‘Apple-shaped’ women may have increased heart attack risk

Source: NHS Choices: Behind the Headlines

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Date of publication: March 2018

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: “Women with apple-shaped bodies are ‘more likely to suffer heart attacks than those who are pear-shaped’,” the Daily Mirror reports, as a new study found a link between increased waist size and heart attack.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and other institutions investigated the links between having increased levels of body fat and the risk of having a heart attack.

They used data from people enrolled in the UK Biobank study, which asked nearly 500,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 69 about their health.

The study found having a bigger waist and having a bigger waist relative to your hips were linked to an increased risk of having a heart attack.

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Acknowledgement: NHS Choices: Behind the Headlines

 

Research highlights the urgent need for better diagnosis of deadly inherited heart conditions

Source: British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication: March 2018

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: New figures we’ve released today show that people with potentially deadly inherited heart conditions are too often not diagnosed until a life-threatening cardiac arrest or sudden death in the family. Our survey of almost 200 people with inherited heart conditions from across the UK found that one in six (16%) people with a deadly inherited heart condition are only diagnosed after having a cardiac arrest, whilst a fifth (18%) of people are diagnosed after a sudden death in the family.

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Acknowledgement: British Heart Foundation

Tests can give families of SADS victims a lifesaving diagnosis

Source: British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication: March 2018

Publication type: Research

In a nutshell: A study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology suggests a series of investigative tests should be carried out on the loved ones of SADS victims, to try and diagnose an underlying hidden heart condition and protect them from another tragedy.

The series of tests include an ECG, echocardiogram, exercise test and the ajmaline provocation test – a procedure used to reveal abnormal electrical activity in the heart.

The researchers, based at St George’s University of London, evaluated over 300 families who had lost a relative to SADS over a 10-year period. The team looked at 911 relatives in total and 22% of them were diagnosed with an inherited cardiac condition. The most common condition found in families was Brugada syndrome, affecting 16% of all relatives.

Brugada syndrome is a rare inherited heart rhythm disturbance that restricts the flow of sodium ions into the heart cells. If diagnosed, people with Brugada syndrome can be treated with medications or fitted with an ICD, to shock the heart back into rhythm if it stops.

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Acknowledgement: British Heart Foundation

Weak handshake could be sign of a failing heart

Source: British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication: March 2018

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a weak grip can be associated with changes in the heart’s structure and function, and could be used as a broad measure of someone’s heart health.

By asking people to grip a device called a dynamometer for 3 seconds, the scientists were able to determine someone’s grip strength and compare this to detailed scans of their heart.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: British Heart Foundation