Neighborhoods Influence Whether or Not Folks Take Their Heart Failure Meds

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• December 18, 2023
• Full Page

Heart failure is a major killer.

However, a new study finds that heart failure patients living in poorer neighborhoods are much less likely to pick up lifesaving meds from local pharmacies, compared to patients living in more affluent locales.

The reasons behind th...

Stem Cell Therapy Boosts Quality of Life for People With Advanced Heart Failure

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2023
• Full Page

Patients with advanced heart failure can benefit from stem cell therapy, a large, new clinical trial has found.

Injections of stem cells programmed to heal damaged heart tissue wound up improving overall quality of life for heart failure patients, compared to those who r...

Marijuana Use Could Raise Odds for Heart Attack, Heart Failure

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• November 6, 2023
• Full Page

People who regularly smoke medical marijuana may be increasing their risk for a heart attack, heart failure or stroke, new research suggests.

One study found that cannabis use among older patients increases the risk of heart attack or stroke by 20%. The second study foun...

Strike a Pose: Yoga Helps Heart Failure Patients

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 26, 2023
• Full Page

Heart failure can make everyday activities and exercise tough to carry out, but yoga might be a beneficial add-on to standard care.

A new study from India finds this ancient practice improves quality of life and cardio functioning.

"Our patients observed impro...

Wegovy May Be Valuable New Option for Heart Failure Patients

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• August 25, 2023
• Full Page

Weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) and its diabetes-focused cousin, Ozempic, have already upended the treatment of both obesity and diabetes, with sales of both drugs skyrocketing.

Now, injected Wegovy could prove a boon for many patients battling heart failure, a new...

Step Counts Aren't Just for the Healthy: They Also Help Heart Failure Patients

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 26, 2023
• Full Page

Wearable devices like smartwatches continually track physical activity, urging folks to take more daily steps for their health.

Now, a new study suggests this gentle technological nagging could be of great benefit to people whose hearts are giving out.

Heart failur...

Redlining May Raise Heart Failure Risk Among Black Americans

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 18, 2023
• Full Page

In areas where Black Americans have been historically affected by discriminatory housing practices, there is higher heart failure risk, according to new research.

Researchers studying more than 2.3 million U.S. adults between 2014 and 2019 found that heart failure today ...

Could Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fuel Heart Failure Risk?

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2023
• Full Page

Call it a hand signal of sorts.

New research from Germany shows that the common nerve disorder carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), may be a harbinger for heart failure among older folks.

In a study of 164,000 people, those 60 years or older who had the condition, which c...

3 Men Rid Themselves of a Deadly Heart Condition. Finding Out How Might Help Others

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 8, 2023
• Full Page

Patients who develop a devastating heart condition have new reason to hope after a study identified three men whose condition spontaneously reversed.

The condition is called transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. It involves a buildup of sticky, toxic proteins that can lead ...

Large Study Supports Less Invasive Way to Treat 'Leaky' Heart Valves

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• May 24, 2023
• Full Page

When one of the heart's valves springs a big leak, that can spell big trouble.

The good news: The condition, known as degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR), is treatable using a minimally invasive intervention known as TEER (transcatheter edge-to-edge repair), a proced...

Do All Heart Attack Survivors Need Long-Term Beta Blocker Meds?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 4, 2023
• Full Page

It's standard for heart attack survivors to take beta blocker medications for years afterward, but a new study suggests that may be unnecessary for people who've had a milder heart attack.

Researchers found that among heart attack survivors whose hearts still had n...

New 'E-Tattoo' Is Worn on Chest to Track Your Heart Health

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• May 2, 2023
• Full Page

Could an electronic chest "tattoo"-- wireless, lightweight and razor-thin -- upend heart monitoring and lower the odds of heart disease for folks who are at high-risk?

Just possibly.

The clear patch in question is not quite 4 by 5 inches in size, weighs less than ...

Black Cancer Patients Much More Prone to Chemo-Linked Heart Trouble

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 14, 2023
• Full Page

Sometimes cancer, and the treatments meant to eradicate it, can damage the heart and blood vessels. Now, a new analysis finds that damage may be much more likely if the patient is Black.

Black patients had 71% higher odds of developing what is known as cardiotoxic...

When BMI Isn't Used as Measurement, Obesity's Health 'Benefit' Disappears

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 22, 2023
• Full Page

Much has been made of the so-called "obesity paradox"-- the observation that people with a heart condition seem less likely to die if they are overweight or obese.

But European researchers now say they've debunked that theory, which was based on earlier research that rel...

