Current unemployment rates stand at nearly 10 percent, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this number to continue to rise. While this has been the cause of serious worry among the labor force, there may also be a reason to celebrate. A poor economy appears to add years to a person’s life expectancy, according to research from the University of Michigan.

Communities are finally starting to see payoff from bans on public smoking. The bans, which prohibit smoking in restaurants, health facilities, and businesses, correspond with a decline in the rate of heart attacks.

Information comes from a recent study published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. The study is a compilation of nine previously published research articles on the topic. The study notes a decrease in the risk of AMI (acute myocardial infarction), another name for a heart attack.

“The risk of AMI falls rapidly after smoking cessation,” wrote study authors James M. Lightwood, Ph. D, and Stanton A. Glantz, Ph.D. And even those who never light up themselves benefit. “The effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) on many biological mediators that lead to heart disease occur rapidly and are nearly as large as those of smoking.”

Research showed an estimated 15 percent decline in the incidence of heart attacks in the first year of smoking bans alone. Three years following enforcement of the laws saw an even greater decline, roughly 36 percent, with a 40 percent drop in Montana.

Research from five European countries that have adopted similar policies was also examined in this study. Heart attack rates fell a full 11 percent in just two months following a ban on smoking in Italy. Similar statistics were found in Ireland.    

“Secondhand smoke (SHS) increases the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by 25% to 31% (1–5),” researchers^* from the Kansas University School of Medicine’s Division of Cardiovascular Diseases write. “In countries where smoking prevalence is high, for example, Britain 50%, Europe 62%, and Greece 156%, versus 22% in the U.S., AMI in nonsmokers is particularly increased.”

Individuals who ceased smoking after the laws went into effect were not accounted for, and most of the statistics come from restaurant workers. Although this somewhat limits the data, researchers believe rates are underestimated and expect this trend to continue exponentially as more legislation goes into effect.

Authors of the study write, “Passage of strong smoke-free legislation produces rapid and substantial benefits in terms of reduced AMIs and that these benefits grow with time.”

*David G. Meyers, M.D, M.Ph.; John S. Neuberger, DRPH, M.Ph.; M.B.A., and Jianghua He, Ph.D

Legislators are considering the option of food taxes on sweetened beverages, including soda pop, and snack foods in an effort to battle obesity. Forty states are in support of a small tax on soda, while New York and Maine believe a higher tax may be necessary.

 
According to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, sugar consumption has risen 30 percent over the last decade. For teens and children, soda accounts for 10-15 percent of total calories consumed. By removing just ¼ of the sugar in sweetened beverages, consumers can reduce annual caloric intake by 8,000 calories. This figure equates to roughly two pounds of weight in a year.

“Americans consume about 250 to 300 more calories daily today than they did several decades ago,” according to authors Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., and Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Though no single intervention will solve the obesity problem, that is hardly a reason to take no action.”

Such a high rate of sugar intake can do more than expand the waistline. It can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other problems as a result of poor nutrition and weight gain. The objectives of those in support of a tax are twofold—to lower consumption, and to encourage soft drink producers to decrease the amount of caloric sweeteners in their products.

There are strong arguments on both sides. People arguing against the tax point out that food is necessary to survive. They believe raising prices will make it more difficult for low-income families to eat. Others argue that the poor would benefit the most. As the price of fresh produce and other healthier options goes up, soda and junk food prices are going down. People with tighter budgets consume more of the cheap but less nutritious foods and beverages.

“As Coca-Cola prices increased by 12 percent, sales dropped by 14.6 percent,” Frieden and Brownell wrote. Analysts believe that a 1 cent-per-ounce price increase could reduce consumption by as much as 10 percent. Justin Wilson, senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom, argues that such a tax is manipulation against the consumer. “The tax code should not be used as a method for social engineering, and that’s what this is,” he said.  Legislators see the issue a little differently.

Higher prices have been used effectively in the past to reduce tobacco sales, and any revenue from a tax on soda could raise up to $14.9 billion per year. This money could be used to support health reforms or other programs. New Yorkers’ support rose by 20 percent when lawmakers suggested using these funds for obesity prevention programs.

A recent study conducted by the Indiana University School of Medicine and Medco Health Solutions Inc. suggests that taking heartburn medications while using anticlotting drugs called clopidogrel can increase patients’ likelihood of heart attack by 50 percent. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention recommends patients taking anticlotting drugs discontinue the use of heartburn medications called proton-pump inhibitors.

Patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke, or who have a heart stent to treat blocked arteries often take anticlotting drugs. Doctors commonly prescribe the proton-pump inhibitors when patients experience side effects like acid reflux and stomach bleeding while taking clopidogrel. No risk has been identified in taking heartburn medications alone.

The society suggests patients use alternative treatments for bothersome gastro-intestinal side effects. Effective medications include over-the-counter antacids and prescription heartburn medications.

Challenge your heart disease knowledge using the Healia Heart Diseases Quiz. If you need more information on heart diseases and treatments, check out the Healia Heart Disease Health Guide. Share your personal experiences with heart disease medications at the Healia Heart Diseases Online Health Community and Support Group.


