even if we can cut like a carpenter, that is a Rotablation. In one word, coronary revascularization. Heart muscle has tremendous capacity to recover, and that is why the doctors who treat the heart become very famous because they have to apply their minds to revive the muscle. Heart is an organ of the body that doesn’t go on leave. It beats from the last four months of intrauterine life until the last breath. It functions even when you are sleeping, driving, or having any activity. God made this muscle so strong and we poison it with sugar, smoking, alcohol and so many other stressful things. But we have to really save the heart and that us what the World Heart Day is for.

 

Take us to the latest investments in the Technological Sector that have been made in India and ehat more cam be invested in? How can our infrastructure be better prepared for a greater influx of patients?

Dr Balbir Singh: Covid has taught us many lessons about patients, their families, and doctors. So the doctors have taught us how to work hard and try to save more lives. It also taught us that if we work hard with the patients, we can get results. It has taught us in cardiology that innovations are helping patients. The one good thing that happened with COVID-19 was the media coverage. It brought the hospital into the view of people, who now realise how important hospital and medical health is. I used to give an example that a person will go to a restaurant and spend 5000 rupees, but he will not spend that 5,000 on getting his health check-up, which is a major disaster. So what has happened is that we have seen a 200% increase in health insurance following the Covid. That means people are now serious. The second thing that has happened is that these devices that have been just talked about are expensive. They are not cheap. Fortunately, we have not invested. India has not invested into making this technology. It is a difficult technology. We will have to ultimately get into this piece and build on who we are. These are important things, and we spend a lot of money on getting these devices, which means that we have to get to that level where we get our devices, which would be cheaper and more affordable for the world population.

 

What are the basic devices one can keep at home for regular home checkup as coming to hospital might be a risk for people? What would you say about their feasibility?

Dr Mukesh Goel: So basic devices that everyone should have at home is a blood pressure monitor, a blood sugar monitor, and earlier it was basically, I would not have recommended it, but now it has a pulse oximeter. So these three devices must be at everyone’s home. And if one is not hypertensive, and sugar is normal, I still recommend a weekly check of blood pressure, as well as a monthly check of blood sugar apart from the formal annual health check-up in a medical setting. That should be the minimum.

 

What would be your word of advise?

Prof Rakesh Yadav: If you want to make your heart healthy, make it happy too, because it is a happy and healthy heart that makes a good person. The second important thing is how to monitor your heart’s health. If you are asymptomatic, at least in your childhood, you should have one blood pressure check. After 20 years, you should have your blood pressure, sugar, and lipid profile checked. Then after 40 years, you get these three blood pressures, sugars, and lipid profile. If it is normal, repeat it after 5 years, and after 50, repeat it every two years. And after 60, repeat it every year. And after 70, every six months, if it is normal, it is good. But if it is abnormal, kindly seek advice from your doctor. Don’t ignore all of that. Don’t ignore your blood sugar. If you are hypertensive, by your blood pressure estimate, take your blood pressure at home. As doctor Goel suggests, if you are a diabetic, you must monitor your blood sugar levels on a regular basis. That is the most important thing to mention.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology News

Experts Call For Digital Health Adoption To Reduce CVD Risk On World Heart Day

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

The Covid epidemic has taught numerous lessons to people all over the world, the most important of which is the urgent necessity to instil healthy living practises in order to avoid the health crisis posed by cardiovascular illnesses. As the world commemorates World Heart Day, health experts have advised individuals to embrace digital health to lower their chance of developing heart problems.

Every year on September 29, World Heart Day is commemorated. The World Heart Federation is hosting the event to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology News

Apollo Cardiologists provide succour to a 61 year old with fatal heart condition using advanced techniques of Impella, IVL & OCT!

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Hyderabad, September 26th, 2021: A team of Cardiologists led by Dr Karunakar Rapolu, Consultant Cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals; performed a complex interventional procedure using Impella, IVL and OCT; on an extremely critical 61-year-old patient. The patient had 90% blockage due to high calcium deposit in the Left Main Vessel, which was jeopardizing the blood supply to already severely weakened heart. A preliminary medical evaluation found him unsuitable for a bypass surgery, due to his past history of coronary artery disease and having undergone an angioplasty three years ago. The Team had to swiftly explore for options to restore blood circulation before his condition deteriorated further and became fatal.

