Health News
Carotid Artery Stents Safe for Grandpa
As patients are living longer, the need to assess heart treatments for the elderly has increased. Investigators have found that placing a stent in the neck's carotid artery of patients over the age of 70 is both safe and effective.
Radioactive Heart Scan
Scientists have found a method for injecting a radioactive antibody fragment capable of showing deposits of fat and debris in artery walls most likely to rupture and cause heart attacks.
Goldilocks Sleep Best for Heart
If you're feeling sleepy or irritable during the day, you may not be getting enough sleep. And not enough sleep could mean you're at higher risk for a range of heart problems.
Longevity Better for Bypass Over PCI
Patients with clogged arteries tend to live longer when they receive coronary artery bypass surgery as compared to less-invasive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, or angioplasty and stenting ).
Bypass Surgery Safe On or Off Pump
Previous studies have shown mixed results when it comes to debating whether coronary artery bypass surgery is safer "on pump" with the heart stopped or on a beating heart.
Elderly Heart Attack Patients Benefit From Stent
As healthcare has improved, it's no longer uncommon for patients to live past age 90. Guidelines do not currently address older heart attack patients receiving a stent to prop open a blocked artery.
Depressed Stent Patients At Added Risk
Patients who receive coronary stents to prop open blocked arteries are at an added long-term risk of dying if they suffer from depression.
Beating Heart Bypass More Dangerous
For patients with clogged arteries requiring coronary bypass surgery, the safest option may be an operation while the heart is stopped.
Chronic Depression Linked to Cognitive Decline in Heart Patients
Older coronary artery disease patients receiving cardiac catheterization who remain chronically depressed appear to be at a significantly increased risk of suffering from cognitive decline.
The Heart Healing Power of Marriage
In addition to the obvious companionship benefit that comes from marriage, married couples also appear to receive a boost in longevity after heart surgery.