The science of sudden cardiac arrest.
Comment: Tim Russert was a man of the people and will be sorely missed and impossible to replace
http://www.exederm.com
Comment: Since Tim Russert was an enemy of Obama, more than likely Obama's supporters might have something to do with his sudden death. I think the FBI should investigate!
Comment: It would be very interesting to know what meds Russert was on for diabetes (if any)! Some of them are NOT "heart friendly" at all. It would be a public service to make that information available!
Comment: ten years ago i had thiple bypass ,a year later a stint put in and a year after that i call it a rotor ruter done and the doc said see you in ten years , well 53 now and guest what i fill pressure on my chess,have been taking my meds like i have suppose to but it has been ten years what didn,t the doc tell me, i know i have a bad family history but i guess it time again or something they are not telling me. oh my dad die at 46 years old, i had one family member had bypass at 28 years old, i wish we had been put on a program years ago to find out if there was any thing to turn us around on heart problems because on my fathers side there was 7 and all had bypass , before they started dieing out they would all talk about there meds and what they were taking and they would say who would be next to die
Comment: THREE YEARS AGO I HAD A HEART PROBLEM ,THEY ENDED UP PUTTING IN A STINT,I STILL OF AND ON SUFFER PROBLEMS THAT EFECT MY LEFT SIDE AND SLIGHT PAIN,I HAVE HAD STRESS TEST AND BEEN ON EKG MACHINE BUT EVERYTHING COMES OUT SHOWING THINGS ARE CLEAR AND NORMAL,THE DOCTOR RELATES WHAT I HAVE GOING ON IS STRESS AND THAT MY HEART IS FINE.NOW I READ ABOUT THE DEATH OF MR. RUSSERT AND WONDER WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN ,AND THE DOCTORS ARE NOT CATCHING IT.I TAKE CLONOSAPAN FOR STRESS AND AN ANTI DEPRESION MED. I ALSO GET REALLY LIGHT HEADED WHEN STANDING AT TIMES.I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK AT THIS POINT,I WAS ONLY 45 AT THE TIME OF MY CARDIAC PROBLEM AND THE STINT PUT IN.
Comment: The autopsy showed Mr. Russert had an enlarged heart which seemed to surprised his internist. Didn't Mr. Russert have the necessary tests for such a heart patient: heart cath, heart scan, echogram? Taking a stress test doesn't tell much. If Mr. Russert took a regular stress test, he should have experienced shortness of breath with his enlarged heart. An internist instead of a cardiologist? His internist should have sent him to a cardiologist. It seems Mr. Russert didn't have the health care that he should have had.
Sandy Powers
Comment: Ganpat, you are disgusting. The unexpected and untimely death of ANY human being who devotes his or her life to the public good is tragic, and for you to throw your tiny minded comment in just so you can use this opportunity to out your feeble political opinon is truly reprehensible. It's a shame it wasn't you instead, no one would have missed such an evil person.
Comment: Some things just shouldn't be converted to be about politics. The insensitivity and stupidity just doesn't speak well of those making the comments and it really serves no meaningful purpose. There really are times when "if you don't have anything good to say, then just don't say anything".
Comment: Now that we are desperate for decent, intelligent and humane Journalists and for a honorable administration, the lost and sadness for Tim Russert's departure of this world, is even greater. Only God knows why He took him away from us being such young and so noble.
God Bless you Tim. I am sure you are already having fund in heaven.
Hope Hill
Comment: The amazing thing is - it proves he had a heart.
One would have thought all he had was an Obamaniac's microphone.
Comment: In street lingo you are what is known as a DIRT BAG.
Comment: What a disgusting thing to say, Ganpat. Shame on you.
Comment: He got too worked up wit his crush on Obama and his hatered of Hitkery, that was his trouble.
A lesson for all Obamaniacs.
Frank Rich, Dick Morris, Chris Mathews, Jonanthan Alter, Thomas fineman, Maureen Dowd and other unbiased, fair-minded correspondents- watch out !
Comment: Why was he so anti-Clinton?
Comment: He was not anti-Clinton, he was Pro-McCain, a catholic. He was in ITaly to collect money from the Catholic Mafia. He was feigning support for Obama because Obama is easier to destruct than Hillary.