The patient a retired police official, presented with excruciating chest pain and symptoms of severely restricted blood flow to the heart due to calcification of the largest coronary artery, the Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD). The LAD became narrow progressively since his previous angioplasty and manifested in the form of a massive heart attack. At the Hospital the patient was quickly wheeled into the Cath lab for an angiogram to assess the extent of heart damage. However, he developed dysfunction of the Left ventricular heart chamber, on the table, leading to sparse supply of blood to the vital organs and potential damage of those if not acted instantaneously. This episode further complicated his condition and the team had to resort to administering diuretics to rid excess fluids from the patient’s body and vasodilators to open the blocked vessels.

His perilous condition ruled out any scope of performing the risk laden bypass surgery. The team narrowed down on the most apt option considering his delicate condition, of performing a CHIP Intervention (Complex High risk Indicated Procedure) along with an Impella Heart Pump. CHIP Intervention is a highly critical procedure performed for immediate restoring of blood supply in the circulation system, while Impella replicates the work done by Left Ventricle, helps suck the oxygenated blood from the Left Ventricle and pumps it to the circulatory system. Using the infrared light guidance from OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography), the extent of occlusion was assessed, and those high-resolution images facilitated clearing of the blockage with precision. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) Balloon was used to crack the impregnable calcification of the blockage. IVL deploys acoustic pressure waves to break the calcium deposits. A stenting was done of the Left Main Coronary Artery using DK crush technique for the best outcome.

During the procedure the patient suffered 7-8 episodes of “Ventriculo arterial uncoupling” while inflating the balloon to clear occlusion, where the left ventricle ceased pumping the blood. Impella got into action and ensured uninterrupted supply of blood. The patient would have crashed during the procedure if Impella was not availed.

The procedure took four and half hours, patient was moved out of ICU after 24 hours of the procedure. He has since recovered and was discharged on the 4th day of admission. He needs to take regular medicines and to follow healthy life style habits like regular exercises and diet management.

Patient tolerated the procedure very well because of Impella heart pump which was working continuously to protect him, Oct guided the team to be precise, while IVL helped in the success of the procedure, says Dr Karunakar Rapolu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology News

Use Of Genetic Testing For Patients With Early-Onset Atrial Fibrillation supported by JAMA study

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

A new research published in JAMA Cardiology supports the use of genetic testing in individuals with early-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Genetic testing in early AF finds pathogenic mutations associated to more significant hereditary cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia disorders, according to a study led by Zachary T. Yoneda of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues.

In the research, disease-associated variants were discovered in 10% of individuals with early-onset AF utilising genetic testing (the percentage was higher if diagnosed before the age of 30 years and lower if diagnosed after the age of 60 years).
At this time, genetic testing for atrial fibrillation is not advised. Recent research has indicated that patients with early-onset AF have uncommon disease-associated variations. In addition, there are new case reports indicating that AF genetic testing has revolutionised clinical treatment.

Early-onset atrial fibrillation can signal a more significant underlying hereditary cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia syndrome.
In light of this, Yoneda and his colleagues wanted to look at the findings of genetic testing for early-onset AF and see how common disease-associated variations in susceptibility genes for hereditary cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia syndromes are in individuals diagnosed with AF before the age of 66.

Patients from an academic medical centre with AF diagnosed before the age of 66 were included in the prospective, observational cohort research, which included whole genome sequencing through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine programme.
Rare variations discovered in a panel of 145 genes included on cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia panels used by commercial clinical genetic testing facilities were among those exposed. The researchers evaluated sequencing data using an automated approach followed by a human examination by a team of independent, blinded reviewers.

The primary objective was the categorization of rare variations using criteria developed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics: benign, likely benign, variant of unknown importance, likely pathogenic, or pathogenic.
Genetic testing found 131 individuals (10.1 percent) with a disease-associated variation, 812 (62.8 percent) with a variant of unknown relevance, 92 (7.1 percent) as heterozygous carriers for an autosomal recessive condition, and 258 (20.0 percent) with no susceptibility.

Key findings of the study include:

  • The likelihood of a disease-associated variant was highest in participants with AF diagnosed before the age of 30 years (20 of 119 [16.8%]) and lowest after the age of 60 years (8 of 112 [7.1%])
  • Disease-associated variants were more often associated with inherited cardiomyopathy syndromes compared with inherited arrhythmias.
  • The most common genes were TTN (n = 38), MYH7 (n = 18), MYH6 (n = 10), LMNA (n = 9), and KCNQ1 (n = 8).

