Heart Health Archive

Cardiac arrest is the ultimate 911 emergency. The heart stops sending blood to the body. Death occurs in minutes — unless a bystander takes matters into his or her hands and starts cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This keeps blood circulating until trained and better-equipped first responders arrive on the scene to jump-start the heart back into a normal rhythm. Two new studies in JAMA provide compelling proof that efforts to train people to do life-saving CPR pay off. Many organizations sponsor CPR and AED training programs. Two notable ones are the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Many local departments of public health also provide CPR training, including “friends and family” classes for people close to someone at risk of cardiac arrest. The investment of time and effort to learn CPR is small. The potential payoff — saving a life — is huge.

Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) offers a new lease on life for thousands of people each year. But it has also been blamed for “brain fog,” a loss of memory and thinking skills that follows the procedure in some people. Such brain problems are often called “cognitive impairment.” But the operation itself may not be to blame, according to a review in today’s Annals of Internal Medicine. A team of mostly Veteran’s Affairs researchers concluded that intermediate and long-term cognitive impairment after cardiovascular procedures “may be uncommon.” That said, they recommend that anyone thinking about open-heart surgery or other large cardiovascular procedure should discuss with the surgeon the possibility of cognitive impairment.

Extra-virgin olive oil and nuts seem to contribute to the benefits.

Q . Can you explain exactly what "ejection fraction" means? And is there any way to increase it?

A. Ejection fraction refers to the volume of blood that's pumped out of the heart's left ventricle each time it contracts. Contrary to what many people believe, a normal ejection fraction is not 100%. Even a healthy heart pumps out only about half to two-thirds of the volume of blood in the chamber in one heartbeat. So a normal ejection fraction lies somewhere in the range of 55% to 65%.

Q. My cardiologist told me to take clopidogrel for a year after I received a stent. Now the year is up. I haven't had any bleeding problems. Should I keep taking it?

A. In addition to aspirin, doctors routinely prescribe clopidogrel (Plavix) for people who receive stents, the tiny metal mesh tubes placed in clogged blood vessels to improve blood flow. This medication stops blood components called platelets from clumping together and forming clots. The current guidelines generally recommend that people take the drug for a year. This advice assumes they don't have any side effects such as unusual bleeding, which can show up as severe nosebleeds or blood in the urine or stools. However, these guidelines are still evolving. Experts are currently reviewing new findings from large studies on the benefits and risks of taking clopidogrel and similar drugs for extended periods of time.

New findings may help allay fears about sports-related heart death.

Rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease vary among people of different backgrounds.

Summer's heat, humidity, and smog may be tough for people at risk of heart disease.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) not only saves lives, it may also help survivors of cardiac arrest recover well enough to return to work, according to a study in the May 12, 2015, issue of Circulation.

Researchers studied more than 4,300 people in Denmark who were employed before they suffered a cardiac arrest. In cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops working. More than 75% of survivors who had a cardiac arrest outside a hospital were able to return to work in a median time of four months. Those who received CPR from a bystander were nearly 40% more likely go back to work compared with those who didn't get CPR. The chest compressions given during CPR keep blood circulating to the brain, minimizing brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.

Unless you have symptoms of a heart problem, taking a cautionary look under the hood is unlikely to help—and could even be harmful.