The American Heart Association (AMA) stated recently that in the past decade, heart disease deaths have been reduced by over 27 percent. However a lot still needs to be done to improve the lives of people with heart disease and stroke as well as to spread awareness for prevention of heart disease. 

The American Heart Association (AMA) recently released their list of the top 10 major advances in heart disease for 2010. Here are the first five in no particular order:

1. Various weight-loss diets equally effective: Basically, any weight-loss diet works. 811 overweight adults who were on a variety of low-calorie, low protein, low carbohydrate and low-fat diets were studied. The study's authors reported that no one diet was superior over another and that people in all groups lost weight as long as they made sure that their calorie intake was reduced.
    
2. Heart attacks decline after smoke-free laws passed: In a one-year period in the US and Europe, 17% of fewer heart attacks were reported in those communities where smoking bans were posted.
    
3. Half of younger adults with low 10-year risk of Cardiovascular Disease have a high lifetime risk: Researchers found that even though young adults may have a low 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease, they may have significant risk of developing heart disease if they have several risk factors for heart disease. These patients who had higher risk factors often had more severe diseases through their lifetime than those people who have fewer or no risk factors.
    
4. Lower death rates for heart attack and heart failure patients: It was found that those hospitals that received performance awards for quality improvement programs had lower death rates for heart attack and heart failure patients when compared to other hospitals. Experts found that improved care was an important reason for the reduction of heart failure deaths and that those hospitals that implement programs to improve processes for heart disease care also improve the outcome in patients.
    
5. Treating patients with acute coronary syndrome: Researchers have found that a new anti-clotting drug ticagrelor appears to work better than clopidogrel. Clopidogrel is the current standard drug used in reducing heart attack and stroke deaths. Of the 18,000 patients admitted with an acute coronary syndrome that were given one of the drugs, a reduced number of deaths were seen in patients who were given Ticagrelor than the ones who were given clpidogrel.

Is your diet rich in Almonds? If not, you may want consider adding almonds to your diet after reading the results of this new research study published in the June 2010 Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

A new study suggests that eating an almond-enriched diet may help improve sensitivity to insulin and decrease the LDL levels (bad cholesterol) which can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Basically researchers studied the effects of eating an almond rich diet in adults with prediabetes to determine the factors which led to the progression of heart disease & type 2 diabetes in them. The researchers found that the group of adults who consumed an almond rich diet showed lowered LDL cholesterol levels & had better insulin sensitivity than those who ate a regular non-almond-enriched diet. Both, high LDL cholesterol levels and sensitivity to insulin are risk factors for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The study participants were observed over a 16 week period. Obviously more research is required to study the complete effects over a longer period to get repeatable results however adding a few almonds a day to your diet can't hurt.

Basically, to prevent yourself from cardiovascular disease, you need to make dietary changes that can help improve the factors that play a key role in developing heart disease. Diet, exercise, and a lifestyle where stress is managed better can help in keeping your heart healthy.

Cardiac PET (or cardiac positron emission tomography) is a form of diagnostic imaging which employs the use of radioactive isotopes. There are many types of isotopes used for Cardiac PET imaging; the most widely employed in clinical practice are Rubidium-82 and Nitrogen-13 ammonia.

The requirements to perform Cardiac PET imaging include:

• Facility: the clinic itself as well as providing maintenance and radioactive shielding
• Capital equipment: PET or PET/CT scanner
• Radiopharmaceutical: a generator system for the production of the isotopes or similar cyclotrons
• Personnel: includes a specially trained physician, radiation safety, physics, nursing, and technologist support
• Operations: stress test monitoring and emergency response equipment, processing and review workstations.

This form of diagnostic imaging was perceived as cost-prohibitive in comparison to general nuclear medicine cardiac stress testing using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). However, scanners have been much more readily available than before and also related to the widely accepted role of PET/CT in clinical oncology, cardiac PET is likely to become more widely available, particularly given various clinical and technical advantages that might make this a potential test of choice in the diagnosis of coronary artery/heart disease.

PET in general also has an expanded role in cancer therapy. It is used as a means to assess the response to the therapy.

Limitations
Cardiac PET like all other types of emission tomography is limited due to the relatively short life of the radioactive isotopes needed for the tomography to proceed. Widespread use of PET’s is limited also due to the extensive cost of cyclotrons needed for the production of the isotopes as well as the on-site chemical synthesis apparatus needed to produce the radiopharmaceuticals. Only few hospitals and universities are able to maintain such expensive equipment and most clinical PET’s are supported by third-party suppliers of radiotracers which can supply many sites simultaneously. This limitation restricts the use of clinical PET to the use of fluorine-18, which has a half life of 110 minutes and can be transported to a reasonable distance before use. Rubidium-82 is also used and is created by a portable generator used for myocardial perfusion sites.
 
