Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Hints Heart Health Issues Linked To Early Brain Aging
By estimating people's brain age from scans, researchers have identified multiple risk factors for a prematurely ageing brain. They found that worse heart - or cardiovascular - health at age 36 predicted a higher brain age later in life. (Massey, 8/22)
On heart disease and heart failure —
Symptoms of heart disease — the country's No. 1 killer — may be more subtle and varied in women than in men, according to a review published Thursday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. (Edwards, 8/21)
Heart failure can cause early, subtle symptoms that can be "harbingers" of the disease worsening and impending death, according to a report from the American Heart Association. The report, published on Thursday in the medical journal Circulation, outlines the most recent knowledge on the symptoms of heart failure, as well as other cardiovascular diseases, including stroke. (Schuster-Bruce, 8/22)
More on heart research —
Energy drinks have known health risks, particularly when consumed in large quantities or combined with alcohol. They’ve been linked to heart and blood vessel problems, like heart rhythm disturbances and increased heart rate and blood pressure. It's less clear whether the drinks are linked to problems like coronary artery disease, which is generally due to a combination of genes and long-term lifestyle habits. Because a lot of things can contribute to heart disease, it’s difficult to say energy drinks are the reason for someone’s diagnosis or medical event, according to Dr. Sanket Borgaonkar, a cardiologist with the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. But they could be a contributor, he said. (Camero, 8/22)
A pioneering cardiovascular researcher and one-time co-executive director of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Heart Institute was killed in a cycling crash Saturday, officials confirmed. Jeff Robbins, Ph.D., was cycling in Indian Hill around 8:30 a.m. Saturday when there was a collision with a vehicle, according to reports from the Indian Hill Rangers. He was 71, according to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. (Knight, 8/22)
