Our Familys Health: Heart Disease

Showing posts with label Heart Disease. Show all posts

10 Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol

Everyone must realize that high levels of cholesterol is not only dangerous to your health, but can also be fatal. Although you may use pharmaceuticals for this problem, there are also many different natural methods to lower your cholesterol.

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Good for the Heart - Good Health

A Chat with Dr. Devi Shetty (Heart Specialist)
Posted by: Dilip Prakash on: January 31, 2008

The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.

Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?

Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil

2. Exercise - Half an hour’s walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime

3. Quit smoking

4. Control weight

5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?

Ans: No

Qn: It’s still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest.

How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?

Ans: Yes

Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?

Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?

Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.

Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?

Ans: Mother Theresa, who was my patient

Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?

Ans: Extremely rare

Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age (I’m currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?

Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart?

Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body’s enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?

Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnuts.

Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?

Ans: Yoga helps.

Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?

Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Qn: Which oil is better – groundnut, sunflower, olive?

Ans: All oils are bad.

Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?

Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP (blood pressure), Treadmill test after an echo.

Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?

Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position, place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
(Editor: USA-Call 911)

Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?

Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.

Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP (blood pressure) outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?

Ans: Yes.

Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?

Ans: When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short/long term)?

Ans: Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?

Ans: No.

Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?

Ans: No.

Qn: How would you define junk food?

Ans: Fried food like Kentucky, McDonalds, [fast foods], samosas, and even masala dosas.

Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?

Ans: No.

Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?

Ans: Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.
(Editor: USA-Call 911)

Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?

Ans: No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?

Ans: Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?

Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans: Diet, exercise, drugs on time, control cholesterol, BP (blood pressure), weight.

Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?

Ans: No.

Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?

Ans: There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Qn: Does aspirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?

Ans: No.

Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?

Ans: Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?

Ans: Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkups if you are past the age of 30 (once in six months recommended).

Share this post with all your friends. They might be benefited.

Heart Attack Summary

This is a summary of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. ~Wayne
* Heart Attack - True Story
* Baseline Visit - Part 1
* Biopsy - Part 2
* Heart Muscle Spasm
* Baseline Visit - Part 3
* Stem Cell Infusion - Part 4

Stem Cell Infusion - Part 4

This is a continuation of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. I volunteered to be a part of this Stem Cell Research Program because I have NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. ~Wayne McDonald

On January 27, 2010 I had a procedure done for Stem Cell Biopsy. Since that time the CADUCEUS has been growing my heart stem cells.

On Friday February 26,2010 I went back to Cedars for Stem Cell Infusion. I was checked-in at 5:30am (ugh!) and had the usual paperwork to complete - cardo ekg - blood draw - etc. The procedure was at 7:30am with the entry through my right Femoral Artery. They proceeded to the LAD - Left Anterior Descending artery --- where my heart attack was located and where a stent was placed. (As I understand I had NO heart damage and my heart was only "stunned".

Normal time for Stem Cell Infusion is about 15 minutes. Well... After getting inside they decided to insert a 2nd stent (model XIENCE V) next to the first stent (model Medtronic Driver RX). This was a "Bonus" - not planned and the second stent is a metal stent which means I will be on a blood thinner (Plavix) for at least a year. The first stent was drug coated.

After the 2nd stent was put in place they did the Stem Cell Infusion. I was some-what-awake through the procedure - I asked later who put a mikey in my apple juice! I left the operating room at 9:00am and was checked into a room by 9:30am for 24 hour observation.

While recouping in my room I had a heart monitor attached and had my vital signs checked every 4 hours - temperature and blood pressure.

In addition, I had a blood draw every 8 hours to check my heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes.

I would also like to mention that the point of entry was "bandaged/sealed" with an Angio-Seal - a faster method to stop any blooding after a procedure.

Upstairs I stayed on my back for 4 hours, not moving and having the nurses checking on the SEAL to make sure there was no bleeding or problems. At 12 noon I was able to sit-up and have lunch. Spent most of the day sleeping - I was a little groggy. (I remember I was given an aspirin and a benadryl before the procedure).