Stick-on Sensor Could Warn of Heart Failure Complications

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 7, 2023
• Full Page

A stick-on sensor may help keep people with heart failure out of the hospital, new research suggests.

Investigators found that when doctors had actionable information about patients' conditions, delivered remotely through this noninvasive device, it prompted them to adj...

Too Little Dietary Salt Can Mean Trouble for Heart Failure Patients

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 24, 2023
• Full Page

It may seem counterintuitive, but a new study review suggests that consuming too little salt could be harmful to heart failure patients.

Doctors currently recommend a low-sodium diet to lower blood pressure and avoid fluid buildup and swelling, which can be common sympt...

Lifelong Bachelors Fare Worse When Heart Failure Strikes

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• February 23, 2023
• Full Page

When heart failure strikes, being a lifelong bachelor may mean you might die sooner than women or previously married men diagnosed with the same condition, a new study suggests.

Lifetime marital history appears to be an important predictor of survival in men with heart ...

How Phone Calls Could Boost Survival for Heart Failure Patients

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 2, 2023
• Full Page

A phone call from a nurse may be the lifeline needed to help improve survival for heart failure patients.

New research from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles finds that check-in calls may help save lives.

"There's a lot of new technology an...

Sepsis Raises Odds for Heart Failure After Hospital Discharge

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 1, 2023
• Full Page

Having sepsis -- a life-threatening response to infection -- may put patients at risk for future heart failure and rehospitalization, according to a new study.

Sepsis is an extreme immune response to an infection in the body. It can cause that infection to spread throug...

Risks for Heart Failure Rise in Rural America

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• January 27, 2023
• Full Page

Adults who live in rural areas, and Black men in particular, are at much higher risk for developing heart failure.

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition that develops when the heart fails to pump enough blood for the body's needs.

Researchers from the ...

Is There a Best Diuretic Drug for Heart Failure?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 19, 2023
• Full Page

It doesn't matter which water pill you're prescribed to treat your heart failure, because new trial data shows that one works as well as the other.

Two diuretics widely used to treat heart failure, furosemide and torsemide, showed no difference in their ability to improv...

Herbals, Yoga, Ginkgo: What Alternative Treatments Help Fight Heart Failure?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2022
• Full Page

It's tempting to follow the latest trend when it comes to health care, but for patients who live with heart failure, some alternative treatments could have serious consequences.

To address the issue, the American Heart Association (AHA) has published a new scientific st...

Climate Change's Extreme Temperatures Could Mean More Heart Deaths

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 12, 2022
• Full Page

Both extremely hot and very cold days take their toll on people who have heart disease, particularly those with heart failure.

A new multinational analysis of 32 million heart-related deaths over the past 40 years found more occurred on days with severe temperatures, an ...

Cases of Meth-Linked Heart Failure Are Spreading Worldwide

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 2, 2022
• Full Page

Methamphetamine wreaks havoc on the heart, warns new research that shows heart failure rates linked to the illicit drug are on the rise around the world.

Not only are these cases increasing, but they are more severe than traditional heart failure cases and they are stri...

Flu Shot Could Be Lifesaver for Folks With Heart Failure

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 17, 2022
• Full Page

People battling heart failure should make the time to get their flu shots now, a new study suggests.

Not only will the shots help prevent influenza in this high-risk group, but it could also reduce pneumonia infections and cardiac complications, researchers report.

Raise Med Dosages in Weeks After Heart Failure Crisis for Better Outcome: Study

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• November 10, 2022
• Full Page

When people with heart failure wind up in the hospital, it tends to become a slippery slope: They are more likely to be readmitted or die within six months during this vulnerable period.

Now, new research shows that ramping up doses of three heart failure medications wit...

Study Compares 2 Common Diuretics Used in Heart Failure

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 8, 2022
• Full Page

Patients with heart failure are often prescribed a diuretic or "water pill" to prevent fluid buildup. A new study has found that two often-prescribed medications work equally well at reducing deaths.

"Given that the two different therapies provide the same effect on out...

Hearts From Donors Who Had COVID Are Safe for Transplant

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 31, 2022
• Full Page

A person with heart failure in dire need of a new heart may have faced delays in getting one during the pandemic when potential donors tested positive f...

Black Americans Less Likely to Get Lifesaving Heart Treatments

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 19, 2022
• Full Page

A person with advanced heart failure may often need a heart transplant or a mechanical heart pump to survive.

But white patients are twice as like...

A Hotter World Can Worsen Heart Failure

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 22, 2022
• Full Page

Climate change could spell trouble for those with heart failure, a new study suggests.

When the temperatures soared in France during the summer of 2019, the heat wave appears to have worsened the conditions of heart...