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Thursday, June 25, 2009
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Heart Scan Bill Passed in Lone-Star State
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Texas Governor Rick Perry signed off on a Texas Heart Attack Prevention Bill just last Friday, giving the industry a necessary boost in confidence and hopefully revenue. The initiative will mandate healthcare benefits and coverage for patients seeking out prevention screenings. Many cardiologists claim that early detection is key to preventing heart attacks and heart disease, which is why this bill is being praised a huge step forward for the heart scan industry.
The details of the legislation have been highlighted in TheHeart.org,
"The final wording of Act HB1290 stipulates that health-benefit providers cover the cost of CT coronary-artery-calcium (CAC) scans and carotid ultrasonography in men between the ages of 45 and 76 and women between the ages of 55 and 76, as well as anyone (at any age) who has diabetes or is deemed to be at intermediate risk or higher for developing CAD, as determined by the Framingham risk score. With the governor's blessing, the act is now poised to go into effect September 1, 2009."
In recent months there has been much opposition against virtual scanning methods. Medicare backed out of covering virtual colonoscopies and heart scans came under scrutiny as well. This will hopefully raise awareness for prevention and offer Texans a financial means to afford such procedures.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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Putting in the Effort
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Heart disease is still considered one of the leading killers globally. People are now putting in the added effort to lower their 'bad' cholesterol levels, which is generally known to induce cardiovascular disease. 10,000 people in 9 countries were examined and proved to have taken an active role in lowering their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in a number of different ways.
According to Forbes, "73 percent had reached their target level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) -- nearly double the number since the survey was first conducted in 1996-1997. Three-quarters of those surveyed were on a statin drug to lower cholesterol (for an average duration of about two years), while others either used different medications or made only lifestyle changes, such as improved exercise and nutrition regimens, to try to bring down their LDL levels, the researchers found."
Alongside taking added caution in cholesterol levels, such high risk patients are generally urged to get regular heart check-ups. Smokers, diabetics, obese people and those with family history are some of the highest risk candidates, especially when coupled with high cholesterol and blood pressure.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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Canadians Take Top Honor
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Heart disease deaths are significantly lower in Canada than many other countries. The numbers have dropped nearly one third over the last ten years. It is said that this drop has come due in part to better and more improved heart attack survival treatments, drugs and techniques. However, some would argue prevention tactics have also added to these figures.
Canadian Reuters said, "The decline is likely explained in part by better prevention and in part by better treatments," Dr. Jack V. Tu, a researcher at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, told Reuters Health. Fewer Canadians are smoking now compared with a decade ago, Tu noted, and there is greater awareness of and better control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol."
Prevention methods like virtual heart scans are also touted as key elements to lowering death rates of cardiovascular disease, as they are noted for catching heart disease early on so treatment can be effective.
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Friday, June 19, 2009
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Colon Cancer and Genetics
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Scientists and researchers say they are getting closer to possibly finding a genetic test that would diagnose colon cancer and who will require advanced colorectal cancer screening like virtual colonoscopies. The scientists believe they have found a genetic 'red-flag' that may indicate the likelihood of precancerous cells in its preliminary stages.
Forbes health report said of the findings, "The American Cancer Society estimates that 106,100 new cases of colon cancer and 40,870 cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Nearly 50,000 people are expected to die of the diseases this year. "The gene-based tests are based on the assumption that a tumor will shed cells into the stool," said Dr. Gad Rennert, who wrote a commentary on the study."
The study found colon cancer in nearly 53% of those who's stools were sampled. Doctors find these results promising because it may lead to cheaper more effective screening methods in the future, because genetic testing is generally less expensive than proper colonoscopies.
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
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Socioeconomic Status and Heart Disease
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For the first time a study has been released showing findings about socioeconomic status and heart disease. The model examined is about risk factors for heart disease associated with socioeconomic status, and the researchers say it should be considered when patients are being treated.
The United Press International said of the study, "The study, published in the American Heart Journal, finds the current model used to assess risk -- Framingham Risk Scoring -- underestimates the risk of death from cardiac disease, but this discrepancy is cleared up in the statistical analysis when income and education are added to the list of risk factors."
