A new method to spot heart attacks in suspected patients within an hour has been found effective in three out of four cases in a clinical trial involving over 1,000 participants, reports a study.

The new technique to measure cardiac troponin T levels in the blood, a preferred biomarker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as heart attack, was previously tested in a small pilot study.

A new strategy called high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T 1-hour algorithm could help physicians treat patients with suspected heart attack faster and help save many lives as early diagnosis is critical for treatment and survival of such patients.

"Introducing the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T 1-hour algorithm into clinical practice would represent a profound change and it is therefore important to determine if it works in a large patient group," said Tobias Reichlin from University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.

The team of researchers from Switzerland and Spain enrolled 1,320 patients who visited the emergency department with suspected acute MI and applied the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T 1-hour algorithm to blood samples.

With the algorithm, the researchers were able to determine that 786 (60 percent) of patients did not have an acute MI ("rule-out"), 216 (16 percent) were "rule-in" and 318 (24 percent) were to be observed because results were not conclusive.

"This rapid strategy incorporating high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T baseline values and absolute changes after the first hour substantially accelerates the management of patients with suspected acute MI by allowing safe rule-out as well as accurate rule-in of acute MI in three out of four patients," the authors said.

The findings were detailed in CMAJ - Canadian Medical Association Journal.

If you are one of the those who frequently eats out rather than at home, you might want to take corrective measures as a new study suggests that the act could raise your blood pressure levels.

Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS), have shown for the first time an association between meals eaten away from home and high blood pressure, and the findings highlight lifestyle factors that can affect hypertension and emphasize the importance of being aware of the salt and calorie content in food, to facilitate better meal choices when eating out.

Professor Tazeen Jafar, including Duke-NUS medical student Dominique Seow, surveyed 501 university-going young adults aged 18 to 40 years in Singapore. Data on blood pressure, body mass index and lifestyle, including meals eaten away from home and physical activity levels, were collected. Their association with hypertension was then determined.

Using statistical analysis, the team found that pre-hypertension was found in 27.4 percent of the total population, and 38 percent ate more than 12 meals away from home per week; while the gender breakdown showed that pre-hypertension was more prevalent in men (49 percent) than in women (9 percent). Those who had pre-hypertension or hypertension were more likely to eat more meals away from home per week, have a higher mean body mass index, have lower mean physical activity levels, and be current smokers.

What is also significant is that even eating one extra meal out, raised the odds of pre-hypertension by 6 percent.

Dr. Jafar said that their research plugged that gap and highlights lifestyle factors associated with pre-hypertension and hypertension that are potentially modifiable, and would be applicable to young adults globally, especially those of Asian descent.

This study was published online on 19 Mar 2015 in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Washington: Scientists have bred a new version of broccoli, consuming which can help cut down blood LDL-cholesterol levels by around 6 percent.

The broccoli variety was bred to contain two to three times more of a naturally occurring compound glucoraphanin. It is now available in supermarkets, under the name Beneforte.

Working with colleagues at the University of Reading, in two independent studies, the researchers gave a total of 130 volunteers 400g of the high glucoraphanin broccoli per week to include in their normal diet. Human trials were led by the Institute of Food Research.

After 12 weeks, they saw the levels of LDL-cholesterol in their blood drop by an average of about 6 percent. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a recognized risk factor for heart disease.

Although the reduction seen in these trials is small, at a population level, a 1 percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol has been associated with a 1-2 percent reduction in risk of coronary artery disease.

High glucoraphanin Beneforte broccoli was developed using traditional breeding techniques at IFR's partners on the Norwich Research Park, the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia, and Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc.

Other foods or ingredients that have been proven to lower LDL-cholesterol are beta-glucans in oats and plant stanols. These work by reducing cholesterol absorption into the body. As glucoraphanin works by reducing how much our bodies make, eating these foods together is likely to have an additive effect.

The study is published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

An Australian study has found evidence that women taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy help their babies develop strong immunity when they are born.

The University of Western Australia research has determined supplementing polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil during pregnancy and early development can be potentially beneficial in preventing allergic, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in children, Xinhua news agency reported.