The researchers concluded, “in our cohort study genetic testing identified a disease-associated variant in 10% of patients with early-onset AF (the percentage was higher if diagnosed before the age of 30 years and lower if diagnosed after the age of 60 years).” “Most pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants are in genes associated with cardiomyopathy. These results support the use of genetic testing in early-onset AF.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiac surgery
Cardiology NewsKarnataka

Apollo Hospitals Bangalore becomes the first hospital in the country to have completed 100 Robotic Cardiac Surgeries

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Hyderabad, September 2021: Apollo Hospitals Bangalore announced the successful completion of 100 robotics cardiac surgeries at its dedicated Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit; a milestone in the history of cardiovascular surgery in the country. The hospital also announced that the team had performed a Complex Mitral Valve surgery using robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgery with the da Vinci robotic system in under 70 minutes, a landmark achievement in interventional cardiology.

 Dr. Sathyaki Nambala, Sr. Consultant, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon and HoD, Robotic Cardiac Surgery Unit said, “Cardiovascular diseases tend to affect patients in the most productive years of their lives result in catastrophic social and economic consequences. The establishment of a Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery program requires a tremendous amount of dedication and preparation, and we are proud to be India’s first hospital to complete 100 robotic cardiac surgeries since the program’s inception in late 2019. In comparison to traditional open-heart surgery, which involves opening up the chest by splitting the breastbone, the da Vinci Xi’s innovative technology allows for complex cardiovascular surgeries to be performed through smaller incisions and precise motion control.

 

“In addition, a high-definition camera provides a clear, 3D view of the chest to the surgeon on a console screen. With the help of the system, we were also successful in conducting the fastest Robotic Complex Mitral Valve repair in under 70 minutes as opposed to the global benchmarks. We hope to achieve more such milestones in the near future.”

 

Robotic cardiac surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that helps patients return to their everyday life much faster than open-heart surgeries. Surgeons use the da Vinci Surgical System to operate through 8 mm holes called ports and a magnified 3D high-definition vision as well as tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate much more than the human hand aid in surgery. As a result, surgeons have better vision, precision, and control. Other benefits include decreased pain, fewer post-operative wound infections, less post-operative scarring, and improved breathing. Recovery is rapid, with lesser hospitalisation, faster mobilisation and rehabilitation. Reducing the chance of infection makes it an ideal procedure for people with diabetes and older patients.

 

Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Group of Hospitals said, ” Our goal has always been to bring the most cutting-edge medical technology to India for the benefit of our patients. We want more patients to benefit from the most advanced surgical and medical care available at our hospital. The da Vinci Surgical System has assisted us in providing the best possible surgical outcomes, and the completion of more than 100 successful robotic cardiac surgeries attests to our commitment to providing the most recent and highest quality of care. The patient is at the heart of all our efforts at Apollo Hospitals to provide accessible and affordable world-class treatment, and the addition of the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system is a step toward that goal. We are confident that by achieving the two milestones of 100 surgeries and performing the robotic complex mitral valve repair in under 70 minutes, we will change the lives of many more patients who cannot undergo conventional cardiac surgery.”

 

Commenting on this, Mandeep Singh Kumar, VP and General Manager, Intuitive India, said, “It gives us great pleasure to be part of this exemplary milestone of 100 successful robotic-assisted cardiac surgeries. At Intuitive, we believe technology should enhance a surgeon’s ability to perform complex procedures with ease and help improve clinical outcomes. Surgeons today are increasingly vouching for robotic-assisted surgery and the da Vinci system for its potential to enhance precision, improve visualisation, flexibility, and its potential to improve clinical outcomes. The dedicated Robotic Cardiac Unit at Apollo (Bengaluru) is one amongst the very few such centres globally that provide robotic cardiac surgery as a treatment option. That coupled with Dr. Sathyaki’s expertise in minimally invasive cardiac surgery is a true testament to the world-class standards set by the organisation and its care teams. It also speaks highly of Apollo’s ongoing commitment to leveraging the power of technology towards providing quality care. We are proud of our association with the Apollo Group of Hospitals towards making robotic-assisted surgery accessible to the greater patient community.”

 

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have overtaken cancer as the leading cause of death in India. This epidemiological shift is primarily due to an increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cardiovascular risk factors in India. According to studies, the estimated prevalence of CVDs in India in 2016 was approximately 54.5 million, with 1 in 4 deaths in India being caused by CVDs, with ischemic heart disease and stroke accounting for more than 80% of this burden.

 

According to a study published in The Lancet Global Health, Indians now have one of the highest rates of mortality after a heart failure diagnosis, higher than people in several developing countries around the world. According to the study, heart failure patients in India had one of the highest mortality rates after one year of diagnosis, at 23%. This was higher than the mortality rates in Southeast Asia (15%), China (7%), South America (9%), and West Asia (3%). (9 percent). The study also found that heart failure patients in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia were about ten years younger than patients in developed countries like the United States and Europe.

