Monthly news
Keep up exercise after a heart attack, suggests study
A Swiss research team has shown that although exercise helps people recover after a heart attack, the benefits disappear when exercise stops.
The experiment looked at 209 people who had survived a heart attack to see what effect different types of physical activity had on heart health, and whether the continued exercise helped.
Both male and female volunteers were given training in aerobic exercise, strength-building workouts, a combination of the two, or no exercise at all.
After four weeks, blood vessel function in the three exercise groups improved regardless of the exercise type. There were no improvements among those who did not workout at all.
A number of people from the exercise groups were asked to stop physical activity. Among these, it was found that after one month all the positive benefits of working out had vanished.
The researchers concluded that continued physical activity was key to preventing another heart attack, by improving blood vessel function. Heart disease is often a result of high blood pressure, which damages blood vessels.
"This aspect is particularly important in patients with coronary heart disease," said the study leader, Margherita Vona of the Clinique Valmont-Genolier, Montreux.
“Doctors know that exercise improves heart function but how much and what type of exercise people should take after a heart attack is unclear.”
SOURCE:
Effects of different types of exercise training followed by Detraining on Endothelium-Dependent Dilation in Patients with recent Myocardial Infarction' - M. Vona et al. Circulation 2009; 119: 1601-1608
Heart and gum disease linked by genes
German researchers at the European Society of Human Genetics conference, Vienna, have announced a genetic link between dental disease and heart attacks.
The University of Kiel team, led by Dr Arne Schaefer, found a common gene mutation in people with gum disease - or periodontitis - and heart attack patients. The evidence supports a widely held belief that the two conditions are related. For example, both have the same risk factors, including smoking, diabetes and obesity.
Researchers demonstrated similarities between the bacteria found in the oral cavity (mouth area) and those in coronary plaques (build up of fatty deposits inside the arteries of the heart), in addition to common imbalances in immune reaction and chronic inflammation.
One theory is that the bacteria involved in gum disease trigger a low grade inflammatory response in the body, prompting changes in the arteries leading to strokes and heart attacks. Another possibility is that bacteria entering the bloodstream can disturb the way blood vessels dilate.
The gene linking the conditions was found on chromosome 9 - a gene already associated with heart attacks. Although the latest study found the gene in 1,097 patients with heart disease and in 151 patients with forms of aggressive early-onset gum disease. Further research on 1,100 patients with heart disease and 180 patients with gum disease confirmed the same genetic variation.
"Now we know for sure that there is a strong genetic link, patients with periodontitis should try to reduce their risk factors and take preventive measures at an early stage", said Dr Schaefer.
"We hope that our findings will make it easier to diagnose the disease at an early stage, and that in future a greater insight into the specific pathophysiology might open the way to effective treatment before the disease can take hold."
SOURCE:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8063512.stm
