Climate Change Could Be Tough on Seniors' Health: Study

Wide temperature swings in summer could lead to 10,000 excess deaths in U.S. per year

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Even small swings in temperatures could put elderly people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart failure and lung disease at greater risk of death throughout the coming summer, a new study indicates.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found temperature fluctuations related to climate change could claim thousands of lives every year.

Experts predict climate change could increase variations in summer temperatures, particularly in the mid-Atlantic states and in parts of France, Spain and Italy. In these more volatile regions, this could pose a serious public health risk, the study authors claimed.

Sudden Cardiac Death: Not So Random As It Looks

Source: Article by National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), Heart Health

It is estimated that 1000 Singaporeans die from sudden cardiac death (SCD) every year, about half of whom are below 60 years old.

Is sudden cardiac death the same as a heart attack?

"A sudden cardiac death, or SCD, is not a heart attack," said Dr Aaron Wong, Senior Consultant at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). "A SCD can be due to many causes but is usually caused by an abnormal heart rhythmdue to abnormal 'electrical circuit' of the heart. A heart attack is caused by blockages in the heart arteries supplying blood to the heart, causing a portion of the heart muscle to be damaged. Heart attack may lead to abnormal heart rhythm, and therefore SCD, but not always."

Unlike a heart attack, which has symptoms such as chest pains and breathlessness, SCD usually has no warning signs. The only way to treat a SCD is to set the rapid heartbeat back to its normal pace by delivering an electrical shock to the heart using a device called a defibrillator.

Patients at high risk of SCD may be advised by their doctors to have an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD)implanted. The ICD is a pocket-sized device which detects abnormal heart beats or rhythm and sends an electric current to the heart. This electric current shocks the heart and helps to reset the heart rhythm like a mini-defibrillator.

The most common cause

The most common cause of SCD is a sudden onset of abnormal heart rhythm. This is usually due to a fast but chaotic heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF) or tachycardia (VT). An extremely slow heart rate may cause SCD as well but usually presents with prior symptoms of giddiness or fainting episodes.


In a patient with VF (a form of cardiac arrest), the heart beats 400 to 500 beats per minute and the normal rhythmic contractions of the lower chambers of the heart stop. When this happens, blood and oxygen are not pumped to the rest of the body and within seconds, the brain becomes starved of oxygen and the person loses consciousness. Without immediate treatment, the brain will cease to function and the person can die within minutes.

Who is likely to suffer from sudden cardiac death?

SCD does not randomly occur in people. Almost 75 per cent of all SCD patients show signs of a previous heart attack and 80 per cent of them have signs of coronary artery disease (CAD).


It has also been found that people who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, or a family history of CAD are at risk of developing CAD which in turn could lead to SCD.


According to Dr Ching Chi Keong, Consultant, Department of Cardiology at NHCS, a typical SCD patient is likely to be male, more than 35 years old and has a family history of early heart attack. There is also a higher incidence amongst South Asians.


For those who are younger than 35 years old, risk factors include:

• a family history of sudden deaths or unexplained drownings
• recurrent chest pain and/or fainting episodes during physical exertion and
• known heart disease, especially hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Risk factors of SCD 

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

• SCD can occur during a heart attack where the damaged heart muscle induces an abnormal heart rhythm or there is a sudden loss of heart pumping function due to massive damage to the heart muscle. The latter is usually not sudden but presents initially with symptoms of difficulty in breathing.
• Dr Wong advises, "Patients who have CAD (e.g. previous angina, heart attack, angioplasty or bypass surgery) should control their risk factors for CAD and stop smoking. Some medications have also been proven to reduce the progression of CAD, the risk of heart attack and heart failure but may have to be taken on a long term basis. Patients should not stop or reduce their medications dosage without consulting their doctors."

Poor heart function or heart failure

• Poor heart function is usually caused by repeated injury to the heart muscle (heart attacks) that leads to scarring and subsequent loss of muscle contraction function.
• Poor heart function can also be due to disease of the heart muscle (known as cardiomyopathy) due to an inherited heart muscle disease or virus infection.
• SCD is one of the most common mode of death in patients with heart failure. Patients with heart failure should be on long-term medications that have been shown to improve symptoms and prolong life expectancy. Patients with severely impaired heart function may benefit from implanting an ICD to reduce the chance of dying from SCD.

Strong family history
Some heart diseases, including CAD, cardiomyopathy and some heart electrical disorders are hereditary.

