HOUSTON, Jan. 21 (UPI) — Heart patients who can climb two flights of stairs or walk briskly without symptoms should be able to have sex, U.S. researchers say. Dr. Glenn Levine of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and colleagues, who worked on the scientific statement for the American Heart Association, said it is reasonable for patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease to receive a comprehensive evaluation from their healthcare provider before resuming sexual activity. However, heart patients with unstable disease or severe symptoms should be stabilized before attempting sex, Medpage...

Yellow markings on the eyelids are a sign of increased risk of heart attack and other illnesses, say researchers in Denmark. A study published on the BMJ website showed patients with xanthelasmata were 48% more likely to have a heart attack. Xanthelasmata, which are mostly made up of cholesterol, could be a sign of other fatty build-ups in the body. Cardiologists said the findings could be used by doctors to help diagnose at-risk patients. The research team at the Herlev Hospital in Denmark started following 12,745 people in the 1970s. At the start of the study, 4.4% of patients had xanthelasmata....

The electrode, that staple of hospitals and medical dramas alike, may soon exit stage left. Researchers have designed a wireless electronic monitoring device so thin it can be applied to the skin like a temporary tattoo. It could one day be used to monitor heart, brain and muscle activity of patients without their even noticing. The research, released Thursday in the journal Science, could rid hospitals of the unwieldy, outdated monitoring systems, which often involve needles, webs of wires and conductive gels. “Such complicated wiring can be inconvenient and distressing for both patients...

When Matthew Green leaves hospital, the one thing he really mustn’t forget is his rucksack. By Andrew Levy The father of one will be carrying part of his new heart in it. Mr Green, 40, will be the first Briton to be discharged from hospital with a completely artificial heart. The device in his chest is slightly larger than the organ it replaces and weighs less than six ounces. It delivers blood to the body with the help of a pump that is carried in the rucksack, along with a battery. Read More…

By Daily Mail Reporter Epidemic: The genetic breakthrough could help the 62 per cent of Britons who are overweight or obese The ‘master switch’ gene which causes obesity has been identified, scientists have claimed. The DNA is thought to be what controls other genes found in the body’s fat cells. Researchers said the breakthrough could help treat obesity-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Scientists have already identified a gene called KLF14 as being linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but until now they didn’t know what role it played. The...

Doctors and public health officials have been telling us for years that eating too much sodium can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke by raising blood pressure to unsafe levels. So how to explain a new study that suggests low salt intake actually increases the risk of dying from those causes? The study, which followed 3,681 healthy European men and women age 60 or younger for about eight years, also found that above-average sodium intake did not appear to up the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) or dying of a heart attack or stroke. Read more…

In a randomized trial of 160 post-menopausal women, it was found that regular consumption of apples lowered unhealthy LDL cholesterol, raised beneficial HDL cholesterol and diminished the presence of inflammatory and damaging compounds, according to Florida State University researchers. Every day for a year, half of the women ate 75 grams of dried apples and the remainder consumed the same amount of prunes. Their blood was tested at three intervals over the trial period. The women who ate apples experienced an average 23 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol after six months, and raised beneficial...

Blair River, 6ft 8inches tall, spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill, died from what appeared to be a complication of flu – pneumonia. The 575-pound man’s job was to promote a restaurant unashamed of its high-calorie, unhealthy menu. At Chandler’s Heart Attack Grill, staff walk around in nurses uniforms and the owner, John Basso, has a doctor’s white coat – however, the menu is definitely not for those interested in good health or looking after their figure. The restaurant has meals in excess of 8,000 calories. An active 200lbs man who is 6ft 2ins tall does not require...

By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY Heart patients with an optimistic outlook are more likely to be healthier down the road and survive longer than those with less rosy views, new research suggests. A study in Archives of Internal Medicine, out Monday, that followed 2,800 heart patients shows that those with more positive attitudes about their recovery had about a 30% greater chance of survival after 15 years than patients with pessimistic leanings. Although other studies have looked at how long it was before patients returned to normal activities, this is the longest, largest study to track survival,...

By Luke Salkeld A shy teenager collapsed and died minutes after she and a boyfriend kissed for the first time, an inquest heard yesterday. Keen sportswoman Jemma Benjamin, 18, shared the romantic moment with fellow university student Daniel Ross on their way to his flat. But after they went inside Miss Benjamin slumped on to the sofa and began to drift in and out of consciousness. She suffered from the rare cardiac condition SADS, or Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, which kills about 500 people in Britain each year, the inquest was told. Read more…