 

The Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit at Apollo provides patients with complex cardiac disease with access to the best cardiac care available. Dr. Sathyaki P Nambala, Senior Consultant, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgeon and Head of the Department, Robotic Cardiac Surgery Unit, leads the Robot-Assisted Cardiac Surgery Unit, which is equipped with the advanced fourth-generation versatile ‘da Vinci Xi’ robotic surgical system and a dedicated team.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
healthy diet
Cardiology NewsDietetics News

Eating more plant foods may lower heart disease risk in young adults, older women

by Vaishali Sharma
written by Vaishali Sharma

In two separate studies analyzing different measures of healthy plant food consumption, researchers found that both young adults and postmenopausal women had fewer heart attacks and were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease when they ate more healthy plant foods.

The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations suggest an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes and non-tropical vegetable oils. It also advises limited consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, sweets and sugary drinks.

One study, titled “A Plant-Centered Diet and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease during Young to Middle Adulthood,” evaluated whether long-term consumption of a plant-centered diet and a shift toward a plant-centered diet starting in young adulthood are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in midlife.

“Earlier research was focused on single nutrients or single foods, yet there is little data about a plant-centered diet and the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Yuni Choi, Ph.D., lead author of the young adult study and a postdoctoral researcher in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis.

Choi and colleagues examined diet and the occurrence of heart disease in 4,946 adults enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Participants were 18- to 30-years-old at the time of enrollment (1985-1986) in this study and were free of cardiovascular disease at that time. Participants included 2,509 Black adults and 2,437 white adults (54.9% women overall) who were also analyzed by education level (equivalent to more than high school vs. high school or less). Participants had eight follow-up exams from 1987-88 to 2015-16 that included lab tests, physical measurements, medical histories and assessment of lifestyle factors. Unlike randomized controlled trials, participants were not instructed to eat certain things and were not told their scores on the diet measures, so the researchers could collect unbiased, long-term habitual diet data.

After detailed diet history interviews, the quality of the participants diets was scored based on the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS) composed of 46 food groups at years 0, 7 and 20 of the study. The food groups were classified into beneficial foods (such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains); adverse foods (such as fried potatoes, high-fat red meat, salty snacks, pastries and soft drinks); and neutral foods (such as potatoes, refined grains, lean meats and shellfish) based on their known association with cardiovascular disease.

Participants who received higher scores ate a variety of beneficial foods, while people who had lower scores ate more adverse foods. Overall, higher values correspond to a nutritionally rich, plant-centered diet.

“As opposed to existing diet quality scores that are usually based on small numbers of food groups, APDQS is explicit in capturing the overall quality of diet using 46 individual food groups, describing the whole diet that the general population commonly consumes. Our scoring is very comprehensive, and it has many similarities with diets like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Healthy Eating Index (from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service), the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet,” said David E. Jacobs Jr., Ph.D., senior author of the study and Mayo Professor of Public Health in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis.

Researchers found:

  • During 32 years of follow-up, 289 of the participants developed cardiovascular disease (including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, heart-related chest pain or clogged arteries anywhere in the body).
  • People who scored in the top 20% on the long-term diet quality score (meaning they ate the most nutritionally rich plant foods and fewer adversely rated animal products) were 52% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, after considering several factors (including age, sex, race, average caloric consumption, education, parental history of heart disease, smoking and average physical activity).
  • In addition, between year 7 and 20 of the study when participants ages ranged from 25 to 50, those who improved their diet quality the most (eating more beneficial plant foods and fewer adversely rated animal products) were 61% less likely to develop subsequent cardiovascular disease, in comparison to the participants whose diet quality declined the most during that time.
  • There were few vegetarians among the participants, so the study was not able to assess the possible benefits of a strict vegetarian diet, which excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs.

“A nutritionally rich, plant-centered diet is beneficial for cardiovascular health. A plant-centered diet is not necessarily vegetarian,” Choi said. “People can choose among plant foods that are as close to natural as possible, not highly processed. We think that individuals can include animal products in moderation from time to time, such as non-fried poultry, non-fried fish, eggs and low-fat dairy.”

Because this study is observational, it cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between diet and heart disease.

In another study, “Relationship Between a Plant-Based Dietary Portfolio and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Prospective Cohort Study,” researchers, in collaboration with WHI investigators led by Simin Liu, M.D., Ph.D., at Brown University, evaluated whether or not diets that included a dietary portfolio of plant-based foods with U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved health claims for lowering “bad” cholesterol levels (known as the “Portfolio Diet”) were associated with fewer cardiovascular disease events in a large group of postmenopausal women.

