Health Collection

Atrial Septal Defect - hole in the heart

ASD patients are born with a hole in the wall between the top collecting chambers of the heart which causes the blood to shunt, or flow, from the left to the right chamber. The right side of the heart eventually enlarges as it must work harder to keep the extra blood flowing, leaving the patient with an irregular heart beat or palpitations. Other symptoms include fatigue, lung damage, heart failure and stroke....read more

Both minor and major ECG abnormalities linked with increased risk of cardiovascular events in women
Postmenopausal women without symptoms of cardiovascular problems who have minor or major abnormalities on an electrocardiogram are at increased risk for future cardiovascular events and death, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA....read article

Sunflower seeds, pistachios among top nuts for lowering cholesterol

(Source: EurekAlert)

Researchers have known for some time that nuts and seeds are rich sources of phytosterols, a class of plant chemicals that have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and improve heart health. In what is believed to be the most comprehensive analysis to date of the phytosterol content of nuts and seeds, chemists at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., analyzed some 27 nut and seed products and found that pistachios and sunflower kernels had the highest levels of phytosterols among the nuts and seeds that are most commonly consumed as snack foods in the United States. Their study appears in the Nov. 30 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Sesame seed and wheat germ actually ranked highest but are not consumed as frequently as individual foods, the researchers say. Brazil nuts and walnuts ranked the lowest in phytosterols, they say. The chemists caution that phytosterols are not the only food component involved in lowering cholesterol and that other compounds may also play a role. A well-balanced diet and frequent exercise are important keys to good health, they stress.....

Public release date: 7-Dec-2005
American Chemical Society
###

Journal Sleep: OSA increasingly associated with cardiovascular disease
WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Cardiovascular disease can pose a threat to both men and women. While a diet rich in fat and high in cholesterol as well as lack of exercise can contribute to cardiovascular disease, a study published in the March 1st issue of the journal SLEEP finds that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at an increased risk of having cardiovascular disease.

The study, which attributes the increased link between OSA and cardiovascular disease to heightened recognition and perhaps a rising prevalence, found mounting data suggesting a potentially important causative role of OSA in cardiovascular disease, particularly systemic hypertension, bolstered by well-described pathophysiologic responses to apnea and hypopneas. Recently published longitudinal cohort studies have strengthened previously recognized associations with stroke and mortality from cardiac events...full article