In some remote locales, entire cultures of people eat only what they grow or kill. It turns out that these hunter-gathers generally have healthier hearts than people in modernized society, according to two new studies in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. One group of researchers studied the Tsimane people from the tropical lowlands of Bolivia’s Amazon basin. They live on plantains, rice, corn, manioc, fish and hunted game – and they have lower age-related increases in blood pressure than people in most countries. The other study looked at the effect of aging on atherosclerosis in traditional Pygmies, who live in the equatorial forests of Cameroon in Africa. Their risk was considered lower than other local semi-modern populations. Researchers say lifestyle factors of these traditional populations —high physical activity and diets loaded with fruits and vegetables — may protect against normal aging effects, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. ### Additional Information:
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| Dangerous artery plaque has its own “signature”. | Dangerous artery plaque has its own “signature” A hallmark of heart disease and stroke is the dangerous build-up of gunk called plaque inside the arteries. This plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other things found in the blood. There are two kinds of plaque: a dangerous kind that can lead to heart attack or stroke, and a more stable kind that might simply be a bump or streak on the artery wall. The differences between the two have long been a mystery, but Italian researchers may have identified a genetic “signature” for the plaque that leads to stroke. They did it by looking at tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs, which are even smaller than DNA or RNA. In a study published in the scientific journal Stroke, researchers found a pattern of five microRNAs in people who had strokes. Researchers are hoping this genetic signature will help them find new ways to prevent and treat stroke. ### Related Information:
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You can’t change your family history, but you might be able to change how it affects your health. Moderate exercise may help you avoid high blood pressure even if you have a family history of it, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. Researchers say the increased risk can be offset with brisk walking for 150 minutes per week or other moderate exercise. Among people whose parents had hypertension, those who were physically fit had a 34 percent lower risk of getting it, according to the research. So, to combat your family history of high blood pressure – take a hike! Additional Information:
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Heart attack survivors are more likely to die within 10 years if they live near a major interstate or state road, according to new scientific research. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why, but a study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation said it may be a combination of air pollution, noise and stress. The risk of dying 10 years after a heart attack was highest in people living 109 yards or less from the roadway. That risk gradually decreased until people lived about 1,100 yards away, which is a little over half a mile. Death from heart-related causes was most common, with a smaller number dying from cancer, respiratory disease and accidents. Women, people in poor communities and those with diabetes may be more likely to have an increased death rate. The take-home message for heart attack survivors? Remember that healthy habits like eating nutritious food and exercising can help counter environmental influences. Additional Information:
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| Worst headache of your life could be a stroke — get to the ER! | A sudden, severe headache — so powerful it’s like a thunderclap inside your head — is a classic symptom of a less common type of stroke. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a bleeding stroke. Survivors often describe the “thunderclap headache” as “the worst headache of my life.” It occurs most in people 40 to 60 years old. Most people don’t recognize the symptoms, say American Stroke Association experts. Besides the thunderclap headache, symptoms can include vomiting, confusion, loss of consciousness and seizures. Neck stiffness may also occur several hours after the onset of the headache. If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t waste time trying to figure what it is. Go to the emergency room. May is American Stroke Month. Learn more about cerebral aneurysms and understand your risk of stroke. Additional Information: |
A new monitoring method and blood test may be able to detect brain injuries suffered during heart surgery in children and infants, allowing surgeons to take preventive action. There is currently no way to detect such injuries, which occur in 30 percent to 70 percent of surgeries to repair congenital heart defects. The new monitoring method and blood test may provide early warnings when a child’s brain isn’t getting enough blood. The monitoring method is based on the fact that the brain, unlike other organs, can automatically adjust blood vessel size to keep blood flow constant when blood pressure changes. The “hemoglobin volume index” could help doctors monitor blood pressure changes and find the lowest pressure at which the brain would still auto-adjust. The blood test compares blood pressures with blood levels of a protein that indicates brain damage to pinpoint when brain damage may occur. This research, funded by the American Heart Association, was done just to see if the tests were feasible. But researchers say the test/monitoring combo may eventually provide a real-time measure to detect when injury is happening so surgeons can take preventive action. The study was presented during an American Heart Association Emerging Science Series webinar. Additional Information:
