Heart Attack

When patients are in the throes of a heart attack, there's no question that stents save lives. But for heart patients with few symptoms and less than severe artery blockage, whether to use a stent is a question with no clear-cut answer, say cardiologists. In fact, these days some heart experts say the mesh metal tubes used to keep narrowed or weakened arteries propped open are overused for blockages that can be treated just as well with medicine, a healthy diet and exercise. A recent internal review of heart patients at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson found 369 patients received the coronary implants unnecessarily.

A Sinai Hospital cardiologist is launching a clinical trial of a type of coronary artery disease drug not yet tested in humans, building on a history at the Baltimore hospital of research to develop more effective treatments to prevent blood clotting. Dr. Paul Gurbel is studying an intravenous drug for patients undergoing cardiac stenting, when mesh tubes are implanted to widen blocked arteries. The drug, known for now as PZ-128, would be given to patients after stent implantation to prevent platelets from sticking together around the device, potentially leading to heart attack.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but many don't recognize the warning signs. They may ignore the symptoms or mistake them for more benign ailments. Dr. Shannon J. Winakur, medical director of the Women's Heart Center at Saint Agnes Hospital, said women should be more aware of heart disease and how to prevent it. How are the warning signs of heart disease different in women? Warning signs of heart disease typically occur with exertion and go away with rest. The classic symptom of heart disease is a dull tightness in the center of the chest, which may or may not radiate to the neck, jaw, left shoulder or left arm. Women can certainly have these symptoms, but they also often describe sharp or burning chest pain.

At one point Saturday, City Hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va., was so overwhelmed with patients injured on the Tough Mudder obstacle course that it had to turn people away from its emergency room. Two people who participated in the race in nearby Gerrardstown, W.Va., suffered heart attacks, according to Teresa McCabe of West Virginia University Hospitals-East, which runs City Hospital. Ten people had hypothermia, orthopedic injuries or head injuries. And two people were treated for drowning, including Avishek Sengupta, a 28-year-old Ellicott City man who died Sunday.

* John J. Cascella, 45, a keyboardist for rock singer John Mellencamp, died of a heart attack Saturday. He was found dead in his car about 1 a.m. in Hamilton County, Ind. Authorities believe he suffered a heart attack while driving. Mr. Cascella, known for his work on accordion, joined the Mellencamp band 10 years ago and was an integral element of the group's folk-rock sound. He also owned Cascella Productions, which created music for commercials and movies in Indianapolis.* Teddy Riley, 68, a veteran jazz trumpet player who blew taps for Louis Armstrong, died Saturday of a respiratory illness.

Zaccheus Chesoni, 63, Kenya's chief justice, died of a heart attack yesterday in Nairobi Hospital, Kenya Television reported. Chesoni had reportedly been hospitalized for two weeks after falling ill with bacterial meningitis. Mr. Chesoni was chairman of Kenya's Electoral Commission when he was appointed chief justice by President Daniel T. arap Moi in December 1997 -- the second indigenous Kenyan to hold the highest judicial post in the East African nation since it gained independence from Britain in 1963.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio underwent surgery early Sunday morning after suffering from symptoms consistent with a heart attack. The school released a statement Sunday saying Dantonio was admitted to Sparrow Hospital and doctors performed a cardiac catheterization procedure, in which a small, metallic stent is used to open a blocked blood vessel leading to the heart. "The procedure was successful and blood flow to the heart muscle was restored," said Dr. Chris D'Haem through the school.

The new year brings a lot of resolutions to exercise. And sometimes the cold weather also means more snow shoveling. All that exertion can be harmful to people with abnormal hearts by leading to sudden cardiac arrest. Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, director of cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, talks about the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack and what those at risk can do. Question: What is sudden cardiac arrest? Answer: Sudden cardiac arrest refers to collapse and loss of consciousness due to a dramatic fall in blood pressure.

For two days in July, Marcelette Lee thought she was coming down with the flu. When she started vomiting, she headed to her doctor's office. By the time she arrived, she was short of breath. It turned out she was having a heart attack and needed triple-bypass surgery. In the six months since, Lee, 54, of Randallstown, has been taking medication, exercising and watching what she eats. She said those efforts have been focused on more than increasing her time on the treadmill or lowering her cholesterol levels.

Howard County ambulances are using a new communications system that enables some heart attack victims to get faster, better treatment when they arrive at Howard County General Hospital. Patients experiencing a STEMI — or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, which threatens the heart muscle and requires a balloon angioplasty and a stent to keep an artery open — would benefit from the new technology, officials said. The American Heart Association says 400,000 people suffer STEMI heart attacks each year in the United States.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but many don't recognize the warning signs. They may ignore the symptoms or mistake them for more benign ailments. Dr. Shannon J. Winakur, medical director of the Women's Heart Center at Saint Agnes Hospital, said women should be more aware of heart disease and how to prevent it. How are the warning signs of heart disease different in women? Warning signs of heart disease typically occur with exertion and go away with rest. The classic symptom of heart disease is a dull tightness in the center of the chest, which may or may not radiate to the neck, jaw, left shoulder or left arm. Women can certainly have these symptoms, but they also often describe sharp or burning chest pain.

