affairs-of-the-heart--lets-talk

Hot Flashes Linked to Higher Cholesterol

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:59:51 +0100

Study Shows Hot Flashes in Menopause May Predict High Cholesterol

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Several recent studies have linked hot flashes to an increased risk for heart disease, and now new research suggests a link between these menopause symptoms and increased cholesterol.

The study is being presented in Washington D.C. this week at the 22nd annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society.

Researchers followed more than 3,000 women in their 40s and early 50s for seven years as they transitioned through menopause.

After taking into account other heart disease risk factors they found hot flashes and, to a lesser extent, night sweats to be predictive of higher cholesterol The more hot flashes the women had, the higher their LDL "bad" and HDL "good" cholesterol.

Since raised LDL is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke while high HDL is associated with lower risk for those events, the meaning of the findings is somewhat murky, the researchers say.

"I think hot flashes and night sweats tell us something about women's cardiovascular risk and health, but it is also likely that this message is quite complex," study researcher Rebecca C. Thurston, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh tells WebMD.

Hot Flashes and Cholesterol

The analysis included 3,201 women between the ages of 42 and 52 when enrolled in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

At study entry and each year afterward, fat levels in the blood were assessed, including LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and the apolipoproteins ApoE and ApoA.

Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who had hot flashes six or more days during a two-week period were considered to have a high frequency of hot flashes.

These women had significantly higher LDL, HDL, triglycerides, ApoE, and ApoA levels than women who had no hot flashes. That held true even after the researchers took into account other risk factors for elevated cholesterol, including age and body weight.

Impact on Heart Disease?

Columbia University professor of medicine Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, tells WebMD that it is not clear if hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms have any direct impact on heart attack and stroke risk.

Mosca is the director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a past president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology.

Since hot flashes appeared to be associated with an increase in both LDL and HDL cholesterol in the study, Mosca agrees that the take-home message is not clear.

"If hot flashes really are associated with higher levels of both good and bad cholesterol, I have no idea what that means," she says.

One message that is clear, she says, is that menopause is associated with substantial alterations in heart disease risk.

"This is an important time to see your doctor and have your cardiovascular risk assessed," she says.

Do You Know What A Mitral Valve Prolapse Is?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:13:11 +0100

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on August 17, 2011
© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Mitral valve prolapse is a common cause of a heart murmur caused by a "leaky" heart valve. Most cases of mitral valve prolapse are not serious and only need to be monitored.
Mitral valve prolapse is associated with many other symptoms and conditions. But experts aren't sure that mitral valve prolapse is what causes them.