• The most common inherited risk factor is high cholesterol.
• Extremely high cholesterol can lead to CAD and heart attack at an early age. A person whose parents or sibling had CAD at a young age or high cholesterol should have his/her cholesterol checked regularly. Aggressive control of cholesterol levels can reduce the chance of developing CAD and therefore SCD.
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
• An abnormal thickening and arrangement of the heart muscle cells can cause VF or VT leading to SCD, especially during exertion. Certain types of HCM are prone to SCD and a person with HCM who has close family members who passed away due to SCD should have an ICD implanted.
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
• A structurally abnormal right ventricle is also an inherited disorder. An ICD is often required in these patients.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Features a dilated heart with poor heart function. The condition can also be caused by a virus infection or in some cases, is related to pregnancy.

Electrical disorders of the heart

• Some electrical disorders of the heart can lead to SCD and occasionally can be picked up during routine ECG. Many of these disorders are also inherited, and a strong family history of SCD is important.
• One of these disorders (known as the Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome) is caused by an extra nerve connecting the heart chambers, which can cause an 'electrical short-circuit' in the heart, resulting in a rapid heartbeat. This condition is now easily treatable with catheter ablation, a procedure where a thin tube (catheter) is advanced into the heart via a vein (usually from the leg/groin), to deliver a burst of radiofrequency energy to burn off this abnormal nerve or pathway.
• Another type of electrical disorders that can cause SCD is due to abnormalities in the heart muscle cell membrane (e.g. Brugada's and Long QT Syndromes).
• They frequently present in young, apparently healthy individuals with no known heart problems, although some abnormalities can often be seen in the ECG on careful examination. In many, the first presentation is usually SCD. Frequent fainting episodes or even a diagnosis of epilepsy may accompany such conditions. For these patients, the ICD is the only alternative to prevent SCD.

Awareness of your risk factors is important. "If you are more than 35 years old, do adopt a healthy lifestyle. Screen yourself for risk factors of CAD (e.g. diabetes, high cholesterol) and stop smoking, especially if you have a family history of CAD. For those who are less than 35 years old, learn to recognise the above symptoms and go for a medical check up for assessment", says Dr Ching.

What to do if you witness a sudden cardiac death

In the event a person collapses from SCD, the key to survival is early defibrillation. It has been found that each minute of delay before defibrillation reduces survival by about 10 per cent. To help a person who has collapsed from SCD, the following steps have proven to be vital.

1. Call the ambulance.
2. Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
3. Use the automated external defibrillator (AED), if available.

http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/SpecialFocus/Pages/Sudden-Cardiac-Death-Not-So-Random.aspx?

Why do young, fit men die playing sports?

By Health Xchange | Fit to Post Health

An underlying heart condition may be the cause of sudden deaths in sport events. (Health Xchange)

Just four days after English Premier League midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered cardiac arrest during an English FA Cup match, Indian footballer Venkatesh suffered a similar fate during a match in Bangalore, India.

The 27-year-old Venkatesh, who was playing in a district level league match on March 21, collapsed on the field during the back end of the match.

While 23-year-old Muamba is in hospital in London recovering from his mid-match cardiac arrest, Venkatesh did not survive.

In a similar incident in Singapore a week earlier, 19-year-old Temasek Polytechnic student Muhammad Khairil Muhamad Nizam suddenly collapsed halfway through a friendly football match.

He was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state but didn't survive. While investigations are underway into his death, initial reports indicated that he had died of heart failure.

There have been other previous sudden death incidences related to sports in Singapore. Last year, a 22-year-old Singaporean runner, Malcolm Sng Wei Ren, collapsed and died during the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

What can explain such unexpected deaths?According to doctors, these sudden deaths in otherwise healthy and fit sportsmen may be explained by an underlying heart problem, compounded by vigorous physical exertion.

Dr Reginald Liew, consultant at the Department of Cardiology and deputy director of the research and development unit at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) said an underlying heart problem could include:

• a heart muscle disorder (e.g. abnormal thickening of heart muscles)
• an electrical problem (e.g. abnormal heart rhythm)
• an infection weakening the heart muscle
• a congenital abnormality of the coronary arteries

"The first two of these causes often have a genetic predisposition, meaning they may be related to certain mutations," Liew said. Given the appropriate stimuli and triggers, all four scenarios, he explained, could result in ventricular fibrillation: the heart ventricles don't contract properly, which may cause the heart to stop suddenly.

Related article: Sudden cardiac arrest — not so random as it looks

Who's at risk?Sometimes, the victim is found to have a family history of sudden death. But sudden cardiac arrest can also occur in healthy individuals without any known pre-existing heart issues and with no known family history of sudden death.

Liew added that there are screening tests available for the detection of heart muscle diseases and heart electrical disorders. For example, an echocardiogram can detect the former, and 12-lead ECG, the latter.

Related article: What heart disease symptoms should you look out for?