The study involved 36 mother-infant pairs.

Lead researcher Susan Prescott told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the study proved fish oil could enhance a new born baby's immune system.

But they could not exactly isolate the molecular mechanism that explains fish oil's health power. Previous research by the university found fish oil enhanced foetal growth and reduced the risk of miscarriage.

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis - Indians are facing an unhealthy future burdened with a slew of lifestyle diseases. But instead of expensive medication and therapy, the cure lies in making exercise a compulsory part of everyday life, health experts say.

"Indians are increasingly leading a sedentary and machine-dependent life, which may seem comfortable but has extremely adverse effects on health," T.S. Kler, Head of the Department Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, told IANS.

Kler said with increasingly hectic lifestyles, most Indians in urban areas nowadays do not walk to the neighbourhood store but rather order groceries on phone for home delivery or drive down.

"We do not climb stairs any more, with lifts being omnipresent. Riding bicycles to work or to school is not cool in urban areas any more. Forget adults, this conditioning begins with children who prefer to stay indoors watching television or playing video games rather than spending time in the playground," he added.

"We all know that cardiovascular diseases are today a major health concern in India. They are the single largest leading cause of deaths in the country, and relatively younger people are today afflicted by coronary artery disease," the noted cardiologist said.

Various surveys done in India have shown that the incidence of coronary heart disease is 8-10 percent in urban areas and 5-6 percent in rural areas.

Kler said regular exercise can help prevent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and type II diabetes. It also keeps the weight in check.

"Incidences of coronary artery disease can be reduced substantially if the entire Indian population religiously takes to physical exercise. Even 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily can be immensely beneficial. We need a national focus on this less-talked about subject," Kler said.

According to Rajeev K. Sharma, senior consultant orthopedics and joint replacement surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital: "Adequate levels of physical activity decreases the risk of a hip or vertebral fracture and helps control weight. In fact, exercise is very crucial for maintaining good bone health, besides adequate intake of calcium."

"WHO estimates that globally, one in four adults is not active enough while more than 80 percent of the world's adolescent population is insufficiently physically active. This is a dreadful scenario as all these inactive people are making themselves vulnerable to several health issues," he said.

Osteoporosis-related injuries such as vertebrae fractures not only cause pain but also degrade the quality of life, curtail movement and increase dependence. Since the bone is a living tissue, it becomes stronger when subjected to exercise, Sharma said, adding that loss of bone mineral density that begins during the 30s can be curtailed by exercising regularly.

"People who exercise are found to have greater peak bone mass as compared to people who do not exercise."

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the malaise annually causes more than 8.9 million fractures around the globe.

"Though exercising can, to a large extent, help in building strong bones, there is a general lack of an exercise culture in India. This needs to change. Schools, colleges and other institutions should take the lead in nurturing an exercising culture."

Harvinder Singh Chhabra, medical director and chief of spine services at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, said Indians generally do not realize the importance of exercising unless hit by an ailment.

"Many patients start walking regularly after back pain or osteoarthritis has already set in their bodies. We tell them they could have delayed it by being active all their lives," he added.

According to Chhabra, in the West, there is a lot of focus on physical activity and people are moving away from sedentary ways of life. "They are junking television and going for cycling, running, or adventure sports such as rock climbing. This shift is yet to take place in India."

To make exercise a national culture, apart from awareness, many enabling policy measures are also needed.

"In urban areas, several environmental factors discourage people from leading more active lives even if they want to. Lack of public spaces such as parks and grounds, safety issues on the roads, pollution and irksome traffic do not allow many people to step out of homes to run or walk. This needs to change," he said.

The latter half of the 20th century has brought substantial progress in disease control due to expansion of health infrastructure. With food and nutritional consumption also improving for a vast majority of population, life expectancy in India has gone up over the years. Experts say that deaths due to communicable diseases have decreased while those from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have risen.

NCDs at present account for 53 percent of all deaths and 44 percent of disability adjusted life-years lost. Projections indicate a further increase to 67 percent of all deaths by 2030. Cardiovascular disease is the major contributor to this burden, attributable to 52 percent of NCD-associated deaths and 29 percent of total deaths.