heart attack

Shingles increase heart attacks – time for the vaccine

Shingles, a reactivated form of the chickenpox virus, is a painful rash that afflicts many people decades after the initial chickenpox infection. Now, we have data that shingles increase heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and strokes. This is more evidence that we need to end chickenpox with the chickenpox vaccine, and reduce the risk of shingles in those who have had chickenpox with the shingles vaccine.

Let’s take a look at shingles and this new study.Read More »Shingles increase heart attacks – time for the vaccine

Flu vaccination helpful to patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators

A couple of days ago I reported that the flu vaccination not only prevents the flu itself, but it may also reduce risk of certain types of heart disease and death from cardiovascular events. In another study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular… Read More »Flu vaccination helpful to patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators

Flu vaccination may reduce risk of heart disease and death

In addition to preventing the disease, the flu vaccination may have a more important benefit to those who get the shot. Dr. Jacob Udell, a cardiologist at Women’s College Hospital and the University of Toronto, looked at published clinical trials on… Read More »Flu vaccination may reduce risk of heart disease and death

Stem cell treatments for heart attacks

Acute myocardial infarctions (AMI), commonly known as heart attacks, are responsible for about 12.6% of deaths worldwide, according to The World Health Report 2004 – Changing History. In the United States, about 16.6% of those who have heart attacks die within 30 days of the attack. Outside of AIDS and a few infectious diseases, AMI is the biggest killer of adults.

An AMI is essentially caused by a blockage of the coronary arteries which leads to cellular damage of some of the heart muscle (myocardium). This prognosis can be minor to deadly, depending on a lot of issues such as other cardiovascular risk profile (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, smoking and others), quality of treatment, and severity of the tissue damage. Over the past few years, treatments have improved the outlook for AMI sufferers, but the risk of a subsequent heart attacks and mortality rates are still high.Read More »Stem cell treatments for heart attacks