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Low-fat dairy foods may help you reduce your risk of stroke, according to a Swedish study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke. The research shows that people who drank low-fat milk and ate low-fat yogurt and cheese had a 12 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who consumed full-fat dairy foods. Scientists figure the benefits are likely due to the vitamins and minerals in these low-fat products – calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin D – which may help reduce blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke. More research is needed to fully explore the link between low-fat dairy and stroke risk. Additional Information:
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Small tubes that help prop arteries open are available in a material made of cornstarch that dissolves in the body. This biodegradable variety may be as safe as traditional metal tubes – known as stents, researchers say. Stents are mesh tubes that help prop clogged arteries open and allow for blood flow to the heart. Metal stents remain permanently in the body and can reclog with or without a drug coating. But a biodegradable stent can disappear in a few years and leaves no permanent foreign material in the body. The cornstarch-based material was developed more than a decade ago and has been used in Europe to treat fatty deposits that narrow leg arteries (peripheral artery disease or PAD). After 10 years of research in Japan, the biodegradable stent proved successful in heart arteries and had no more complications than a traditional metal stent. Researchers say biodegradable stents may be the next generation of heart devices. Additional Information:
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If your brother or sister had a stroke, your stroke risk may increase by at least 60 percent. That’s according to new research that also found your risk of a stroke before age 55 is nearly double if your sibling had one before that age. The study was about the risk of strokes caused by a blood clot in the brain, which is the most common type of stroke – striking almost 700,000 Americans each year. The good news is that you can combat your shared risk by sharing your knowledge and healthy habits. Let your doctor know if any of your siblings had a stroke, and do things that reduce your risk: eat healthy, exercise and control your blood pressure. Since similar lifestyle habits within families could have something to do with these shared stroke risks, encourage your whole family to adopt healthy habits. Additional Information:
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Sleepy people eat more than 500 extra calories a day compared to well-rested people, according to a small study presented at an American Heart Association conference in March. What’s more is the sleep-deprived folks didn’t burn off the extra calories, which researchers say makes them more likely to gain weight compared to those who got adequate sleep. The researchers say about one-third of adults report six hours or less of sleep at night, and getting more sleep may be one way to fight weight gain. Additional Information:
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HIV patients face a higher risk of blocked blood vessels to the heart, which can cause a heart attack and death. New research indicates an ultrasound heart test, known as a stress echo, can help predict any increased risk of heart attack and death in people with HIV. HIV attacks your body’s immune system, making it harder for it to fight off infection. Scientists still don’t know exactly what causes increased blockage in HIV patients. HIV patients who had an abnormal heart test were 10 times more likely to suffer a heart attack or death than those with normal results. They were also three times more likely to suffer a heart attack or death than people without HIV who had abnormal test results. People who have HIV and had normal test results were at no more risk than people without HIV. Researchers suggest monitoring and aggressive treatment for people with HIV who had abnormal test results. Additional Information:
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| Cool women work out longer than the uncool. | Obese women who wore a hand-cooling device while working out were able to stick to their exercise regimens and get better results than women without the hand coolers. In a 12-week long study presented at an American Heart Association meeting in March, the cool-handed women walked faster, dropped 3 inches in the waist and had a lower resting blood pressure. The device is a space-age looking plastic bubble, with a silver cone inside that you grasp while exercising. It cools the palms, which cools blood as it circulates, which helps the body stay cool. Some women who didn’t use the cooler lost their cool during the study, dropping out before it ended. Want to test the theory in your workout but don’t have a fancy cooling device? No worries. The researchers say you may get the same results holding a cold water bottle. Additional Information:
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- Simple Science @Heart is science, told simply, so you can share in the revelation of new ideas that bring knowledge, treatments and cures for heart disease and stroke.
