Free Republic

Five-year-old Ahmed and his father, Warrant Officer Othman Mallouki, an Iraqi policeman with Fallujah Headquarters District, get ready to leave the Joint Command Center after a visit with Marines from Company B, Police Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, June 21. Marines with the team are working with the family to arrange transportation for Ahmed's surgery in Jordan. Photo by Cpl. Chris Mann. FALLUJAH — Sounds of joy and laughter resonate through a police station’s narrow hallways. A young boy slowly enters through a doorway at the end to greet the boisterous group of Marines, but the sounds of...

Study: Stem Cells Used To Fix Your Broken Heart It's Called The Marvel Study The Largest Clinical Trial Investigating Adult Stem Cells To Treat Congestive Heart Failure For More Info, Call Jim Moran Heart & Vascular Center At (954) 229-8400 MIAMI (CBS4) ― Doctors are discovering a new way to fix your broken heart. A study is underway in South Florida that could revolutionize the way heart attack patients help their damaged hearts by using their own stem cells. It's called The Marvel Study and under the direction of Dr. Alan Neiderman with the Jim Moran Heart & Vascular Research...

After 21 years of unsuccessful heart treatments, including several heart procedures, 68-year-old Coenie de Jongh was desperate. So when his cardiologist suggested a last-resort experimental therapy, it represented a literal life line.  Coenie, from Bloubergstrand near Cape Town, had his first heart attack at the young age of 40. A bypass operation followed and his condition improved, but seven years later Coenie’s health started deteriorating again. More operations and more intense treatment followed, but in 2002 his health took a real turn for the worse.  His condition was so bad he struggled to find a cardiologist who was willing to...

New research links drinking lowfat milk to lower risk for heart disease Grabbing as little as one glass of lowfat or fat free milk could help protect your heart, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers found that adults who had at least one serving of lowfat milk or milk products each day had 37 percent lower odds of poor kidney function linked to heart disease compared to those who drank little or no lowfat milk. To determine heart disease risk, researchers from several universities in the United States and Norway measured the...

Apart from its sadness, Tim Russert’s death this month at 58 was deeply unsettling to many people who, like him, had been earnestly following their doctors’ advice on drugs, diet and exercise in hopes of avoiding a heart attack. Mr. Russert, the moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC News, took blood pressure and cholesterol pills and aspirin, rode an exercise bike, had yearly stress tests and other exams and was dutifully trying to lose weight. But he died of a heart attack anyway. An article in The New York Times last week about his medical care led to e-mail...

The shocking death of Tim Russert last Friday has left an entire nation wondering what happened.  He was a model patient, doing everything his doctors asked.  All major media have run articles trying to explain the nuances and difficulties in treating coronary artery disease.  These articles find little fault in Russert’s care, trying to create the idea that his heart attack was just too hard to predict and that all that could have been done for him was done.  I beg to differ.  His death represents the failure of standard medical care to produce a positive result – an occurrence...

Given the great strides that have been made in preventing and treating heart disease, what explains Tim Russert’s sudden death last week at 58 from a heart attack? The answer, at least in part, is that although doctors knew that Mr. Russert, the longtime moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC, had coronary artery disease and were treating him for it, they did not realize how severe the disease was because he did not have chest pain or other telltale symptoms that would have justified the kind of invasive tests needed to make a definitive diagnosis. In that sense, his...

Everybody knows somebody who has had a sudden, fatal heart attack, and it's many people's secret fear. More than 300,000 Americans die of heart disease without making it to the hospital each year; Deaths from cardiovascular disease in general have dropped dramatically in recent years, but it is still the No. 1 killer of men and women in the U.S. -- That's in part because, for all the advances doctors have made in understanding risk factors, lowering cholesterol with statins and propping open narrowed arteries with stents, most heart attacks are caused when tiny bits of plaque break loose and...

Guzzling coffee may cut heart disease 22:00 16 June 2008 NewScientist.com news service Ewen Callaway A strong cup of coffee in the morning can feel like a life saver. Now, one of the largest and longest studies of coffee drinking suggests that coffee may indeed boost your lifespan – providing you drink enough of the stuff, that is. The study tracked 129,000 men and women over two decades. It found that people who consumed several cups of coffee every day were less likely to die of heart disease than those who shied away from the stuff. Heart disease is an...

