15 year-old MacKinzie Kline doesn't let her Congenital Heart Defect keep her from attaining her goals. Kline was the first person ever on the LPGA tour allowed to ride in a cart and use oxygen. She shot only 1 over the "88 Rule" par to be removed from the tournament. Her goal was to "have fun" and "raise awareness" of heart disease. For the full story, click on the link below...

http://www.forbes.com

Marc Silver, M.D., cardiologist and leading expert, has released the third edition of his book about the latest treatments, diet, exercise, and lifestyle relating to Heart Disease. For the video and article, click the link below....

http://blip.tv

The Frito-Lay Company will change their labels, according to the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) to indicate that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats will reduce the risk of heart disease. For a full explanation, click on the link below...
http://www.gadsdentimes.com

On Thursday, June 21 the Heart and Stroke Big Bike will ride through Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foundation hope to exceed last year's proceeds by raising 6 million dollars-1 million over 2006. The Big Bike is a bicycle built for 30 that travels across Canada from April to September. The Bike will visit more than 200 communities across nine provinces and over 54,000 riders will share in the amazing Big Bike experience. For more information, click on the link below...

http://www.squamishchief.com

Researchers at the Center for Translational Medicine at Jefferson Medical College are using gene therapy to reverse heart failure in animals. After 18 weeks, the rats that received the gene therapy had significantly improved heart function compared to animals that did not receive the treatment. Dr. Koch and his team also found that increasing levels of a certain protein (S100A1) helped protect animal hearts from further damage after simulated heart attacks. The study had several phases that proved enlightening in the battle against Heart Disease. For the full findings, published by the American Heart Association, click on the link below...

http://www.sciencedaily.com

James Reynolds, who has played Days of Our Lives Abe Carver since 1981, successfully underwent heart valve replacement surgery on May 24th. Reynolds suffered from a congenital heart defect called pulmonary valve stenosis. "The problem occurs in about one in every ten children," stated his long-time publicist, Lori De Waal. If recovery goes as well as expected, Reynolds will be back on the set in about five weeks. For the full story and a link to a website monitoring Reynolds recovery, click on the link below....

http://www.soapdom.com

With the wind at his back, 36-year old atrial fibrillation patient, Ian Grimes won the Edinburgh (Scotland) Marathon on Sunday May 27th. Diagnosed with AFib, a heart condition normally affecting much older people, Grimes wasn't sure that he would ever run again. After 18 months of rehabilitation Ian ran the 26 mile course, which was rainy and windy at times, in 2 hours and 31 minutes.  Grimes stated that he competed against 5000 other runners, "for peace of mind."  For the full story, click on the link below...

http://news.scotsman.com

Physicians perform angiographies (a radioopaque dye is injected into the bloodstream to view arteries) days or weeks prior to heart surgery. Recently doctors at the Mayo Clinic performed the tests on the same day as elective valve repair or replacement surgery on over 200 patients. The team found that "none of the patients" faced additional risks due to the same-day angiography. For a full explanation, click below...

http://www.heartzine.com

The June issue of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery contradicts earlier reports that the drug aprotinin is harmful. Aprotinin is used to reduce bleeding during heart surgery. Although a few patients suffered from kidney malfunction after the surgery, the study shows that "selective and reserved use" of the drug aprotinin "does no harm to patients' hearts or brains." The FDA has issued a warning against the use of the drug but C. Michael White PharmD, one of the studies authors, believes they brought to light the misuse of the drug. For a full explanation and related stories, click on the link below...

http://www.docguide.com

A heart rate of 120 beats per minute is usually associated with a vigorous workout. But a study out of Great Britain shows that shopping for shoes can have the same affect. The study found that a woman's heart rate almost doubled (from the normal 70 BPM) when finding a pair of shoes they particularly liked. While other items of clothing didn't produce the same result, the study showed that other shoppers also had increased heart rates when women around them found a great pair of shoes. Is there strength in numbers? For more on the study and survey, click on the link below....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk