October 19th, 2008
My journal has been lacking lately. I have been lacking lately. This has been a crazy few months recently. From the new diagnosis of MS, multiple sclerosis, to changing jobs to trying to de-stress my life- I am exhausted.
After the end of this month I will be finished with blogging here and on Diabetes Notes for b5media. I have enjoyed the last 2 years and have loved meeting all of you and writing my little heart out…but as I said it is time to do what is right for my health and family. I have decided to go back to work full time as a nurse, out patient urgent care, and to just focus on that 4 days a week and my kids and hubby. I will have just one job and look forward to this change.
I am both sad and excited. I still have about 2 weeks with you- so I will try to make them good. Have a great week y’all!
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By Kendra James, RN -- 1 comment
October 19th, 2008
We are currently on a family vacation at Disneyworld and I noticed today that there were so many AED machines very visibly labeled all over the park. How cool is that?
I think that this will help save so many and having them identified in the park brochures is another plus. Just my hearty observation for the day. By the way, the kids loved Hollywood studios!
Tags: aed, disney, disneyworld, heart-disease
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
October 18th, 2008
This made me sit up and take notice since I used to work nights in the hospital…
The graveyard shift is the worst time to call code blue, a new study finds. Patients who go into cardiac arrest while in the hospital are more likely to die if it happens after 11 p.m., when staffing may be lower or patients are watched less closely.
The ER is the only place that there was no difference in death rates. Among day shifts in all other units hospital wide the success rate of patients that cardiac arrested was 20% and the night shift rate was 15%. Either way it is not real good odds but I would take the first over the latter.
Why the difference? I would suppose most would blame it on fatigue and lower staff numbers. Interesting enough, while weekends had lower success rated then weekdays they were not nearly as pronounced as night versus day.
via Houston Chronicle
Tags: death, heart-attacks, heart-disease, mi, night shift, nurses, success rate
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
October 17th, 2008
Have you ever thought, “what happens to my heart during sex?” I watched a special on the discovery channel a few evenings ago and learned more than I ever wanted to know about my body and sex! And I still find it interesting, well actually sad, that we do not incorporate sexual education into our cardiac patients treatment plan.
Let’s get real, your heart definitely gets a workout during the horizontal hokie pokie. Not enough to cancel your gym membership, but enough to mention. Here is a peek at how your heart reacts during the 4 stages of your “hot and heavy”…
Arousal- Your heart rate and respiratory rate go up. Your blood pressure quickly follows suit and you get a flushed feeling from head to toe. Just imagine walking the mall briskly, but only way more enjoyable!
Plateau- All of the above changes are magnified. This would be the second heaviest workload right before orgasm. Yes, once again I have use one of those funny, uncomfortable and clinical words. Think of this phase as walking up a few flights of stairs. But once again, a heck of a lot more fun.
Orgasm- This would obviously be your greatest increase in blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. Maximum workload for the ol’ ticker. This lasts about 15-30 seconds. All that work for just 15 seconds! I’m not sure what to compare this to. I will just say it is a very happy place to be and leave it at that!
Resolution- Your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing very quickly returns to normal. This is the heaviest workload after you orgasm. Let’s see, I will compare this to the end of a soccer game when you are sucking down your water and catching your breath. You are so sad to see the game end but so darn glad you played!
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Tags: arousal, heart beat, heart-attack, heart-disease, sex, sexual relations
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
October 17th, 2008
… he has identified how two different kinds of Chlamydia can cause both coronary artery disease and miscarriages. Solving one mystery gave him clues that he needed to figure out the other. By focusing on the immune system mechanisms in Chlamydia infections, Azenabor has identified an important link in seemingly unrelated health problems. The result could be new treatments and prevention strategies for both heart disease and infertility. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a microbe that normally causes pneumonia and bronchitis, but it has long been associated with atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular disease also called “hardening of the arteries.”
Huh? Chlamydia? Yes, when the macrophages’ cell walls are infected with the C. pneumoniae their usually tight cholesterol, which they regularly store, traffics that cholesterol into the cell membrane’s and cause them to become rigid and unable to move…
The bacteria also “hijacks” the cells signaling in a way that helps promote the existence of the Chlamydia pneumoniae. The bacterium also disturbs the macrophage’s production of toxins in a process that transforms them into “signaling molecules,” which support functions that keep the bacterium alive. Because of this the bacteria can very quickly reproduce and accumulate in the blood vessels causing stiffening and heart disease, ie. atherosclerosis.
Find this interesting? Hey- your not alone! Check out more here.
Tags: artery_disease, atherosclerosis, bacterium, bronchitis, cardiovascular_disease, cell_membrane, chlamydia_infections, chlamydia_pneumoniae, cholesterol, c_pneumoniae, hardening_of_the_arteries, heart_disease, macrophages, macrophage_cell, microbe, miscarriages, system_mechanisms, traffics
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
October 17th, 2008
- Is the accumulation of work stress associated with higher risks of incident CHD and risk factors?
- Is this association stronger among working-age populations?
- Does work stress affect CHD directly through neuroendocrine mechanisms, or indirectly through behavioral risk factors for CHD, or both?
A few questions for you above. And I know you know the answers! Yes, yes and yes!!! We all know that stress increases ones risk for heart disease and work is no different. What is interesting about the research is that they concluded that stress at work leads to CAD through direct activation of ones neuroendocrine stress pathway.
via European Society of Cardiology
Tags: cardiac disease, employment, heart-disease, stress, work
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By Kendra James, RN -- 1 comment
October 12th, 2008
After a string of sudden heart problems in professional sports a few years ago, the National Basketball Association became the first professional league to mandate heart stress tests and echocardiograms for its players.
This is a great move by the NBA, and hopefully the NFL will follow in their footsteps. No doubt these athletes are in great shape, but the with all the heavy training and effort the put forth, early detection of potential heart issue can save lives.
From The Detroit Free Press
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
October 12th, 2008
Broccoli is heart healthy. Well yeah… that makes me happy considering my kids love those green tree tops (I make them eat the stems as well, I am such a mean mommy).
University of Connecticut researchers have associated broccoli with producing helpful proteins that aid damaged cardiac cells and tissue.
The broccoli diet appears to persuade the body to produce a protein called thioredoxin, which protects against cell damage in the heart. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, which is seen as particularly effective in triggering this process.
Don’t overcook or boil your beautiful green veggie though- lightly steamed broccoli helps to retain all of it’s power and benefits. When it is overcooked it loses its protective qualities.
via BBC.com
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By Kendra James, RN -- 3 comments
October 12th, 2008
Great news! Especially since I love pistachio nuts! Turns out, eating them may be good for your heart.
“Our study has shown that pistachios, eaten with a heart healthy diet, may decrease a person’s CVD risk profile, says Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition and primary investigator of the study.”
In the study, those on the pistachio diet had their LDL cholesterol, or the bad cholesterol, lowered.
via Science Daily
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By Kendra James, RN -- 1 comment
October 12th, 2008
A news study coming out of the University of Georgia has shown that even occasional smoking can cause heart problems, including the weakening of arteries. According to the study, one or two cigarettes over the weekend can have lasting effects that can persist into the next week.
“Most people know that if they have a cigarette or two over the weekend that it’s not good for their arteries,” said study co-author Kevin McCully, a professor of kinesiology in the UGA College of Education, “but what they may not be aware of—and what our study shows—is that the decrease in function persists into the next week, if not longer.”
“We saw a definite effect of cigarettes on the arteries, even in young people who you would expect to be healthy,” he said.
from Science Daily
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By Kendra James, RN -- 0 comments
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