Do You Have a Fast Heart Rate?

I had an extremely fast heart rate leading up to my heart attack whenever I worked out.  I never thought to have it checked out by a doctor. I had three major surgeries (all under general anesthesia and one using moderate sedation/analgesia also prior to having a heart attack.Obviously nothing was noticed during any of the surgery pre-op's regarding my heart rate. The article below peaked my interest for obvious reasons (still not having a cause for the blood clot which formed in my heart, causing my heart attack) :

Faster Heart Rate May Raise Risk of Heart Attack Death

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

But for women, exercise cuts that risk significantly, study finds

TUESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- For women under age 70, every 10-beat-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 18 percent, a new study has found.

Norwegian researchers tracked the health of about 50,000 healthy adults, aged 20 and older, for an average of 18 years. During that time, 6,033 men and 4,442 women died. Heart attack and stroke accounted for more than 58 percent of male deaths and more than 41 percent of deaths among women.

The higher a person's resting pulse, the greater their risk of death from cardiovascular disease, particularly from ischemic heart disease (heart attack and angina). Men with a pulse of 101 beats per minute or more were 73 percent more likely to die of ischemic heart disease than those with a rate of 61 to 72 beats per minute -- the normal healthy range.

Women with a resting heart rate of 101 beats per minute were 42 percent more likely to die of ischemic heart disease than those with a normal pulse. This was particularly true among women younger than 70 with a high resting heart rate -- they were more than twice as likely to die of a heart attack, the study found.

But the study also found that women with higher levels of physical activity had a lower risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, even if they had a high resting heart rate.

Physically inactive women with a resting heart rate of 88 beats per minute or higher were more than twice as likely to die of a heart attack than those with a lower heart rate. But women with a heart rate of 88 beats per minute or higher who did frequent and intensive exercise were only 37 percent more likely to die of a heart attack. However, this protective effect of exercise wasn't seen in men with high heart rates.

The study was published online Jan. 12 in advance of print publication in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Pay the Rent, Eat or Buy Medicine?

Years ago I recall seeing elderly persons at the pharmacy telling a pharmacist that they weren't taking their medications as prescribed because they couldn't afford to; my heart would go out for them.  Now it seems like everyone, including me, is faced with tough decisions if they find themselves unhealthy.  I've heard the comments from the "naysayers", 'they should have planned better for retirement' (in reference to the elderly who don't have the means to pay for proper medical care.  I don't buy it.  I don't buy how a person can be a warm blooded human being and feel that universal medical care is not a basic human right and need.  

Please visit Hearts for Healthcare to learn more about how the American Heart Association has become involved in making the United States Congress aware of the health care crisis faced by Americans.

Heart patients worry about health costs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The monthly mortgage payment is the heaviest expense facing the average U.S. family but for heart patient Frank Amend, an engineer from North Carolina, the biggest cost is healthcare.

That's why Amend and tens of thousands of patients with similar conditions find themselves at the center of debate over how to reform the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare sector -- and whether the country can afford it.

Amend, 48, has insurance through his employer but since suffering a heart attack in 2003, his monthly out-of-pocket costs for premiums and medications have grown to consume as much as 20 percent of his wages, and he has become a strong advocate for broad healthcare overhaul.

He says he would like to start his own consulting firm, but can't because the cost of obtaining health insurance for him and his family would be "financial suicide."

A survey of heart patients by the American Heart Association shows that Amend is not alone. Cost of insurance premiums and medication is the top concern of heart patients, said the poll, made available to Reuters before its release on Thursday.

The online survey of 1,105 adults who said they had a heart condition, stroke or high blood pressure showed that 56 percent had trouble paying for prescription drugs or other medical care in the past few years. It was conducted from December 29, 2009 to January 5, 2010.

Stroke patients -- 69 percent -- were most likely to report having trouble paying medical bills.

Almost two thirds of heart patients -- 64 percent -- said making healthcare costs more affordable was a top priority for them.

AHA officials say they hope the survey will help jumpstart the drive for a more comprehensive approach to healthcare reform.

"The problem has not gone away," association president Dr. Clyde Yancy said in an interview.

Nearly 10 percent of heart disease patients eventually file for bankruptcy, said AHA spokeswoman Suzanne Ffolkes.

'ENTITLEMENT EXPANSION'

But a push by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to overhaul the sector to rein in costs and expand coverage to the uninsured has stalled in the face of Republican opposition and falling public support, denying Democrats victory on the top legislative priority.

