Wednesday 18 March 2020

Sunday 8 March 2020

Thursday 30 January 2020


#Cardio-oncology is a new term to describe the efforts to prevent or treat patients with cancer who face #heart problems caused by #cancer treatments. Although many #cancer patients also have health conditions related to #lung disease, #infections or kidney #disease, the rise of #cardiac diseases in these patients has led to the growth of this new field. #Cardio-oncology involves cancer doctors (oncologists), #cardiologists and researchers.

Thanks to advances in treatment, the number of #cancer survivors has never been greater and is expected to reach more than 20 million in the U.S. by 2026.

New #therapies are helping patients live longer, but that means they also need on going cancer treatments that may #damage their hearts. Many of these #survivors are at risk for #heart disease and now will live long enough after their #cancer treatments to develop heart disease. In addition, some #cancer medications may damage the heart.

New approaches to prevent or manage these side effects are needed, such as:
#Team-based care from #cardiologists and oncologists.
Improved methods developed by radiation #oncologists to reduce the #cardiac side effects of #radiation therapy.

#Drugs to treat cancer are being developed and released at faster rates. Some may #damage the #heart in new or unexpected ways. Whether due to research limitations or a process to fast-track #drugs for life-threatening conditions, it is hard to detect all possible #cardiac side effects before the drugs are released. #Oncologists and #cardiologist’s familiar with these real-world issues are the ones best suited to find these problems and protect #patients.

#Cardiologists and other #specialists in imaging of the #heart and #blood vessels are developing techniques to catch damage to the heart from #cancer treatments earlier.

For now, there is no certification of #health professionals who have special skill in managing these #cardio-oncology problems, but efforts are underway to create a #certified training program for the field.
For more details:

For any queries, mail us at: globalheartcongress@heartcongress.net
#Heart_congress2020 #Tokyo #Japan #April 20-22 #Cardio-oncology #Drugs #cancer treatments #heart_problems #infections #oncologists



Monday 27 January 2020


#Diabetes and #heart failure are closely related: patients with diabetes have an #increased risk of developing heart failure and those with heart failure are at higher risk of developing diabetes. Furthermore, #antidiuretic medications increase the #risk of mortality and #hospitalisation for heart failure in patients with and without #pre-existing heart failure. When the two diseases are considered individually, #heart failure has a much poorer prognosis than #diabetes mellitus; therefore heart failure has to be a priority for treatment in patients presenting with the two conditions, and the diabetic patient with heart failure should be managed by the heart failure team. No specific randomised clinical trials have been conducted to test the effect of cardiovascular drugs in diabetic patients with heart failure, but a wealth of evidence suggests that all interventions effective at improving prognosis in patients with heart failure are equally beneficial in patients with and without diabetes. The negative effect of #glucose-lowering agents in patients with heart failure or at increased risk of heart failure has become evident after the withdrawal of #rosiglitazone, a #thiazolidinedione, from the EU market due to evidence of increased risk of #cardiovascular events and #hospitalisations for #heart failure. An important issue that remains unresolved is the optimal target level of #glaciated #haemoglobin, as recent studies have #demonstrated significant reductions in total mortality, morbidity and risk of heart failure despite achieving HbA1c levels similar to those observed in the UKPDS study conducted some decades ago. #Meta-analyses showed that intensive #glucose lowering is not associated with any significant reduction in cardiovascular risk but conversely results in a significant increase in #heart failure risk. Different medications have different risk: benefit ratios in diabetic patients with heart failure; therefore, the heart failure team must judge the required intensity of glycaemic control, the type and dose of glucose lowering agents and any change in glucose-lowering therapy, according to the clinical conditions present.

#Diabetes is treatable, but even when #glucose levels are under control it greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. That's because people with #diabetes, particularly type 2 #diabetes, may have the following conditions that contribute to their risk for developing #cardiovascular disease.

#Heart_Congress_2020 #Tokyo  #Japan  #Diabetes #heart failure
#hospitalisation  #glucose-lowering





Thursday 23 January 2020


A #stroke is a condition that is typically referred to as a #cardiovascular accident or a CVA. During a stroke, #blood supply to the brain cells is #interrupted leading to cell death. This interruption of regular #blood flow could be due to a blockage in the #blood_vessels (ischemic stroke) or due to the rupturing and bleeding of the blood vessel (haemorrhagic stroke). Lack of #oxygen from blood damages the brain cells leading to cell death within minutes. This makes it very important for a person having a stroke to get immediate #medical attention and treatment.
Stroke and #heart attack symptoms occur suddenly. Though the two events have a few possible symptoms in common, their other symptoms differ.
A common symptom of a stroke is a sudden and powerful headache. A stroke is sometimes referred to as a “brain attack.” A #heart attack, on the other hand, often occurs with chest pain.
Recognizing the different symptoms of a stroke and heart attack can make a big difference in getting the right kind of help.

