The Immediate Cardiovascular Risks After Heavy Alcohol Consumption – AHA

With the help of a computer model, scientists find that lowering the price of fruits and vegetables can bring down the risk of heart disease and stroke. “This is consistent with public health recommendations that advise consumption of no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for non-pregnant women”.

“Heavy alcohol consumption must always be avoided, not only for the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also because it causes acute injury to the liver and to the central nervous system”, Lippi said by email.

The study follows guidelines from Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer, which contends that any level of regular alcohol consumption “carries a health risk”.

Immediately following alcohol intake, there are both harmful and protective physical responses. Bingers – women who drink more than 4 alcoholic beverages in 2 hours and men who drink more than 5 – were 72 percent more likely than others to have heart failure, said the researchers.

Previous research has described cardiovascular risks following moderate and heavy alcohol consumption, but the immediate risks have not been well documented.

In turn this is linked to a lower risk of a heart attack or stroke from bleeding on the brain.

For those who drink, the American Heart Association recommends moderation. Moderate drinkers on the other hand, may experience different effects after a few hours more than days or weeks later.

Within one to three hours, a single drink increases heart rate and disrupts the heart’s normal pacing, but by 24 hours, moderate alcohol intake improves flow-mediated vasodilation, endothelial function and fibrinolytic factors.

The team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 studies that included nearly 30,000 participants.

“Just after drinking, blood pressure rises and blood platelets become stickier, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes”. Guzzle down six drinks or more, and you’ll increase your risk of heart attack and stroke by the same amount. This may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Six to nine drinks a day increased the risk as much as twofold, while 19 to 30 drinks a week increased the risk as much as six times, the research revealed.

http://nanonews.org/the-immediate-cardiovascular-risks-after-heavy-alcohol/

NY and NJ Community Financial bring in $11,188 for the American Heart Association

American Heart Month has come to a close, which means it’s time to tally up the donations from CFSC’s American Heart Association campaign. Throughout February, Community Financial customers were invited to donate a dollar to Go Red For Women and write their name on a heart to be displayed in store. Now, the results are in, and the campaign was a success!

“In New York and New Jersey we raised $11,188 for the American Heart association and the Go Red For Women campaign,” said CFSC of NY and NJ President Tom Musial. “We at CFSC are thrilled our efforts for heart month turned out to be so effective. This program captured the hearts and minds of not only our customers, but our employees as well!”

The funds raised by the NY & NJ Community Financial group for the February heart campaign benefits the American Heart Association’s GoRedForWomen.org. The American Heart Association is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for heart health, facilitating research, support, and education against heart disease, and the Go Red For Women movement advocates for more research and swifter action for heart health in women.

“The American Heart Association and the Go Red For Women campaign are extremely important to the team at Community Financial,” explained Musial. “We believe that everyone should be supportive and learn how to recognize the warning signs of heart disease, the number one killer of women. Go Red For Women shows us what to look for.”

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2859692

Women and heart disease: Make steps to decrease risk

• Heart disease can affect the blood vessels. Many problems relate to atherosclerosis, known as plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries. The plaque in the arteries narrows the arteries, making it harder for the blood to flow through the arteries. When this happens, the plaque can burst, form a clot and stop blood flow to the heart. This causes a heart attack or if the vessel is in the brain — a stroke.

• Heart disease does not stop there. Heart failure describes the fact that the heart does not pump as well as it should to meet the needs of your body. The body does not receive enough oxygen, and the heart continues to work, but it cannot move blood and fluid through the body sufficiently.

• Heart disease can cause irregular, fast or slow heartbeats, known as arrhythmias.

Know the risk factors:

• High blood pressure, high bad cholesterol (LDL) and smoking are the main risk factors for heart disease

• Diabetes

• Overweight and obesity

• Poor diet

• Physical inactivity

• Alcohol excess (for women, more than 1 drink daily.

Symptoms may include:

• Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea/vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort and shortness of breath. Some women have no pain.

• Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).

• Heart Failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of the feet/ankles/legs/abdomen.

• Stroke: Sudden weakness, paralysis (inability to move) or numbness of the face/arms/legs, especially on one side of the body. Other symptoms may include confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, shortness of breath, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, loss of consciousness, or sudden and severe headache.

http://www.coastalpoint.com/content/women_and_heart_disease_make_steps_decrease_risk_03_03_2016

MI risks, symptoms different in women compared with men, per AHA

The risks, symptoms, and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction may be different in women than in men, especially among African American and Hispanic women, according to the first scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) on heart attacks in women published online ahead of print January 25 in Circulation.

Take-away points from the statement, published by a group chaired by Laxmi S. Mehta, MD, include:

• The most common symptom of heart attack is chest pain or discomfort for both sexes, but women are more likely to have atypical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
• High blood pressure is more strongly associated with heart attacks in women.
• Young women with diabetes have a risk for heart disease that is higher by 4 to 5 times, compared with young men.
• African American and Hispanic women have more heart-related risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, at the time of their heart attack, compared with non-Hispanic white women.
• African American women have a higher incidence of heart attacks in all age categories, and young African American women have higher in-hospital death rates, compared with white women.
• Women are undertreated, compared with men. Cardiac rehabilitation is prescribed less frequently for women and when prescribed, women are less likely to undertake the therapy. In addition, African American women are also less likely to be referred for important treatments such as cardiac catheterization, compared with white women
• http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/cardiovascular-disease-information-center/mi-risks-symptoms-different-in-women-and-men/article/480336/

6 important tips women should know to avoid heart disease

According to the American Heart Association, more than one in three female adults has some form of cardiovascular disease. Risk factors can be hereditary, but other factors are related to your habits and lifestyle – things you can control and change to minimise your risk of developing heart disease.

Mayo Clinic Health System family medicine and women’s health physician Dr Ruth Tiffault explains steps you can take to help prevent heart disease.

• Stop smoking. If you smoke, you are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than a non-smoking woman.

• Control your blood pressure. Have your blood pressure checked regularly, and if it’s too high, work with your healthcare provider to lower it and keep it under control.

http://www.star2.com/health/wellness/2016/03/05/6-important-tips-women-should-know-to-avoid-heart-disease/

Heart disease killed 31% people worldwide in 2013

The study found that one of every three deaths in the US in 2013 were from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease is not only the top killer in the US, but worldwide, David Siscovick, senior vice president for research at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.  Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are global epidemics, he said. The update now tracks health factors and behaviours known to contribute to good cardiovascular health. These habits include smoking status, physical activity, healthy diet, body weight, and control of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. ‘We need to maintain our vigor and resolve in promoting good cardiovascular health through lifestyle and recognition and treatment of risk factors such as high blood pressure,diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking,’ Creager said.  ‘We have made progress in the fight against cardiovascular disease, but the battle is not won,’ Creager noted. The findings appeared in the journalCirculation. Here are the most common signs associated with heart disease

http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/heart-disease-killed-31-people-worldwide-in-2013/