Learn the Warning Signs of “Holiday Heart Syndrome”
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — People tend to overindulge with eating and drinking over the holidays, and this causes a rise in cases of “holiday heart syndrome” or an irregular heartbeat, according to MedPage Today.Warning signs of &ldq…
Baby Born with Heart Outside Her Chest Saved by Surgery
Photodisc/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) — Five weeks ago, Audrina Cardenas was born with her heart outside her body. The condition is usually fatal. But Audrina has survived, and doctors are hopeful after they performed surgery to tuck her heart back where it b…
Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy Not Linked to Long-Term Heart Complications
Photodisc/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — A new study has lessened concerns that early-stage breast cancer patients could be increasing their risk for heart complications from radiation therapy.Researchers observed 50 patients with stage 1 and stage 2 breast can…
Man’s Failing Heart Heals Itself on Day of Emergency Transplant
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A miraculous thing happened the day Michael Crowe was set to receive a potentially life-saving heart transplant. Doctors had determined the surgery would be ineffective, but his heart suddenly started beating…
Man’s Failing Heart Heals Itself on Day of Emergency Transplant
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A miraculous thing happened the day Michael Crowe was set to receive a potentially life-saving heart transplant. Doctors had determined the surgery would be ineffective, but his heart suddenly started beating…
Unnecessary Heart Surgery Can Be Dangerous
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — When The New York Times reported Tuesday that doctors at HCA Health Care hospitals in Florida might have performed cardiac procedures on patients who didn’t need them, it raised questions about the risks of such unne…
Study: Kids with Healthy Hearts and Lungs Get Better Grades?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(ORLANDO, Fla.) — It’s August already and as summer vacation winds down toward the new school term, a new study reveals the link between good grades and good health. Students with healthy hearts and lungs fare better in math and …
Late Shift Boosts Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
Digital Vision/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — More bad news for late-shift workers: Their odd hours may be raising their risk of heart attack and stroke.So says a new, large-scale study in the British Medical Journal that adds these two problems — which fit …
Heart Weakness Common Yet Undiagnosed in Some Older Patients
Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Older people living with heart abnormalities that could lead to heart failure may have never had those abnormalities diagnosed, meaning they miss out on treatments that could help, according to a new study. But de…
With Each Operation, Artificial Hearts Show More Promise
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Not long ago, patients diagnosed with heart failure would have faced a grim prognosis, as there would have been few options available to sustain them until a donor heart became available. But that may be chan…
With Each Operation, Artificial Hearts Show More Promise
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Not long ago, patients diagnosed with heart failure would have faced a grim prognosis, as there would have been few options available to sustain them until a donor heart became available. But that may be chan…
Maryland Man Tells Cops He Ate Heart, Brain of Victim
Harford County Sheriff’s Office(BALTIMORE) — A 21-year-old man charged with murdering his roommate told police in Harford County, Md., that he ate the victim’s heart and part of his brain after killing him.Alexander Kinyua first became a suspect…
Baby Saved by Smallest Artificial Heart
Alessandro Di Meo/EPA(ROME) — An artificial heart the size of a pinky finger kept a 16-month-old baby alive for nearly two weeks while he waited for a heart transplant.The Italian baby, whose name has not been released, had dilated cardiomyopathy, a d…
Can Skin Cells Repair Damaged Heart Tissue?
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(HAIFA, Israel) — People who suffer from heart failure could someday be able to use their own skin stem cells to regenerate their damaged heart tissue, according to a new Israeli study.Researchers took stem cells from the skin …
FDA Investigating Z-Pak Antibiotic Linked to Heart Risks
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the antibiotic azithromycin, commonly known as Z-Pak, after a study linked the drug to an increased risk of death.The study, published Wednesday in the New Eng…
Universal Heart Screening Recommended for Newborns
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — All newborns should undergo a standard screening for life-threatening heart defects, according to new recommendations published in the Lancet.Researchers suggested that a pulse oximetry, a low-cost, non-invasive device th…
Want Better Heart Health? Don’t Worry, Be Happy
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — Are you a glass half-empty or a glass half-full kind of person? Researchers say a glass half-full perspective could do more for you than just make you smile. Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascula…
Testosterone May Help Heart Failure Patients, Studies Suggest
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(PITTSBURGH) — Testosterone can ease shortness of breath and improve exercise endurance among patients with chronic heart failure, according to a combined analysis of four clinical trials. Some study participants experienced 50-p…
Spicy Compound May Boost Heart Health
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(SAN DIEGO) — Some people can’t get enough of the painful pleasure of spicy foods. Now, new research on hamsters suggests that those who like it hot may get some added heart-health benefits from capsaicinoids, the compounds t…
Top 5 Heart-Healthy Snacks
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Of all the nutritious snack options available, new research suggests that raisins and soy may pack some of the biggest wallop when it comes to being heart healthy.At the American College of Cardiology’s annual meetin…