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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Alternative Way To Predict Heart Disease Myocardial infarction, also called heart attack, often occurs as a result of coronary heart disease in which plaque (a waxy substance) forms inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. When the plaque becomes large enough to block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of the heart muscle, the heart cannot get adequate oxygen causing the section of the heart to die. Heart attack is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. About 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack each year, and 460,000 of these are fatal. Many of the deaths from heart attack are triggered by sudden onset of arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation before the heart attack victim can reach an emergency room. Victims of heart attack will usually have symptoms including chest pain, jaw pain, toothache, headache, shortness of breath, arm pain, upper back pain and sweating. Unfortunately, most heart attacks occur without any symptoms, and this could delay seeking prompt medical attention. A delay in treatment could lead to permanently reduced heart functions due to more extensive damage to the heart muscle. Heart attack victims can end up with death. A new study, conducted by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and other institutes, suggested that the strength of a person’s hand-grip could actually predict the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Their findings were published online May 13, 2015 in the ‘Lancet’ medical journal.
The researchers followed 139,691 adults aged between 35 and 70 living in 17 countries from The Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study for an average of 4 years. Grip strength was assessed using a handgrip dynamometer. They found a clear and consistent link between grip strength and death from any cause, especially from heart attack and stroke. The grip strength was found to be a better predictor than blood pressure. Results of the analysis indicated that for every 10 or so pounds of lost grip strength, people had a 16 percent higher risk of dying within the 4 years of any cause. They were 17 percent more likely to die of heart attack or stroke, and 7 percent more likely to have a non-fatal heart attack. While this is definitely not a new idea, this is by far the biggest study to look at it, and the first to look at people from all over the world. The grip strength could be a cheap and quick test for doctors to assess those who need the most attention, but the researchers stressed that further studies are still required to establish if efforts to improve muscle strength can actually reduce one’s risk of death and cardiovascular disease. Some experts do agree that grip strength is a marker for what is going on in the rest of the body. If a person is physically fit, he or she will have better grip strength and better strength in all the muscles than someone who is not fit. It is an indirect measure. But unlike high cholesterol levels that have been shown to link to clogged arteries and high blood pressure to damaged artery walls, grip strength is often viewed as a general marker of age-related changes. Moreover, the reasons why hand strength would be associated with heart disease and stroke risk is still unexplained. From the perspective of the American Heart Association (AHA), grip strength is certainly not ready for routine clinical use, not until it is reproduced by an independent group to see if this could be translated into routine clinical practice, and with clear guidelines stipulated. This is because in the study, the grip strength was measured with dynamometer, a specific device that is not used in clinical practice. It requires using standardized protocol. Although it is not extremely complicated, it is still challenging in terms of training people how to use it.
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