Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening: Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Learn about the warning signs of heart attack in women.
Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don't wait - call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number.

Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.

Watch this animation of a heart attack.


source: www.heart.org

Red Meat And Heart Disease

Red Meat And Heart Disease.

Though it was once common to claim that red meat caused heart disease, those turned out to be flawed epidemiological conclusions based on observational studies and things like food diaries.

A new study finds red meat metabolite levels high in acute heart failure patients, and seeks to re-establish the link between red meat and heart disease using biological markers. Patients with acute heart failure often have high levels of the metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and red meat is a dietary source. Red meat is a source of L-carnitine which is broken down by gut bacteria to form TMAO. Some papers have linked TMAO with mortality risk in chronic heart failure but no association in acute heart failure has been established.

A team led by Professor Toru Suzuki from the University of Leicester’s Department of Cardiovascular Sciences measured circulating TMAO levels in approximately 1,000 patients admitted to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust with acute heart failure. They also suggest involvement of the gut microbiota and diet in outcomes of acute heart failure, which throws the conclusions into chaos, since microbiota is not linked to anything at all but selling expensive yogurt.

Nonetheless, the authors created an association between circulating levels of a metabolite of this process with prognosis of acute heart failure.

Professor Suzuki said: “Patients with acute heart failure showed higher levels of the oxidised metabolite TMAO in those that died or had a repeat admission to hospital with heart failure within the first year.

source: science20

Red meat It may cut short your life span.

Addicted to red meat? It may cut short your life span.

NEW YORK: Beware! Gorging on red meat such as bacon, sausage, unsalted beef or pork on a daily basis can decrease your life, new research warns. The findings showed the steepest rise in mortality rate at the smallest increase in intake of meat, particularly red or processed meat. A decreased risk of 25 percent to nearly 50 percent of all-cause mortality for very low meat intake compared with higher meat intake was found.

In addition, the researchers also found a 3.6-year increase in life expectancy for those on a vegetarian diet for more than 17 years, compared to short-term vegetarians.

"This clinical-based evidence can assist physicians in counselling patients about the important role diet plays, leading to improved preventive care, a key consideration in the osteopathic philosophy of medicine," said Brookshield Laurent, assistant professor at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in the US.

"This data reinforces what we have known for so long -- your diet has great potential to harm or heal," Laurent added. For the study, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, the researchers conducted a review of six large-scale studies involving more than 1.5 million with a goal of giving primary care physicians evidence-based guidance about whether they should discourage patients from eating meat.

They followed people over 5.5 to 28 years and considered the association of processed meat (such as bacon, sausage, salami, hot dogs and ham) and unprocessed red meat (including uncured, unsalted beef, pork, lamb or game). Physicians should advise patients to limit animal products when possible and consume more plants than meat, they suggested.

News source :  www.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Red meat is direct cause heart disease.

Red meat is direct cause heart disease, experts warn

Although only tested in mice so far, the theory shows promise for human studies

EATING red meat can directly cause deadly heart disease, experts warned.
New research shows that consuming beef, bacon and lamb can trigger a chemical reaction which leads to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. Scientists now hope their findings will help create treatments to block the process and prevent the killer heart condition - and allow people to include red meat in their diet.
Lead scientist Dr Stanley Hazen, from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, US, said: "The findings identify the pathways and participants involved more clearly, and help identify targets for therapies for interventions to block or prevent heart disease development.

L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease A carnitine connection

 L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease.

 A carnitine connection.

 Two years ago, Hazen and his research team discovered that microorganisms in the intestines can convert substances found in choline, a common dietary fat, to a by-product known as TMAO, trimethylamine-N-oxide.

 This new study looked at l-carnitine, which has a similar chemical structure to choline.

L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease What to do

  L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease

What to do

Besides looking at animal models, researchers also looked at what happens when people eat carnitine, comparing 51 people who normally eat meat to 23 people who were vegetarian or vegan (who consume no animal products). The researchers found that adults who avoid meat and eat fewer animal products produced much lower concentrations of TMAO in the blood compared with the meat eaters.
"If you're eating a lot of red meat, this study argues to consider cutting back," Hazen said. He recommended decreasing the frequency of eating red meat, and its portion size.
For people taking carnitine supplements, Hazen said he's unaware of a compelling study that shows a dramatic benefit from them. And taking the supplement could be influencing a person's long-term risk of heart disease, he suggested.
Pass it on: A compound called carnitine found in in red meat and supplements may increase the risk of heart disease.

Source. Link: www.huffingtonpost.com

L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease

L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Disease. 

L-Carnitine, Nutrient In Red Meat, Linked With Heart Diseaseption

 

The high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol in red meat have long been blamed for increasing people's risk of heart disease. But now, new research points a finger at another culprit in meat that may be more closely tied to this leading killer.