Men With Vitamin D Deficiency May Have Increased Risk Of Heart Attack ScienceDaily (Jun. 11, 2008) — Low levels of vitamin D appear to be associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in men, according to a new report. Studies have shown that the rates of cardiovascular disease-related deaths are increased at higher latitudes and during the winter months and are lower at high altitudes, according to background information in the article. "This pattern is consistent with an adverse effect of hypovitaminosis D [vitamin D deficiency], which is more prevalent at higher latitudes, during the winter and at...

New York,June 3: In an embarrassment to Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's despondent campaign, an article has claimed that the aides of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, believe his 2004 heart surgery fundamentally altered his state of mind and that he is constantly in rage. The article to be published in Vanity Fair, and already posted on the magazine's website also questions some of Clinton's business dealings and behaviour since leaving the White House. "Old friends and long time aides are wringing their hands over Bill Clinton's post White House escapades, from the dubious (and secretive) business associations to the...

Blood Cholesterol Levels Predict Risk Of Heart Disease Due To Hormone Therapy, Study Shows ScienceDaily (May 25, 2008) — A research study has found that a simple blood test may indicate whether post-menopausal hormone therapies present an elevated risk of a heart attack. The study, part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, was conducted in 40 centers nationwide and included 271 cases of coronary heart disease in the first four years of the trials of estrogen alone and of estrogen plus progestin. Paul F. Bray,...

Erectile Dysfunction May Signal A Broken Heart ScienceDaily (May 20, 2008) — Erectile dysfunction is always a matter of the heart, but new research shows that more than romance is at stake. Two new studies of men with type 2 diabetes found that erectile dysfunction (ED) was a powerful early warning sign for serious heart disease, including heart attack and death. One of the studies also showed that cholesterol-lowering medications could cut the risk of heart problems by about one-third--and suggested that Viagra and other compounds in the same drug family might offer similar protection. The research, which was published...

This video is of a peaceful moment when a back yard pet finds solitude and rest on a bale of hay. The song that's sung is a verse and chorus of the hymn, "I Love To Tell The Story", sung a cappella by o7jimmy. The characters are o7Jimmy and pet dog O7.

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2008 – With growing recognition of the toll post-traumatic stress disorder has taken on U.S. forces, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the Defense Department may consider awarding Purple Heart medals to combat veterans afflicted with it. “It’s an interesting idea,” Gates said when asked about the concept during a May 2 media availability at Red River Army Depot, Texas. “I think it is clearly something that needs to be looked at.” Gates’ comment followed his visit the previous day to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he toured the post’s Recovery and Resilience Center, which is using...

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry on Monday pinned the Purple Heart on Private First Class Sean Bannon in a pregame ceremony at the mound as Curt Schilling stood beside them. Bannon, 22, of Winthrop, Massachusetts, was critically wounded by an IED in Iraq. He has spent the last month at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington, D.C. Bannon requested that Kerry, a fellow Purple Heart recipient, do the honors of presenting him with the medal and asked that the Senator ask the Red Sox if he would be able to receive the award at home plate. The Red Sox organization was...

4/15/2008 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines working the Tyndall Air Force Base air show Saturday recently an unexpected surprise that caught many off guard. Hard at work on the flightline in the blazing sun, many troops were stopped by the voice of an 11-year-old girl thanking each military member for his or her service. Along with the "thank-you" came a goodie bag. The little girl handing out the "doses of appreciation" was Bailey Reese, founder and president of Hero Hugs, an organization based on recognizing and appreciating America's troops. Hero Hugs is...

People with diabetes have the same risk of a heart attack or stroke as patients who have survived one heart attack already, researchers reported on Monday. Diabetics have more than 2.4 times the normal risk of dying from cardiovascular disease -- about the same as those who have had a heart attack, the five-year Danish study of more than 3 million people found. "The increased risk was observed in people at all ages with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes who were receiving insulin or other drugs to reduce levels of sugar in the blood," said Dr. Tina Ken...

You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that hands-only CPR - rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until help arrives - works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults. Experts hope bystanders will now be more willing to jump in and help if they see someone suddenly collapse. Hands-only CPR is simpler and easier to remember and removes a big barrier for people skittish about the mouth-to-mouth breathing. "You only have to do two things....

