By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 13:23 EST, 19 February 2024 | Updated: 13:31 EST, 19 February 2024 More than 275million entirely new genetic variants have been discovered in humans — and some of them could reveal a higher risk of cancer. Researchers led by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, […]
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Heart disease does not discriminate. As the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, heart disease affects almost everyone.
Unsurprisingly, many people take to the internet to learn about heart disease and heart health.
To help ease curiosity and spread awareness, experts answer the following most searched questions about heart health, according to Google Trends.
Heart arrhythmia occurs when there is an abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat.
“This means your heart either beats too fast, a condition known as tachycardia; or too slow, also known as bradycardia; or irregularly,” Dr. Martha Gulati, a cardiologist at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute and president of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, told Healthline.
Think of the heart as having an electrical system that serves as the timing mechanism to tell the heart when and how fast to pump, said Dr. Kevin Thomas, electrophysiologist at the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Heart Rhythm Center.
“An arrhythmia occurs when the electrical system acts irregularly,” he told Healthline.
Arrhythmias can affect people of all ages and can be triggered by genetics, pre-existing heart conditions, as well as lifestyle habits such as smoking, unhealthy diet, and stress.
“The significance of an arrhythmia depends on what type of abnormal rhythm is occurring. Some are serious and could be life threatening if not treated, while others are not worrisome or dangerous,” said Thomas.
The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib.
“AFib is an irregular, and often rapid heart rate, that can increase risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications,” Gulati said.
The lifetime risk for AFib is one in four for all men and women over 40, according to a study published in Circulation, a journal by the American Heart Association (AHA).
While different types of arrhythmias can present with a variety of symptoms, Thomas said the most common symptoms of an arrhythmia are:
Extra beats
“Some arrhythmias, though, can be ‘silent’ and have no symptoms at all,” he said.
When arrhythmias (including AFib) last long enough to affect how well the heart works, the AHA reports that the following serious symptoms can occur:
One challenge of arrhythmia symptoms is that they can come and go, said Gulati.
“Sometimes, a patient makes an appointment or comes to the hospital after experiencing a cardiac symptom, and by the time they speak with a doctor, their symptoms have abated,” she said.
When patients are no longer presenting with the symptoms they experienced, it can make it difficult for doctors to treat, and scary for patients who want to understand what is happening.
“One intervention that can help break this cycle is the use of medical-grade personal digital health tools, which allow patients to access accurate, real-time heart data anytime, anywhere,” said Gulati.
She partnered with AliveCor, which offers KardiaMobile, a personal electrocardiogram (ECG) device that allows people to share findings with their doctor digitally.
Heart palpitations are perceived (felt) abnormalities of the heartbeat that can be characterized by the sensation of fast, irregular, or skipped heartbeats felt in the chest, throat, or neck.
“These can be transient and short-lived, lasting only a few seconds, or they can sustain and last for hours to days,” said Thomas.
Palpitations can be triggered by stress, anxiety, hormonal changes, or stimulants like caffeine.
“That said, heart palpitations on their own aren’t always a cause for alarm,” said Gulati. “However, if you experience heart palpitations coupled with chest pain, fainting, or severe dizziness, it is important to seek immediate medical attention.”
The causes of heart arrhythmias vary.
“Some are due to abnormal or extra electrical pathways that a patient is born with, while others are caused by damage to the heart and its electrical system as the result of prior heart attack or cardiac surgery,” said Thomas.
Sometimes arrhythmias can be triggered by increased adrenaline levels, which can be seen during infection, surgery, or other illnesses, he added.
Aging can also play a part because as people age, their hearts change.
“These age-related changes, though natural, can affect the way our hearts operate and the way electrical impulses flow through our cardiovascular system,” Gulati said.
Additionally, some arrhythmias, such as AFib, become more common as people get older and can be influenced by other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, and obesity, explained Thomas.
While lifestyle choices can influence overall health, managing aging and congenital or genetic factors often requires a multifaceted and personal approach, added Gulati.
“The more proactive you are about your heart health, the better. Regular check-ups and monitoring can help identify and manage these factors,” she said.
