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Ground Level Blog

Good news on heart health

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Last week, MPR's Lorna Benson reported that the incidence of Minnesotans suffering heart attacks is down. "The good news on heart attack treatment in Minnesota is that the state experienced a remarkable drop in hospital admissions for heart attacks since 2007. Last year, fewer than 78,000 people were treated for a heart attack, down 15 percent from three years ago, when there were 91,000 admissions.

"Dr. Kevin Graham, President of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, believes the trend is due in part to public smoking bans and to the widespread adoption of some basic drug therapies."

Tom Hock, a physician's assistant who serves patients in Todd County emergency rooms agrees. "I think several things contribute. First I think that people are more conscious of their life style choices. For years we have tried to educate people on the choices they make and I think some of that is finally sinking in.

"Secondly medication has improved and using those medications when they are needed helps to reduce cardiac risk for people. A good example is a baby aspirin every day. This alone can reduce risk of heart attack or stroke by 25 percent for most individuals."

As to the smoking ban, Hock believes it's made a difference. "Smoking is indeed a huge risk factor so any changes there have to be beneficial."

Researchers in Colorado made the same conclusions: Data suggests "...that community adoption of a smoke-free environment has the potential to rapidly improve the cardiovascular health status of its citizens. Smoking is the most potent modifiable coronary heart disease risk factor."

Findings also indicate a reduction in the incidence of myocardial infarction in people who get an annual flu shot. Researchers in England found a 19 percent reduction due to influenza inoculations. The jury is still out on why one is connected to the other but they offer the following statement: "We do not know whether the recently reported benefit of influenza vaccination as regards to reducing the incidence of heart attack, is an indirect benefit (reduces flu thus reduces complications from flu) or a direct effect on inflammatory processes that go on in the heart."

The Mayo clinic reports that reducing trans fats in the diet results in lower cholesterol levels, triglycerides, lipoprotein and inflammation -- all good news for our hearts. Research hasn't yet revealed whether banning trans fats has made a difference in the incidence of heart attacks.

Making hearts healthier in only a few short years as a result of relatively simple changes is a rather amazing development. Now, if only the same could be done for cancer.