News tagged with 'Heart Attack'

The Florida legislature has agreed to cap the bond tobacco giants would have to set aside in case they lose thousands of upcoming cigarette injury cases.  A bond is required to launch an appeal, which can take years, something many of the injured smokers or their survivors don't have.   

Add pomegranate juice to the list of antioxidant filled juices that should not be consumed by those taking some statins to lower cholesterol, says ABC's medical correspondent.

Many people might imagine a heart attack to be like those portrayed on television. The person clutches their heart, hunches over and drops to their knees in severe pain. While this depicts a real life scenario for some patients, others may have had a heart attack without ever knowing it. In fact, an estimated 200,000 people are affected by an undiagnosed, or “silent,” heart attack in the U.S. each year.

The numbers are astonishing and about 40 percent more than previously thought. More than 5 million live with some paralysis and are fighting with not only their condition but frequently with access to resources, jobs, insurance, and rehabilitation, making this a civil rights issue says the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.  

United Airlines passengers who are wider than the arm rests, will have to purchase another seat or wait until a flight with open seats. It's a way to both capture additional revenue and to answer hundreds of comsumer complaints the airline says it has received about wide-bodied flyers. 

Nature has its own way of fighting obesity - in the form of brown fat, which helps babies and small mammals stay warm.  A cold environment, just about shivering, will activate brown fat's calorie burning capability, but short of moving to Alaska, these three newly published studies shed light into a promising area of obesity research.  

National Voices  - For years, Texas District Judge Michael Schattman sat on the bench in Fort Worth listening to product liability and personal injury cases.  Now he is a medical device injury victim who feels the Riegel decision prevents Americans from exercising an American right. 

Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Lead is implicated in more deaths than previously reported, admits the company.  That updated count was released after a federal judge dismissed about 700 cases against Medtronic citing the Riegel decision affirming federal preemption and a shield for device makers.

The FDA is issuing its third alert concerning over-the-counter weight loss products that contain prescription ingredients. A diuretic, anti-seizure, and prescription-only appetite supressant have been found in these OTC drugs the FDA wants taken off the market. 

While U.S. litigation against Merck over the drug Vioxx is winding down, in Canada it's heating up. A Saskatchewan class action cannot be established says a three judge panel, but Ontario says this action means the more than one million Canadians, who allege harm from Vioxx, can join in one national class action. 

New published research shows that anger may go directly to your heart causing an arrhythmia, a malfunction in the impulses that send an electronic signal for your heart to beat.  Arrhythmia can cause congestive heart problems or increase the risk of stroke. Anger management is the key and can involve no or low-cost solutions without medication. 

When it comes to using a stent or a scalpel to treat coronary heart disease, this large study finds that they are roughly similar in outcome with stents offering less risk of stroke but more likelihood of additional treatment.

Among those women who drank two cups of coffee a day or more, researchers from Harvard have noted a reduction in the risk for stroke. If a woman smokes, almost all of the coffee benefit is erased.

This second look at the data says that not as many children should be put on statins to lower cholesterol as the American Association of Pediatrics origionally recommended.  

Being offered money helped a large number of General Electric employees quit smoking in this published research. While most people make several attempts to stop smoking, social networking and financial compensation might be tools for business to encourage a healthier workplace, researchers suggest.