While most arrhythmias are not considered dangerous and are often left untreated, your doctor will need to determine if the arrhythmia is cause for concern and requires treatment.
“When it comes to arrhythmias, early detection and intervention can significantly impact the long-term prognosis and reduce the risk of complications, such as stroke or heart failure,” said Gulati.
The AHA states that the goals of treatment are aimed at:
Treatments for arrhythmias depend on which type of abnormal heart rhythm is occurring. Thomas broke down which type of treatment is needed for each type of arrhythmia.
By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline Published: 11:36 EST, 18 February 2024 | Updated: 11:53 EST, 18 February 2024 The Prince of Wales has arrived solo on the red carpet of the BAFTA film awards in London – as his wife the Princess of Wales continues to recover from her abdominal surgery at the family’s home. Prince […]
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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case against the abortion pill mifepristone on March 26. Their decision could have a major impact on the ability of people to safely and easily access medication abortion.
The hearing follows a 2023 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that challenged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authority on the abortion pill, which has been reviewed and evaluated for safety for more than two decades.
If the justices rule against the FDA, it could significantly restrict access to the medication.
Medication abortion accounts for more than half of all abortions. The procedure, which involves taking mifepristone followed by another medication, misoprostol, is safe and effective.
Should mifepristone be restricted, medication abortion can still be done via misoprostol, according to recent studies. However, experts say that this version of medication abortion may be less effective.
A substantial body of research supports the safety and effectiveness of self-managed medication abortion, whether the procedure is performed in person or remotely via telehealth.
Now, researchers from the University of California San Francisco have found more evidence supporting telehealth abortion as a safe and effective way to terminate pregnancy.
The national study, published in Nature Medicine on Thursday, has been cited in a brief submitted to the Supreme Court in advance of the hearing. The research is backed by more than 300 reproductive health researchers, according to a news release.
“We believe this study has huge implications for policy, in particular for the upcoming Supreme Court case on mifepristone (one of two medications used in medication abortion). This research shows that the FDA followed science when it expanded how this medication could be dispensed and that the Supreme Court should follow suit,” lead study author Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at UCSF, told Healthline.
For the study, researchers looked at medical records for more than 6,000 people prescribed abortion pills from telehealth clinics in 20 states and Washington D.C. from April 2021 to January 2022.
They determined no adverse events were reported 99.8% of the time, and 98% of the time, people who had abortions did not require follow-up care.
These findings present similar success rates to patients who obtained abortions in person at clinics or doctor’s offices, the study authors noted.
Telehealth abortions may involve video visits and secure text messaging with a healthcare provider, who sends prescribed abortion pills by mail and may engage in virtual follow-up visits.
“As with any other medical visit via telehealth, the physician takes a history and relevant physical exam, reviews lab results and ultrasounds, and evaluates for any contraindications to medication abortion before administering the mifepristone pill,” explained Dr. Lydia Prevost, a family medicine physician who provides abortion care via telehealth in Kansas and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Sarah W. Prager, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said the UCSF study supports all the previous data and “unequivocally shows that medication abortion is safe and effective.”
“It doesn’t matter whether the medications are dispensed by a clinician after an in-person visit or through a virtual clinic — mifepristone and misoprostol are safe and effective,” Prager told Healthline.
“These data further underscore the reasons why mifepristone should stay available — without any of the REMS restrictions — and highlight that all the restrictions (both to mifepristone and to abortion more broadly) are political and serve only to harm pregnant people.”
Researchers also noted that telehealth abortion makes the procedure more accessible while protecting patient privacy, a growing concern in states with abortion bans and restrictions.
“Telehealth addresses some of the geographic, transportation, and other resource-related barriers that we know have always gotten in the way of patients accessing abortion care, but especially in the months since Dobbs,” Prevost noted, referencing the legal decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade
“Medication abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol is a great option for many people needing abortion care. The education that patients need to be informed about their decision and instructions on how to take the medications can be done just as safely and effectively via telehealth as in person,” she told Healthline.
