Tag Archives: cardiovascular disease

Can Inflammation Predict Heart Disease and Stroke?

By Guest PostApril 7, 2012Healthanti inflammatory medication, asthma, blood clots, blood test, c reactive protein, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, chronic inflammation, crp, disease, heart attack, heart disease, inflammation, protein, stroke

Can Inflammation Predict Heart Disease and Stroke?

Groundbreaking research may be able to help predict how likely it is that a person will have heart disease or a stroke in the future. Studies have linked inflammation to the risk of cardiovascular disease because of the association between the release of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and heart disease.

What is C-Reactive Protein (CRP)?

The National Institute of Health explains that CRP is a protein that is released when there is inflammation present in the body. The liver produces the protein and a blood test can be done to find out how much CRP is present in a person’s body.

What is inflammation?

John W. Kimball maintains a website describing in depth how inflammation develops in the body. Inflammation develops as a result of injury to the body. It can often be recognized by swelling and redness at the site of inflammation and may be accompanied by pain. Although inflammation often occurs on the surface of the skin, it can also occur internally. (more…)

Gene Research Sheds Light on Timing of Menopause

By Guest PostJanuary 23, 2012Healthanna murray, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, damage, early menopause, genes, genetic studies, genome, heart disease, hormonal change, hormonal regulation, immune system, joanne murabito, john perry, kathryn lunetta, menopause, menopause onset, oestrogen exposure, post menopausal women, pre menopausal, repair, reproductive disorders, reproductive lifespan, timing of menopause, university of exeter, university of oxford

An international team of researchers has discovered 13 new regions of the genome associated with the timing of menopause.

These genes shed light on the biological pathways involved in reproductive lifespan and will provide insights into conditions connected to menopause, such as breast cancer and heart disease.

Menopause is a major hormonal change that affects most women when they are in their early 50s. The timing of menopause can have a huge impact on fertility, as well as influencing the risk of a range of common diseases such as breast cancer. It has been known for some time that genetic factors influenced the onset of menopause, however until recently very few genes had been identified.

In the new study, published in the journal Nature Genetics on 22 January 2012, Dr Anna Murray, University of Exeter, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) Dr John Perry, PCMD and WTCHG, University of Oxford, and dozens of international collaborators, examined the genomes of over 50,000 women. They identified 13 novel gene regions associated with menopause onset, and confirmed four previously identified. Most of the 17 regions include genes related to DNA damage/repair or the immune system, whilst others are linked to hormonal regulation. (more…)

Tiny Amounts of Alcohol Dramatically Extend A Worm’s Life, But Why?

By Guest PostJanuary 21, 2012Science1 millimeter, alcohol, alcohol consumption, alcoholic beverages, beer, biochemistry of aging, brian young, c elegans, caenorhabditis elegans, cardiovascular, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, dna damage, effect, ethanol, health benefit, human aging, larval stage, longevity, minuscule, neurological effects, novartis research foundation, paola castro, protein repair enzyme, san diego, shilpi khare, steven clarke, stuart wolpert, tiny worm, trivial explanation

Minuscule amounts of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, can more than double the life span of a tiny worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans, which is used frequently as a model in aging studies, UCLA biochemists report. The scientists said they find their discovery difficult to explain.

“This finding floored us — it’s shocking,” said Steven Clarke, a UCLA professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the senior author of the study, published Jan. 18 in the online journal PLoS ONE, a publication of the Public Library of Science. (more…)

MU Researchers Find Unique Protein Organization in Arteries Associated with Cardiovascular Disease

By Guest PostJanuary 13, 2012Health, Science3 d microscopic imaging technology, amount of protein, artery, artery functions, blood vessels, cardiovascular disease, cause of death, circulatory complications, diabetes, disorders, elastin, elastin production, factor, gerald meininger, high blood pressure, human arteries, michael hill, minute structural elements, molecular biologists, stiffening, stiffening process, tissue replacement proces, united states, university of missouri