New CPR advice: chest compressions only Heart Association hopes simpler guidelines save lives Monday, March 31, 2008 4:00 PM By Suzanne Hoholik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Hands-only CPR When you see an adult collapse: * 1. Call 9-1-1. * 2. Start hard, fast compressions at the center of the chest. Trade off with someone if you get tired. If no one else is around, continue compressions until paramedics arrive. In an effort to get more bystanders to perform CPR, the American Heart Association issued new guidelines today changing the way it teaches the lifesaving technique by eliminating mouth-to-mouth breaths. When an...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Young people who continue to smoke after a heart attack are three times more likely to have future heart problems than survivors who kick the habit, Greek researchers said on Saturday. People who are 35 or younger who keep smoking are far more prone to die from a heart-related event, have a repeat heart attack or need future treatments to clear blocked arteries compared to those who stopped smoking. The study makes clear that smoking not only promotes a first heart attack, but poses heart risks in younger patients who have survived one, researchers said. The report...

Cardiovascular Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reviewed ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2008) — Thousands of research studies have documented how the oils known as omega-3 fatty acids can benefit the cardiovascular system, particularly among people diagnosed with coronary artery disease. The incredible volume of research on this topic creates difficulty for many physicians and patients to stay current with findings and recommendations related to these oils. In the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, contributors briefly summarize current scientific data on omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular health, focusing on who benefits most from their protective effects, recommended guidelines for administration and...

Ingredient In Yellow Curry Can Reduce Heart Enlargement And May Prevent Heart FailureTurmeric. Eating curcumin, a natural ingredient in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing heart failure. (Credit: iStockphoto/Nilesh Bhange) ScienceDaily (Feb. 22, 2008) — Eating curcumin, a natural ingredient in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing heart failure, researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the Toronto General Hospital have discovered. In a study entitled, “Curcumin prevents and reverses murine cardiac hypertrophy,” published in the February edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers found when the herb is given...

New Jersey would become the first state in the country to require people renewing or obtaining a driver's license to decide whether they are willing to become registered organ donors under a bill a Senate committee approved today. The "New Jersey Hero Act" (S755) also would make New Jersey the first state to require high school health classes to teach the importance of organ donation. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee unanimously approved the bill over the objections of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. MVC Chief of Staff Denise Coyle said neither the commission's 30-year-old computer...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryFebruary 1, 2008 Mrs. Bush's Radio Address to the Nation   President's Radio Address  Audio  En Español MRS. BUSH: Good morning. This is Laura Bush. For the weekly radio address, President Bush has handed the mic over to me. And today, I'd like to talk about something that's close to my heart -- America's heart health. February is American Heart Month -- a time to start heart-healthy habits, and to learn about the risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors include smoking, being overweight, lack of exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, family history,...

Young Dontay Burton learns about Marine Corps Martial Arts Program techniques from Marines at Camp Lejeune in May 2007. During a Make-A-Wish Foundation visit in North Carolina, Burton toured Marine Corps Air Stations New River and Cherry Point, Camp Gieger, as well as Camp Lejeune. Dontay Burton learns how to fire an M240 machine gun from Lance Cpl Erich Minnear at the indoor simulated marksmanship trainer at Camp Lejeune, N.C. in May 2007. Burton made a wish to become a Marine through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Dontay Burton and Gunnery Sgt. William C. House watch Marines in a battalion formation...

NEW YORK (AP) - Mike Wallace was recovering from triple heart bypass surgery that was performed last week, CBS News said Tuesday. Wallace, who turns 90 this spring, is already walking following the surgery Friday to bypass blockages near his heart. Doctors are calling the operation "a great success," the network said. Recovery from heart bypass surgery generally runs about six weeks. The veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent, who is essentially retired, recently interviewed Roger Clemens about allegations of steroid abuse. ___ CBS is a division of CBS Corp.

How broccoli can reduce risk of a heart attack By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent Last Updated: 1:42am GMT 22/01/2008 Eating steamed broccoli reduces the risk of a heart attack by boosting the body's ability to fight off cell damage, researchers have found. Previous studies have found people who eat broccoli, especially if raw or lightly cooked, are at lower risk of heart disease and some cancers. Now scientists have found a clear link between high levels of certain substances found in the vegetable and reduced damage caused by hearts being deprived of oxygen. Normal biological processes associated with eating and...

Jesus of Nazareth died for our sins and lived a sacrificial life, dying on the cross to justify our sins. He invites all who will listen, to come home and live with him forever. Please invite Jesus into your heart today. He is real and dearly loves you. Revski o7jimmy

Calcium tablets 'raise risk of heart attacks' By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent Last Updated: 2:28am GMT 16/01/2008 Calcium supplements taken by about a million women could increase their risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes, scientists said yesterday. Researchers found that women aged 55 and over who took the tablets to combat osteoporosis were almost 50 per cent more likely to have a heart attack than those given placebos. Their chances of having a stroke during the five years of the study were elevated by more than a third. Three million people in Britain suffer from osteoporosis, with one in...

New York: Scientists in the US have created an artificial rat heart using the cells of baby rats. The breakthrough by researchers at the University of Minnesota offers hope that the day is not far when scientists will be able to create human hearts for transplant.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have turned a "crazy idea" into a potential breakthrough. They removed the lifeblood from a heart - leaving behind a ghostly white shell - then injected new cardiac cells, bringing the organ back from the dead. The federal government wouldn't fund the idea: Grant reviewers said it was implausible. Medical journals wouldn't publish the initial results: Editors doubted them. But Sunday's study in the prestigious Nature Medicine journal is long-awaited validation for the researchers and a promising direction in organ transplantation and the fight against heart disease.

Is An Aspirin A Day Good For You? ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2008) — Is an aspirin a day good for you, and how much should you take? Ten years after the FDA issued recommendations about the use of aspirin for people who have had heart attacks or are at risk for them, it may be a good time to talk to your doctor about the aspirin you're taking. University of Kentucky heart disease researchers say that nearly a quarter of a million Americans each year may be hospitalized with bleeding complications caused by needlessly taking a daily dose of an...

CINCINNATI , Ohio, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Brief periods of blocked blood flow may pre-condition the heart to survive a full-blown heart attack, a U.S. researcher found. The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, linked underlying molecular mechanisms -- known as the JAK-STAT pathway -- found to aid the body in fighting infection may also be active in protecting the heart from debilitating injury from a heart attack. "These mini stress tests appear to push the heart muscle into an adaptive state where it gets used to how long-stress feels," Dr. Karyn Butler of...

Lack Of Vitamin D May Increase Heart Disease Risk ScienceDaily (Jan. 8, 2008) — The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors," said Thomas J. Wang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. "The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure." In a...

What do you do when your firewall melts? That's the problem Hillary Clinton now confronts. New Hampshire was the place that Team Clinton hoped would sustain them even if they lost Iowa. Clinton has led here for months, has the support of many key players in the power structure, and benefits from a reservoir of good will for her husband. Still, in the wake of Barack Obama's surprisingly strong victory in the Iowa caucuses, Clinton's advantage has crumbled -- and her campaign hasn't found an effective way to respond. In Saturday night's debate, her attempts to draw a legitimate difference...

Researchers have managed to restore heart function by transplanting muscle stem cells into damaged mouse hearts. Their results suggest that the technique could one day be used to heal heart tissue in humans. Similar transplants have been tried before in both mice and humans, but have met with little success. Although the grafts sometimes improved the function of the heart, they also raised the risk of abnormally fast heartbeats, in a disorder called ventricular tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia is the main cause of sudden death in patients who have had a heart attack, killing about 15% of patients within three years...

A nonprofit foundation seeks funds to finance the procedure and travel expenses. HERMITAGE, Pa. — A parent's love knows no bounds and, apparently, no international boundaries. Erika Hirschmann's parents are taking her to Thailand for an experimental surgery. In 1996 Erika Hirschmann contracted a virus and went into congestive heart failure. Nine years later she started suffering chest pains, and doctors determined she had pulmonary hypertension — essentially high blood pressure of the lungs that stemmed from her weakened heart. This past April she suffered a stroke and in May more problems with her heart. Now doctors want the 29-year-old...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding to evidence that a little wine can do a heart good, a new study suggests that women who drink moderate amounts may have less inflammation in their blood vessels. Spanish researchers found that after four weeks of drinking two glasses of wine per day, women showed lower levels of certain inflammatory substances in their blood. The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest a mechanism by which wine -- particularly red wine -- may protect the heart. Numerous studies have found that wine drinkers tend to have lower rates of heart...

Eating Your Greens Could Prove Life-saving If A Heart Attack Strikes The chemical nitrite, found in many vegetables such as these leafy spring greens, could be the secret ingredient in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. (Credit: iStockphoto/Robert Cocquyt) ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2007) — A diet rich in leafy vegetables may minimize the tissue damage caused by heart attacks, according to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Their findings suggest that the chemical nitrite, found in many vegetables, could be the secret ingredient in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. "Recent studies show that administering nitrite to animals, either...

