Heart Attack Damage Repaired...

Heart Attack Damage Repaired Using Gene Therapy

Scarred heart tissue can be transformed into beating cells using a cocktail of five genes, according to a new study.

Heart attacks cause cells in the affected area to stop beating and become encased in scar tissue, but researchers believe the damage may not be permanent.

Many Women Worry About Sex...

Many Women Worry About Sex After Heart Attack

A Cardiologist Provides Travel Tips...

A Cardiologist Provides Travel Tips for Cardiac Patients

As part of the activities of the summer health awareness campaign carried out by the Ministry of Health (MoH), the MoH Media and Health Awareness Information Center hosted the consultant of Cardiology, Artery Catheterization, Tomography and Nuclear Imaging, Dr. Khaled Al Nemr; in order to raise awareness of the public, especially cardiac patients, by answering their questions on the phone to educate them about their health status and the ability of travelling abroad during the summer via the toll-free no. 8002494444, and through the MOH's account on Twitter: @saudimoh.

Good Night's Sleep 'Protects Heart'

Seven or more hours' sleep a night boosts the benefits to the heart of a healthy lifestyle, research suggests.

According to a large study, traditional advice on exercise, diet, drinking and smoking reduced deaths from heart disease or stroke, but even more lives were saved by also having enough sleep.

Painkiller Link to Heart Attacks

Health officials have advised patients with heart problems to avoid an over-the-counter painkiller used by millions after research found it can significantly increase the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that patients with an underlying heart condition, such as heart failure, heart disease or circulatory problems, or patients who have previously suffered heart attacks or strokes, should no longer use diclofenac.

Alzheimer's Drugs Linked to Lower Heart Attack Risk

Alzheimer's patients could be at lower risk of heart attacks thanks to drugs they are given to treat their condition, according to a new study.A class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), which are used to treat the early stages of the disease, also lower the risk of heart attacks by 38 per cent.

This means that for every 100,000 Alzheimer's patients, there would be 180 fewer heart attacks and 1,125 fewer deaths among those using the drugs compared with those not using them, researchers said.

Gene Therapy: 'Heart-healing Virus' Trial Starts

Patients in the UK have been enrolled into a trial to see if an engineered virus can be used to heal their damaged and struggling hearts.

The trial will use a virus to introduce genetic material into heart muscle to reverse the organ's decline.

The British Heart Foundation said the idea had "great potential" but needed to be proven in clinical trials.

'Gut Reaction' May Predict Heart Risk

Higher levels of stomach substance called TMAO linked to heart attack, stroke, study suggests

Experimental Heart Failure Treatment Shows Promise

But experts caution that larger studies of combined treatment are needed

People with chronic heart failure might benefit from a combination of "shock waves" to the heart and an infusion of their own bone marrow cells, an early study suggests.

The therapy is still experimental, and experts said much more work is needed. But they also said the results, reported in the April 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, are promising.

Brisk Walking May Equal Running...

Brisk Walking May Equal Running for Heart Health

Distance rather than speed reaps the benefits, researchers say

Brisk walking is as good as running for reducing blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes risk -- three key players in the development of heart disease, a new study finds.

It's a matter of how far you walk or run, not how long, said Paul Williams, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.

"Both of these activities reduce risk factors, and if you expend the same amount of energy you get the same benefit," Williams said. The key was the more people walked or ran each week, the more their health improved, he said.

The findings suggest "there is now some choice in the exercise you want to do," he said. Some people find running more convenient, others prefer walking, especially people just starting to exercise, he noted.

The advantage of running is you can cover twice as much ground in the same amount of time as you would walking, Williams pointed out.