Battling Heart and Stroke

Every year, over 700,000 people in the US suffer from stroke. According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the number 3 cause of mortality in the US, after heart diseases and different types of cancer.

Those who are lucky to survive this monster can end up with after effects that would include paralysis, speech or language impairment, vision problems, behavioural changes, and memory loss.

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Your weekend news…Happy reading!

CVD Lifestyle Watch

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Those rehab exercises can be a bore sometimes. Treadmill, cycles, weights, sit-ups…I’m sure many cardiac patients on rehab get sick of these exercises and are simply tempted to stop. Well, this Mexican doctor may just have found a better alternative…What about dancing?

Dr Paula Quiroga of the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chavez of Mexico City went for dancing steps instead of the usual rehab routine and got better results. More →

In a previous post, I touched on the beneficial effects of laughter and positive emotions on our heart and vascular system. It is very common however, that heart patients, especially those above 60, suffer from depression, thereby further worsening their underlying heart conditions. However, a recent study conducted by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia may just have found a rehabilitation program that seems to greatly benefit heart patients physically as well as psychologically.

The researchers studied 74 patients who had heart failure and have been diagnosed with depression. The patients were split 4 groups, with each group receiving a different type of home-based rehabilitation program for 3 months, as described below: More →

By Moses Wright

Cardiac rehabilitation is a form of therapy and rehabilitation that not many have heard about. Patients who have suffered a heart attack or undergone bypass surgery, their doctors would tend to recommend cardiac rehabilitation. Such rehabilitation is helpful as the patient usually needs to modify his lifestyle to some extent to maintain their best physical condition. Each program is uniquely catered to meet the needs of the patients, taking into consideration factors such as the patient’s age and weight as well as other prevailing illnesses.

A cardiac rehabilitation program aims to improve the overall health of the patient and is relatively holistic. The program also takes into consideration the specific heart problems the patient has and the underlying causes for the heart condition. Some of the areas of focus would include nutrition and weight loss, managing depression and stress, as well as improving the patient’s sense of self-esteem. In some cases, patients withdraw from life due to fear and anxiety issues; such factors are taken into consideration and the rehabilitation program would include therapy to help the patient deal with such emotional stress.

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