Too much belly fat, even for people with a healthy BMI, raises heart risks
American Heart Association News
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People with too much fat around their midsections and vital organs are at increased risk for heart disease, even if their body mass index falls within what is considered a healthy range, according to a new scientific report.
The statement from the American Heart Association, published Thursday in its journal Circulation, summarizes research on the ways in which belly fat and other measures of obesity affect heart health. Belly fat also is referred to as abdominal fat and visceral adipose tissue, or VAT.
Cancer may cause changes to the heart before treatment
Kat Long, American Heart Association News
April 21, 2021
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Some types of cancer may alter the appearance and function of the heart, according to new research that analyzed people s hearts before cancer treatment.
An estimated 1.9 million people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Having a history of cancer is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular problems: Older breast cancer survivors, for example, are most likely to die from cardiovascular disease, not breast cancer. Cancer and heart disease also share several risk factors, including obesity and tobacco use.
Smartphone-based tool helps detect irregular heartbeat in American Indians
American Heart Association News
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A smartphone-based screening tool can accurately detect previously undiagnosed atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that puts people at high risk for stroke, according to new research that shows it could help uncover the condition in American Indians.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, reported a smartphone-based electrocardiogram detected AFib in a group of American Indians, half of whom were younger than the recommended screening age of 65. The device was tested on American Indians because they are more at risk for AFib than people in other racial and ethnic groups.
Pandemic-fueled drug abuse threatens hearts, lives
Michael Precker, American Heart Association News
April 20, 2021
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On a recent day in his Denver Health emergency room, Dr. Eric Lavonas hit another tragic trifecta. In a nine-hour shift, I took care of somebody with chest pain from cocaine, somebody with an opioid overdose who quit breathing, and somebody with methamphetamine use who thought he was being chased by shape-shifting demons, he said. Sadly, that is not a rare occurrence anymore.
Lavonas, who is also a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado, has a front-row seat in what appears to be a pandemic-related surge in addictive, illegal drugs that damage hearts and threaten lives.
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