Growing up in bleak surroundings in South Florida, Ravens defensive end Pernell McPhee learned long ago that life can be cruelly snatched away, bright light suddenly replaced by darkness. Although the newly minted Super Bowl -winning defensive lineman hates for people to see him cry, McPhee has shed a lot of tears this year while enduring several tragedies. Within the past year, McPhee's sister was killed in a shooting, his cousin drowned in a Florida canal and his godfather died of a heart attack.

During a phone interview with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin today promoting WWE '13 and Redneck Island on CMT, I asked “The Rattlesnake” for his thoughts on the controversial moment on Monday night's Raw involving Paul Heyman faking a heart attack (in case you missed it, detailed info can be found in my Raw recap here ). Austin, the most popular superstar from WWE's Attitude Era -- an Era that prided itself on  pushing the envelope and creating controversial situations that would have fans talking -- had an interesting response: "I believe in pushing the envelope in an aggressive fashion.

These two tweets ( here and here ) pretty much summarize the opinions expressed by many people in the WWE Universe in response to part of a segment involving CM Punk, Paul Heyman, Mick Foley and a returning Jerry "The King" Lawler. After what was a thunderous reception for "The King", who returned to work after suffering a heart attack during a live RAW broadcast in Montreal on Sept. 10 , CM Punk and Paul Heyman interrupted Lawler's "thank you" speech. CM Punk centered his promo largely on Lawler's heart attack, calling it a "stunt" and saying that had Lawler stayed in the ring he would have "beaten him to death.

So something happened and then something else happened but we don't care about all that because BEN PROPOSED TO LESLIE AND SHE SAID YES. Ok, fine. In the rest of the show, Ben's campaign for the Congressman has been so successful that they wrap up early. And Jennifer Barkley convinces him to consider her offer of running a gubernatorial campaign in Florida. He does meet with the candidate, and even with his proposal to end the show, it's unclear if he takes the job or not. After Leslie and Ann scare Jerry as he comes out of the bathroom (they meant to spook Tom)

The day after a Harford County Sheriff's deputy was buried after dying in the line of duty, another sheriff's deputy has died. Sgt. Ian Loughran, 43, of Harford County, died of a heart attack sometime after midnight Thursday. Sgt. Loughran, a 16-year veteran of the sheriff's office, unknowingly began to suffer the symptoms of a heart attack Wednesday during the funeral services for his fellow deputy, Cpl. Charles Licato, who died Sept. 6 in a car accident while on his way home, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Health insurance was a better predictor of survival from health attacks and strokes than race, according to Johns Hopkins researchers who looked at health outcomes in some Maryland hospitals. Specifically, those who did not have coverage were more likely to die in the hospital, even after accounting for race and socioeconomic factors, according to the researchers at the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . “African Americans living in poor, urban neighborhoods bear a high burden of illnesses and early death, from cardiovascular disease in particular,” said Derek Ng, lead author of the study and graduate student in the department of epidemiology, in a statement.

These two tweets ( here and here ) pretty much summarize the opinions expressed by many people in the WWE Universe in response to part of a segment involving CM Punk, Paul Heyman, Mick Foley and a returning Jerry "The King" Lawler. After what was a thunderous reception for "The King", who returned to work after suffering a heart attack during a live RAW broadcast in Montreal on Sept. 10 , CM Punk and Paul Heyman interrupted Lawler's "thank you" speech. CM Punk centered his promo largely on Lawler's heart attack, calling it a "stunt" and saying that had Lawler stayed in the ring he would have "beaten him to death.

Last night I was at the Bell Centre in Montreal when Jerry Lawler suffered a heart attack. It was both uncomfortable and concerning. After Lawler had already competed in a tag-team contest on Raw, he was performing his usual commentary duties with Michael Cole. During a tag-team match between the Prime Time Players and Daniel Bryan/Kane, I looked over to the broadcast table and saw Jerry Lawler hunched over, beginning to shake. It looked like he was choking. Then, suddenly, he collapsed from his chair.

Health insurance was a better predictor of survival from health attacks and strokes than race, according to Johns Hopkins researchers who looked at health outcomes in some Maryland hospitals. Specifically, those who did not have coverage were more likely to die in the hospital, even after accounting for race and socioeconomic factors, according to the researchers at the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . “African Americans living in poor, urban neighborhoods bear a high burden of illnesses and early death, from cardiovascular disease in particular,” said Derek Ng, lead author of the study and graduate student in the department of epidemiology, in a statement.