Dropping dead while exercising is a common fear, especially among middle-aged men. Unfortunately there have been limited data on the precise rate of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in middle-aged people and little understanding about the medical history of the victims of SCA. Now a new study fills in some important gaps in knowledge and shows that this fear…
Grad Student Invents Flying Ambulance Drone To Deliver Emergency Shocks
October 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Drones have been used to kill people in war zones and to spy on people. Now a sharp young graduate student in the Netherlands has come up with an innovative new use for drones that could one day help save thousands of lives. Click here to read the full post on Forbes. [youtubevid id=”y-rEI4bezWc”] …
ACC And AHA Don’t Recommend Routine ECG Screening Of Young People
September 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment
In a new scientific statement the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology do not recommend the routine initial use of ECGs to screen young people for underlying congenital or genetic heart disease. More aggressive screening for heart disease in young people is often advocated in response to pressure resulting from the rare but tragic cases of…
People With Sleep Apnea At Increased Risk For Sudden Cardiac Death
June 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Although people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased risk for death and cardiovascular disease, the relationship between OSA and sudden cardiac death (SCD) has not been clear. Now a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides evidence that OSA is in fact associated with an increase in the risk…
No Surprise: Smoking and Sudden Cardiac Death Closely Tied
December 11, 2012 by 3 Comments
Although cigarette smoking has long been linked to cardiovascular (CV) disease and sudden cardiac death (SCD), the precise contribution of smoking, and the effect of smoking discontinuation, on SCD has not been clear. Now a new report from the Nurses’ Health Study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology provides new clarity about the relationship between smoking…
Guest Post: The Dark Side of EKG Screening in Athletes
May 2, 2012 by 1 Comment
The following guest post is reprinted with permission from DrWes, the blog written by Westby G. Fisher, a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL. The Dark Side of EKG Screening in Athletes by Westby Fisher They sat nervously with their son in the doctor’s office, wondering why they…
Half the News That’s Fit To Print: NY Times On ECG Screening For Student Athletes
May 1, 2012 by 6 Comments
There may be no more horrifying medical catastrophe than the sudden death of a young athlete on the playing field in front of a large crowd of friends, family, and community. But it’s also a dizzyingly complex subject with no easy solutions. Experts are divided. The American Heart Association recently reaffirmed that it does not recommend…
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