The NHS look to the future by offering hundreds of thousands of free blood pressure monitors as part of their Long Term Plan, designed to prevent 2,200 heart attacks and 3,300 strokes over the next five years. Similar to the blood pressure monitors used in GP practices, more than 65,000 of the devices have already…
Every November the focus is on diabetes as charities raise awareness of the challenges of living with this condition. This year marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin, one of the 20th century’s greatest medical breakthroughs and still the only effective medication for diabetes, particularly of type 1. Controlling diabetes, whether through insulin, lifestyle…
New research has suggested that a diet rich in dairy fat may lower the risk of heart disease. Interestingly, this advice to choose full-fat dairy options contrasts with government guidance for many decades. Swedish researchers studied the dairy fat intake of over 4,000 60-year-olds by measuring the blood concentration of fatty acids that are found…
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the UK. But it might surprise you to learn that women are in fact twice as likely to die from coronary artery disease as breast cancer. A new European study found levels of increased stress in the workplace, along with sleep deprivation and tiredness, were…
A 6-month exercise programme helps maintain normal heart rhythm and reduces the severity of symptoms in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology. The trial has demonstrated that some patients can control their arrhythmia through physical activity and without the need for interventions such as ablation or…
With the pandemic still dominating headlines and infections in the UK likely to rise as children and young teenagers return to full-time education, a case of flu might not seem like a big deal. But, with winter approaching, there’s a real concern that ‘vaccine fatigue’ might make people reluctant to roll up their sleeve again…
A recent study in China has found that screening for atrial fibrillation before the onset of symptoms and the use of anticoagulants could help to prevent the occurrence of strokes and even death. The study aimed to investigate if increasing the frequency of electrocardiography (ECG) readings would improve the discovery of atrial fibrillation and revealed…
A study that has been carried out over a period of several years has shown that women who have high blood pressure in their 40s are significantly more likely to go on to develop heart problems than their peers. This might not sound like a surprising statistic – we all know that high blood pressure…
The world looked on in horror as Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed during his Euro 2020 match against Finland. At 29 years of age and unquestionably fitter than the vast majority of his peers, Eriksen is not exactly a poster boy for heart problems. So, what could have caused the footballer to suffer a cardiac…
Did you know that coronary heart disease (CHD) kills more than twice as many UK women each year as breast cancer? Heart disease tends to be something we worry about happening to our husbands, fathers and brothers, but the reality is that it is just as deadly for women. Perhaps even more so because we’re…