At 6pm I was helped out of bed and sat in my chair to have dinner. I sat in the chair for about 2 hours.

On Saturday February 27th at 8am I had another blood draw, ECG/EKG and a Holter monitor put on my chest to wear home for 48 hour monitoring.

Throughout the day Friday, and Saturday, I have had no problems - no pain. Maybe a little bit of discomfort at the Angio-Seal.

I was checked out on Saturday at 11:30am and I am at home now resting.

My team of doctors at Cedars are the BEST and remarkable.

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category HEART DISEASE to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds - healthy.

Baseline Visit - Part 3

Heart Muscle Spasm

This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. ~Wayne

On Monday February 22 at 9am I noticed that I was having a slight intermediate twinge in my chest. It was minor and not painful, but I was having a twinge 4 or 5 times an hour. I made a call to a cardo nurse I know and she recommended I go to emergency.

I drove to emergency at 10am and checked-in. The doctor did an EKG and blood draw. Everything looked ok, but they wanted to keep me for observation. The muscle spasms continued - always they same. I felt like the boy who cried wolf.

They decided to check me in overnight for observation. I remember still having muscle spasms til 7pm that evening. The next morning, Tuesday, I woke up with NO spasms. Before I was released I was hooked up with a Holter monitor on my chest to wear home for 48 hour monitoring.

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category HEART DISEASE to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds - healthy.

Top 10 Lifestyle Changes Your Heart Will Appreciate

Article courtesy of Native Remedies

1. Skip the elevator and use the stairs instead. Just start with one flight. Soon, you'll be ready for two.

2. Start parking your car at the far end of the parking lot. The short walk everyday to and from the store or school helps your heart.

3. If you ride a bus or subway, get off a stop before your destination. Walk the rest of the way.

4. If you can, spend a few minutes of your lunch break taking a stroll outside work or school. It will also help boost your energy levels after lunch.

5. Housework that is done vigorously counts as exercise. Vacuming or mopping can be a real workout!

6. If you have a yard, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, and raking leaves are also chores that count as exercise.

7. If you have a dog, take it for brisk walks twice a day, and benefit your heart and his!

8. If you have a family, schedule an after-dinner walk. It’s great to help digestion and to start clearing the mind to get ready for bed.

9. Include oats into your daily routine. Just a cup of cooked oatmeal will provide wonderful cholesterol-reducing benefits. (Be sure to check out this month’s special feature on oats!)

10. Try to laugh! Laughter helps release pent up stress and has been proven keep your heart healthy and happy.

Proven natural remedies for high cholesterol. Herbs for reducing cholesterol naturally.

Article courtesy of Native Remedies

How You Can Reduce Your Risk and Improve Your Health

Two of the main pushes of cholesterol guidelines revolve around the importance of having your cholesterol measured and knowing your risk of developing heart disease.

Controlling blood cholesterol levels can lower your risk for heart disease. It is critical for ALL adults - including healthy young adults - to have their cholesterol levels tested. The importance of screening, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults cannot be emphasized enough.

Research has clearly shown that lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Cholesterol lowering is important for young, middle-aged, and older adults.

1 out of every 2 men and 1 out of every 3 women will develop heart disease sometime in their life. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States and about 1.25 million heart attacks occur each year in the United States.

Whether you have heart disease already or want to prevent it, you can reduce your risk for having a heart attack by lowering your cholesterol level.

Why does blood cholesterol matter?

Blood cholesterol plays an important part in deciding a person’s chance or risk of getting coronary heart disease. The higher your blood cholesterol levels, the greater your risk. High blood cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, the excess builds up on the walls of the arteries that carry blood to the heart. Over time, this build-up can narrow the arteries, slow down and impede the flow of blood to the heart. Thereby, possibly leading to a heart attack and related symptoms.