Abortion has been banned or had additional restrictions added in 21 states following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Another three states have had restrictions on abortion blocked in courts.
Demand for abortion pills prescribed via telehealth has increased as abortion clinics have closed in states with bans and other restrictions. In states where abortion may be permitted, long wait times at clinics stretch for weeks, some with no availability at all.
If the Supreme Court decides to ban the abortion pill mifepristone, it could severely limit access to the medication. A mifepristone ban would block telehealth prescriptions and shipments of the medication by mail, creating additional barriers in states where people seeking to end a pregnancy already face mounting hurdles.
“If the Supreme Court rules to reinstate further restrictions to mifepristone, not only would it be ignoring all the credible scientific data available, it would also significantly increase the barriers to accessing abortion, which will increase morbidity and mortality for pregnant people,” Prager said.
While misoprostol alone can work to safely terminate pregnancy, experts have cautioned it may not be as effective as when combined with mifepristone.
“The combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the current standard of care for medication abortion care,” Prevost said. “While other regimens like misoprostol-only do exist and are also safe, medications with proven safety records like mifepristone should stop being targeted because of political beliefs.”
As the Supreme Court decides whether to ban the abortion pill mifepristone and limit access to telehealth abortion, a large national study has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of self-managed abortion via telemedicine.
Medication abortion can be safely delivered through telemedicine via video visits, secure text messaging, and mailing prescribed abortion pills.
The new research adds to a substantial body of evidence demonstrating the safety of self-managed medication abortion.
“Telehealth has been growing exponentially in many fields of medicine particularly since the pandemic, and we have good data to show that it is safe and effective,” Prevost said.
The sleep habits you develop in the middle of your life can have a profound impact on your future heart health, according to new research.
The study, recently published in the journal Circulation, found that regularly sleeping fewer than seven hours a night and waking up too early or throughout the night can increase a person’s future risk of stroke, heart attack, and myocardial infarction.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, and poor sleep is a major health issue for women, especially in midlife.
While previous studies have looked at how a poor night’s sleep is related to the development of heart disease, it’s been unclear how long-term sleep problems impact the risk of heart disease.
The new findings suggest that long-term sleep issues and heart disease are closely linked and underscore the need to improve heart disease prevention efforts in women.
“More women will die from cardiac disease than from cancer. With control of risk factors we can actually prevent heart disease in women,” Dr. Eleanor Levin, a cardiologist with Stanford Medicine, told Healthline.
The researchers evaluated the sleep habits and health outcomes of 2,964 women between 42 and 52 years of age.
The participants were premenopausal or early perimenopausal, not using hormone therapy, and did not have heart disease.
Over 22 years, the participants completed up to 16 visits where they completed questionnaires about their sleep habits, including whether they have insomnia symptoms and how long they typically sleep, along with mental health issues, like depression, and vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes.
The questionnaire also included questions about their anthropometric measurements, such as their height and weight, blood draws, and heart events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke or heart failure.
Roughly one in four of the women regularly experienced insomnia symptoms, such as trouble falling asleep, waking up in the night, or waking up earlier than planned, and 14 percent frequently dealt with short sleep duration.
About 7% reported habitual insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration.
The researchers discovered that those who had chronically high insomnia symptoms had a higher risk of developing CVD later in life.
In addition, women who regularly slept less than five hours a night had a slightly higher risk of heart disease.
Individuals who persistently had high insomnia symptoms and slept less than five hours a night had a 75% higher risk of heart disease, even when the researchers adjusted for CVD risk factors.
According to the researchers, the findings highlight the impact long-term sleep problems can have on women’s heart health.
There are multiple explanations as to why poor sleep can impair heart function over time.
“Poor sleep likely negatively impacts heart health through a combination of mechanisms, such as increasing sympathetic nervous system activity, dysregulating autonomic nervous system activity, and increasing systemic inflammation,” said Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.
Poor sleep quality is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and insulin resistance, both risk factors for heart disease.
“Lack of sleep makes high blood pressure worse and can lead to bad eating habits with more carbohydrates and sugars, making prediabetes and cholesterol worse,” says Levin.