Nonetheless, in recent years a few on-site cyclotrons with integrated shielding and hot labs have begun to accompany PET units to remote hospitals. The presence of the small on-site cyclotron promises to expand in the future as the cyclotrons shrink in response to the high cost of isotope transportation to remote PET machine. Lastly, because the half-life of flourin-18 is approximately 2 hours, the prepared dose of the radiopharmaceutical will undergo multiple half-lives of decay during the working day. There must be constant recalibration of the remaining dose as well as careful planning in patient scheduling.

Applications
Cardiac PET is one of the first clear applications of the then new PET technology. This imaging technique was then (and even now) used for evaluation of cardiac diseases. The use of Cardiac PET is mostly limited to the evaluation of myocardial perfusion and myocardial viability; of which this procedure has been going on for years. This method of evaluation has been proven to be accurate and reliable.
However, there has been little increase in progress to the use of Cardiac PET compared to the Oncological PET (tumor detection PET) but there is a great potential in the possible roles in the future such as the detection of a variety of cardiac processes.
 
Myocardial perfusion is assessed via injection of the radioactive tracers, as in all PETs. In research, both O – 15 water and N – 13 ammonia provide an accurate image for tracing. This is because the radiopharmaceutical readily diffuses across the cell membrane creating a very accurate reflection of myocardial blood flow. Since equilibrium of the tracer between the tissue and vascular spaces occur, sophisticated techniques are used to separate myocardial blood from blood pool activity.
 
This medical procedure is one of many available at the Florida Heart Group Clinic. Along with the SPECT Nuclear Stress Test and Ultrasonography, the Cardiac PET give the Florida Heart Group Clinic top of the line diagnostic imaging for cardiac patients.

Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy is a safe and highly effective procedure that eliminates diseased veins (varicose veins and spider veins) that have traditionally required surgical removal.

Sclerotherapy has been around since the 1960’s in Europe and with its success has spread throughout the world. It is employed to remove or reduce the effect of varicose veins and spider veins that remain after surgery, especially in the leg area. However, sclerotherapy cannot prevent the formation of these veins as the progression of the condition cannot be prevented. Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy provides a less traumatic approach to sclerotherapy.
 
The procedure involves the use of Duplex Ultrasound to detect the exact areas where the varicose veins originate without having to go into an invasive procedure. The surface of the skin will be applied with ultrasound, much like looking at babies in pregnancy). The ultrasound provides a clear “map” of the veins and where to place the medication. This removes the need to open up a large portion of the leg to conduct the procedure.

The success of both surgery and sclerotherapy depend on accurate control of all reflux (backward flow) points.

Both procedures now have an equal success right and are also usually employed together, to maximize the treatment.

Complications
Though rarely occurring, there have been known complications to sclerotherapy, although is reduced in Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy. Complications often include thromboembolism, visual disturbances, allergic reaction, thrombophlebitis, skin necrosis, and hyperpigmentation.

If the sclerosant is injected properly into the vein, the surrounding skin will be left undamaged (which is usually the case for UGS) but if injected outside the vein, tissue necrosis and scarring can occur. Skin necrosis is often found to be normal for sclerotherapy procedures. Damage is said to be cosmetically devastating and could take months to heal. Occurrences are rare when dilute amounts (<0.25%) of sodium tetradecyl sulfate is used but increases in rate as higher amounts (up to 3%) are used. Blanching of the skin occurs when the sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) is injected into arterioles or small arteries. Telangectatic matting or the development of small red mats of red vessels is usually predictable and must be treated with repeated sclerotherapy or laser.
 
Because the procedure involves the injection of a foreign substance, there is usually an intense inflammatory reaction at the site of injection. Systemic complications are also common but are being understood quickly.

Advantages
As aforementioned above, UGS has a reduced chance of having complications. The procedure itself is less painful and requires little maintainance afterward; allowing the patient to continue with daily activities.
Listed below are the advantages of Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy

• No time off work – you can practically continue with your work after surgery
• No anaesthesia – the procedure itself is virtually painless
• No surgery
• No scars or stitches – with no need to open up the skin, scars do not develop nor stitches needed
• Patients can continue normal daily activities. Straining in the leg must be avoided for 3 to 4 weeks
• Lower cost than surgery – lower than surgical procedures with the lack of specialized apparatus as well as the risks involved in surgery

This procedure is only one of many options available at the Florida Heart Group’s Vein Center. With their highly qualified doctors and their state of the art facilities, the Florida Heart Group is the standard for cardiac and cardiovascular care.

