'Burnout' Could Raise Your Odds for A-fib

TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 -- Feeling exhausted, with too few hours in the day to do what needs to be done?

Be careful of burnout -- especially after a new study finds it can raise your risk for the dangerous irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.

AHA News: After Stroke, an 'Astounding' Risk of Heart Problems

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Women and men have a much higher risk of dangerous heart problems soon after their first stroke compared to people without stroke, even if they don't have obvious underlying heart disease, a study has found.

Researchers investigated data on more than 93,000 people age 66 or older in Ontario, Canada. The group included more than 12,000 women and 9,500 men who had an ischemic stroke, the most common type.

Cluster of Unhealthy Risk Factors Could Raise Odds of Recurrent Blood Clots

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2020 -- People with what's known as the "metabolic syndrome" are vulnerable to recurring blood clots, new research shows.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These factors put people at risk for diabetes, heart disease and a type of blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), researchers say.

Sleeping Too Long Might Raise Stroke Risk

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2019 -- If you're the kind of person who sleeps nine or more hours a night or takes long afternoon naps, you may want to worry about your stroke risk, a new Chinese study suggests.

According to the research, people who sleep and nap too long may increase their risk for stroke by 85%. Regular 90-minute midday naps can raise the risk 25%, compared with not napping or napping for only 30 minutes.

AHA News: Toy Building Boosts Woodworker's Stroke Recovery

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Gary Lucas delights in making intricate wooden decorative pieces in his tidy workshop. He's particularly talented with his electric scroll saw, using its precision cuts to create crosses, puzzles, plaques and ornaments.

To teach others his woodworking skills, Lucas makes videos he posts on YouTube.

'Mobile Stroke Units' Help Rush Treatment to Patients

THURSDAY, Dec. 5, 2019 -- If you're in the throes of a stroke, being stuck in an ambulance in big-city traffic is the last place you want to be -- unless you're riding in a specially equipped ambulance called a mobile stroke unit (MSU).

A new study reports that suspected stroke patients in New York City who were taken to a nearby hospital via MSU began receiving critical, lifesaving treatment about 30 minutes faster than those transported by regular ambulances. Incidentally, the time difference had nothing to do with how fast the ambulances were going.