Heart(y) news, October 30

News update on heart issues coming up…

Hero dog saves heart attack victim
This cattle dog in Queensland Australia will be awarded the RSPCA’s animal achievement award for saving her master’s life. Jim Touzeau suffered from a heart attack two years but survived thanks to his dog Teka, who jumped up and down and barked loudly, causing him to wake up. The dog then ran outside to the sidewalk, barked and jumped up and down to attract people’s attention. Heart experts were not sure how it happened but they think that by jumping up and down, the dog probably kick-started Touzeau’s heart.
Over the years, there have been reports of house pets recognizing danger, sometimes before it happens and coming to the rescue of their human friends. Some dogs are trained to sniff out hypoglycemic attacks in diabetes patients or even cancer.

American Heart Association joins international organizations to urge public to fight stroke
AHA joined international organizations the world over to observe World Stroke Day yesterday, October 29. According to Dr. Vladimir Hachinski, chairman of the World Stroke Day Working Group and first vice president of the World Federation of Neurology:

“World Stroke Day dedicates a day of awareness to the issue of stroke once a year. Each of us must confirm our commitment in the fight against stroke not just today, but every day.”

Guidance for Industry: Letter Regarding Point of Purchase Food Labeling
earlier thtis month, the US FDA issued a guidance letter to the food industry, expressing its current thinking on Point of Purchase Food Labeling, which includes:

• Front of Package (FOP) labelling , voluntary information that is intended to convey to consumers the nutritional attributes of a food.
• Symbols that are typically linked to a set of nutritional criteria developed by food manufacturers, grocery stores, trade organizations, and health organizations.

A study suggests that consumers are less likely to read the Nutritional Facts written at the back of the packaging . The FDA is therefore urging the food industry to place this information in front of the packaging.

Cleveland Clinic Health Chats

• Oct 30 Adult Congenital Heart Disease by Richard Krasuski, MD
• Nov 3 FMD Webchat by Heather Gornik, MD (Note: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal cellular growth in the walls of medium and large arteries.)
• Nov 11 Congenital Heart Disease in Children  by Constantine Mavroudis, MD
• Nov 20  Arrhythmias – Atrial Fibrillation and More! by Walid Saliba, MD
• Dec 2     Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease  by Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD
• Dec 9     Heart Disease in Women by Julie Huang, MD
• Dec 11   Sports Health: Preventing Hockey & Ski Injuries by Anthony Miniaci, MD, FRCSC
• Dec 18   Treatment of CAD and Interventional Procedures by Stephen Ellis, MD