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Kidney stones may elevate Heart Disease Risk in Women

August 3, 2013 By Angela

 

TUESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — Women who suffer from kidney stones may also be at raised risk for heart disease, a new study suggests.

No such increased risk was seen among men with kidney stones, the researchers noted.

“A link between kidney stones and cardiovascular risk factors has been long suspected, however studies on the association with cardiovascular outcomes that take into consideration important aspects such as dietary factors or medications are lacking,” said lead researcher Dr. Pietro Manuel Ferraro, a nephrologist at Columbus-Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

“Our study suggests that having kidney stones carries a higher risk of developing coronary disease in women independent of known cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure,” he said.

However, why the risk is seen only among women is not clear, Ferraro noted.

“A possible explanation for the observed differences might be related to potential hormonal differences between men and women. Also, known differences in calcium metabolism between men and women might partly explain our findings,” he suggested.

The report was published in the July 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Michael Palese, an associate professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, is not convinced that these findings are reliable.

“Previous studies have been inconsistent in evaluating the connection between kidney stones and heart disease,” he said.

These data are “self-reported”, so there is always a concern about the “inherent bias that comes with these kinds of studies,” Palese added. “These findings should be taken with a grain of salt.”

Another expert, Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, noted that a number of cardiovascular risk factors — including diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure — are seen more often in men and women with kidney stones.

“While there are a number of potential mechanisms by which kidney stones could result in a higher risk for heart disease, it is not clear why these mechanisms would be only operative in women as suggested by this new study,” Fonarow said.

To see what role kidney stones played in the risk for heart disease, Ferraro’s team collected data on nearly 46,000 men who took part in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and almost 200,000 women who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study.

Among the more than 240,000 participants, nearly 20,000 reported a history of kidney stones. During 24 years of follow-up in men and 18 years of follow-up in women, nearly 17,000 developed heart disease, the researchers found.

Analysis showed that women with a history of kidney stones were about 30 percent more likely to develop heart disease, have a heart attack or undergo a procedure to open blocked heart arteries than men.

However, the connection between having kidney stones and developing heart disease was insignificant among men.

Kidney stones are a common problem. Recent data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found the prevalence of kidney stones to be an estimated 10.6 percent in men and 7.1 percent in women.

Overall prevalence increased from 3.8 percent in 1980 to 8.8 percent in 2010, Ferraro noted.

Another expert, Dr. Zeph Okeke, director of endourology at North Shore-LIJ’s Arthur Smith Institute for Urology in Lake Success, N.Y., said the risks for kidney stones and heart disease are similar.

“Obesity, abdominal obesity or waist circumference [and body mass index] are associated with increased risk of kidney stone formation. This ties into the risk of heart disease since it is influenced by the same risk factors,” Okeke said.

According to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the best way to prevent kidney stones is to drink plenty of fluids, and to limit salt and protein from eggs, fish and meats.

SOURCES: Pietro Manuel Ferraro, M.D., nephrologist, Columbus-Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy; Michael Palese, M.D., associate professor, urology, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City; Zeph Okeke, M.D., director, endourology, North Shore-LIJ Arthur Smith Institute for Urology, Lake Success, N.Y.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles, and spokesman, American Heart Association; July 24/31, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association

HealthDay
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Cardiovascular Disease: What Is It And How Can You Protect Yourself From It?

July 20, 2013 By Lauren Hill

If there is one thing that we as Americans are really good at, it’s killing over from heart attacks or other forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, CVD is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. It claims one life every 38 seconds, resulting in about 2,300 American deaths per day. CVD is an umbrella term for a group of disorders involving the heart and blood vessels. Strokes and heart attacks are the two most common events that we notice when blood is blocked from flowing to the heart or brain. The majority of blockage and damage to the heart or its vessels is a result of fatty deposit buildups. Because CVD is largely do to our way of life, there are several things that we can do to protect ourselves from it. Bellow are six major risk factors and several contributing risk factors that can be changed.

Tobacco Use

Did you know that one in five deaths from CVD is a smoker and that smokers have twice as great a risk of having a stroke? There are several reasons why you should quit using tobacco if you currently do or not start if you haven’t yet. Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for CVD because it damages the lining of your arteries, it increases your heart rate and blood pressure, it increases your blood thickness, and it leads to fatty deposit development, among other things. To reduce your risk of CVD, don’t use tobacco.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is directly correlated with increased rates of CVD because it puts too much pressure against the blood vessel walls, which damages them. Approximately one-third of Americans currently have high blood pressure, which is pressure above 140/90 mm Hg. Eating a healthy diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, exercising, and having your blood pressure checked at least once every two years can reduce your risk of CVD.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxlike substance that circulates throughout your bloodstream. It can be beneficial in small amounts, but in excess it clogs the arteries. Protect your heart by keeping your total cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dl through exercising frequently and maintaining a healthy diet.

Physical Inactivity

Exercise may just be the closest thing we have to a “magic bullet” against heart disease because it helps to reduce the risk of all of the other leading CVD risk factors. It controls your resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels; it helps you maintain your weight; it helps to control or prevent diabetes; and it even improves the strength and elasticity of your blood vessels.

Obesity

Those who are obese are two to three times more likely to die from CVD than the general population. Excess body weight and fat put an increased strain on the heart. By controlling some of the other leading CVD risk factors such as physical inactivity, high cholesterol, and diabetes, your body fat percentage is likely to decrease, which will lead to a decreased risk of CVD.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that occurs when the body cannot utilize glucose (your body’s sugar) effectively. When your body’s blood glucose and insulin levels are elevated, they can damage the lining of your arteries. Diabetics are more vulnerable to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. There is also a correlation between diabetes and obesity, high blood pressure, and unhealthy blood lipid levels. Diabetes doubles the risk of CVD in men and triples the risk of CVD in women. Reduce your risk by doing what you can to control your diabetes if you have it or doing what you can to prevent it if you aren’t currently affected.

Contributing Risk Factors

There are also some contributing risk factors for CVD that you can work to keep under control. Some studies indicate that alcohol and other drugs play a contributing role in the development of CVD. Other studies suggest that individuals with high levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and chronic hostility or anger have a higher risk of CVD. You can protect your heart from stress by doing what you can do reduce the occurrence of the above behaviors.

Protect yourself from CVD, America’s number one killer, by doing what you can to protect yourself from the above major and contributing risk factors. Although you may never be able to completely eliminate your risk of developing CVD because of heredity, aging, gender, or ethnicity, you can greatly reduce your risk by following some simple guidelines. Do your part to protect your heart.

U.S. Health Study reveals an Urgent Need for Lifestyle Changes

July 13, 2013 By Angela

The Journal of the American Medical Association released “The State of US Health, 1991-2110: Burdens of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors”. This study confirms that Americans are living longer, but not necessarily healthier.

To read further, click here……

 

To get a head start on health and wellness, check out all of the great fitness and exercise equipment at: http://www.betterhealthinnovations.com/Fitness_Equipment_and_Exercise_Equipment_s/128.htm

A New Study Links Air Pollution to Strokes and Heart Attacks

June 5, 2013 By Angela

A new study recently published in PLOS Medicine focuses on the risks associated with pollution causing hardening of the arteries, leading to heart disease and strokes. To learn more about this read on…..

New Report Questions the Benefits of Reducing Salt Intake

May 19, 2013 By Angela

The Institute of Medicine announced the results of a study they conducted to research the benefits of reducing salt in your diet. To see more of the CNN Blog post click below.

 

Report questions benefits of salt reduction – The Chart – CNN.com Blogs

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