In addition, many people with insomnia also have sleep apnea, which is a known risk factor for heart disease.
Women have different heart disease symptoms than men and are less likely to be treated properly.
Chen says it’s essential that the medical community address sleep problems in women as part of their overall cardiovascular health management.
Experts say you should aim get about seven to eight hours of sleep a night. People looking to improve their sleep can take the following steps:
Medications can be prescribed to treat insomnia and a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine can be used by those with sleep apnea.
“Extra attention needs to be paid in preventing the underlying risk factors of cardiovascular disease — such as hypertension, diabetes, and poor sleep — in order to improve their health outcomes,” Chen said.
New research shows that long-term sleep issues can increase your risk of heart disease later in life. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in women, and the new findings underscore the need to improve heart disease prevention efforts in women.
We’re not far removed from the new year and the health and fitness resolutions that often come with it.
You may be well into a new or improved workout routine with a goal of muscle building in mind.
You may even have considered your diet by introducing foods that help promote muscle gain.
“When you have a goal to improve your body composition, muscle strength, and/or even heal and recover from surgery without experiencing muscle loss from bed rest, then you should consider a nutrition plan that includes protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals,” Reema Kanda, RDN, a Clinical Dietitian at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, CA, told Healthline.
But in this instance, a little muscular addition can require a certain amount of dietary subtraction.
“It is important to be mindful of the foods you should limit that may prevent you from reaching your body composition goals,” Kanda said.
In fact, health experts suggest avoiding the following six foods if you’re trying to increase your muscle mass.
“It’s no secret that protein is the macronutrient known for supporting muscle maintenance and growth,” said Jordan Hill, lead registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.
For many, meat is one of the first and most abundant protein sources that comes to mind. But not all meats are created equally.
“The American Cancer Society recommends limiting or not including processed or red meats to reduce cancer risk, [and] the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting your daily saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories per day,” Kanda added.
Instead, Kanda recommended focusing on lean protein options such as skinless poultry, low fat dairy, and lean cuts of red meat.
“When it comes to building muscle at the end of the day, the two most important factors (when it comes to nutrition) would be to meet daily calorie and protein needs,” Albert Abayev, RD, clinical dietician at the Center for Weight Management and Metabolic Health at Cedars-Sinai, told Healthline.
“Make sure [you] are eating in a 200-300 calorie surplus above maintenance calories and meeting daily protein goals,” Abayev added.
But where that calorie surplus comes from is of critical importance.
Trans fatty acids — or trans fats — are the least healthy type of fat and are generally best enjoyed on a limited basis or avoided altogether. While often high in calories, foods high in trans fats are more likely to cause health problems than help build muscle.
These include fried foods and commercially baked foods, such as:
Instead, “focus on adding healthy fats to your nutrition that come from things like nuts, nut butters, and avocados. This is a great way to reach a calorie surplus while adding nutrition as well,” Abayev recommended.
“Avoid empty calories such as foods high in added sugar,” advised Kanda.
“Excessive sugar intake can promote fat gain when trying to build muscle,” agreed Abayev.
This will not be a helpful outcome for most people trying to build muscle.
Sugars are carbohydrates (carbs), and as a category, carbs do have benefits when it comes to building muscle.
Hill explained three important functions of carbs related to muscle gain:
“Unfortunately, many highly processed and packaged foods are not going to optimally fuel your energy towards muscle building,” said Kanda.
In this context, avoid foods like:
Instead, replace them with:
For healthy adults, alcohol is already best enjoyed in moderation, but how specifically does it relate to muscle gain?
“The body views alcohol as a toxin, so when consumed, the body works to metabolize the alcohol before anything else. This can negatively impact the body’s efficiency in metabolizing and utilizing nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins to support muscle repair and growth,” said Hill.
Alcohol can detrimentally affect energy levels and increase the chances of dehydration, she explained.
“From a muscle-building aspect, this is unfavorable because fatigue can negatively impact workout output, and dehydration negatively impacts muscular power and cognitive performance,” said Hill.
Sometimes, you might try to do the right thing while you’re unknowingly consuming the very types of things you’re trying to avoid.
