 |
|
Low risk for heart attack? Could an ultrasound hold the answer?
November 12, 2008By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk.
The findings are being presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
Researchers used ultrasound imaging to view the carotid intima media thickness (C-IMT), or thickness of the artery walls.
"The ultrasound added another dimension to the risk factor score and showed us that those with thick arteries in the higher end of low risk group actually are at intermediate risk for coronary heart disease," said Dr. Vijay Nambi, assistant professor of medicine - atherosclerosis and vascular medicine at BCM and lead author of the study.
Risk prediction is traditionally divided into three groups: low, intermediate and high risk. Low risk is defined as having a less than a 10 percent chance of having coronary heart disease in the next 10 years. Intermediate is a 10 percent to 20 percent chance of a coronary event, and high risk is anything greater than 20 percent. This percentage is calculated by doctors using a score based on traditional risk factors which include age, gender, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), total cholesterol, hypertension and smoking.
Nambi and his colleagues followed more than 13,000 people already taking part in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, a large scale study designed to investigate the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis. Participants in the current study were followed for almost 14 years. After adding imaging to the traditional risk factors, those in the higher end of the low risk group (estimated 10-year risk of 5 percent to 10 percent) were found to have a greater chance of having a heart attack especially if imaging revealed them to have a thicker C-IMT. Nambi said that about 4 percent of those who fell in the zero percent to 5 percent estimated risk had a heart attack, while more than 13 percent of those in the 5 percent to 10 percent suffered from coronary heart events. Furthermore, he pointed out that in the 5 percent to 10 percent risk group, those with the thickest arteries had approximately a 17 percent risk for coronary heart events when followed for 14 years.
"There is a big difference between 4 percent and 13 percent," said Nambi. "These results show us that we need to take a closer look at some of those individuals in the low risk category and even reconsider the definition of "low risk."
"Our goal is to target those in the most need," said Dr. Christie Ballantyne, chief of atherosclerosis and vascular medicine and professor of medicine at BCM. "Being able to pinpoint those more likely to have a heart attack will allow us to take early, more effective preventive action to stop a heart attack before it happens."
Baylor College of Medicine
"The ultrasound added another dimension to the risk factor score and showed us that those with thick arteries in the higher end of low risk group actually are at intermediate risk for coronary heart disease," said Dr. Vijay Nambi, assistant professor of medicine - atherosclerosis and vascular medicine at BCM and lead author of the study.
Risk prediction is traditionally divided into three groups: low, intermediate and high risk. Low risk is defined as having a less than a 10 percent chance of having coronary heart disease in the next 10 years. Intermediate is a 10 percent to 20 percent chance of a coronary event, and high risk is anything greater than 20 percent. This percentage is calculated by doctors using a score based on traditional risk factors which include age, gender, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), total cholesterol, hypertension and smoking.
Nambi and his colleagues followed more than 13,000 people already taking part in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, a large scale study designed to investigate the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis. Participants in the current study were followed for almost 14 years. After adding imaging to the traditional risk factors, those in the higher end of the low risk group (estimated 10-year risk of 5 percent to 10 percent) were found to have a greater chance of having a heart attack especially if imaging revealed them to have a thicker C-IMT. Nambi said that about 4 percent of those who fell in the zero percent to 5 percent estimated risk had a heart attack, while more than 13 percent of those in the 5 percent to 10 percent suffered from coronary heart events. Furthermore, he pointed out that in the 5 percent to 10 percent risk group, those with the thickest arteries had approximately a 17 percent risk for coronary heart events when followed for 14 years.
"There is a big difference between 4 percent and 13 percent," said Nambi. "These results show us that we need to take a closer look at some of those individuals in the low risk category and even reconsider the definition of "low risk."
"Our goal is to target those in the most need," said Dr. Christie Ballantyne, chief of atherosclerosis and vascular medicine and professor of medicine at BCM. "Being able to pinpoint those more likely to have a heart attack will allow us to take early, more effective preventive action to stop a heart attack before it happens."
Baylor College of Medicine
Coronary Heart Current Events and Coronary Heart News RSSPostmenopausal women with higher testosterone levels
Postmenopausal women who have higher testosterone levels may be at greater risk of heart disease, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome compared to women with lower testosterone levels.
Study points to new uses, unexpected side effects of already-existing drugs
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco have developed and experimentally tested a technique to predict new target diseases for existing drugs.
Study shows hormone replacement therapy decreases mortality in younger postmenopausal woman
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopausal estrogen deficiency has been in widespread use for over 60 years. Several observational studies over the years showed that HRT use by younger postmenopausal women was associated with a significant reduction in total mortality; available evidence supported the routine use of HRT to increase longevity in postmenopausal women.
Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin improves lipid control
Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin significantly boosted the attainment of lipid targets as specified by both Canadian and European guidelines in elderly patients aged 65 and older and the combination produced superior results than simply increasing the dose of atorvastatin alone.
Learning the risks for stroke - and taking action
With this theme in mind, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) emphasises that most of the risks for stroke are also the major risks for coronary heart disease - and thus the object of the ESC's far-reaching prevention programme.
South Asian Canadians failing to get exercise message
Exercise is a wonderful way of boosting heart health, but it's proving to be a tough sell in Ontario South Asian communities, Dr. Milan Gupta told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
Grains and lamb offer new sources of omega-3
CSIRO research on grains and lamb aimed at developing new dietary sources of long-chain omega-3 oils will be presented at the World Congress on Oils and Fats in Sydney this week.
