In this issue...
1. Current news
2. AHA/ASA information
3. Affiliate updates
4. Media highlights
_________________________
1. Current news
Cholesterol drug helps heart failure patients without high cholesterol
According to a new study, people with heart failure and normal cholesterol may benefit from cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. “This is the first prospective study to show that statins have beneficial effects in heart failure in the absence of coronary artery disease or high blood cholesterol,” says senior author James K. Liao, M.D. “This was a surprising finding in that the benefits occurred after only 14 weeks of treatment and with a very low dose of the drug.” Statins have already been shown to decrease the incidence of chronic heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease and high cholesterol. However, the effect of statins on heart failure in people without cholesterol-induced coronary artery disease was not previously known. Longer term studies with more patients will be needed to confirm these early findings. The study was published in the July 29 rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3014150
_________________________
2. AHA/ASA information
Free low-fat recipe cookbook available by enrolling in the Heart Failure Profiler
The Patient Education team is building awareness and boosting registrations on its Heart Profiler tools while highlighting the Heart Failure module. A promotion on the AHA home page offers a free copy of our Low-Fat Favorite Recipes cookbook to customers who enroll in the Heart Failure Profiler and receive a confidential, customized treatment options report. Online enrollment is quick and easy. Customers can also request more information about other AHA programs. From the launch of the offer on Friday, July 18, through Wednesday, July 23, 1,400 people signed up to receive the cookbook.
Products updated and available through iGetSmart
In mid-May, The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) was issued providing new guidelines for hypertension prevention and management. As a result, all AHA / ASA's products containing high blood pressure information were discontinued until the appropriate updates could be made and the new guidelines incorporated. The following products have been updated to reflect the new guidelines and are available to order though iGetSmart.
50-1467 A High Blood Pressure
50-1488 A Controlling Your Risk Factors
50-1489 A Understanding and Controlling Your High Blood Pressure
50-1490 A Understanding and Controlling Your High Blood Pressure (Spanish)
50-1491 A Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Weight Tracker
50-1501 A High Blood Pressure and Stroke
We expect High Blood Pressure in African Americans, 50-1466 A, to be available by mid to late August.
Product announcements have been prepared and will be posted for download from the intranet at http://www.heartsmarts.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1369565
3. Affiliate Updates
New York State no-smoking law now in effect4. Media highlights
July 21
The Los Angeles Times published an article on labels including trans fat content and mentioned the AHA recommendation for consuming trans and saturated fat. Circulation: 1,098,347
A Los Angeles Times article on dieting and obesity mentioned a 1996 AHA study comparing obese and slim youth and examining sedentary habits as a contributor to weight gain.
July 22
The Washington Post published an article on FDA approval for nut labels to feature a qualified health claim, and the article mentioned the AHA recommendation for nut consumption to benefit heart health. The newspaper quotes Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, AHA Chief Science Officer, and Alice Lichtenstein, AHA spokesperson. Circulation: 759,864
HealthDay reported on a study in Journal of the American Medical Association that a fiber-rich, low-fat diet can reduce cholesterol levels as well as statins, and quoted Nieca Goldberg, M.D., spokesperson for the AHA. It also referenced the AHA Web site for healthy eating guidelines. Circulation: 374,000
Ivanhoe reported on a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association about parental history of heart disease as an indicator for the disease in their offspring.
July 23CNN (Daybreak) reported on a study in Journal of the American Medical Association on a special type of vegetarian diet (called The Portfolio Diets) that seems to lower cholesterol levels as well as medication. The report mentioned the AHA dietary guidelines and recommendation for eating fish. Circulation: 825,000
HealthDay published a report on preventive blood clot therapy and mentioned Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Circulation: 374,000
July 25
UPI reported on a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that a fiber–rich, low-fat diet (The Portfolio Diet) can reduce cholesterol levels as well as statins. The report mentioned the AHA recommendation of using the same foods in a healthy diet. Circulation: 12 million
A Los Angeles Times article on efforts to curb the sale of cigarettes to minors mentioned AHA support of the ordinance to license tobacco vendors and penalize them for illegal sales. Circulation: 1,098,347
HealthDay reported on stroke in men and women and cited AHA statistics and facts on stroke in women. Circulation: 374,000
HealthDay reported on the influence of behavior on cardiovascular risk and cited the AHA Web site.
Magazine Hits
July 28
A Newsweek article on statins quoted Sid Smith, Jr., M.D., past president of the AHA. Circulation: 3,153,281
A Newsweek true-or-false test on cholesterol quoted Ron Krauss, M.D., founder of the American Heart Association's Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.
Aug. 2003Black Enterprise published an article on African-American women and heart disease and references the AHA Web site. Circulation: 421,169
Better Homes and Gardens letter to the editor about calcium scoring quotes Sid Smith Jr., M.D., past president of the AHA. Circulation: 7,617,985
This online publication is intended solely for American Heart Association volunteers and staff, and is protected by federal copyright law. Information included in it may be confidential or exempt from disclosure. Therefore, if you are not among the registered recipients for this publication, please immediately delete and destroy all copies, and notify the person or organization responsible for providing it and tell them not to distribute it. Thanks.
Staff can find these and newslinks for the past few days on the AHA Library’s intranet site at: http://www.heartsmarts.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4294
Volunteers and supporters can find the Reuters news and AHA news releases on the AHA’s public Internet site at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200031
The AHA Weekly Pulse is published by AHA Internal Communications. For more information or to submit items for inclusion, mail to: aha.int.comm@heart.org or call (214) 706-1863. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
]]>