In my opinion Gina Kolata, who writes for the New York Times, is the most extravagantly talented and gifted health and science reporter working today. Her virtues are abundantly evident in Mending Hearts, a four-part series about several major developments and controversies involving the treatment of heart disease. You should read it right away. You’ll learn a lot….
Cardiovascular Disease Declines in Rich Countries but Grows Elsewhere
April 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
A new Global Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Atlas portrays a divided world where rich countries are gradually freeing themselves from the yoke of CVD but where many poor and middle-income countries are still struggling. Ischemic heart disease and stroke were the two biggest contributors to the global burden of disease in 2010, accounting for 5.2% and 4.1%,…
Is cancer “by far, the harder problem”?
January 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Really? Does everyone seem to have cancer? Compared to heart disease is cancer “by far, the harder problem”? Half a century ago, the story goes, a person was far more likely to die from heart disease. Now cancer is on the verge of overtaking it as the No. 1 cause of death. Troubling as this…
Studies Suggest You Can Help Your Heart By Walking More And Eating More Fiber
December 19, 2013 by 1 Comment
It probably won’t come as a surprise, but walking more and eating more fiber are probably good for your heart. That’s the conclusion of two new studies, but because the studies relied on observational data it should be emphasized that they are incapable of demonstrating cause and effect. And it’s by no means clear that most…
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Stents In The News
October 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Three big stent stories were in the news today. You’d never know that all 3 were about the same topic. The Ugly The ugly side of stents is emphasized in David Armstrong’s Bloomberg News story on Mehmood Patel, the Louisiana interventional cardiologist serving a 10-year prison sentence for Medicare fraud. These days Patel “leads health-conscious inmates on…
People Who Live Near Airports At Increased Risk For Cardiovascular Disease
October 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Most previous research on the health effects of noise has focused on road noise. Now two new observational studies published in BMJ extend the research to noise from airports and provide fresh evidence that people who live near airports are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. In the first paper, Anna Hansell and colleagues in the UK analyzed data from 3.6…
News From Our ‘Statin Civilization’: High-Dose Statins Found To Reduce Gum Disease Inflammation
October 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In addition to their well-known benefits in heart disease, high-dose statins appear to reduce gum inflammation caused by periodontal disease, a new report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows. The findings offer more evidence that heart disease and gum disease may be linked, and also help support the view that statins achieve at least…
European Heart Guidelines Based On Disgraced Research May Have Caused Thousands Of Deaths
July 31, 2013 by 2 Comments
Despite a 2-year-old scandal discrediting key evidence, current guidelines relying on this evidence have not been revised. As a result of physicians following these guidelines, some researchers say, it is possible that thousands of patients may have died each year in the UK alone. It is unlikely that a true understanding of the damage will…
Sex And The Cardiac Patient Should Not Be A Taboo Subject
July 29, 2013 by 3 Comments
It’s not an easy conversation to have. After a heart attack or other major cardiac event, talking about sex is awkward, and often avoided by patients, their partners, and physicians. But a new consensus statement from several major cardiology organizations urges physicians to get over their reluctance or embarrassment and counsel their cardiac patients about…
Studies Suggest Most Widely Used Cardiac Imaging Technique Is Overused
July 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Echocardiography is a safe, noninvasive tool to image the heart without the use of radiation. For this reason it has become the most frequently used method to look at the heart for a wide variety of medical indications. Now two new studies suggest that, despite its popularity, transthoracic echocardiography is often not beneficial. One study…
Large Meta-Analysis Quantifies Risk Of NSAIDs And Coxibs
May 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Findings from a very large meta-analysis of clinical trials of NSAIDs may now allow physicians to quantify the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks associated with these drugs. The results of the Coxib and traditional NSAID Trialists’ (CNT) Collaboration, employing data from more than 350,000 randomized patients, have now been published in the Lancet. Here are some of the key findings:…
Athletes With Defibrillators Don’t Need To Quit Sports
May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Although the American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology now advise people with ICDs not to participate in vigorous sports, a new study offers strong support for people with ICDs who want to take part in sports. Although a large number of people with ICDs are elderly heart failure patients who are unlikely…
Another Cleveland Clinic Study Links TMAO To Atherosclerosis
April 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic research group headed by Stanley Hazen offers more evidence in support of the hypothesis that TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) may play a role in the development of heart disease. The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, follows closely on a related study published recently in Nature…
More Reasons Why Health Hype Stories Are Bad
April 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In response to my post yesterday about why health stories should nearly always be received with caution, I received the following comment from a distinguished cardiovascular researcher: One lost point is the role of the investigators and media in hyping their research. Hazen (principal investigator of the first study) is a bright and thoughtful guy, but through…
Is Red Meat A Fish Story? Why You Should Never Believe Health Headlines
April 12, 2013 by 2 Comments
Don’t believe the the hype! That’s the cardinal rule to obey when reading health news. “Breakthroughs” and “cures” are rare, and should always be viewed with caution and skepticism. This week was a great example. Last Sunday, the New York Times, the major networks, and a host of other media outlets (including this one) reported on a paper…
Are Most People With Complex Coronary Disease Getting The Best Treatment?
February 22, 2013 by 1 Comment
The relative value of PCI (stents) and bypass surgery for the treatment of people with blocked coronary arteries has been a topic of intense interest and debate for more than a generation now. Over time, the less invasive and more patient-friendly (and less scary) PCI has become the more popular procedure, but the surgeons (who…
Large Study Finds Genetic Links To Aortic Valve Calcification
February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A genetic component is believed to play an important role in valvular heart disease, but the specific genes involved have not been identified. Now an interntional group of researchers has identified genetic variations that increase the risk for valvular calcification. In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, members of the Cohorts for Heart and…
Large Meta-Analysis Finds No Harm Associated With Eggs
January 15, 2013 by 2 Comments
No food has had more ups and downs over the last century or so than the common egg. Following a long period in which eggs were ubiquitous and highly regarded, eggs fell from favor with the rise of concerns over cholesterol. Currently the American Heart Association recommends that people restrict dietary cholesterol to 300 mg…
Ohio Hospital And Cardiology Group Pay $4.4 Million To Settle Charges Over Unnecessary PCIs
January 4, 2013 by 2 Comments
In 2006, Reed Abelson in the New York Times reported that the PCI rate in Elyria, Ohio was four times the national average. Now, six-and-a-half years later, the local hospital and cardiology group have agreed to pay $4.4 million to settle US allegations “that the hospital and the physicians “performed angioplasty and stent placement procedures on patients who had heart disease…
American Heart Association Lists Top 10 Research Advances
December 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The AHA has published its annual list of the top 10 advances in heart disease and stroke research. It’s probably worth remarking that not a single item on the list is related to drug therapy. I haven’t gone back and checked past lists, but I would bet this hasn’t happened before. Here’s the list: Extended…
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