Do you feel tightness in your chest? Do you have heart palpitations? Have you felt dizzy and lightheaded? Have you felt fatigued or had shortness of breath? You are probably wondering what that means, or what you are experiencing. These are all symptoms of heart disease, a very prevalent disease, effecting both the young and the old in America. There are three main types of heart disease, or angina as it is medically termed.

The first type is stable angina. During this stage the of heart disease the pain is present only while under extreme exertion  or emotional distress. Followed by the second type which is known as unstable angina. This stage is much more serious and maybe a sign of a possible heart attack on its way.

This pain will not only be present while exerting yourself but also at rest. It usually occurs much more frequently at then thee first type. It can last much longer and feel much more severe. The third and final step is Prinzmetal's Angina. This type occurs when you are resting, when you are sleeping, and when you are exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Individuals with this type of angina definitely have coronary artery disease brought on by decreased heart flow to the blood to the heart's muscle by the coronary artery.

If you are feeling that you maybe suffering from the above mentioned disease, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible. They maybe able to run tests for further evaluation or give you a final diagnosis of your medical problem. Treatment maybe a phone call away. Your treatment can be a life saver if it is found, treated, and controlled. Be sure to ask your doctor if you have more questions it just might save your life.

Think men are more prone to heart attacks? Think again. Heart disease was considered a male disease until recently however the statistics show that women are as much if not more at risk of heart disease than men.  The reasons for this could vary from misdiagnosis to less frequent reporting of pain by women. However statistics show that women are dying six times more from heart disease more than from breast cancer.

Lifestyle changes and increasing pressures of managing family and careers may be the contributing factors of increased cardiovascular disease in women. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is also seen more in women that are post menopausal however women who have diabetes get CAD even at a younger age.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) happens when there are cholesterol deposits around the lining of the coronary arteries. These arteries supply blood to the heart. The cholesterol deposits narrow the arteries and either slow or stop the blood flow to the heart. If the artery gets blocked, a heart attack can result.

Heart disease in women is different than in men. Although the risk factors remain the same; diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, being overweight or obesity, living a sedentary lifestyle, etc., the symptoms may be different. Even hereditary can play a big role in developing heart disease.

Women experience nausea, vomiting, indigestion, shortness of breath or extreme fatigue but many times they may not develop any chest pain. This may result in women thinking that there may be something else happening than them having a heart attack. Women also may have silent heart attacks where they have no symptoms but tests performed later reveal that they had had an attack. This is more prevalent in women than in men.
 
Experts believe that in pre-menopausal women, the hormone estrogen may provide a protective shield and helps maintain the necessary levels of 'good' cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL). This HDL may protect the body's overall cardiovascular health. Estrogen may also help relax the smooth muscle of arteries which can help maintain normal blood pressure.

Women should make lifestyle changes such as increasing cardiovascular activity, improving diet to include more fruits and vegetables, reducing weight, and stopping smoking. Managing stress is also very important for good heart health in women.

Women may have no warning signs of heart disease or heart attack. Therefore it is important that women go for regular check-ups.

An Imaging Stress Test involves using sound waves to create images of your moving heart while exercising. The test uses a transducer that emits the sound waves; it is placed on the chest. The procedure when having the test is still similar to the standard stress testing. Through the test it can be clearly seen how well the blood is flowing in the various parts of the heart. It can also show how much blood is pumped out by the3 heart in every beat. The valves and heart chambers are also clearly observed during the exercise. This test is also called Echo stress testing.

The test can determine areas of poor blood supply and areas where the heart muscles aren’t working properly, dead heart muscle tissues are also identified. These areas may have been damaged due to prior heart attack or poor blood supply.

Before the echo stress test you will be advised to:

• Not drink nor eat three hours before the procedure
• Stop special heart medicines 1-2 days prior to the test
• Sign a consent form after the doctor has clearly explained the procedure
• Wear clothing and shoes that you are comfortable with for the exercise

The results of the test will be discussed to you by your doctor and then entered into your electronic medical record.

In the Florida area,  when it comes to cardiac and cardiovascular health, the Florida Heart Group should be your first choice as the Florida Heart Group provides the most effective diagnosis and treatment for heart disease, period. Visit http://www.fhg.org today to learn more.