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My friend Mary stopped by my home recently on her way to the fire station in our neighborhood. She and her husband live nearby in a gated community called Holcomb Estates. Heart Attack Survivors: Know Your Ejection Fraction Do you know your ejection fraction? Clinical studies show that a person's ejection fraction, or EF, is the number-one predictor of risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD), a condition which claims more than 400,000 American lives each year. But a recent survey showed that the majority of heart attack survivors don't know if they are at risk for a dangerous heart rhythm disorder that causes sudden SCD. Aspirin--A Bedtime Story Millions of Americans are tapping into the heart-healthy benefits of a daily baby aspirin to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Does timing of the dosage play a role? Angioplasty Breakthrough In October 2001, Medical Update spoke with the brilliant cardiologist and coronary gene therapy pioneer Dr. Jeffrey Isner, whose legacy lives on at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. We asked Dr. Isner whether coronary gene therapy might soon replace angioplasty and invasive bypass surgery. Lower Homocysteine for Heart Health High homocysteine levels, already linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, may also increase the odds that heart arteries will renarrow after angioplasty. In a study at University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, researchers studied a group of 205 patients who underwent angioplasty to open blocked arteries. Nitroglycerine: Solving a Century-Old Puzzle The mystery began over 100 years ago when workers who had heart problems in Alfred Nobel's dynamite factory reported that being on the job improved their chest pain, but that they were experiencing headaches. Vitamin C May Reduce Stroke Risk European researchers say that vitamin C may play a key role in preventing strokes. In a recent Finnish study, middle-aged men who had relatively low blood levels of the antioxidant had a twofold higher risk of stroke than men with the highest blood levels of the vitamin. More on New Pacemakers More research on new pacemakers that restore normal rhythm to failing hearts shows the advanced devices can help relieve symptoms of heart failure and improve quality of life. As reported in Medical Update Volume XXVII Number 9, the InSync ICD pacemaker delivers tiny electrical impulses that stimulate the right and left lower chambers of the heart to beat in a synchronized fashion. Typical pacemakers connect to the upper and lower chambers on the right side of the heart only. The Promise of 'Piggyback' Hearts From the beginning of his brilliant career, Dr. Mehmet Oz demonstrated surgical prowess in repairing valves, transplanting hearts, and opening blocked arteries. Along the way, his technological innovations helped save lives, earning the young scientist an international reputation.
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