The tiny stent sparked a lucrative industry--and made Dr. Samin Sharma a star. Then questions arose about the device's safety and efficacy. On a sweltering summer morning, Dr. Samin K. Sharma marches into the cardiology wing of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, prepared for a 16-hour day in which he will clear and repair the arteries of 18 patients. Sharma specializes in installing stents, tiny metal devices that hold open blocked blood vessels. As he'll be the first to note, he does more stent procedures than anyone else in doctor-rich New York and possibly in the entire country. An...

A lousy marriage might literally make you sick. Marital strife and other bad personal relationships can raise your risk for heart disease, researchers reported Monday. What it likely boils down to is stress — a well-known contributor to health problems, as well as a potential byproduct of troubled relationships, the scientists said. In a study of 9,011 British civil servants, most of them married, those with the worst close relationships were 34 percent more likely to have heart attacks or other heart trouble during 12 years of follow-up than those with good relationships. That included partners, close relatives and friends....

"The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?" -Jeremiah 17:9 I. "The heart of man is desperately wicked." In considering this, we have no need to refer to any particular sins; II. We may, in the Second place, consider this, -- the deceitfulness of man's heart; "It is deceitful above all things;" III. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool" for who that is wise would trust one whom he knows to be "desperately wicked?" 1. The most eminent of the ancient Heathens have left us many testimonies of...

(CBS) PHILADELPHIA Doctors in Philadelphia are testing a revolutionary new treatment that is restoring life and bringing people back from the dead. CBS Station KYW-TV in Philadelphia Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has details. During cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating. It's a trauma alert and people are often declared dead within minutes. But now doctors at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital are bringing people back from the dead. Dr. Lance Becker and his team are challenging fate with breakthrough new treatments that could save hundreds of thousands of lives. 61-year-old Bill Bondar is living proof that people...

The reported failure of vitamin E to prevent heart attacks may be due to underdosing, according to a new study by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The findings, published early online in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggest that these earlier studies all had a fundamental flaw the doses used werent high enough to have a significant antioxidant effect. In fact, no studies have ever conclusively demonstrated the dose at which vitamin E can be considered an antioxidant drug, the researchers report. Oxidant injury, or oxidative stress, occurs when highly reactive molecules called free radicals attack and damage cellular...

Comments (3)Jack is the youngest person to have been on an artifical heart for so long A baby boy who survived a record 120 days connected to an artificial heart outside his body has come home from hospital. In March, doctors told eight-month-old Jack Vellam's parents he was so ill from an inflammation of the heart muscle that there was nothing more they could do for him. Reluctantly, the couple agreed to turn off their son's life-support machine. They said their goodbyes and had him christened. But five hours later, Danielle Hastings, 18, and Terry Vellam, 21, changed their...

Three walks a week 'cuts heart risk' By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent Last Updated: 1:26am BST 15/08/2007 Walking for just 30 minutes three times a week can lower blood pressure and heart disease risk, scientists say. Guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer suggest adults do moderately intense exercise five times a week. However, researchers found that those who take three brisk walks a week had reduced waist and hip circumference and lower blood pressure. The authors of the study, published yesterday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, said their findings could help those with sedentary lifestyles take up...

Noncontroversial research wins another convert. Alabama event planner Carron Morrow was hanging Japanese lanterns for a wedding last summer when she suffered her fourth heart attack. A week later, the doctor told the 58-year-old mother of two she was a walking time bomb: The right side of her heart was functioning at less than 50 percent. They tried stents and a defibrillator. Then she was put on the heart transplant list.   "All I could do was cry," she says. "I just thought, 'I'm about to die.' There's 100,000 people waiting for a heart."  By fall, she grew worse.  "I...

The combination activates genes that can cause clogged arteries, UCLA researchers say. By Marla Cone, Times Staff Writer July 26, 2007 Strengthening the link between air pollution and cardiovascular disease, new research suggests that people with high cholesterol are especially vulnerable to heart disease when they are exposed to diesel exhaust and other ultra-fine particles that are common pollutants in urban air. "Their combination creates a dangerous synergy that wreaks cardiovascular havoc far beyond what's caused by the diesel or cholesterol alone," said Dr. André Nel, chief of nanomedicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a...