Obama supporters learned about this, so Obama supporters did something to him.
Comment: Well sometimes men with such exceptional personality and good spirit can see things not everyone sees.
Comment: Too bad to see the great Russert exit around Fathers' Day and at such an age as just 58. I would say that he looked a bit sick to me with the red face and bloating, perhaps excess alcohol? Who knows. I've been told to take two (2) 81 mg aspirin tablets per day--and try chewable ones if your stomach is sensitive as some people. My doctor told me that I might not respond adequately to just one tablet. Russert's weight seemed fairly high watching him stride across the baseball diamond on the B-roll footage. And, then there are the 20-hour days that even Ted Koppel mentioned saying, "he worked too hard". Manager positions can be pressure cookers especially in his profession. I think the person who said to get 30 minutes of walking or treadmill at least four times per week was wise, as that is the standard now. Tim, you are admired by many and you will be sorely missed I am sure.
Comment: Hard work never kills anyone, but not getting enough rest is a killer.
Comment: Regarding aspirin, you have it backwards. If you have a "sensitive" stomach, use coated aspirin. I use chewables because they don't cause problems in my stomach, and they are around 3 times as effective. The special enteric coating allows the caplet to pass through the stomach to the intestine before it dissolves, to help prevent stomach irritation.
Comment: Diabetes is one of the most common causes of vascular disease, and heart attacks are a common outcome from that disease. If I am not mistaken, diabetes is one of the leading indirect causes of cardiac arrest. Despite the suggestion of the article that Mr. Russert was exercising, his appearance clearly suggests that he was either not exercising enough or not watching his diet. Type 2 Diabetes is a very serious disease that affects every organ in the body, and most people don't really understand it's true burden even if managed with medication. Ultimately this disease is far more effectively treated by a change in lifestyle and not just medication, although both may be necessary. Unfortunately guys his age for cultural reasons (such as the obligations of work) as well hormonal changes tend to be quite sedentary even when tasked with exercise. Type 2 diabetes is mostly preventable via lifestyle changes. In a sense, he was a victim of his culture.
Comment: I LOVED Tim Russert! His books, his way of interviewing, and his genuine energy for political news. I hope his alma mater JCU names something in his honor. This is also an excellent time to remind people of the need to at least walk 30minutes a day, avoid the "4-whites": anything made with white flour, potatoes, sugar, or white rice. I have. I was a 38-year old pre-diabetic and my doctor warned me I would have a stroke or heart attack by 55 if I didn't change my ways. I have. Cutting out the 4-whites has DRAMATICALLY improved my energy levels and my lab work!! Please, everyone--avoid fiberless starch!!
Comment: There are some inaccuracies in this story. The biggest may be that there is any "science" involved.
First of all, Dick Cheney has an implanted defibrillator, not a pacemaker - they are two different machines that address two very different problems.
Second of all, if Mr. Russert had an elarged heart, then he was in fact, symptomatic, and a simple chest xray should have been able to pick this up.
Third of all, if a heart stops because of a blocked artery, no amount of defibrillation will fix the problem - it may jump start the short-circuited electrical system of the heart for a short period of time, but defibrillation can't do anything about the lack of blood flow caused by a blocked artery.
And fourth, statins have never been proven to prevent heart attacks - the only thing proven about statins is that they lower cholesterol numbers. Science takes a leap of faith when it assumes that lowering cholesterol prevents heart attacks - we haven't come close to proving this, it just "seems" logical, so we sell a lot of statins based on conjecture.
The one item this article does mention that has some pretty good science behind it is taking an aspirin daily. But of course, aspirin is very cheap - no pharmaceutical profits there.
The truth is that there isn't really a lot of "science" connected with sudden cardiac arrest when it is caused by a problem with the heart's circulatory system. We simply don't know why a given piece of plaque blocks a given artery on a given day. We also don't really understand why plaque develops in some but not others, or why it develops slowly in some and faster in others.
What we do know is that there are specific risk factors - type II diabetes, obesity, smoking, saturated fats in the diet in high numbers - and that there is some genetic risk as well.