What can you do to lessen your risk of heart disease?

• Have your cholesterol levels checked once a year. Excess cholesterol can cause the blood flow to the heart to become blocked or reduced.
• Get your blood pressure checked yearly. If your blood pressure is persistently above 140/90mmHg and left untreated, it can result in damage to the heart and blood vessels.
• Control your diabetes and monitor your blood sugar levels.
• Lose excess body fat, especially around the waist.
• Exercise regularly to help prevent heart and blood vessel disease. Just check with your doctor first if you have known coronary artery disease or if you're above 40 years of age and have been inactive.
• Quit smoking. Smokers have two to three times the risk of non-smokers of sudden cardiac death. In fact, smokers account for about 40 per cent of deaths caused by heart disease in patients who are younger than 65 years.
• Manage your stress. Prolonged stress may contribute to a heart attack. Emotional stress and tension also cause the body to produce adrenaline, which makes the heart pump faster and harder, and may also cause the blood vessels to narrow down.

This article was written by the Health Xchange Editor, with expert input from the Department ofCardiology and Research and Development Unit at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS).

Find more health-related tips and articles on HealthXchange.com.sg, Singapore's trusted health and lifestyle portal. Health Xchange's articles are meant for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional surgical, medical or health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

Marlon  •  Manila, National Capital Region

All the junkfoods and chemically-laced preserved food stuck in the guts for years and mutated into toxins and re-introduce to the blood via the intestinal villi - this is a more probable cause of most of the diseases including sudden death as the "toxins" can mutate into so many possibilities ie: cholesterol, uric acid, assorted bad bacteria: some of these that are cancer-forming. So clean your guts and plugged your mouth from junks (creation of men) and seafoods and eat natural (boiled, raw juiced, natural fruits, veggies, rootcrops) and you will never go wrong. Take it from God - (1Timothy 4:4) "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.."

A Yahoo! User  •  Singapore, Singapore 

Cardiac Doctors always have the last say!? Why not specialists in Lung illnesses and weak conditions? I know of a young man who died because of a torn lung? Due to disconnected or poorly co-ordinated growth which implicates hormonal effects in genetically modified food?
Come out with the truth for all our young people.

http://ph.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/why-young-fit-men-die-playing-sports-063444317.html

When Your Heart Stops ...

“Get yourselves a new heart.” Ezekiel 18:31
What a dependable little organ is the human heart! Every day, including Sundays and all holidays, this little engine keeps on pumping nonstop. And it continues even while we sleep.
The heart never complains about the weather and never asks for a vacation. It works best when treated well, but continues to serve even when working conditions are stressful.
How much we need the heart! If one eye is blind, we can still see with the other. If one ear is deaf, we can hear with the other. If we lose a leg, we can still walk with a crutch. But we only have one heart.

While We Live
Our “pumping machine” is about the size of one’s fist and weighs just a little more than half a pound. It beats about 70 times a minute, 4200 times an hour, 100,800 times a day, and 36,792,000 times a year. The heart of a 70-year-old person has beaten over 2.5 billion times.
The heart can generate enough energy in 12 hours to lift a 65 ton tank car one foot off the ground. It pumps about 650,000 gallons of blood per year, or enough to fill more than 81 tank cars of 8,000 gallons each.
According to one encyclopedia, the heart pumps blood through about 12,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. That is about the distance from New York City to Hong Kong, China by way of the Panama Canal.
Although this organ that keeps our blood constantly circulating can be weakened by disease and abuse, it generally gives excellent, ceaseless service for many years before it finally stops. When that happens we die.

When We Die
This brings us to a very personal but very important question: If your heart should stop five minutes from now, would you go to heaven with the redeemed or to hell with the lost?
I hope you can say the following with assurance: “Yes, I know that when I die I will go to heaven. I have turned to God in repentance, and received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I have put my trust in His precious blood shed on Calvary’s cross to atone for my sins. In doing so I have received the gift of God, which is eternal life. So I know I will go to heaven when I die.”
But maybe all you can say is this: “No, I do not know where I will go after my heart stops pumping, but I would really like to know for sure.” If this is the case, read on.
The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The word “all” includes you and me. In fact, it includes everybody. But the Bible also says that “Christ died for our sins” - yours as well as mine (1 Cor. 15:3).

What We Can Do
To receive God’s free gift of salvation, the Bible says we must trust Jesus Christ as our personal Savior: “As many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12).
Here’s how to receive Jesus as your Savior: Ask Him to come into your life, to take away your sins, and to help you live for Him? Do this now, and should your heart stop in five minutes, you will know where you will spend eternity.

By Fred Cowell
Grace & Truth Magazine February 2000