The symptoms of stroke and #heart attack depend on:

       ·      the severity of the episode
       ·      your age
       ·    your gender
       ·  your overall health   
   The symptoms can come on quickly and without warning

#blood_vessels


Monday 20 January 2020



#Cardiologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases or conditions of the heart and blood vessels—the #cardiovascular system. You might also visit a cardiologist so you can learn about your risk factors for heart disease and find out what measures you can take for better #heart health. Texas Heart Institute #cardiologists are listed in the professional staff directory.

When you are dealing with a complex #health condition like heart disease, it is important that you find the right match between you and your specialist. A diagnosis of heart or vascular disease often begins with your primary care doctor, who then refers you to a #cardiologist. The #cardiologist evaluates your symptoms and your medical history and may recommend tests for a more definite diagnosis. Then, your cardiologist decides if your condition can be managed under his or her care using medicines or other available treatments. If your cardiologist decides that you need surgery, he or she refers you to a cardiovascular surgeon, who specializes in operations on the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. You remain under the care of your cardiologist even when you are referred to other specialists.
#Cardiology is a complex field, so many cardiologists specialize in different areas. All cardiologists are clinical #cardiologists who focus on the diagnosis, medical management (use of medicines), and #prevention of #cardiovascular disease. Some clinical cardiologists specialize in pediatric cardiology, which means they diagnose and treat heart problems in children. When #clinical #cardiologists treat only adult patients, they specialize in adult cardiology. 
#Heart_Congress_2020 #Tokyo #Japan  #Cardiologists # diagnosing #cardiovascular system #pediatric cardiology



Thursday 16 January 2020


#Cardiac nursing is a specialty focused on preventing and treating conditions related to the #heart. Like other nursing specialties, a profession in #cardiac nursing requires an understanding of normal #cardiac anatomy and #physiology, keen assessment and #monitoring skills, vast knowledge about #cardiac disease and conditions, and ongoing education related to recommended prevention methods and treatment options. #Cardiac nurses may work in inpatient or outpatient settings, care for medical or #surgical patients, and see patients through acute illness or help them manage chronic disease.

In this #Cardiac Nursing Resource Center, we’ve put together resources to help you provide the best care to the patients you see. Our Pocket Cards are quick references to refer to when you are caring for a patient with a #myocardial infarction (MI) or #heart failure. Refer to the Guideline Summaries to learn need-to-know information from the latest recommendations. Our #infographics, tips and #mnemonics, and blogs are additional resources to help you during your cardiac nursing career.

#cardiac anatomy #physiology

Thursday 9 January 2020


#Heart failure is a chronic, #progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough #blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can’t keep up with its #workload.
At first the heart tries to make up for this by:
  • Enlarging. The #heart stretches to contract more strongly and keep up with the #demand to pump more blood. Over time this causes the heart to become enlarged.
  • Developing more muscle mass. The increase in muscle mass occurs because the contracting cells of the #heart get bigger. This lets the heart pump more strongly, at least initially.
  • Pumping faster. This helps increase the #heart’s output.
The body also tries to compensate in other ways:
  • The #blood vessels narrow to keep #blood pressure up, trying to make up for the #heart’s loss of power.
  • The body diverts blood away from less important #tissues and #organs (like the kidneys), the #heart and #brain.
These temporary measures mask the problem of #heart failure, but they don’t solve it. #Heart failure continues and worsens until these compensating processes no longer work.
Eventually the heart and body just can’t keep up, and the person experiences the fatigue, #breathing problems or other symptoms that usually #prompt a trip to the doctor.
The body’s compensation mechanisms help explain why some people may not become aware of their condition until years after their heart begins its decline. (It's also a good reason to have a regular checkup with your doctor.)
#Heart failure can involve the #heart’s left side, right side or both sides. However, it usually affects the left side first.


Monday 6 January 2020


#Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which your #heart muscle becomes inflamed and enlarged. Because it is enlarged, your heart muscle is stretched and becomes weak. This means it can’t pump blood as fast as it should.
If your heart muscle becomes too weak, you may develop #heart failure (a serious condition that needs special treatment). Most people are only mildly affected by #cardiomyopathy and can lead relatively normal lives. However, people who have severe heart failure may need a heart transplant.
Cardiomyopathy is different to a heart attack. #Heart attacks also damage part of your #heart muscle, but may be caused by something else.

Causes:

 

There are many types of cardiomyopathy, with different causes. Some of the more common ones are:
·        #Dilated cardiomyopathy (also called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy) is a condition in which the heart becomes weak and the chambers get large. As a result, the #heart cannot pump enough blood out to the body. It can be caused by many medical problems.
·        Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. This makes it harder for blood to leave the heart. This type of cardiomyopathy is most often passed down through families.
·        Ischemic cardiomyopathy is caused by a narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood. It makes the heart walls thin so they DO NOT pump well.
·        Restrictive #cardiomyopathy is a group of disorders. The heart chambers are unable to fill with blood because the heart muscle is stiff. The most common causes of this type of cardiomyopathy are amyloidosis and scarring of the heart from an unknown cause.
·        Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs during #pregnancy or in the first 5 months afterward.
    #heart failure  #Dilated cardiomyopathy