Be aware of sauces, condiments, dressings, and other toppings.
“Be mindful that a lot of premade salads come with high calorie dressings that add a lot of calories but not a lot of nutrition,” said Abayev.
They can also be high in added sugars.
“Focus on having a balanced salad with a lot of protein, add complex carbs, and healthy fats. Use a low calorie dressing. We want to focus on getting our calories from high quality foods that include protein and healthy fats, not high fat dressings,” Abayev added.
“Depending on the individual and their training demands, sports foods and supplements may be appropriate and can benefit workout outputs and workout recovery (i.e., muscle repair and growth),” advised Hill.
But do your homework before choosing a supplement.
“Obtain protein supplements from a reputable source that is NSF Certified for Sport or has third-party testing certification on the label,” Kanda suggested.
Building muscle mass is a great fitness goal to have, and your diet will play an important role in achieving that goal.
Knowing what not to eat is just as important as knowing what to consume.
Everyone’s health circumstances and fitness goals are unique.
Your doctor or a registered dietician can advise you on the healthiest path toward achieving your goals.
Scientists developed a new test that may help detect signs of colorectal cancer earlier and more effectively than the current tests, research led by the Netherlands Cancer Institute suggests.
The study, published in The Lancet this month, found that the stool test could improve colorectal cancer outcomes and increase chances of survival.
Colorectal cancer is curable if detected early. However, many people don’t get diagnosed until they have late-stage symptoms.
Each year, close to 2 million people around the world are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 930,000 people die from it, according to the World Health Organization.
While the current stool tests used to detect colorectal cancer have substantially reduced rates of mortality from colorectal cancer, they aren’t perfect and occasionally produce false negatives.
“There is a new stool test that is better than the current stool test at detecting pre-cancers, which means that more people who have polyps will be able to get colonoscopies and get those polyps removed before they have a chance to become cancers,” said Dr. Cindy Kin, a colorectal surgeon with Stanford Medicine.
Kin was not involved in the research.
Stool tests do not replace colonoscopies. According to the American Cancer Society, people in good health should start regular screening at age 45 and wait about 10 years between colonoscopies.
Most colorectal cancer screening tests used around the world are fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), which measure levels of the blood protein hemoglobin in stool samples.
Low levels of hemoglobin can be a sign of colon cancer.
The new test is a multitargetFIT-test (mtFIT), which evaluates hemoglobin levels along with two other proteins that are biomarkers for colon cancer: calprotectin, and serpin family F member 2.
For the new study, the researchers investigated the effectiveness of the mtFIT test compared to the FIT test among 13,187 people in the Netherlands between the ages of 55 and 75.
They found that the mtFIT test was more effective at detecting signs of colorectal cancer.
The mtFIT test identified 299 people with abnormal protein levels, whereas the current FIT test identified 159 people with abnormal results.
The newer test was better at detecting polyps and growths that warranted a follow-up colonoscopy.
The researchers believe the new test can help doctors identify cases of colorectal cancer earlier, thereby reducing the risk of death from colorectal cancer.
They estimated that a new mtFIT test could lead to a 21% reduction in cases of colorectal cancer and 18% fewer deaths.
The currently available stool tests don’t catch 100% of cancers and high-risk polyps, according to Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist and chief of medicine and Director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA.
They also aren’t as sensitive as colonoscopies, says Kin, and these stool tests need to be done every year to boost the chances of detecting high-risk polyps or cancers.
The new stool test, which is more sensitive, could help doctors identify more polyps that have the potential to become cancer.
“Removal of these polyps by colonoscopy significantly reduces the risk of getting colon cancer,” says Bilchik.
Early detection and treatment would also improve the chances of survival, he added.
The test has only been evaluated in the Netherlands and future studies are needed to compare the mtFIT test against the commercially-available FIT tests before it can be put to use.
A new colorectal screening test may be able to catch more cancers and high-risk polyps than the currently available tests, new research found. The current stool tests don’t catch all polyps and cancers, and a more sensitive test could prevent many cases of colon cancer and reduce mortality.