_{Photo: Publik15, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Swiss researchers reported Monday that any of several types of exercise can benefit people who have recently survived a heart attack. They also found that those benefits disappear when exercise is discontinued.

The researchers assigned more than 200 people who had previously suffered a heart attack to one of four exercise groups: aerobic training, resistance workouts, a combination of the two, or no exercise at all. They found that after four weeks, all three groups who were assigned to some type of exercise showed similar levels of improvement in blood vessel function, while those who did not participate in regular exercise showed no such improvement.

Some of the participants were then asked to stop their exercise regimens. One month later, all the improvements related to exercise were gone: the blood vessels of those who stopped working out had returned to their pre-exercise state.

It is unknown if the improvements in blood vessel function associated with exercise actually translate to better health and longer lives, but the researchers think it is likely. Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death, while poor blood vessel health is the major cause of heart disease. Any improvement in vessel health is likely to reduce the risk of future heart problems.

To find out more about heart diseases, read the Healia Health Guide to Heart Disease.

^{_{Photo: Mr. T. in DC, Flickr, Creative Commons}}

This month marks the 47^th year since Congress designated February as American Heart Month. The goal of this program is to raise national awareness about heart disease and educate Americans on how they can avoid heart disease.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States; more Americans die from heart disease each year than from all types of cancer combined. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease, which is a narrowing or hardening of the vessels that supply blood to the heart. If left untreated, coronary artery disease will almost always lead to a heart attack. In 2009, about three-quarters of a million Americans will have their first heart attack, and another half million will have a recurrent attack. Every minute, another American will die from a heart attack.

The chance of developing coronary artery disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or a stroke in the future.

The major signs of a heart attack are chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm or shoulder; pain in the jaw, neck or back; shortness of breath; and feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. Although the most commonly experienced symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort, women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, pain in the back or jaw, or nausea. Women also are more likely than men to delay seeking emergency treatment for a heart attack. Receiving immediate treatment substantially increases the chance of surviving a heart attack. Recent studies indicate that women may also have to wait longer to receive critical cardiac care than men, in part because their symptoms differ from men’s and also due to the fact that even doctors may still see heart disease as a disease of men.

For more information on ways to prevent heart disease and stroke, visit CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. To find out more about coronary artery disease and other heart diseases, consult the Healia Health Guide for Heart Disease. Join the conversation about heart disease in the Healia Health Community for Heart Diseases. If you of someone you know has had a heart attack and is trying to prevent a second one, you can share your experiences with others by joining the Healia Health Community and Support Group for Heart Attack.

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A recently released study suggests that smoking bans may reduce hospitalizations for heart attacks by more than 40 percent. If you needed a reminder why following through with that New Year’s resolution to quit smoking is important, this may be it.

The study, released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), looked at hospitalizations due to heart attacks in the town of Pueblo, Colorado for the years 2003- 2006. In 2003, Pueblo passed a smoke-free law restricting smoking in almost all businesses and indoor areas open to the public, including bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and bingo halls within the city limits.

The results showed that hospitalizations for heart attacks declined by 41 percent in the three years after the ban took effect, while two nearby towns that had not passed smoking bans showed no such drop. This suggests that the smoking was likely responsible for the reduction in heart attacks.

Several earlier studies have linked smoking bans to decreased heart attacks, but none of those looked at data from the three years following enactment of a smoking ban.

The study authors point out that the results could be interpreted to mean that secondhand smoke exposure is a contributing factor in many heart attacks, and that instituting smoking bans throughout the country could save countless lives.

However, there are other possible explanations for the decline in heart attacks, such as that some smokers may have quit smoking or smoked less after the ban, reducing their likelihood of experiencing a heart attack. In fact, some data suggest that the smoking rate has declined by five percent since the ban. The study did not examine which heart attack victims were smokers and which were not.

For more information about quitting smoking or to find support for your effort, visit the Healia Health Community for Smoking. For more information on heart attacks, read the Healia Health Guide on Heart Disease or join the Healia Health Community for Heart Attack.

See the study report on the CDC’s Web site.


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Every winter, around 30,000 people are treated for injuries that happened while shoveling snow or removing ice manually. The types of injuries sustained include sprains and strains, particularly in the back and shoulders, as well as lacerations and finger amputations.

Even worse, every time there is more than a dusting of snow and the temperature drops below freezing, the death rate from heart attacks goes up, as much as three times among men 35 to 49 years old. One of the main causes of this increase is snow shoveling.

Clearly, taking proper safety measures while shoveling snow is important. The following tips can help keep you safe from the first snow of the season to the final shoveling of the year.

For your heart:

• If you are in a high risk group for heart attack, you may want to talk to your doctor before you take on the task of shoveling snow. Those at the highest risk for a heart attack during physical exertion include anyone who has previously had a heart attack or who has heart disease, people with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, and people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
• Avoid consuming caffeine (coffee, cola) or nicotine before beginning. These stimulants may increase your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to constrict, placing extra stress on the heart.
• Drink plenty of water while you are working. Dehydration occurs frequently while working in the cold because people tend to sweat a lot while wearing warm winter clothes. The air can also be very dry, even when there is snow on the ground.
• Dress in layers so you can remove layers as needed if you get hot.
• Start slowly and pace yourself, taking breaks when needed. When it is cold, people often try to hurry to get the job done, but that only increases the risk of injury or heart attack.
• If you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, or tingling in your arms, neck, or jaw, it may be a sign of a heart attack: stop working and call 911 immediately.