What Is Mitral Valve Prolapse?
The mitral valve is a valve that lets blood flow from one chamber of the heart to another. In mitral valve prolapse, part of the mitral valve slips backward loosely into the chamber called the left atrium. This happens when the main heart muscle, called the left ventricle, squeezes during each heartbeat. Mitral Valve prolapse differs from mitral valve stenosis. In mitral valve stenosis, the mitral valve is stiff and constricted.
In mitral valve prolapse, the valve slips backward due to damage in the valve tissues. For most people with mitral valve prolapse, the cause is unknown.
Mitral valve prolapse can run in families. It can also be caused by conditions in which cartilage is abnormal (connective tissue disease). Between one in every 100 and one in every 200 people have mitral valve prolapse.
Symptoms of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Most people with mitral valve prolapse have no symptoms. They also never experience any health problems due to mitral valve prolapse.
Chest pain is the most frequent symptom in people who have symptoms with mitral valve prolapse. The chest pain may be very bothersome and frightening, but it does not increase the risk of heart attack, death, or other heart problems.
Mitral valve prolapse is the most common cause of mitral regurgitation. That's a condition in which some blood flows backward through the mitral valve with each heartbeat. Over years, moderate or severe mitral regurgitation can cause weakness of the heart muscle, known as congestive heart failure. Symptoms of congestive heart failure include:
Shortness of breath with exertion
Swelling in the legs and feet
Mitral valve prolapse has also been associated with other symptoms:
Fluttering or rapid heartbeat called palpitations
Shortness of breath, especially with exercise
Dizziness
Passing out or fainting , known as syncope
Panic and anxiety
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
When these symptoms occur together, they are sometimes called mitral valve prolapse syndrome. However, experts don't know if mitral valve prolapse itself causes these symptoms. Since these symptoms and mitral valve prolapse are so common, they could often occur together by chance.
Diagnosis of Mitral Valve Prolapse
A doctor may suspect mitral valve prolapse after listening to someone's heart with a stethoscope. The abnormal movement of the mitral valve can make a distinct sound, called a "click." If mitral regurgitation is also present, a doctor may hear a heart murmur caused by the backward flow of blood.
Definite diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse requires an echocardiogram, which is anultrasound of the heart. A doctor can watch the abnormal valve movement on a video of the beating heart. Mitral regurgitation, if present, will also be seen with an echocardiogram.
Treatment of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mitral valve prolapse causes no problems for most people, so treatment is usually not needed.
People who develop severe mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse often can benefit from surgery to repair or replace the leaky valve. For people with symptoms of congestive heart failure caused by MVP with mitral regurgitation, surgery is usually the best treatment.
If no mitral regurgitation is present on echocardiogram, symptoms of MVP rarely pose any risk. The best treatment for each person may vary, but can include:
Exercise
Pain relievers
Relaxation and stress reduction techniques
Avoidance of caffeine and other stimulants
Beta-blockers, which are medications to slow the heart rate, may be helpful in people who have episodes of palpitations with a rapid heartbeat, known as tachycardia, with mitral valve prolapse.
Follow-Up of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Most people with mitral valve prolapse never experience health problems related to the condition. Experts recommend that people with mitral valve prolapse see a doctor on a regular basis. That way, any developing problems can be found early:
Most people with MVP should simply see a doctor every 3 to 5 years. They do not need regular echocardiograms.
People with MVP and moderate or severe mitral regurgitation should see a doctor and undergo echocardiography every 6 to 12 months.
Echocardiography and a doctor's visit are also recommended if a person develops new symptoms, or if the symptoms change.
In the past, doctors recommended that people with mitral valve prolapse take antibiotics before medical or dental procedures to prevent infection of the heart valve, known as endocarditis. The American Heart Association has determined that taking antibiotics before procedures is not helpful for people with mitral valve prolapse and is no longer recommended.

Why Are Younger Persons Dying From Heart Conditions?

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:14:52 +0100

It would appear that the younger generation is marked for death in this century. The youths are being attacked on different angles. Young people are dying from drug abuse, violence among teens, HIV and AIDS and to add insult to injury the young are having heart attacks,angina and strokes.

In the early 1990's when I studied cardiology, you were taught then that you would not suspect a heart attack in anyone under the age of 50 years old for males and 60 years old for women. The times have changed so much that it is now a common occurrence to have 28years old, 30years old male and female walking in to the emergency room with heart attacks.

What are some of the contributing factors to this phenomenon especially in Jamaica?

Change in lifestyle..
- Persons are living a more sedentary lifestyle, more persons drive to every where they are going
- Change in diet.. More Jamaicans are depending on fast food and take out these days instead of home cooked meals
- Smoking is becoming an acceptable fad for more young Jamaicans ( not just weed)
- Drinking a high content of alcohol on clubbing nights is also gaining popularity
- Lack of exercise, the children no longer, play physical games or walk to school, compare this to even the early 1980's. Children are content just watching television or playing video games.
Maintaining unhealthy weight..
- for many Jamaican, fat means healthy. If you are too thin or slim, in their estimation, then you are told that you need some "fattening up" At which point you might be introduced to the non failing cornmeal porridge. Jamaican women know that when their men leer at them with a " yuh look good" it means they need to lose some weight. Jamaican men love women with 'meat on them'
Leading stressful lives..
- This may stem from working environment, family relationships and allowing oneself to become overly concerned about the economy.
Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Genetics
- Persons who are born in families that heart disease runs in should ensure that they minimise their risk of getting a heart attack, stroke or angina. With the increased incidence of heart conditions over the years the genetic association has also increased.

Stay tuned for the next blog where we explore how to protect yourself. Please add your comments or join in the chat