Republicans say it is a mistake to expand the role of government in healthcare and oppose the roughly $1 trillion 10-year cost of expanding health insurance coverage at a time of record budget deficits.

"I don't know how you spend a trillion dollars to create a new entitlement ... That's not really reform, that's entitlement expansion," Representative Dave Camp said in an interview this week. He and other Republicans are pushing for less sweeping legislation that focuses on costs.

COSTS DISCOURAGE PATIENTS

About 46 percent of those who said they had trouble paying medical bills said they had to delay getting needed healthcare and 43 percent said they failed to fill a prescription because of the expense.

"The high cost of healthcare is forcing many of our patients to not take advantage of, or to forego, life-saving treatments and medications," Nancy Brown, chief executive of the Heart Association said in an interview. "They really are making life and death decisions because of the cost of healthcare."

The majority of those surveyed said they had some form of health insurance. About 16 percent of the non-elderly adults surveyed said they had no medical insurance.

Some 46 million people in the United States lack health insurance and many with coverage find it inadequate when it comes to preventive care or when struck by major illness.

"Everyone believes that if you have insurance, there's no issue here," Dr. Yancy said. "There is a big, big problem with the underinsured -- those who have insurance and are still having difficulty receiving care."

The Heart Association and other healthcare advocacy groups are pushing for broad healthcare reform.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed sweeping reform measures but efforts to merge the two bills into a single piece of legislation stalled when Democrats lost their "supermajority" of 60 seats in the Senate after a special Massachusetts election last month.

The online survey conducted by research firm Synovate had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It is available at www.americanheart.org/accesstocare.

(Editing by Matthew Bigg, Xavier Briand and Eric Walsh)

Women's Heart Disease Awareness Still Lacking

Women's Heart Disease Awareness Still Lacking

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

More than 40 percent of women don't know it is leading killer, survey finds

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Despite public awareness campaigns, almost half of all American women still don't know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, new research finds.

Even more concerning, only slightly more than half of women would call for emergency help if they were having heart attack symptoms, according to the latest survey for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women public awareness campaign.

"We've made a lot of progress since 1997 [when the Go Red campaign first began], but we still have a long way to go," said lead researcher Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

For example, she said, "Only about half of women knew what heart attack symptoms are."

Results of the study are scheduled to be published in the March issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

In 1997, when the survey was first conducted, just 30 percent of women realized that heart disease was the leading cause of death in women. In 2009, that number was 54 percent. However, that number is down slightly from 2006 when 57 percent of women said that heart disease was the biggest threat to their health.

Young women were more likely to believe that breast cancer was their biggest potential health threat. Thirty-four percent of women between the ages of 25 and 34 thought breast cancer was more of a threat than heart disease, compared to 22 percent of women over 65 who felt that way.

Racial disparities still exist, though the racial gap in awareness is narrowing, according to the survey. Just 43 percent of black women and 44 percent of Hispanic women correctly identified heart disease as the leading killer of women. However, those numbers were significantly increased from 1997, when the rates of awareness were 15 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Other important findings from the new survey include:

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  Eighty-five percent of women said they had seen, heard or read about heart disease during the past year.

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  Only 53 percent of women said they would call 911 if they were having heart attack symptoms.

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  Just over half of women said the biggest barrier to taking preventive steps against heart disease were family and care-taking responsibilities.

Women are taking important preventive steps such as seeing their doctors and having their blood pressure checked. However, many women are relying on unproven strategies to prevent heart disease, as well. For example, 82 percent said they believed that fish oil would help them prevent heart disease, and 29 percent said aromatherapy could be helpful, according to the survey.

"Although there may be some benefit to alternative and complementary therapies, they pale in comparison to turning off the TV and going out for a walk," said Dr. Pamela Marcovitz, medical director of the Ministrelli Women's Heart Center at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. "When people exercise even moderately most days of the week, they're incredibly more likely to be healthier and live longer."

Both Mosca and Marcovitz said that experts have to find new ways to get the message of heart disease prevention out to more people. Mosca said that having women tell their stories to other women at places like community centers could be helpful. She said it's also important to have information available in Spanish. Marcovitz said that social networking sites may also prove useful for spreading heart health messages.

Both doctors said that if you have chest pain -- and it may not always feel like pain; it could be pressure or a squeezing sensation -- that doesn't go away after a few minutes, you need to call 911. Women also may have more unusual symptoms, such as feeling nauseous or having jaw pain.

"If you're having symptoms, make the phone call," advised Marcovitz. "Take your symptoms seriously. Even if it's not a heart attack, you'll still get the right cardiology work-up."

