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Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
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New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
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Heart Attack Archive
Articles
E-cigarettes boost the risk of heart attack
Research we're watching
Image: © Neydtstock/Getty Images
Electronic cigarettes, which are battery-operated devices that create a nicotine-filled vapor, are often touted as a less-risky alternative to conventional cigarettes. But daily e-cigarette use may nearly double a person's risk of a heart attack, according to a study in the October 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The data came from nearly 70,000 people who took part in two National Health Interview Surveys. Compared with nonsmokers, people who smoked regular cigarettes daily nearly tripled their heart attack risk, compared with a nearly doubled risk among people who used only e-cigarettes. However, about two-thirds of current e-cigarette users also smoked regular cigarettes. Using both products daily was linked to a nearly fivefold increase in heart attack risk.
Certain pain relievers could harm your heart
But use is primarily a concern for people who take them over a long period or who have certain health risks.
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Numerous studies in recent years have raised concerns that common pain relievers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack and stroke.
A study published September 4 in The BMJ seems to confirm the risks associated with NSAIDs and notes that one medication in particular — diclofenac (Voltaren) — is associated with even higher risks to cardiovascular health than others in the same category.
Low-dose aspirin might not benefit healthy adults
Research we're watching
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Taking a low-dose aspirin every day could bring more risks than health benefits to healthy older adults, according to three papers from a single study, published online September 16 by The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which began in 2010, included more than 19,000 adults ages 65 and older in the United States and Australia, who were free of cardiovascular disease, dementia, or disability, and followed participants for 4.7 years on average. Researchers found that treatment with a daily low-dose aspirin did not prevent dementia or disability. And rates of cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks and stroke) were similar between participants who took low-dose aspirin therapy and the comparison group that did not. While health outcomes were largely the same, people in the aspirin group were more likely than those who were not taking daily aspirin to experience significant bleeding, both in the gastrointestinal tract and the brain — a known risk of aspirin therapy.
While low-dose aspirin does not appear to benefit healthy older adults, this does not apply to people with known cardiovascular disease. For them, aspirin therapy significantly decreases risk of heart attack and stroke.
Is aspirin best for peripheral artery disease?
Ask the doctor
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Q. Is there something stronger than aspirin I can take for peripheral artery disease in my legs?
A. People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs have blockages (plaques of atherosclerosis) in the arteries that impair the flow of blood. Based on large scientific studies involving over 5,000 people with PAD, authorities recommend taking a daily aspirin tablet. For people with PAD, smoking cessation, regular exercise, and often other medicines such as statins, can help prevent further plaque buildup and decrease symptoms.
High calcium score: What’s next?
Ask the doctor
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Q. I recently got a coronary artery calcium scan and the results showed that I have quite a bit of calcium in my heart arteries (my score was 900). Should I have an angiogram to confirm the results? I don't have any heart-related symptoms, but I'm worried about having a heart attack.
A. That is a very high coronary artery calcium score. But the short answer to your question is no. The main reason to have an angiogram is to locate a narrowed heart artery that is causing chest pain or other symptoms. For the test, a cardiologist injects a dye that is visible on x-rays into the blood vessels of your heart, then takes a series of x-ray images. This is done in preparation for angioplasty, in which a narrowed artery is opened, or as a prelude to referral for coronary artery bypass surgery.
The head-heart connection: Mental health and heart disease
Common mental health disorders are linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Learn to spot the warning signs.
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Heart disease and mental health issues are both common. So it's not surprising that these problems often occur together. But are people with depression or anxiety more prone to developing cardiovascular disease?
Teasing out the answer to that question has proved tricky. Some factors known to contribute to a higher risk of heart disease (for example, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and smoking) are also common in people with mental health issues. Now, new research that adjusts for those potentially confounding factors suggests the answer is yes.
Is it safe for women to drink alcohol?
Ask the doctor
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Q. The Harvard Health Letter has often said that it is generally healthy for women to have one alcoholic drink per day. Yet I hear a recent study showed no benefit. What's the truth?
A. Before answering your question, let's define "one drink": it's 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. And it means having one drink each day of the week, not having seven drinks on Saturday night, sleeping it off Sunday, and begging off until next Saturday night. Now, despite the recent study, we stick with what we've said, which reflects the research of outstanding nutrition scientists at Harvard and elsewhere.
Rethinking low-dose aspirin
New studies shed light on the role of aspirin for people without a previous heart attack or stroke.
Image: © dszc/Getty Images
It costs just pennies per pill, doesn't require a prescription, and may be lifesaving for some people. But daily low-dose aspirin doesn't make sense for everyone. Now, three major studies that examined the benefits and risks of this widely used drug may alter the advice about who should take aspirin.
"Aspirin remains a cornerstone of treatment after a heart attack or stroke. But the question of whether people with a low to moderate risk of heart disease should take aspirin is a really important one," says Dr. Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Tens of millions of people in the United States fall into that low-to-moderate-risk category. But until now, there weren't many large trials that included those people, he notes.
Spectator sports: How a high-stakes game may affect your heart
Research we're watching
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Stressful events — even positive ones, such as watching an exciting sporting match — can affect your heart. During World Cup soccer and the National Football League's Super Bowl, rates of heart attacks and heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) increase, both among sports fans and within the local population. A study published online August 20 by the American Journal of Cardiology takes a closer look at this risk.
Researchers examined data from 133 people with implanted cardiac devices in St. Louis, Mo., during two 10-day periods. The first was in early September of 2011 (the control period). The second was six weeks later during the World Series, when the St. Louis Cardinals played a series of dramatic games against the Texas Rangers.
Recent Blog Articles
PTSD: How is treatment changing?
Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
A bird flu primer: What to know and do
New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease
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