To avoid injury:

• Warm up your muscles for 10 minutes before shoveling by stretching out or walking in place. Warm muscles take longer to tire and are also less likely to be injured.
• Use a shovel that is appropriate for your height and strength. While a larger blade allows you to move more show at once, it also puts more strain on your body and makes your heart work harder.
• Try to push the snow instead of lifting it. If you must lift, protect yourself from back injuries by lifting correctly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent, and back straight. Lift with your legs and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Do not bend at the waist. Do not hold a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched as this puts too much weight on your spine.
• Avoid twisting movements. Do not throw the snow over your shoulder or to the side, as this requires a twisting motion that stresses your back. If you need to move the snow to one side, reposition your feet to face the direction the snow will be going.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart for balance and keep the shovel close to your body. If it is icy, be especially careful when shifting your weight around quickly, such as when tossing snow from your shovel into a pile
• Listen to your body. Stop if you feel pain.

For more information on heart attack, see the Healia Health Guide for Heart Disease.

_{Sources: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2007 http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00060; North Dakota State University, 1999 http://www.ext.nodak.edu/snow.htm}

_{Photo: bcmom, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Health officials have worked hard to overturn the mistaken perception that heart disease is a man’s disease. According to a new study, the very doctors who treat heart attack victims may not be getting that message. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, reports that women who suffer heart attacks still don’t get the treatment they need and are more likely to die in the hospital than men if they suffer a massive heart attack.

The study found that overall, women and men survive heart attacks at similar rates, but women in the study were 12 percent more likely to die in the hospital after suffering the most serious type of heart attack. Initial results showed that women were nearly twice as likely to die from such heart attacks, but the figure came down after taking into account differences in patient age and health. Women also get less of the recommended medicines and procedures than men, or it takes longer to get them, the researchers said.

The data came from 420 of the Nation’s best hospitals that were enrolled in an American Heart Association program to get doctors to follow guidelines for treating heart attack patients. More than 78,000 patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction were admitted to those hospitals from 2001 to 2006. About one third of them experienced major heart attacks, in which a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, depriving the heart muscle of oxygen and causing it to die. Patients with this type of heart attack require immediate treatment in the form of clot dissolving drugs or angioplasty.

Previous studies have suggested that women's heart attacks are treated less aggressively than men’s. The study confirmed this, showing that women were less likely to get recommended medicines quickly. Women in the study were:

• 14 percent less likely to get an “early” aspirin within 24 hours.
• 10 percent less likely to receive blood pressure lowering beta blockers.
• 25 percent less likely to receive reperfusion therapy to restore blood flow.
• 13 percent less likely to receive angioplasty (to physically remove a clot) within 90 minutes of hospital arrival.

Why would women be treated differently than men? Historically, women tend to have heart problems about 10 years later than men, which makes them more likely to be suffering from other health problems that could complicate treatment.

Studies also suggest that while the symptoms women have during a heart attack are not the same as those in men, doctors and women themselves tend to expect men’s heart attack symptoms. This could increase the time it takes for a woman to recognize that she is having a heart attack, delaying her decision to seek treatment. It could also increase the length of time it takes for a doctor to diagnose a heart attack since he or she may initially suspect something else.

Learn about heart disease and the atypical symptoms of heart attack in women from the American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign or from womenshealth.gov. If you recognize the symptoms of a heart attack in yourself or a loved one, get to the hospital right away. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself or your loved one if you feel that the hospital staff is not taking the situation seriously. For more information about heart disease, read the Healia Health Guide on Heart Disease or join the Healia Health Community for Heart Attack.

 

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A new study has found that statin drugs, normally prescribed for people with high cholesterol, may also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes among those with low cholesterol levels and no other major risk factors for heart disease.

The study participants all had normal levels of LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) but also had elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation that may prove to be a good predictor of heart disease. About 4% of the adult population fits these criteria and may potentially benefit from use of statins. Researchers are unclear as to why statin drugs reduce disease risk in this population.

The study tracked more than 17,000 people in 26 countries and showed that people taking the statin drug Crestor (rosuvastatin) were 54% less likely to experience a heart attack, 48% less likely to have a stroke, and 20% less likely to die from any cause. The effects were seen across all subgroups, regardless of gender, race, weight, or other factors.

Statins are the world’s top selling class of drugs and include Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor, and generic versions. The study was paid for by AstraZeneca, the makers of Crestor.

This study provides some encouraging insight about the potential benefits of statins in people with low cholesterol. However, the costs of taking statin drugs, both in expense and potential side-effects, might outweigh any reductions in heart attack and stroke risk. To find out more, talk to your health care provider or ask the experts on Healia Health Communities. For more about heart disease, cholesterol, and CRP, see the Healia Health Guide on Heart Disease.

 

_{Photo: kk+, Flickr, Creative Commons}