The researchers also noted that this is the first study of its kind. They define low socioeconomic status as a household who brings in at total of $27,000 combined salary. The study noted that there was higher risk of heart disease going untreated in such patients, as the monetary means and education levels were to their disadvantage.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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Virtual Colonoscopy Being Heard Again
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After Medicare opted out of paying for virtual colonoscopy procedures a few months ago, the industry seemed to have faded slightly. But now reports are coming out saying that the scans are still a viable option and wise choice for quick, easy colon check-ups and cancer prevention. Regardless of the screening method you choose, colon cancer is known to a treatable cancer if caught at it's early stages. For some traditional methods are chosen because they feel it is more comprehensive, while other patients prefer virtual screenings to eliminate the embarrassment and pain involved in traditional forms of removal.
Reuters reported saying, "Computed tomographic colonography has been shown to be better accepted than colonoscopy and has a negligible risk of serious adverse events; thus, it may help increase the low adherence reported for individuals who are candidates for screening, which is the main negative factor affecting its efficacy in reducing mortality from colorectal cancer," Regge's team wrote."
The decision for colon cancer screening should be based on the patients decision and physicians recommendation, because for some both economically and time-wise non-invasive procedures may be the best option, whereas other more high-risk patients prefer the old-fashioned way to check the colon even more in depth.
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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Psoriasis and Heart Disease
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A recent study suggests that people suffering from psoriasis are said to have increased chance of developing heart disease. The research shows that psoriasis has the same adverse affects as significant heart disease inducers like obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. The skin disease affects roughly 2 to 3 percent of the world's population, which is estimated to be about 7 million Americans.
According to a Forbes health report, "The risk appears to stem from the chronic inflammation associated with psoriasis, he explained."This systemic inflammation causes damage to blood vessels, leading to increased risk," he said. The medical lesson of the study is that "it is critical for people who have psoriasis to understand their increased risk and have their other risk factors addressed," he said."
For those of you suffering from psoriasis, alongside going to your dermatologist for treatment, it may be a wise choice to visit a cardiologist and have regular heart scans as the risks for heart disease development seem to be quite high.
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Monday, June 15, 2009
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Hepatitis C and Heart Disease
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A recent study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal has found a link between Hepatitis C and increased cardiovascular disease rates. In general some infectious diseases have been known to induce heart disease in patients later in life, but this is the largest study around Hepatitis C.
Aidsmap news online said, "However, it is biologically plausible that hepatitis C may increase the risk of disease such as heart attack and stoke as hepatitis steatosis (fatty liver), a common complication of hepatitis C infection, has been associated with increased levels of inflammation and metabolic syndrome."
Interestingly enough the study showed evidence that the patients who developed cardiovascular disease after having Hepatitis C did not have the common causes of heart disease like: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and family history. This is why the researchers believe they need to further study the link between infectious diseases and heart disease to ascertain specifically why heart ailments develop.
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Friday, June 12, 2009
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Heart Disease and Smoking
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We all know the saga surrounding smoking and health issues, the obvious of course being lung cancer and emphysema. But not everyone knows about the other health ailments associated with smoking: heart disease. One of the leading killers of men and women worldwide is heart disease, a problem that if lifestyle permits is quite preventable and treatable.
Science Daily said of the smoking and heart disease findings, "The study, which will be presented June 11 at The Endocrine Society's 91st annual meeting in Washington, D.C., found that nicotine in cigarettes promotes insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that raises blood sugar levels higher than normal. People with pre-diabetes are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that smokers who are pre-diabetic have blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not high enough for diabetes, a known risk factor for heart disease."
The same researchers who will be presenting the findings this week believe that in the near future a drug will be made to reduce or eliminate the dangers of nicotine. Until then of course high risk heart disease patients like smokers, the obese, diabetics and those with family history should consider getting scans regularly to prevent and detect any early signs of cardiovascular disease.
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
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Chemicals from Plastic may Induce Heart Problems
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Bisphenol A (BPA) the chemical found in clear plastic bottles may be linked to causing heart problems in women. The issues that researchers have found are arrhythmia and irregular heartbeat, especially heightened among women who are generally more susceptible to cardiac issues than their male counterparts.
A Forbes health report said, "Researchers for one of the studies to be presented this week concluded that estrogen and BPA cause heartbeat irregularities in heart cells isolated from rats and mice."Basically, it's very clear that BPA is acting like estrogen," said study co-author Scott Belcher, an associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Cincinnati. "If we give estrogen at physiological concentrations, then add BPA, it's actually a synergistic effect. It's not like adding the two together. It's worse."
Millions of pounds of BPA are used in products all over the world, many of which are in common materials we use daily. High risk patients like those with family history, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol are urged to get scanned and regularly checked, and it seems that women should also be getting heart scans and check-ups.
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