The best advice is still the oldest, and - surprise, surprise - the cheapest: stop smoking, lose weight, eat more frutis and vegetables and less saturated fats, and exercise.
It is about changing behaviors, something our health care system does not emphasize - our system emphasizes expensive drugs and expensive surgeries. It emphasizes expensive "science" - when common sense frequently work just fine.
Comment: Sadly. CHF is common in overweight men. No doubt he was carrying a little extra weight and this is always a possibility.
JT
http://www.ULtimate-Anonymity.com
Comment: Article states: "..doctors know little about what predisposes one person to it and not another." In fact, physicians have published many clinical studies in peer reviewed journals showing that a very low fat diet (15% or less fat) will reverse heart disease. People with heart disease who have taken this route found that in angina goes away, arteries clear and they could stop taking drugs. Read books by Esselstyn and Ornish.
Comment: BobStilwell: Please check your facts. To this day there is not a single study proving either that high fat intake is related to heart disease or that low fat intake lowers the risk (let alone reverses) heart disease. The studies you hear about usually include many more factors (like exercise, stress management, counseling, etc) so the end result cannot (as any statistician will tell you) be attributed to only one factor (low fat diet). Dr. Ornish studies are a typical example or this misuse or statistics. There are some studies (mostly with statin drugs) where lowering cholesterol levels were associated with a lower incidence of heart disease, but what they won't tell you about those studies is that the overall death rate (not just from heart attacks) did NOT decrease and in some cases increased substantially. Check it out, the studies and articles are there. You have been lied to, denial is not going to change that.
Comment:
o Posted By: zamkam @ 06/15/2008 15:53:16
Comment: BobStilwell: Please check your facts. To this day there is not a single study proving either that high fat intake is related to heart disease or that low fat intake lowers the risk (let alone reverses) heart disease. The studies you hear about usually include many more factors (like exercise, stress management, counseling, etc) so the end result cannot (as any statistician will tell you) be attributed to only one factor (low fat diet). Dr. Ornish studies are a typical example or this misuse or statistics. There are some studies (mostly with statin drugs) where lowering cholesterol levels were associated with a lower incidence of heart disease, but what they won't tell you about those studies is that the overall death rate (not just from heart attacks) did NOT decrease and in some cases increased substantially. Check it out, the studies and articles are there. You have been lied to, denial is not going to change that.
Zamkam: It so happens that when I heard of Tim Russert???s untimely death I was actually reading ???PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE??? by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, published by Avery, New York, in 2007.
The monograph builds on a group of about 20 individuals with severe coronary artery disease Esselstyn gathered beginning in 1985 and whom he has treated in large part with a strict low fat, plant based diet. See the journal, Preventive Cardiology, volume 4, 2001, pages 171 to 177. One of the group, who was not able to comply with the diet, has died but the others improved and have shown varying degrees of reversal of pathology by imaging.
I was drawn to the monograph because, at age 74 and free of cardiac symptoms, I did have a major plaque when obtaining a ???Coronary Artery Calcium Score/GE???. Now I am choosing to embark on the Esselstyn diet -- to attempt reduction in size of this plaque and to improve chances of watching all my grandchildren, who now number eight, grow up.
Tim Russert should at least have been offered the same choice by the medical profession..
Roswell Eldridge, MD
Comment:
Zamkam: It so happens that when I learned of Tim Russert???s untimely death I was actually reading ???PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE??? by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, published by Avery, New York, in 2007.
The monograph builds on a group of about 20 individuals with severe coronary artery disease Esselstyn gathered beginning in 1985 and whom he has treated in large part with a strict low fat, plant based diet. See the journal, Preventive Cardiology, volume 4, 2001, pages 171 to 177. One of the group, who was not able to comply with the diet, has died but the others improved and have shown varying degrees of reversal of pathology by imaging.
I was drawn to the monograph because, at age 74 and free of cardiac symptoms, I did have a major plaque when obtaining a ???Coronary Artery Calcium Score/GE???. Now I am choosing to embark on the Esselstyn diet -- to attempt reduction in size of this plaque and to improve chances of watching all my grandchildren, who now number eight, grow up.
Tim Russert should at least have been offered the same choice by the medical profession..
