Gene therapy has been used to create a biological pacemaker in a pig. Health experts believe the technique could be repeated in humans to help people with serious heart conditions. The technique involves altering muscle cells so that they can deliver a normal heartbeat. To make that adjustment, researchers used a gene called TBX18, which […]
2 min read
A new study shows that a diet featuring canola oil — rather than other cooking oils — is good for the heart. Specifically, canola oil consumers saw a visible reduction in blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels and a very impressive reduction in LDL (or low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. The study was led by David Jenkins, […]
2 min read
If cardiovascular disease runs in your family history then prevention should be part of your every day lifestyle. Balanced blood pressure and cholesterol levels—by incorporating daily physical exercise, healthy diet, quitting smoking, and curbing excess drinking—are all vital in the effort to thwart a stroke or heart attack. After all, it’s the minor changes, like […]
3 min read
Cardiovascular disease is known as the silent killer—especially for women. It takes the lives of roughly one million Americans every single year, which equals approximately 1 in 4 deaths (more than half are female). Heart disease is considered a silent killer because it often doesn’t display telltale symptoms like cancer or lung disease. And many […]
3 min read
Toronto surgeons recently brought Twitter followers with them into the surgery room, where they performed a coronary artery bypass graft on a 57-year-old patient. The goal: to raise awareness about heart health issues. Surgeons at Sunnnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto took to Twitter to tweet facts, photographs, and video clips associatedwith the bypass graft. […]
2 min read
An irregular heartbeat, or an arrhythmia, is characterized by just that—the irregular rhythm of the heart’s beat. Arrhythmias differ from person to person, ranging from slow arrhythmias (a condition called bradycardia, where the heart beats irregularly and too slow) to fast arrhythmias (a condition called tachycardia, in which the heart beats irregularly and too quickly). […]
4 min read