The “Portfolio Diet” includes nuts; plant protein from soy, beans or tofu; viscous soluble fiber from oats, barley, okra, eggplant, oranges, apples and berries; plant sterols from enriched foods and monounsaturated fats found in olive and canola oil and avocadoes; along with limited consumption of saturated fats and dietary cholesterol. Previously, two randomized trials demonstrated that reaching high target levels of foods included in the Portfolio Diet resulted in significant lowering of “bad” cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), more so than a traditional low-saturated-fat National Cholesterol and Education Program diet in one study and on par with taking a cholesterol-lowering statin medication in another.

The study analyzed whether postmenopausal women who followed the Portfolio Diet experienced fewer heart disease events. The study included 123,330 women in the U.S. who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term national study looking at risk factors, prevention and early detection of serious health conditions in postmenopausal women. When the women in this analysis enrolled in the study between 1993 and 1998, they were between 50-79 years old (average age of 62) and did not have cardiovascular disease. The study group was followed until 2017 (average follow-up time of 15.3 years). Researchers used self-reported food-frequency questionnaires data to score each woman on adherence to the Portfolio Diet.

The researchers found:

  • Compared to women who followed the Portfolio Diet less frequently, those with the closest alignment were 11% less likely to develop any type of cardiovascular disease, 14% less likely to develop coronary heart disease and 17% less likely to develop heart failure.
  • There was no association between following the Portfolio Diet more closely and the occurrence of stroke or atrial fibrillation.

“These results present an important opportunity, as there is still room for people to incorporate more cholesterol-lowering plant foods into their diets. With even greater adherence to the Portfolio dietary pattern, one would expect an association with even less cardiovascular events, perhaps as much as cholesterol-lowering medications. Still, an 11% reduction is clinically meaningful and would meet anyone’s minimum threshold for a benefit. The results indicate the Portfolio Diet yields heart-health benefits,” said John Sievenpiper, M.D., Ph.D., senior author of the study at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and associate professor of nutritional sciences and medicine at the University of Toronto.

The researchers believe the results highlight possible opportunities to lower heart disease by encouraging people to consume more foods in the Portfolio Diet.

“We also found a dose response in our study, meaning that you can start small, adding one component of the Portfolio Diet at a time, and gain more heart-health benefits as you add more components,” said Andrea J. Glenn, M.Sc., R.D., lead author of the study and a doctoral student at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and in nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

Although the study was observational and cannot directly establish a cause-and-effect relation between diet and cardiovascular events, researchers feel it provides a most reliable estimate for the diet-heart relation to-date due to its study design (included well-validated food frequency questionnaires administered at baseline and year three in a large population of highly dedicated participants). Nevertheless, the investigators report that these findings need to be further investigated in additional populations of men or younger women.

Source: American Heart Association

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Cardiology News

Why are so many young Indians dying of heart attacks? A doctor from AIIMS explains

by Pragati Singh
written by Pragati Singh

Many people were taken aback by the death of Siddharth Shukla, 40. On Thursday, the actor and Big Boss Season-13 winner died, with initial reports indicating a heart attack as the reason of death.

Heart problems among young Indians have recently become a source of worry for health professionals. The reason for the increase in heart attack incidence in comparatively younger age groups in India is being discussed.

Dr. Ambuj Roy, professor of cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, outlined in detail the major causes for the surge in heart attack and cardiac arrest cases among the younger generation in an exclusive interview with India Today.

Dr Roy emphasised that mental stress, physical health and other reasons were linked to rising cases of heart disorders among young Indians. Excerpts:

IT: Why are these deaths happening in people who exercise and eat healthy too?

Dr Roy: Exercising is not the only thing. Stress is driving more and more people into alcohol and drugs. People exercise but to release stress, they end up smoking and drugs abuse. The hormone changes happening in the body due to these are directly linked to heart disorders.

IT: How much of a role do stress and mental health play when we speak of heart attacks?

Dr Roy: Mental health is equally important. We are so driven in our lives and jobs and in general. Our lifestyle is very stressful.

Many people are working long hours around the clock without realising that they have not given time to their own physical and mental health.

It is the pressure to prove oneself in the professional life that is also leading to this high-voltage lifestyle where little time is given to personal health.

IT: Is genetic predisposition or family history also a factor?

Dr Roy: Asians are more predisposed to having cardiac disorders due to our genes. And, there is nothing we can do about it. One of the reasons is the genetic formation. Hence, young people in our country are facing heart attacks more than our western counterparts.

IT: What can people do to prevent these disorders?

Dr Roy: Get regular health check-ups. Avoid smoking to release stress. Avoid drugs abuse. Take care of mental health through meditation and yoga. One needs to ‘slow down’ to check our lifestyle habits.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts