Erectile dysfunction: Three links between erectile dysfunction and heart disease - Mayo Clinic:
"Erectile dysfunction can be a wake-up call that you are at risk for heart disease. The same factors that contribute to heart disease %u2014 smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and others %u2014 can cause sexual problems.......more"

Alzheimer's caregivers want time: "An Alzheimer's Foundation of America survey of U.S. family caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer's found they could use more time.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Forest Pharmaceuticals, illustrates the social and emotional ramifications of caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Sixty-two percent of respondents noted less time for themselves; 53 percent said they were not able to go out as often as before; 46 percent described themselves as more anxious, stressed or burned out; and 45 percent said they don't see friends as often.

However, 64 percent of caregivers learned they are stronger than they thought they were, and 46 percent said they have become more compassionate since caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease....."

Diagnostic for mini-strokes effective
A U.S. study found an accelerated diagnostic protocol for stroke in hospitals was less costly, had shorter hospitals stays and comparable clinical outcomes.

Study leader Dr. Michael Ross said some 300,000 Americans per year are diagnosed with Transient Ischemic Attack, or mini-stroke, and more than 10 percent will suffer a stroke within 90 days, with 64 percent of those strokes disabling, and 5 percent will experience a major cardiac event. Traditionally, these patients are admitted for a series of diagnostic tests that take several days.

Hip resurfacing new option for hip pain

Inside Your Brain: An Interactive Tour:
"What happens in the brain of a person with Alzheimers disease? This tour explains how the brain works and how Alzheimer's affects it."

Press Release: A proposed drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease achieve positive results in a Phase II clinical trial
The compound TC-1734 could be used as a treatment for age associated memory impairment. It was discovered by Targacept researchers utilizing a molecular design platform designed at Targacept.

Targacept is developing the drug along with AstraZeneca.

Smaller Brain Regions Presage Drift into Alzheimer's: "Patients with mild cognitive impairment who have smaller-than-average hippocampal volumes are more likely to progress from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease, researchers here have found.

Those with mild cognitive impairment who develop Alzheimer's also have evidence of greater atrophy of specific regions of the hippocampus, reported Liana G. Apostolova, M.D., and colleagues, of the University of California at Los Angeles.

In contrast, patients with larger hippocampal volumes are more likely to either remain mildly impaired or improve over time, the authors wrote in the May 8 issue of Archives of Neurology....."

Heart Disease & Stroke: The Facts

Does Maintenance Therapy Reduce Depression in Seniors?: "Maintenance therapy with antidepressants and psychotherapy may reduce the risk of depression recurrence in elderly patients who have single-episode depression, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. The study also demonstrated that those with fewer coexisting chronic conditions received greater benefits from paroxetine than participants who were not as healthy. Maintenance with psychotherapy did not appear to prevent recurrent depression. "

Heart Failure Linked to Dementia Risk
Results of a new study suggest an association between heart failure and an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in elderly subjects.

New strategy for Alzheimer's under study:
"A possible strategy for preventing or treating Alzheimer's disease and other brain and spinal cord damage has been uncovered by researchers.

The study team, from the San Francisco Veteran Administration Medical Center and the University of North Carolina, identified several compounds that reportedly could play a role in treating degenerative conditions of the nervous system."

Heart disease risk factors may bring on menopause:
"Women with more risk factors for cardiovascular disease tend to enter menopause earlier than women without cardiovascular risk factors, according to an analysis of data from the Framingham Heart Study...."

Persistent Pain Common After Stroke:
"Results of a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry suggest that patient-reported pain is common shortly after stroke and the pain may persist for months...."

Cognitive Impairment in Older Physicians May Be Widespread:
"As many as 8000 physicians in current practice are likely to have some form of cognitive impairment, and the existing medical literature provides little guidance. .... "

FDA approves varenicline (Chantix) to help people quit smoking - Mayo Clinic: "If you're ready to quit smoking, a new medication may help you kick the habit.
Varenicline (Chantix) is the latest addition to the arsenal of quit-smoking aids approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like other similar products, Chantix helps ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms. But there's a twist. The drug also blocks the effects of nicotine if you begin to smoke again.
Chantix is a prescription medication sold in tablet form. It's intended to be taken for 12 weeks. If you quit smoking during that time, your doctor may prescribe Chantix for another 12 weeks to enhance long-term success. ...."

High blood pressure: Get the most out of home monitoring - Mayo Clinic:
"Checking your own blood pressure at home is an important part of managing high blood pressure. Learn how to use home monitors safely and accurately."

5 Simple Steps for Women Nationwide To Take Charge of Their Heart Health During Women's Health Week:
The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement is encouraging women to follow 5 simple steps, during National Women's Health Week, to take charge of their heart health. While no time is better than the present, women can begin this new and improved lifestyle while preparing for the summer months

5 Simple Steps for Women To Take Charge of Their Heart Health During Women's

Bad Gums Connected to Heart Disease

Omega-3 goes mainstream:
" In the days after the Jan. 2 Sago Mine explosion disaster, the only survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., was experiencing multiple organ failure and severe brain damage.
Dr. Julian Bailes, McCloy's neurosurgeon at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and head of the trauma center, was up to speed on the latest benefits of the 'miracle molecule' omega-3 fatty acids when he phoned Barry Sears of Zone Diet fame to ask about a recommended dose for the very ill miner.....After being in a coma for weeks and in rehab for months, the miner is stiff and thin but walking on his own and exercising his weak right arm.

Besides helping heal the brain, omega-3, which is probably one of the most studied natural supplements, has passed muster in helping heal the heart, pancreas, immune system and joints. Potent anti-inflammatories, omega-3 fish oil supplements contain the same fatty acids — DHA and EPA — found in fish.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said many studies have confirmed omega-3 supplements reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death and protect against cardiovascular diseases.

"This has more evidence-based science than any other supplement," said Dr. Steven Lamm, an internist at New York University School of Medicine. "Here is one example where more is better," Lamm said.

But just how much? Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health has studied the role of omega-3 fatty acids in depression and noted that 9 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids are as potent as a prescription antidepressant for some patients. Others say the body needs a minimum of 4 grams a day...."

Listen to your heart - MSNBC.com: "As a wife and mom, Sharon Markey hasnt always listened to her heart. Two months ago it almost killed her.
The 38-year-old Newtown Township mother of three diagnosed her indigestion as a leftover from a dinner party the night before. Within 24 hours, doctors told her she had a heart attack, and that she might need a new heart.
While her heart condition was rare, that Markey missed signs she was having a heart attack is all too common, doctors say. It's one reason why heart problems are the No. 1 killer of American women.
The gender gap in heart care has improved over the last 15 years, but it still exists, medical professionals say. A recent American Heart Association study found that women's chest pain is often not taken as seriously as mens.
Many doctors say the problem is a lingering perception that heart disease is a man's problem - an old man's problem....."

What we risk for taste - Trans fats make fast foods delicious but dangerous
"....Last month, researchers writing in the New England Journal of Medicine came up with a startling calculation buried deep in their exhaustive review of dozens of trans fat studies published over more than a decade.

Near elimination of artificially produced trans fats would avert between 72,000 and 228,000 heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease in the U.S. each year.

"The evidence for harm is considerable," said lead author Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "There really is little reason for having them in the food supply."

Banning the substances, which are devoid of nutritional value, should be considered, said Mozaffarian, who also works as an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

"The wisest thing to do is to eliminate anything made in partially hydrogenated oils," he said...."