New Heart Disease risk factors

A man who had no known risk factors for heart disease underwent coronary bypass surgery within days after having a heart attack. He did not drink, smoke, was a vegetarian, exercised, did not have diabetes, or hypertension, and only registered a little above the recommended cholesterol value. On further investigation he did have high homocysteine and lipoprotein A levels, proteins which have been identified in recent years to be additional heart disease risk factors. Homocysteine is believed to promote atherosclerosis and thickening of the blood vessels with increased clotting ability of platelets. Lipoprotein A is similar to the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, and is thought to prevent the breakdown of clots. The blood tests for these two new variables are currently difficult to obtain as they have fairly strict indications. High homocysteine can be avoided by having a healthy diet, high in vitamin B complexes. Lipoprotein levels can be kept low by a healthy diet with niacin and estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Express Healthcare Management

Related Disease Topics:

• Heart attack
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Atherosclerosis

Article Source Details

About: New Heart Disease risk factors

Date: 27 May 2005

Source: Express Healthcare Management

Author: Aashish Contractor

URL: http://www.expresshealthcaremgmt.com/20050531/cardiology01.shtml

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of heart attack
• Cause of heart disease
• Cause of atherosclerosis
• Cause of clotting
• Risk and heart disease
• Risk and heart attack
• Risk and coronary bypass
• Risk and alcohol
• Risk and smoking
• Risk and diabetes
• Risk and hypertension
• Risk and cholesterol
• Risk and homocysteine
• Risk and lipoprotein A
• Risk and atherosclerosis
• Risk and clotting
• Risk and blood vessel thickening
• Risk and LDL
• Risk and diet
• Risk and vitamin B complex
• Risk and niacin
• Risk and estrogen replacement
• Surgery and coronary bypass
• Underdiagnosed and homocysteine
• Underdiagnosed and lipoprotein A
• Medication and estrogen replacement
• Medication and Vitamin B complex
• Medication and niacin

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