CardioCurrents
Iron: Too much of a good thing
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, a protein that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. Not having enough iron causes fatigue, poor work performance and a weakened immune response. But having too much iron can create a host of problems, too. In addition to damaging your liver, heart and pancreas, hemochromatosis—a disease in which too much iron builds up in the body—can cause an irregular heart rate and lead to heart failure. Although some people never have symptoms or complications, others can have serious side effects or die from the disease. One of the most common genetic diseases in the United States, hemochromatosis is diagnosed based on your medical and family history, a physical exam and diagnostic tests and procedures. Treatment includes: periodic blood removal, which is like donating blood, once or twice a week until iron levels return to normal iron chelation therapy, which uses medicine to remove excess iron from your blood dietary changes like limiting your intake of vitamin C, which increases the amount of iron your body absorbs; staying away from uncooked fish and shellfish to avoid infection-causing bacteria; and avoiding alcohol, which increases liver-disease risk and can make liver disease worse.
Statins may be doing double duty
Statins are routinely prescribed to lower LDL, or bad, cholesterol, but it looks as if they may help lower blood pressure, too. A recent study published in Archives of Internal Medicine shows that statins produced drops in blood pressure as early as one month into the trial. Nearly 1,000 adults were given either the cholesterol-lowering medication or a placebo. After six months, statin takers lowered their blood pressure significantly. Lower blood pressure may help cut risk of stroke and other cardiovascular episodes.
How you can help in an emergency
What should you do if someone nearby suddenly collapses and you don’t know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)? Immediately call for emergency medical assistance and begin 100 chest compressions per minute—pushing hard and fast in the middle of the person’s chest until more advanced care arrives. The American Heart Association says this hands-only CPR method improves the survival odds but shouldn’t be used on infants and children or adults whose cardiac arrest is from respiratory causes, such as drug overdose or near drowning. It doesn’t replace conventional CPR—combined chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing—but can be used in an emergency if you’re an untrained bystander. Each year, about 166,000 adults in the United States die from sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital or emergency room setting. Learn conventional CPR—it takes only a couple of hours and you never know when you may need it.