Heightened activity in the brain, caused by stressful events, is linked to the risk of developing a rare and sometimes fatal heart condition, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study found the greater the activity in nerve cells in the amygdala region of the brain, the sooner the condition known […]
Category: Cardiology
Study suggests wearing a face mask during intense exercise is safe for healthy people
Wearing a protective face mask has only a modest effect on the ability of healthy people to do vigorous exercise, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal. Researchers carried out detailed testing on breathing, heart activity and exercise performance in a group of 12 people while they were using an exercise bike […]
Damage to the heart found in more than half of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital
Around 50% of patients who have been hospitalised with severe COVID-19 and who show raised levels of a protein called troponin have damage to their hearts. The injury was detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at least a month after discharge, according to new findings published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Damage includes […]
People infected with COVID-19 have a higher risk of dying after a cardiac arrest
Women are nine times more likely to die COVID-19 patients who suffer a cardiac arrest either in or out of hospital are far more likely to die than patients who are not infected with the coronavirus. In particular, women have the highest risk of dying: they are nine times more likely to die after suffering […]
Metformin may affect risk of breast cancer in women with type 2 diabetes
A study of 44,541 women has found that there appears to be no association between type 2 diabetes and developing breast cancer overall. This may be because most women in the study with type 2 diabetes were taking metformin, a medication widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, whose actions may help to reduce the […]
Rich European countries have higher atrial fibrillation death rates than least wealthy
Women who develop the condition are more likely to die than men The wealthiest countries in Europe have higher death rates from atrial fibrillation than the least wealthy and these death rates are increasing more rapidly than incidence rates, according to the first analysis of its kind published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The […]
One small alcoholic drink a day is linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation
A study of nearly 108,000 people has found that people who regularly drink a modest amount of alcohol are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats in an abnormal rhythm. The study, published in the European Heart Journal [1], found that, compared to drinking no alcohol at all, just one […]
Socioeconomic background linked to survival after having a cardiac arrest in hospital
Hospital in-patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to receive prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after their hearts stop beating and less likely to survive than patients from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. These are the findings of a new study in over 24,000 patients in Sweden, published in the European Heart Journal [1]. It is the […]
Health of fathers-to-be is linked to risk of pregnancy loss
More than a quarter of pregnancies might be ectopic or end in miscarriage or stillbirth if the father-to-be is unhealthy and has three or more medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. In a retrospective study of nearly a million pregnancies between 2009 and 2016 in the US, published […]
Cancer patients receiving immunotherapy drugs have a higher risk of heart problems
A study of over a thousand cancer patients treated with immunotherapy drugs has found these patients are at greater risk of heart problems, including death from heart attack or stroke. The patients had either lung cancer or malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer), for which immune checkpoint inhibitors such as a programmed cell death-1 […]