Cholesterol buildup is the most common cause of heart disease and it happens so slowly that you are not even aware of it. The higher your blood cholesterol, the greater your chance of cholesterol buildup.

Cholesterol Testing

All adults age 20 and over should have their total blood cholesterol checked at least every 5 years. Blood cholesterol levels of under 200 mg/dl are called "desirable" and put you at a lower risk for heart disease. Unlike total cholesterol, the lower your HDL, the higher your risk for heart disease. A HDL level less than 35 mg/dl increases your risk of heart disease. The higher your HDL level, the better.

Desirable Cholesterol Levels:
Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol): Less than 100 mg/dL
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good" cholesterol): 40 mg/dL or higher
Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL

Importance of Lowering Your Cholesterol Levels

Studies among people with heart disease have shown that lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk for dying from heart disease, having a nonfatal heart attack, and needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Studies among people without heart disease have shown that lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk for developing heart disease, including heart attacks and deaths related to heart disease. This is true for those with high cholesterol levels and even for those with average levels.

Even if your blood cholesterol level is close to the desirable range, you can lower it and reduce your risk of getting heart disease. Eating a heart healthy way, being physically active and losing weight if you are overweight are things everyone can do to help lower their levels. The good news is that people CAN prevent heart disease by controlling risk factors that can be modified. By lowering risk factors – through exercise, reducing saturated fats and cholesterol-containing foods, quitting smoking, and reducing excess weight, people can minimize their risk of ever developing coronary heart disease.

What Makes Your Cholesterol High or Low?

Your blood cholesterol level is influenced by many factors. These include what you eat, being overweight, lack of physical activity, heredity, your age and your gender. Many factors determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important:

Heredity - Your genes influence how high your LDL ("bad") cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood. One specific form of inherited high cholesterol that affects 1 in 500 people is familial hypercholesterolemia, which often leads to early heart disease. But even if you do not have a specific genetic form of high cholesterol, genes play a role in influencing your LDL-cholesterol level.
What you eat - Two main nutrients in the foods you eat make your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level go up: saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. Saturated fat raises your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat is a very important step in reducing your blood cholesterol levels.
Weight - Excess weight tends to increase your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level. If you are overweight and have a high LDL-cholesterol level, losing weight may help you lower it. Weight loss also helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
Physical activity/exercise - Regular physical activity may lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
Age and sex - Before the age of menopause, women usually have total cholesterol levels that are lower than those of men the same age. As women and men get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60 to 65 years of age. After the age of about 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Alcohol - Alcohol intake increases HDL ("good") cholesterol but does not lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Doctors don't know for certain whether alcohol also reduces the risk of heart disease. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Because of the risks, alcoholic beverages should not be used as a way to prevent heart disease.
Stress - Stress over the long term has been shown in several studies to raise blood cholesterol levels. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.

How Can You Lower Your Cholesterol Levels?

The main goal of cholesterol-lowering treatment is to lower your LDL level enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be. There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol:

Lifestyle Changes – includes a cholesterol-lowering diet, physical activity, and weight management. Lifestyle changes revolve around a proper diet with low saturated fat, trans-fats and low cholesterol foods and eating plan as well as weight management, physical activity, drug treatment and stopping smoking. To reduce your risk for heart disease or keep it low, it is also very important to control any other risk factors you may have such as high blood pressure and smoking.
Drug Treatment – if cholesterol-lowering drugs are needed, they are used together with lifestyle changes and treatment to help lower your LDL. Natural remedies are excellent tools as treatments for helping to lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risks.

Natural Remedies and How They Lower Cholesterol

Herbs and other natural products have been around much longer than the standard prescription drugs used today to control high cholesterol.

There are many natural alternatives to treating high cholesterol. This may be especially optimal to patients who are regulating their cholesterol levels with diet and exercise. Natural products reduce cholesterol levels by dissolving fat in the blood.

Alternatives to prescription drugs are being viewed with increasing interest especially since the withdrawal from the market of the prescription cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol after numerous deaths associated with its use.

