September 29 marks World Heart Day. The focus for 2012 is on women, children and heart disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes one in three female deaths and 1 million babies are born annually worldwide with a congenital heart defect. Putting the spotlight on these vulnerable populations is more crucial than ever. In order to raise …
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Although the total number of stroke deaths declined by more than 50 percent between 1978 and 2006, racial disparities in stroke deaths have remained and efforts to eliminate health disparities have been unsuccessful. Between ages 45 and 65, blacks are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from stroke than whites, but we haven’t …
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In this video, Dr. Keith Ferdinand, Chief Science Officer of the Association of Black Cardiologists, talked about heart disease and atrial fibrillation among minorities, especially blacks and African Americans. He talked about why blacks appear to have less afib than whites, and what blacks should be doing to prevent AF and heart disease. Watch the …
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This very important story may change how afib patients and their doctors decide if they should be on anticoagulant medications (blood thinners), such as Coumadin or warfarin. The CHADS2 scoring system is how doctors now decide who should be on Coumadin or warfarin to avoid strokes, but a newly-published study adds new stroke risk factors …
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A new study reports that blood levels of a protein hormone called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts new atrial fibrillation, regardless of other afib risk factors. Those with the highest levels were four times as likely to develop afib as those with the lowest levels. In the study, elevated levels of NT-proBNP occurred as …
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Sleep apnea is an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation. It is also associated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, and insulin resistance, all of which are risk factors for, or results of, atrial fibrillation. Now a new study has just reported that men between the ages of 40 and 70 who …
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This is my crazy-busy time of year, with many back-to-back trips for speeches. I speak at Go Red for Women and women's heart health events around the country, especially during Heart Month (February). I go for a couple of days, come home for 12-24 hours, and then leave again. No matter how crazy it is …
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Healthy diet is so important to those with afib and to anyone who has, or wants to ward off, heart disease and other health issues. So, here is some really useful information for your holiday travel. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine just ranked 15 busy airports based on whether they have healthy food. Read: …
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It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., which is a time to reflect and give thanks. No matter what has happened in our lives, we have much for which to be thankful. I have much for which I am thankful as well, including getting a second chance and a third chance at life. Both caused …
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I write and talk a lot about air pollution and heart disease. We've known for a long time, from a wide array of studies, that air pollution can lead to heart disease and heart attacks. Air pollution has always caused my heart to race, but I thought I was unusual in that regard. Apparently not. …
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