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.

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 →

Is home monitoring by patients with heart disease and/or hypertension a feasible alternative? According to experts and results of recent studies, there’s actually no place like home for monitoring cardiovascular patients.

Hypertension patients

More →

Two groups of stroke survivors. One group had robotic devices to assist them in walking again. The other group had physical therapists in attendance. Which group do you think performed better?

According to a study conducted by the University of Illinois in Chicago, stroke survivors seem to benefit more from therapist-assisted walking rehabilitation compared to those who underwent robotic devices-assisted therapy. 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.

More →