The following list includes natural products that have been noted to reduce cholesterol levels through research:

B Vitamins, besides niacin, decrease the rate at which LDL is damaged through oxidation.
Carnitine has been seen to increase HDL levels, therefore decreasing total cholesterol levels.
Chromium has been seen to reduce LDL levels and increase HDL levels.
Coenzyme Q10 has been noted to reduce total cholesterol serum levels.
Fiber can be obtained through fiber supplements or through foods such as whole grains and vegetables. It is thought that fiber binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and preventing cholesterol absorption into the bloodstream.
Garlic has been widely studies for its cholesterol-lowering properties.
Grape Seed Extract has been noted to reduce total cholesterol serum levels.
Pantothine has been seen to increase HDL levels, therefore decreasing total cholesterol levels.
Red yeast rice contains a natural form of lovastatin. Effective natural product for cholesterol control. Included in Native Remedies Cholesto-Rite capsules.
Royal Jelly has been seen to lower cholesterol levels by reducing some of the cholesterol-elevating effects of nicotine.
Soy has been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels
Vitamin C has been noted to slightly reduce cholesterol levels.

Natural supplements should be used as a part of an overall program that includes dietary and lifestyle changes as referenced previous.

A Proven, Effective and Natural Aid for Controlling Cholesterol

Native Remedies’ Cholesto-Rite is a highly effective, proven and safe herbal remedy that controls good and bad cholesterol levels naturally. Cholesto-Rite not only lowers LDL cholesterol, but also increases levels of HDL, the 'good' form of cholesterol that helps to remove excessive LDL from the bloodstream and prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Regular use of Cholesto-Rite can help to balance the system and prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as ensure healthy arteries.

You can effectively manage and lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your chances of developing coronary heart disease by following the advice and information prescribed above. This includes healthy lifestyle changes such as following a diet regimen high in low fat, low cholesterol foods, exercise, testing and treatments for managing, reducing and improving cholesterol levels. Remember, having high cholesterol places you at risk for more serious complications so it is vital to take care of your cholesterol levels to take best care of your health.

How has Cholesto-Rite helped others?

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“I tried Cholesto-Rite with the permission of my doctor and can really say that it works, with no side effects! I am so happy that I am also going to try Mindsoothe. Thanks for all the advice and support that you gave me in the e-mails.” - Fran K.

“I decided to try Herbal Remedies. I searched Google and found that Cholesto-Rite contained two of the ingredients I was looking for (guggulu and red yeast rice), so I decided to take two pills a day. Within a few months, I couldn’t believe the difference, and my doctor wanted to know what changes I had made in my diet. Of course, this was 2 years ago. I still take Cholesto-Rite, watch my diet, and exercise. Thank you, Native Remedies. You have helped me deal with my health ...naturally and safely!” -Maya N., GA

Get more Information on Cholesto-Rite for Cholesterol Control

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Biopsy - Part 2

Holter monitor

A Holter monitor is a machine that continuously records the heart's rhythms. The monitor is usually worn for 24 - 48 hours during normal activity. A Holter monitor is like a ECG/EKG (electrocardiogram that records the electrical activity of the heart).

Electrodes (small conducting patches) are stuck onto the patient's chest and attached to a small recording monitor. The patient carries the Holter monitor in a pocket or small pouch worn around the neck or waist. The monitor is battery operated.

While wearing the monitor, it records the heart's electrical activity. The patient keeps a written diary of what activities are done while wearing the monitor. After 24 - 48 hours, the monitor is returned to the doctor's office. The doctor will look at the records and see if there have been any irregular heart rhythms.

More information about the Holter monitor and ECG.

Baseline Visit - Part 1

This is Part One of my participation in the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS) with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. ~Wayne McDonald

Before leaving the hospital on Tuesday January 5, 2010 my doctor told me about the Stem Cell Research Program (referred to as CADUCEUS). I said I would discuss it with my partner and contact the research program with my decision.

