Q-T wave syndrome: Long Q-T syndrome (LQTS) is a rare hereditity defect in the heart's electrical system, which usually occurs in otherwise healthy children or young adults. The term comes from the pattern of the heart's electrical signal as recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). People with this abnormal heart rhythm may suffer sporadic fainting spells or may show no symptoms. The condition can be fatal. So if an unusual fainting episode occurs in an otherwise healthy person, it should be checked out by a doctor.
Red wine: There is strong evidence that drinking alcoholic beverages has a positive impact on the heart. A 1999 analysis revealed that moderate drinking could translate into an almost 25 per cent reduction in risk of coronary heart disease. Among other things, alcohol may increase HDL cholesterol and inhibit the clumping together of platelets. The benefits of drinking alcohol apply to all types of alcohol – not just red wine. Some alcoholic beverages may contain compounds such as antioxidants that are especially good for the heart. But the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada does not recommend drinking alcohol for the sole purpose of reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you already drink regularly, they advise that healthy adults imbibe no more than two drinks per day, with a weekly limit of nine for women and 14 for men. While a daily drink may be heart healthy, binge drinking raises blood pressure, which puts extra strain on your heart. Heavy alcohol consumption can also lead to liver disease.
Stents: More and more cardiologists are using these tiny mesh tubes to help keep arteries open after operations to remove the plaque that has narrowed them. According to the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario in Toronto, at least one stent is being implanted in 90 per cent of patients in that province who undergo an angioplasty. (Angioplasty involves inflating a balloon inside an artery to clear a blockage.) Patients who have a stent inserted into the artery at the same time as the angioplasty are less likely to need another angioplasty up to six months after treatment. And if that stent is coated with an anti-inflammatory drug that is released over several weeks to further inhibit the formation of plaque, the patient is even less likely to have a repeated procedure. But you must remember, stents are primarily used for managing symptoms, not for prolonging lives.
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA): This clot-busting drug has been used for years to treat heart attack patients and is now being prescribed for certain stroke patients. In some patients treated with tPA soon after stroke symptoms appear, there is an immediate and dramatic reversal of symptoms, but only patients with an ischemic stroke – which is caused by blood clots in the arteries that supply the brain as opposed to a hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain – can be treated with tPA. The drug breaks up the clots and restores blood flow to the brain. The problem is that it has to be administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms. The Heart and Stroke Foundation supports on-going research by the Stroke Network, which is organizing centers to administer tPA.
Unsaturated fats: These are the healthy fats, at least when compared with saturated fats found in animal products and palm and coconut oils. Unlike saturated fats, which raise blood cholesterol, unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol. According to nutrition experts, consuming no more than 10 per cent of your total calories from polyunsaturated fats can optimally reduce your risk of heart disease. A diet rich in monounsaturated fats also reduces your risk, but perhaps not as much. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include safflower, sesame, soy and sunflower seed oils; monounsaturated fats come from olive, canola and peanut oils. Both types are liquid at room temperature. Although these fats should be used in place of saturated fats, there are unclear links to other health problems such as gallstones and cancer.
Page 4 of 5 – Discover V to Z in the ABCs of heart disease on page 5.