Overweight middle-aged women cut chances of enjoying healthy old age
Women who put on weight as they approach middle-age could reduce their chances of enjoying a healthy old age by up to 80%, according to research from the University of Warwick.
Prostate cancer patients on hormone therapy at increased risk for various heart diseases
New research has found that hormone therapy used to treat men with advanced prostate cancer is associated with an increased chance of developing various heart problems. Some choices of therapy appear, however, to be less risky than others.
Nonagenarian researcher petitions FDA to ban trans fats
"I request to ban trans fats from the American diet." Thus begins a 3,000-word petition to the Food and Drug Administration, the work of a man on a dogged, decades-old crusade to eradicate trans fats from food.
More Coronary Heart Current Events and Coronary Heart News Articles
 |
Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery by Dean Ornish (Author) Dr. Dean Ornish is the first clinician to offer documented proof that heart disease can be halted, or even reversed, simply by changing your lifestyle. Based on his internationally acclaimed scientific study, which has now been ongoing for years, Dr. Ornish's program has yielded amazing results. Participants reduced or discontinued medications; their chest pain diminished or disappeared; they felt more energetic, happy, and calm; they lost weight while eating more; and blockages in coronary arteries were actually reduced. In his breakthrough book, Dr. Ornish presents this and other dramatic evidence and guides you, step-by-step, through the extraordinary Opening Your Heart program, which is winning landmark approval from America's health insurers. The program takes you beyond the... |
 |
Health King Heart Fortifier Herb Tea, Teabags, 20-Count Box (Pack of 4) by Health King Cardiotonic, improve blood supply to the heart. 100% Natural. Heart Fortifier Herb Tea is made of wild red sage root, solomon seal, and other precious herbs. They provide tanshiol, tanshinone, saponin, organic acid, etc. Chinese medicine uses them to invi |
 |
Go Red: Women's Heart Health Stanford University Medical Center celebrates National Heart Month with an informative Go Red event. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, taking the lives of over half a million women every year. The Go Red for Women campaign's mission is to educate and create awareness regarding women and heart disease, enabling women to live stronger, longer lives. This program provides information on nutrition, cardiac imaging, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
 |
Heart w/wo Coronary Bypasses PRO 2X Life Size DG139 by Anatomical Chart Company Attachable and detachable bypass vessels let you view and demonstrate single, double, triple, LIMA, and bilateral IMA coronary bypasses, or a normal heart without bypasses. All in one heart model. Twice the size of a healthy adult heart. Full color. Instructor's Key. Model size: 7" x 7" x 17: Ideal for medical or science education or for patient education/demonstration of procedures. Quantity discounts available. Brand new. In original factory packaging. Made of a durable, plastic material accurately designed and colored to represent the major structures and, in certain instances, lesions or other abnormalities as described above. Includes sturdy and attractive display stand and detailed instructional card. We also have available larger than life sized (2-3x), specialty, and advanced... |
|
LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE by SportsWorkout.com Changing lifelong habits and adopting new behaviors is a difficult but necessary task for heart patients. As a health care professional, you must play an active role in assisting patients who face this challenge in order to reduce coronary heart d | |
|
Time Life Medical Coronary Artery Disease at Time of Diagnosis Video Educational video to help patients understand diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease; explores options for treatment and management, lifestyle tips. Workbook (pamplet size) included | |
 |
Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It's Too Late by Sinatra (Author), James C. Roberts M.D. (Author), Martin Zucker (Contributor) While most books focus solely on the role of cholesterol in heart disease, Reverse Heart Disease Now draws on new research that points to the surprising other causes. Two leading cardiologists draw on their collective fifty years of clinical cardiology research to show you how to combine the benefits of modern medicine, over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, and simple lifestyle changes to have a healthy heart. |
|
New Horizons in Coronary Heart Disease by Current Medicine Group Llc | |
 |
The First Year: Heart Disease: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (First Year, The) by Lawrence D. Chilnick (Author) By the co-creator of the New York Times-bestselling The Pill Book--key medical, diet, and lifestyle strategies for managing cardiovascular disease in the year post-diagnosis. Heart disease is the nation's leading health crisis, affecting more than 25.6 million Americans and causing 650,000 deaths each year. A longtime health editor, Lawrence Chilnick was stunned when he suffered a heart attack at age 48--but assumed his medications would take care of the condition. They didn't. Five years later, Chilnick needed a quadruple bypass. At that point, he set out to turn his life around by educating himself on all aspects of this life-threatening disease. Now, in this major addition to the bestselling The First Year® series (over 250,000 copies sold), Chilnick shares his story... |
 |
Take a Load off Your Heart: 109 Things You Can Actually Do to Prevent, Halt and Reverse Heart Disease by Joseph C. Piscatella (Author), Barry A. Franklin (Author) Increase the odds of living longer with this bold, broad approach to cardiac health. A medically up-to-the-minute and easy-to-implement program, TAKE A LOAD OFF YOUR HEART sets our four key steps to cardiovascular fitness, from assessing risk to managing stress, from improving diet to making a habit of exercise. It demystifies predictive markers such as trigylcerides and Syndrome X, and offers 109 simple, practical lifestyle tips - #22 Breathe deeply, #96 Drink black tea, #3 Increase your HDL level, #54 Walk briskly, #75 Give up dieting - for preventing, stabilizing and, yes, reversing heart disease. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |