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Catching
Heart Trouble During Your Workout
By detecting a person's
inability to pump oxygen through their bloodstream while
they exercise, doctors may be able to pinpoint early heart
problems, says a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions.
The findings were presented Oct. 17 at the annual meeting
of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation in Kansas City, Mo.
The researchers say measuring the amount of oxygen that
can be circulated throughout the body during each heart
beat while a person exercises could reveal early signs of
heart trouble in people with mildly elevated blood pressure.
The study included 99 adults (44 men and 55 women), aged
55 to 75, who had mild hypertension but were otherwise healthy.
The subjects' heart size and performance at rest were measured
and compared to their heart performance while walking on
a treadmill. Their oxygen usage was also measured while
they exercised.
Normally, people show a sharp increase in oxygen use during
the first few minutes of exercise and that demand continues
to rise with continued exercise. The load on the heart also
increases as it works harder to meet the body's demands
for increased oxygen carried by the blood.
"Our research shows that patients with mild hypertension
have some reductions in heart function," researcher
Kerry J. Stewart, director of clinical exercise physiology
at Hopkins, says in a prepared statement.
"We found signs that their hearts were not operating
efficiently during exercise, and this was matched with decreased
heart function at rest as revealed by newer imaging methods.
We need to get their blood pressure under control, even
if it is only mildly elevated," Stewart says.
Further study is required to confirm whether this method
is a useful screening tool for identifying heart problems.
Here's where you can learn more about high
blood pressure and preventing
high blood pressure
Article Source: HealthDay
Article Author: N/A
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