*Knowledge could assist in tissue replacements, treatments for high blood pressure and diabetes*

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Human arteries – some smaller than a strand of hair – stiffen as a person ages. This stiffening is a factor in cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, because it contributes to the circulatory complications in disorders such as high blood pressure and diabetes. University of Missouri researchers have now used advanced 3-D microscopic imaging technology to identify and monitor the proteins involved in this stiffening process. These findings could eventually help researchers and physicians understand and treat complications associated with cardiovascular disease. (more…)

Tai Chi Helps Prevent Falls and Improves Mental Health in Elderly

By PravdaJuly 19, 2011Healthancient chinese art, balance, british, cardiovascular disease, chinese, diabetes, diseases, effects of tai chi on health, elderly, hypertension, improves mental health, korean, meditative effects, musculoskeletal pain, osteoporosis, parkinson's, philosophy of tai chi, symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, tai chi, tai chi master, treatment for fibromyalgia, yang chengfu

Tai Chi helps reduce the risk of falls in the elderly, and improves mental health, is what a new study shows. However, practicing the ancient Chinese art does not help to ease the symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.

The information is from the research of a team that analyzed 35 reviews of studies evaluating the effects of Tai Chi on health.

The databases reviewed were British, Chinese and Korean that assessed the impact of Tai Chi on various diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s, musculoskeletal pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. (more…)

Couples-oriented Programs Found to Boost Healthy Behaviors Among African Americans

By Guest PostMay 17, 2011Healthafrican american couples, antiretroviral therapy, cancer screenings, cardiovascular disease, chronic diseases, diabetes, gail wyatt, haart, healthier eating, hiv and its treatment with haart, hiv medications, hiv-positive, increased physical activity, john b jemmott, nabila el bassel, std risk reduction program, virus, willo pequegnat

*Intervention focuses on couples in which one partner is HIV-positive*

Intervention programs that promote healthier eating, increased physical activity and cancer screenings may be beneficial for African American couples that are at high risk for chronic diseases and that include one partner who is HIV-positive, according to new research.

With such inverventions, each partner appears to draw encouragement from the other to monitor his or her own lifestyle and health, according to study co-author Gail Wyatt, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and an associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute. (more…)

A Dose of Safflower Oil Each Day Might Help Keep Heart Disease at Bay

By Guest PostMarch 22, 2011Health, Scienceabdominal fat, adiponectin, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, diabetes, glycemic control, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, linoleic acid, lipid control, metabolic syndrome, omega-3 pufas, omega-6 pufas, postmenopausal, safflower oil, triglycerides

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A daily dose of safflower oil, a common cooking oil, for 16 weeks can improve such health measures as good cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity and inflammation in obese postmenopausal women who have Type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

This finding comes about 18 months after the same researchers discovered that safflower oil reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle tissue in this group of women after 16 weeks of daily supplementation.

This combination of health measures that are improved by the safflower oil is associated with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that can increase risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. (more…)

Stroke Takes ‘Enormous Toll’ on Hollywood Stars

By Guest PostFebruary 11, 2011General, Healthcardiovascular disease, elizabeth taylor, fatal strokes, grace Kelly, hannah smith, heart attack, high blood pressure, hollywood actors, hollywood stars, kirk douglas, los angeles, mary pickford, oscar nominees, rana fiaz, researchers, richard burton, stroke, united states

A study by researchers at the UCLA Stroke Center found that stroke and cardiovascular disease have exacted an enormous toll on Hollywood stars.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference (ISC) in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.

“Since this is the first time the ISC is being held in Los Angeles, we thought it was an appropriate occasion to investigate the frequency and impact of stroke among leading Hollywood actors,” said Hannah Smith, a staff research associate at the UCLA Stroke Center. “By documenting the toll that stroke and myocardial infarction have exacted on stars like Kirk Douglas and Grace Kelly, we hope to illustrate the damage that cardiovascular disease can cause.” (more…)