I decided to volunteer to be a part of the Stem Cell Research Program because I had NO health insurance and I wanted the best health care available at Cedars. In addition, I had already decided to go through County (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services) for regular check-ups and for my prescriptions. (Please click-on the category HEART DISEASE to read all my updates.)

On Thursday January 14, 2010 I went in for my first Baseline visit for the CADUCEUS study. The Baseline visit gathers health information (a "history") and a starting point of where I am in health. Today's appointment was from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

At 9:30am I met the Studies Nurse and had a EKG and health questionare. Next, I went to the Lab for my blood draw.

The second stop was imaging for a Cardiac MRI - a 1-1/2 hour procedure. Yes, 90 minutes in the MRI machine, no breaks.

After the MRI, I went to my pre-exam for a CAT Scan (CT). Before a CT the patient drinks a contrast material. The total time was less than an hour.

That was my full day - and I went home at 4:30pm

Note: This is an ongoing update of my HEALTHY recovery after a heart attack on New Years Eve 12-31-2009. Please click-on the category HEART DISEASE to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds - healthy.

CK enzyme Blood Tests for Heart Attack

Blood tests confirm (or refute) suspicions raised in the early stages of evaluation typically in an emergency room, intensive care unit or urgent care setting. Such tests are sometimes called heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes.

The blood test most commonly used to confirm the existence of heart muscle damage is the creatine kinase (KREE'ah-teen KI'nas), or CK for short. A small fraction of the CK enzyme, CK-MB, is often measured as well. CK-MB shows an increase above normal in a person's blood test about six hours after the start of a heart attack. It reaches its peak level in about 18 hours and returns to normal in 24 to 36 hours. The peak level and the return to normal can be delayed in a person who's had a large heart attack, especially if they don't get early and aggressive treatment.

Tests can measure the level of other cardiac muscle proteins called troponins (tro-PO'ninz), specifically troponin T (cTnT) and troponin I (cTnI). These proteins control the interactions between actin and myosin, which contracts or squeezes the heart muscle. Troponins specific to heart muscle have been found, allowing the development of blood tests (assays) that can detect minor heart muscle injury ("microinfarction") not detected by CK-MB. Normally the level of cTnT and cTnI in the blood is very low. It increases substantially within several hours (on average four to six hours) of muscle damage. It peaks at 10 to 24 hours and can be detected for up to 10 to 14 days.

More information about CK enzyme Blood Tests for Rapid Detection of Heart Attack

Cedars-Sinai Researchers Awarded $5.5 Million To Develop Novel Stem Cell Treatments for Heart Attack Patients

Released: 10/28/2009 8:45 PM EDT
Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Newswise — A team of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute stem cell researchers led by Eduardo Marbán, M.D., Ph.D. has been awarded a four-year, $5.5 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund research leading to clinical trials of new treatments for heart attack patients.

The grant will be used to continue Marbán’s development of cardiac stem cell therapies to strengthen and heal damaged heart muscle caused by cardiac arrest. The grant is part of a new strategy by the California state stem cell agency aimed at speeding the process of moving medical research from the laboratory to patient care.

Generally, it can take a decade or more to develop a new medical treatment to the point of securing federal approval for a clinical trial. The state institute’s Disease Team Research Awards, however, are designed to help researchers develop medical theories into treatments tested by clinical trials in four years or less.

Marbán’s team was one of 11 in California to receive a Disease Team Research Award and is the only team focusing on heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a first-time heart attack and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack.

Earlier this year, Marbán, who is director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, and his team completed the first procedure in which a patient’s own heart tissue was used to grow specialized heart stem cells that were then injected back into the patient’s heart in an effort to repair and re-grow healthy muscle in a heart that had been injured by a heart attack. The minimally-invasive procedure was completed on the first patient on June 26.

The Disease Team Award will enable Marbán’s team to develop other, new stem cell therapies for heart patients, including a potential treatment for patients with advanced heart failure.