Roswell Eldridge, MD
Comment: Article states: "..doctors know little about what predisposes one person to it and not another." In fact, physicians have published many clinical studies in peer reviewed journals showing that a very low fat diet (15% or less fat) will reverse heart disease. People with heart disease who have taken this route found that in angina goes away, arteries clear and they could stop taking drugs. Read books by Esselstyn and Ornish.
Comment: Most of these comments are purely moronic diatribes directed at somebody that is clearly familiar yet a stranger to the posters. What kind of entertainment junkies are you all, anyway? Tim was a great journalist who is reported by his best friends to have been a devout family man and a professional who will be missed and revered in that inner circle of news journalists that knew him as we as an audience certainly did not. Godspeed
Comment: "doctors know little about what predisposes one person to it and not another",
"assessing risk is a very, very difficult thing"
Keep those two very true facts in mind the next time your doctor tries to push unnecessary treatments (or seven surgery) on you. They don't know jack about heart disease but most claim to know how to cure it. The funny thing is, both the causes and the "cures" keep changing every 10 years or so. Don't take my word for it, do your own research: Google "cholesterol scam" and find out.
Comment: Current routine testing (cholesterol and stress tests) simply tiptoes around the need for a better diagnostic toll for visualizing potential plaques and coronary artery disease. Catheterization is dangerous and expensive and reserved for those with more serious problems than the apparently well walking around with real risk. Better, cheaper and more definitive diagnostic tools need be validated and implemented. Time to take my statin and aspirin and get on my bike!
Comment: Cheney has a heart?
Comment: Is it clearly known that this was due to a myocardial infarction?
I understand he had just had a long haul flight from Italy just prior to this.
Given his recent normal stress test, a plumonary embolus related to his long haul flight would seem likely.
Comment: I absolutely refuse to believe any part of this story, including the part about his having died. Try again Newsweek, some of us are not as easy to fool as you would like to think!
Comment: I absolutely refuse to believe any part of this story, including the part about his having died. Try again Newsweek, some of us are not as easy to fool as you would like to think!
Comment: Good thing they didn't take him to Johns Hopkins: http://adventuresincardiology.wordpress.com/
Comment: Please lets not rule out foul play. Investigators should seriously investigate this case and not just consider it a heart attack.
Comment: I'm shocked and saddened since I heard about Tim Russert's death. Such a huge loss to America. I'm a political junkie and I feel Tim has left such a void which cannot be filled. He had such a infectious enthusiasm for American politics. I keep thinking, couldn't his doctor have taken some pre-emptive steps when he already was diagnosed as having coronary artery desease? Also when someone is such a high profile journalist and at a such a position in NBC and brings so much popularity and authenticity to the network, shouldn't NBC have some duty to have the best from medical profession do regular health monitoring and provide nutritional diet control and forced fitness regime? I know people should be personally responsible for their own health, but sometimes our society and system need to step in to help each of us reach our healthy goals. We all can't be perfect in everything. Something somewhere failed... we need to rethink...Tim could have been saved...:(
Comment: Hard to believe that people post their inane comments on sites like this. Who GAS what you think about a person of whom you know nothing about ??? other than what you perceive from seeing/reading a story in the media? Get a life people.
Comment: Did you know that PVC shower curtains can KILL you? That's right buddy, KILL. No, I don't believe it either.
Comment: Watching Tim Russert on Sunday morning is like attending Church services for many people. When he died there will be no God and we should start worshiping the Devil!
Comment: This is probably the only comment that had any sense to it in the whole list.
Comment: We are all mortals. We have expiry dates that we do not know. Tim did not know or worry about his health because he pass his treadmill stress test a few months ago. A medical checkup is no guarantee that you will not drop dead from sudden cardiac arrest. This is one eventual journey we cannot avoid.
Comment: We are all mortals. We have expiry dates that we do not know. Whether we die by heart disease or cancer, there is no way to predict. Tim did not know or worry about his health condition because he just pass his treadmill stress test few months back. Simply said, a medical checkup is no guarantee that you will not drop dead suddenly. Our time will come eventually.
Comment: We are all mortals? Speak for yourself bud, I intend on living forever with the rest of my vampire family.
