Sunday, March 30, 2008
Calcium score indicates Heart Disease risk
Calcium levels in the arteries of heart (coronary arteries) indicate your risk of getting heart diseases. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score helps to predict one’s risk for heart attack irrespective of age, race and bad habits. Calcium score indicates the level of calcium on the walls of the coronary arteries. This research study was done by University of California scientists and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. They did the research study on 6,700 persons from all major ethnic groups. 
Calcium levels in the coronary arteries can be detected by CT scan and calciums core acts as marker for coronary artery diseases. Prognosis worsens as calcium levels rise in the arteries.
If Coronary calcium score is between 101 and 300, risk of getting heart attack is 8 times higher while risk is 10 times more if calcium score is above 300.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Snoring linked to heart diseases
People who snore have higher chances of getting heart attack than those who do not snore. According to a study by Hungarian researchers, heavy snorers have 67% increase in risk of getting strokes and 34% increase in risk of getting heart attacks than non-snorers. Scientists conducted research on 12,000 patients to find the relation between snoring and heart diseases. These research findings were published in the journal “Sleep”. 
Heavy snoring acts as a trigger for rise in blood pressure which can cause heart diseases. Quiet snoring is not associated with any heart disease risk in men but in women it causes hypertension.
Snoring incidence is 24% in women and 40% in men. Snoring increases with age but declines after the age of 70. Snoring habit is high in obese people and it is a sign of some obstruction in the air pathway. Snoring shows familial incidence.
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