CardioExchange Archive

May 13th, 2015

Get a Grip: Global Study Finds Grip Strength Is a Simple and Powerful Predictor Of Death

Larry Husten, PHD

A large global study finds that grip strength is a simple, powerful, and broadly applicable test that can help predict the risk of death and cardiovascular disease. The new findings from the Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study were based on data from nearly 140,000 adults in 17 countries. The study participants had their grip strength […]

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April 14th, 2015

Study Adds to Evidence Linking Divorce and MI

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study shows that after a divorce, people have an increased lifetime risk for myocardial infarction. Although previous studies have found that MIs occur more frequently in people who are divorced, this is the first study to prospectively examine the lifetime relationship between divorce and MI. In a paper published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and […]

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April 2nd, 2015

Global Cardiovascular Deaths Continue to Rise Despite Gains in Prevention and Treatment

Larry Husten, PHD

Improvements in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease haven’t been able to prevent a worldwide rise in cardiovascular deaths in a growing and aging population, according to the authors of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, the authors set out to “disentangle” […]

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March 2nd, 2015

Moderate Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Coronary Calcium

Larry Husten, PHD

The relationship of coffee and cardiovascular disease has been difficult to assess. Although early studies found a possible increased risk associated with heavy coffee consumption, more recent studies have found the opposite. Now a new study published in Heart finds that people who consume moderate amounts of coffee may be less likely to have atherosclerosis. In a […]

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February 23rd, 2015

Study Links Sauna Use to Better Health — In Finland

Larry Husten, PHD

Spending more time in the sauna may lead to a longer and healthier life — at least if you live in Finland, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Finnish researchers analyzed data from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. The new analysis focused on 2,315 middle-aged men who had 1, 2-3, or 4-7 […]

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June 24th, 2014

In Emerging China, STEMI Admissions Skyrocket But Treatment Lags

Larry Husten, PHD

Accompanying all the other changes in China over the past decade, admission to the hospital for ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) has soared, according to a paper published in the Lancet. Although the study finds that there have been some genuine improvements in treatment, the Chinese healthcare system still has a long way to go to improve […]

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June 4th, 2014

Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in the U.K.: It’s Complicated

Larry Husten, PHD

Epidemiology studies have provided powerful evidence linking air pollution to cardiovascular disease, especially MI and stroke. By some estimates, air pollution may be responsible for 3.2 million deaths each year, most from cardiovascular causes. At first glance, a new study published in Heart appears to cast doubt on this association. Analyzing U.K. data from more than 400,000 MIs, […]

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January 23rd, 2014

Survival After MI: When and Where Make a Big Difference

Larry Husten, PHD

Two studies published this week offer fresh evidence that the time and place of a myocardial infarction (MI) make a big difference. 1. MI patients in the United Kingdom are more likely to die than MI patients in Sweden, according to a study published in the Lancet. Researchers in Sweden and the U.K. analyzed data from almost 120,000 Swedish patients […]

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December 9th, 2013

European Air Pollution Standards May Need to be Strengthened

Larry Husten, PHD

A large new analysis published in the Lancet has found a strong association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of dying. The results suggest that European standards for air quality may need to be strengthened. The European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) analyzed data from 22 European  studies, including 367,251 participants followed for an […]

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November 20th, 2013

Consumption of Nuts Linked to Mortality Benefit

Larry Husten, PHD

Nut consumption has long been linked to healthy lifestyles. Now, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine extends the finding and demonstrates a strong association with improved mortality. Ying Bao and colleagues examined data from nearly 120,000 people enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study to assess the relationship of […]

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