Comment: RE: my previous statement that Tim Russert was fat and didn't appear to practice portion control. I did not mean that to be judgmental or holier-than-thou. I'm fat, too, and though I exercise and eat lots of fruits and vegetables, I have a problem with portion control. I drink too much, too, and have a weakness for drinking wine and eating dinnet at 10 or 11 pm. My sister died of lung cancer three years ago because, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop smoking. My father died before anti-depressants and was accused of not being able to just "snap out of it" when it came to his being in despair. Both of them had integrity and high character. I have a penchant for human weakness and frailty, which I myself have in abundance, and if I rather abruptly said that Tim Russert was fat and had appeared to have a problem with portion control, I meant it as a surmise in answer to the topic that was thrown out: What happened to Tim Russert? I meant no aspersion on his character or callousness toward his grieving loved ones. I hate the holier-than-thou attitude, too, but I'd still like to know, as a part understanding this particular human being, did he try to keep his weight under control or did he just blow it off? I mean that as a valid question and without disrespect.
Comment: Regarding the death Of Tim Russert:
In this Newsweek article, Dr. Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic told the magazine when asked about the role of STRESS and heart attacks: "Most of us do not think it is terribly relevant," and explained this with a shocking lack of logical thinking: Newsweek writes,
"After all, he notes, "many people in this world have stressful jobs," and they don't all die of of heart attacks."
Time Magazine named Dr. Nissen one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World in their "Scientists and Thinkers" section.
Think about that.
Now, consider the completely illogical statement from Dr. Nissen bolded above. One thing should be made perfectly clear in light of this statement: He believes cholesterol as very relevant to heart attack risk. Yet, to turn his Newsweek comments around, "many people in this world have **high cholesterol**" and they don't all die of heart attacks. In fact, study after study shows countries with the highest rates of fat intake and the highest average cholesterol rates have the lowest incidence of heart disease. Imagine that!
Dr. Nissen's irresponsible and illogical comments in Newsweek shows - again - the complete bamboozlement the cholesterol hypothesis has on western medicine just because, "everyone knows," high cholesterol causes Coronary Heart Disease. How do they know this? "Because everyone knows." Ad nauseum. With a little research, the facts show this is simply not true.
What Dr. Nissen said about stress can be said about high cholesterol. Plenty of people live with both without having heart attacks.
Maybe Mr. Russert's death can help in bringing us back to real science as opposed to what Big Pharma dictates as what is science - and what is not.
Follow the money.
Comment: Regarding the death Of Tim Russert:
In this Newsweek article, Dr. Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic told the magazine when asked about the role of STRESS and heart attacks: "Most of us do not think it is terribly relevant," and explained this with a shocking lack of logical thinking: Newsweek writes,
"After all, he notes, "many people in this world have stressful jobs," and they don't all die of of heart attacks."
Time Magazine named Dr. Nissen one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World in their "Scientists and Thinkers" section.
Think about that.
Now, consider the completely illogical statement from Dr. Nissen bolded above. One thing should be made perfectly clear in light of this statement: He believes cholesterol as very relevant to heart attack risk. Yet, to turn his Newsweek comments around, "many people in this world have **high cholesterol**" and they don't all die of heart attacks. In fact, study after study shows countries with the highest rates of fat intake and the highest average cholesterol rates have the lowest incidence of heart disease. Imagine that!
Dr. Nissen's irresponsible and illogical comments in Newsweek shows - again - the complete bamboozlement the cholesterol hypothesis has on western medicine just because, "everyone knows," high cholesterol causes Coronary Heart Disease. How do they know this? "Because everyone knows." Ad nauseum. With a little research, the facts show this is simply not true.
What Dr. Nissen said about stress can be said about high cholesterol. Plenty of people live with both without having heart attacks.
Maybe Mr. Russert's death can help in bringing us back to real science as opposed to what Big Pharma dictates as what is science - and what is not.
Follow the money.