“The support Cedars-Sinai is receiving from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will be an important element to succeeding in the fight against heart disease,” Marbán said. “What we work on in our stem cell lab today could translate into tomorrow’s innovative treatment for heart attack patients.”

“We are delighted that Dr. Marbán is receiving CIRM funding to continue his groundbreaking translational science devoted to regenerating diseased myocardial tissue,” said Shlomo Melmed, M.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center vice president of academic affairs and dean of the medical faculty. “This award validates the leading role of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in developing cutting-edge treatments for heart disease.”

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was established in November, 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at universities and research institutions.

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is internationally recognized for outstanding heart care built on decades of innovation and research. From cardiac imaging and advanced diagnostics to surgical repair of complex heart problems to the training of the heart specialists of tomorrow and leading-edge research that is deepening medical knowledge and practice, the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is known around the world for excellence and innovations.

Heart Attack - True Story

On New Years Eve Thursday December 31, 2009 at 10:30am I had a heart attack. More accurately I should say that I was having a heart attack on Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu.

I want to share with you some of my thoughts and hope that it prompts you to ACTION or possibly to better re-think how you approach life.

Reflecting back I had some clues to my heat attack, but I ignored them. First let me give you a brief background. I am a healthy male 54 years old and weigh 139 pounds. I am not overweight – smoke no - drink no – family history no – exercise --- could do more – healthy diet, low salt, low fat (maybe some cheese when I cook).

The clues, as I mentioned, on Monday I felt achy with no fever – I thought I had the flu or an infection in my lungs.

On Tuesday, I still didn't feel well and decided to go to a doctor. I was calling around to find a doctor that was in their office (By the way, I have been so healthy that my doctor had retired!) A doctor friend of mine said I should go to emergency. I had NO medical insurance and I didn't want to pay a huge medical bill. This was my FIRST CLUE – I had solid advice to go to Emergency and I ignored it. The SECOND CLUE on Tuesday was I felt something was wrong and I was panicked and scared --- Remember to always listen to your intuition, whether it is making a business decision or listening to your body for health reasons.

Now, I did go to Urgent Care on Tuesday --- but I was misdiagnosed and prescribed Amoxicillin for a general infection and ibuprofen.

Ok, so it is Wednesday and I am on medicine thinking that at some time I should start feeling better.

On Thursday I went to breakfast, went to the bank and stopped at Trader Joe's for a few groceries. By the time I got home, I felt worse and the pain had increased to about a 6 or 7 pain level (Standard Pain scale --- [0-no pain] to [10-Excruciating pain]).

I took more ibuprofen and within five minutes I was throwing up. By this time I realized something was wrong - still having no clue it was a heart attack.

My partner drove me to emergency at Cedars-Sinai (five minutes away). I walked in and was evaluated by a nurse and given a EKG - I still had no clue that I had a heart attack.

I was seen immediately by a doctor and had a heart monitor attached and chest xray. I thought I had the flu or a lung infection. The doctor said I had a heart attack and my response was, “REALLY?!”.

My partner was brought in, everything was explained and I was rushed upstairs to have a stent put in the LAD - Left Anterior Descending artery (stent - model Medtronic Driver RX).

By 1pm I was checked-in and stayed at the hospital til Tuesday January 5, 2010. During this time I was monitored --- blood draws every 8 hours to check my heart damage markers or cardiac enzymes, vital signs, and echocardiogram.

As explained by the doctor, my heart was "stunned" and there was no damage.

Ok, I am home and doing fine. Now the question is what can I do to help or inspire you? The signs for a heart attack can be so subtle. Some people have a LOT OF PAIN in their chest. Other people may feel they have indigestion. Each person is different AND the symptoms for woman are even more subtle. I am not a doctor and I am not here to give any medical advice.

Note: There will be more updates of my HEALTHY recovery after my heart attack. Please click-on the category HEART DISEASE to read all my updates. ~Wayne McDonald, age 54 and 136 pounds - healthy.