Connection between asthma and heart attacks?
I just read a surprising article, it was titled "Having Asthma Could Double Your Risk of a Heart Attack." What??!! The article says:
One study found that those with asthma who require daily controller medication are 60 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular event like a heart attack during a 10-year period. The other finding may be even more striking. Those with active asthma (meaning current asthma symptoms) or asthma medication use, and those who sought treatment for asthma within the previous year, are twice as likely to have a heart attack than those without active asthma.
So what does asthma have to do with your heart? How is that connected?
The article says:
The tie between them could be inflammation, or swelling. Both asthma and heart disease are associated with higher levels of inflammation. Inflammation is the immune system’s attempt to heal body tissues after an injury, infection, or other damage. Some inflammation is good, but chronic inflammation, which occurs in many conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, nasal allergies, atherosclerosis, and asthma, can do permanent damage.
I want to learn more about this! I have asthma, as do all three of my teenagers. And we all take controller medication. So we could be at risk for a heart attack down the road. It looks like the study was presented at American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014. I don't see the study on the website yet, but I will be checking back to see if they post it.
This is one subject that I will definitely be following!
Yes, that's true. My doctor told the same, but he isn't sure, if it is more caused by asthma itself or by medicines. He adviced me to have potassium-rich diet.
ReplyDeleteI also met one nurse, who has asthma and also problems with heart...
One Polish medical magazine wrote, that circa 25-40% asthmatic in later period has also heart disease.
Greetings from gray and cool south Poland :)
That sounds like the old saying "which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
DeleteI think it's important to keep track of our hearts too. Especially for women. Most people don't realize that in the US, heart disease will kill one out of two women. There is a big push about breast cancer (not that there's anything wrong with that....)
But women are more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer.
The sad thing is that most people think it's a men's disease :(
Great post!
ReplyDeleteI know it is tough dealing with asthma because i have seen how bad it can be. So i created a website specifically to help the asthma community.
Check asthmanatural.com out! I hope it helps
Cheers