Mosca echoed that advice. "Most women know something isn't right, but they don't want to bother anyone. We'd rather you called 911, even if it's a false alarm," she said.

Retrospect: I am a Heart Attack Survivor

If you follow the news closely, and by closely I mean in a timely manner, you are aware of former President Bill Clinton's stent procedure that took place following "chest discomfort" today.  I can't help but feel heart-sick.

After reading my own post titled, 'It Hurts and It Hurts', I feel I haven't followed my own advice.  Had someone told me they were feeling the way I described in my post, I would have urged them to seek medical care.  Of course, I considered going to the hospital.  So, what held me back?  My $100 co-pay for the emergency room and the fact that the emergency room doctors never do anything.  It is a vicious cycle. Unless you are literally on your death bed (and they are able to determine so), the emergency room doctors seldom are proactive for patients.  I know I sound ungrateful.  I'm not ungrateful, however, this is my experience in the emergency room, time after time.  

When I had my heart attack, one of the responding Emergency Medical Technician's (EMT) tried to persuade me that I was fine and probably just overworked (I told the EMT I had been at the gym prior to calling 911).  Add that knowledge to the fact that I was overweight and only in my early thirties and it's plausible that the EMT felt I was someone older (in his opinion!), who was out of shape and had overexerted herself at the gym. I told the EMT (along with the 911 operator) that I felt I was having a heart attack.  

When I arrived at the emergency room by ambulance at the local hospital I was left on the gurney in the hallway.  The pain in my shoulder blades (a heart attack symptom in females) increased and I began yelling at any personnel who passed by, that I needed help and thought I was having a heart attack.  They looked at me like I was crazy.  I kept yelling (truly, this only went on for a few minutes, but situations like that feel like hours).  I was not about to be quiet.  They moved me into a room where they tried to calm me.  Finally they hooked me up to an electrocardiogram (EKG).  I kept asking if I was having a heart attack.  Suddenly the small room filled with people.  A man walked in, dressed in golfing attire (it was a Saturday afternoon).  When I saw him I immediately knew I was having a heart attack.  He took my hand and confirmed that I was having a heart attack; he was the cardiologist who saved my life and I will forever be thankful for him.  

I have never had any ill feelings towards the medical personnel who originally lacked reaction when I said I thought I was having a heart attack.  Heart attack in women is consistently misdiagnosed.  It is the numero uno killer of women.  Number 1!  Both medical personnel and we as patients have to be diligent about heart disease education; knowing the symptoms and better diagnosis on the part of medical professionals, to change the way that heart attack is overlooked in women.  I am a heart attack survivor, and it needs to remain that way, as it does with other women.
  
February is American Heart Month.  Please familiarize yourself with the differences between male and female warning signs of stroke and heart attack.  Second, make lifestyle changes if you haven't already done so.  Lastly, find out as much as you can about your family medical history:  there should be no question so uncomfortable as compared to saying goodbye too early to a loved one.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!

Winter Weather Tips from the American Heart Association
Combo of colder temperatures and physical exertion increases the workload on the heart

The American Heart Association says that for most people, shoveling snow may not lead to any health problems. However, the association warns that the risk of a heart attack during snow shoveling may increase for some, stating that the combination of colder temperatures and physical exertion increases the workload on the heart. People who are outdoors in cold weather should avoid sudden exertion, like lifting a heavy shovel full of snow. Even walking through heavy, wet snow or snow drifts can strain a person’s heart. 

Click here for more information on how cold weather affects the heart.

To help make snow removal safer, the American Heart Association has compiled a list of practical tips.

• Give yourself a break. Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling so you don’t overstress your heart. Pay attention to how your body feels during those breaks.
• Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling. Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.
• Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.
• Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body, but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1
• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.
• Consult a doctor. If you have a medical condition, don’t exercise on a regular basis or are middle aged or older, meet with your doctor prior to the first anticipated snowfall.
• Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head.

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff is also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room. If you can’t access EMS, have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you’re the one having symptoms, don’t drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option.

For more information, visit your physician or call the American Heart Association at 800-AHA-USA1 or visit online at www.americanheart.org. 

Migraine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk

Migraine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Researchers aren't sure why two conditions are connected

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- People with migraines are more likely to have heart attacks, a new study shows, but the exact reason why the two conditions are linked is still unclear.

The incidence of heart attacks in people with migraine is almost double that of people who don't suffer the headaches, according to a report in the Feb. 10 online edition of Neurology by a group including Dr. Richard B. Lipton, a professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

The study, which compared 6,102 people with migraine and 5,243 without the headaches, found a 4.1 percent incidence of heart attacks in the migraine patients, compared with 1.9 percent in those without the debilitating headaches.

Previous studies have found an association between migraine and cardiovascular problems including heart problems and stroke, Lipton noted. One study, which looked at only women, found an increased incidence of stroke, especially for migraine with the visual disturbances called aura (women are up to four times more likely than men to have migraines). Another study, which looked only at men, found an increased risk of heart disease.

"The strength of this study is that we have a very large number of migraine sufferers, data to distinguish between migraine with and without aura, and longitudinal data on men and women in the same study," Lipton said.

The new study did find a higher incidence of heart attack for migraine with aura -- three times that of the migraine-free group. It also found that people with migraine were more likely to have the classic risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems: diabetes (12.6 percent versus 9.4 percent), high blood pressure (33.1 percent versus 27.5 percent) and high cholesterol (32.7 percent versus 25.6 percent).

But those risk factor differences did not account for the increased migraine-associated risk, Lipton noted. "The risk remains elevated even after we adjust for the known cardiovascular risk factors," he said. "There have been suggestions of a genetic link, but the nature of the link is not entirely clear."

Even so, Lipton added, "Cardiovascular risk reduction is important for everybody. If you have migraine, it might be more important for you than for the general population. They should be particularly vigilant about controlling body weight, keeping blood pressure low, modifying all the risk factors that are within their control."

Studies are underway to see whether better control of migraine can reduce the cardiovascular risk, said Lipton, who is conducting one such study. "That is something we don't know yet," he stated. "But if you have four or five disabling migraine days a month, it makes sense to take the medications that control them. If they reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, so much the better."

Results of those studies are expected "over the next couple of years," Lipton said.

Cardiologists, especially those who treat women, should pay attention to those results and the current study, even though they appear in a neurology journal, said Dr. Holly Andersen, director of the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

"Clearly, the majority of people who have migraines are women, often young women," Andersen said. "This is a marker that might help prevent cardiac disease. There have been several large population studies that show women with migraines have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. These are the women we should be intervening with. If they use oral contraceptives there should be a concern, because they can form blood clots, particularly if they smoke."

And since the risk of stroke in women who have migraine is clear, "it's not too much of a stretch to think they have a threat with heart disease," said Dr. Dara Jamieson, director of the headache center at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "But this is an observational study that needs to be expanded to get a better understanding of mechanisms," Jamieson added.

Prevent a Blood Clot

Health Tip: Help Prevent a Blood Clot

Friday, January 15, 2010

Don't sit or stand in the same position for too long

(HealthDay News) -- Blood clots most often occur in people who don't move around enough and among people who have had recent surgery or injury. A clot can travel to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests how to help prevent a blood clot:

• Wear clothing and socks that fit loosely.
• Occasionally lift your legs to about six inches above your heart.
• If prescribed by your doctor, wear compression stockings.
• Follow your doctor's recommendations for exercise and take all medications as prescribed.
• Avoid sitting or standing in the same position for longer than one hour.
• Limit your salt intake.
• Avoid crossing or bumping your legs.
• Don't put pillows beneath your knees.
• Elevate the end of your bed about four to six inches.

It Hurts and It Hurts.

My heart was really hurting last night.  My chest cavity {heart} was sore for several hours late into the night/early morning.  For a while I had what felt like an almost burning feeling strictly in my heart.  My heart felt very heavy.  I took an aspirin and it felt better (great?).  I am anxious to go to my cardiology appointment.  

I hate feeling (the) arrhythmia; I don't think I'll ever get used to it and wish it would cease.  I don't mean to sound negative, I simply get tired of having my body feel fragile; like there are butterflies inside my chest; like I could break apart.

Speaking of breaking apart, I am very frustrated.  I just found out that apparently my father was diagnosed with arrhythmia in his thirties. It would have been nice to have known this when I had my heart attack/myocardial infarction or maybe, perhaps, before!?  Adoptive parents are looking better and better.  Is that possible still?!  I am trying to have a sense of humor about what I perceive as selfishness/sheer parental failure.  Certainly, if pertinent medical information isn't going to be disclosed with your child(ren), what kind of a "loving" and "selfless" parent can you claim to be?  As I said, is there adoption for thirty-something's?  Only kidding, I'd much rather carry on with my life (full medical disclosure on my father's part would have been ideal since I wasn't left on a door step for nun's to raise!).