Broad Use of AEDs Improves Cardiac Survival
This study found that lay volunteers trained in the use of the AED, but without traditional education in CPR, were able to help improve the community's survival rate from cardiac arrest. [ (Circulation. 2002;106:1065.) ]  posted at 8:51 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Automated External Defibrillators in Police Cars Improves Survival
This study provided AEDs to all Miami-Dade County, Florida, police cars. The study found that the police arrived first to 56% of the 911 calls for cardiac arrest, and overall improved the time to availability of a defibrillator from 7.64 minutes to 4.88 minutes (p<0.001). For patients with shockable rhythms (ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia), having the AEDs in police cars improved survival rates from 9% to 17.2% (p<0.05). [ (Circulation. 2002;106:1058.) ]  posted at 8:45 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Comparison of Stenting with Minimally Invasive Bypass Surgery for Stenosis of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery
This randomized study of 220 symptomatic patients with high-grade proximal LAD lesions found that minimally invasive bypass surgery was superior to stenting in terms of the need for repeated intervention and freedom from angina at six months. Stenting was superior to surgery in that it had fewer periprocedural adverse events. [ NEJM Volume 347:561-566 August 22, 2002 Number 8 ]  posted at 6:38 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Exercise Decreases Inflammation
This study found that exercise was associated with lower levels of c-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Comment: this is more evidence that exercise helps decrease heart disease not only by affecting lipid levels, but also by decreasing systemic inflammation. This may also explain why patients with arthritis benefit from exercise. [ Epidemiology 2002; 13(5):561-568 ]  posted at 12:49 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Heart Patient Identification Program
This new service allows people with heart disease to carry important information in their wallet--- so in an emergency vital information is readily available to doctors, nurses, and emergency services personnel. Comment: the company that launched this program, http://pcpresents.com/members/begin...errer=fmjones89">pcpresents, has been a reliable Internet comany in my personal experience. This looks like a good service. [ Heart Patient Identification Program ]  posted at 7:50 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Calls for Public Defibrillators Rise
There are more calls for public defibrillators from the American Heart Association, with state legislatures starting to allocate public funds for their purchase. Currently, in the transportation industry, only airlines are required to have them on board. The awareness has been heightened recently when a man in the Boston area suffered a heart attack on a train. He had to wait while the train made two more regular stops. He died before receiving proper medical attention. [ article ]  posted at 3:45 AM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Depression Common After Myocardial Infarction
Depression affects about 25% of people who have recently had a heart attack. This is important for many reasons, but partly because depressed patients are less likely to take their prescribed medications, follow a cardiac healthy diet, and exercise. Comment: there may be an additional benefit of treating patients after a heart attack with an SSRI antidepressant such as fluoxetine, which may have the added benefit of anti-platelet activity. [ J Am Geriatr Soc 2002;50:817 ]  posted at 10:17 AM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Long Hours Linked to Heart Attacks
This study from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health found that among the Japanese men studied, those working more than 60 hours a week had twice the heart attack risk compared to those working 40 hours a week or less. [ article ]  posted at 10:21 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Death From Heart Disease More Likely in UK Than Most Other Industrialized Countries
Recent statistics from researchers in Switzerland reveal that the United Kingdom has among the highest rates of death from heart disease among western European countries and major industrialized countries. Japan, Hong Kong, and France have the lowest rates for death from heart disease. Canada, Switzerland, and the US have the lowest rates of death from stroke. [ article ]  posted at 10:10 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article

Enalapril Associated With a 35% Risk Reduction of Heart Failure Across Ethnic Lines
This study of 4054 patients found that the relative risk reduction for the development of symptomatic heart failure was similar across ethnic lines (black vs white). The relative risk for both groups was approximately 0.65 [ J Am Coll Cardiol 2002 Jul 17;40(2):311-7 ]  posted at 9:11 PM by Tom Heston, MD   comment on this article