Comment:
i just a po old negro vetern,and i knows more about what be goin on with this stuff than they do,, them drs given all kinds of expensive pills ,for arthridus and stuff like that and them pills may be relief ,but then they kills you,there be many examples of that ifs y'all just read about
Comment: of course it would ,maybe he just din't want to go to dr ,i dunno, or maybe dr try to treat him with pills for big$$ imstead of operating ,,my friend was 90 % blocked and they just took out a section that was blocked, reamed it out clean ,and sewed back in ,,came out fine ,,wqs no problem. is why i cant figure man of this statuer that couldnt be saved ,,somebody dropped the soap somewheres
Comment: I wonder if an angiogram would have been able to determine that Russert had plaque build-up and the potential for a coronary thrombosis; if so, then could angioplasty been used to clear out the plaque and ward-off the thrombosis.
Comment: They discovered he had an enlarged heart. Wonder if he was on a statin drug to "treat" his condition. These have many side effects including starving the heart and body of CoEnzymeQ10 needed for energy. There are plenty of overweight people that eat lots of fat and have clear arteries. And plenty of low cholesterol folks that are trim that have heart attacks. Cholesterol is NOT the cause. It's long term INFLAMMATION from things like POLYUNSATURATED FATS!
Comment: yes sir y'all sounds like y'all knows what it all about ,,and am sure yo right , but no use askin dr as dr will give you the advice that makes him the most money. be irt drugs or ther treatment . med ical industry is money driven,.
Comment: now first of all ,i'se sorry the man die ,that is sad ,but wait a minute,lookahere ,,if a man with all the money he need and in posistion like that he be in,,cant do nuthin to prevent this kinda thing ,hows can us po folks ever expect to. we good as doomed .
Comment: i haven't seen any mention that the precipitating factor is actually thought to have been the stress test itself. the test is very hard for the body. and, there are other tests that are given in conjunction with the test that can help to find out if there are underlying problems that don't show up on the stress test. it is not an all-inclusive test. this was on the news today - komotv.com. the stress test could be the reason that he died at this time. it may have destabilized his system. this is another one of THOSE TESTS. there's also a serious problem with the sigmoidoscopy. people are dieing from tests.
Comment: Have a little compassion!!!!!!! Stop being so judgemental all you "perfect"people!!!!!!
My prayers are with his beautiful family. I'm sure there will be such a hole left in their hearts. God Bless.
Comment: I can't believe people are really shocked by his death. He was very overweight, had a high-stress job and had pre-determining factors like heart disease and diabetes. Duh! It's sad anytime someone dies but this should not have been a surprise. Exercise and eat less people!
Comment: I can't believe people are really shocked by his death. He was very overweight, had a high-stress job and had pre-determining factors like heart disease and diabetes. Duh! It's sad anytime someone dies but this should not have been a surprise. Exercise and eat less people!
Comment: So he had a history of heart disease, diabetes, and an enlarged heart. His days were numbered -- If one has to go early, going out at the top of one's game isn't a bad way to do it.
Comment: He was fat. They say he was exercising, but was he practicing portion control? He sure didn't look like it.
Comment: That's a fine comment about a man who was much loved by his family and colleagues and will be very missed.
Comment: Here's a guy who is a serious politco junkie - read workaholic. He is reported to have returned from a celebratory vacation for his son in Italy. Consider this...he hosted Meet the Press last Sunday, so the earliest he could be in Italy was Monday. By Friday he is back in Washington (without his family) Some vacation.
Couldn't keep away - NBC was his "family" Tragic.
Comment: The reports that I heard said only that he RECENTLY returned from Italy. Let's not make judgements about his family devotion. Just listen to everyone on tv talking about him. He is a much loved man; people would not be taking all this time to talk about him if he wasn't.
Comment: Definitely a transition for one of America's most prominent political journalists and programs - while I wasn't familiar with his work especially, it sounds as if he will be missed.
As buttersfoxone mentioned, though, the story might also be well-used to point out the dangers of our obesity epidemic. 58 is a relatively young age to die in a First-World society, and it does seem likely that excess weight played a serious role in his death - there is, of course, no way to be sure. But I remember being 26, not having exercised seriously and having overworked myself for two years, with a somewhat prominent gut and having occasional chest pains and palpitations - it really is very hard on one's body.
Comment: Pretty sad. Not sure what happened but he did appear to be overweight. this is often a main contributor to CHF
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