Loneliness and Isolation as major risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease
A recent meta-analysis has shown that loneliness and social isolation are risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. These latest findings, specific to cardiovascular outcomes, are consistent with substantial research indicating broad health risks (eg, immune functioning, cardiovascular functioning, cognitive decline) associated with the quantity and quality of social relationships—including several meta-analyses documenting mortality risk. In the most comprehensive of these, the overall odds for mortality was 1.50, similar to the risk
Heart Rhythm, Stress and Emotional Resilience
Mary Akangbe, from Zenit Global Health, interviews the Founder of RhythmiaBreath and Co-Founder of RB Hub Digital therapeutics, Sherezade Ruano. Their podcast, Precious Moments, bring to the audience interviews with thought leaders, people making a difference in health and social care & share with you profiles of different healthcare professionals, their roles and contributions to the healthcare system Globally. We will also share tips, advice and support on various aspects of
NHS Guidelines for Cardiac Patients
Speciality guides for patient management during the coronavirus pandemic. Clinical guide for the management of cardiology patients during the coronavirus pandemic. 20 March 2020 Version 1“ …and there are no more surgeons, urologists, orthopaedists, we are only doctors who suddenly become part of a single team to face this tsunami that has overwhelmed us…” Dr Daniele Macchine, Bergamo, Italy. 9 March 2020 As doctors we all have general responsibilities in relation to coronavirus
Mental Wellbeing for NHS employees
Mental Wellbeing for NHS clinical staff: building resilience in times of uncertainty. Understanding the role of healthcare professionals in the world by Sherezade Ruano, Founder and CEO of RhythmiaBreath. The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world: its 1.3 million staff in England and Wales care for 1 million patients every 36 hours – equivalent to 243 million patients each year. RhythmiaBreath NHS Wellbeing Programme has been carefully designed to offer support
The Protective Role of Positive Well-Being in Cardiovascular Disease
Positive psychological aspects of well-being—including positive emotions, optimism, and life satisfaction—are increasingly considered to have protective roles for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and longevity. A rapidly-growing body of literature has linked positive well-being with better cardiovascular health, lower incidence of CVD in healthy populations, and reduced risk of adverse outcomes in patients with existing CVD. This review first examines evidence on the associations of positive well-being with CVD and mortality, focusing
Mindfulness and Interoceptive Exposure Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and symptoms overlap with physiological sensations of anxiety. Patients with atrial fibrillation can demonstrate anxiety sensitivity even in the absence of actual atrial fibrillation symptoms. Interoceptive exposure is effective in treating anxiety sensitivity, and recently, mindfulness has been proposed as an enhancement strategy to facilitating inhibitory learning in exposure therapy. This pragmatic study piloted a brief mindfulness and interoceptive exposure treatment for
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy? Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common type of Cardiomyopathy, affecting both the lower and the upper chambers of the heart. It is often a genetic condition, meaning that it is caused by a mutation in one or more genes that can be passed throughout families. How is living with Dilated Cardiomyopathy? Research has shown that with proper treatment, medication adherence and follow-up, most people with Dilated Cardiomyopathy live
Digital innovation in Cardiac Rehabilitation
Article by Health Innovation Network. Gone are the days when clinicians rejected the idea that patients would use technology. Gone are the days when they believed technology could not improve outcomes. And gone are the days when clinicians worried about their job being taken by a robot. Now instead, clinicians are asking when they will get the digital tools they need to improve outcomes, efficiency and patient care. Well, at least this
Does yoga with breathing exercises improve outcomes after STEMI?
Yoga has finally been proven by scientific research to improve clinical outcomes after myocardial infarction, to decrease symptoms in heart failure and improve quality of life. The following abstract was presented in the last European Society of Cardiology Congress, August 2019, and was chosen the 'Abstract of the day'! ESC Congress News 2019 - Paris, France 31 Aug 2019 Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used to manage ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) but the
Psychosocial and Cardiac Outcomes of Yoga for ICD Patients
Clear and convincing clinical evidence has established that living with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) saves patients’ lives. In a 1999 landmark trial comparing the ICD to anti-arrhythmic drugs, the “ICD remains superior in prolonging survival after life-threatening arrhythmia.” Concomitantly, psychosocial research on the ICD has shown that living with the device as a treatment for life-threatening arrhythmias can lead to further/increased anxiety, isolation, hostility, and depression. The typical ICD recipient