OT: Americans have healthier hearts than before

[paredown]

Best of the morning reading--a pretty extraordinary decline in spending on heart attack, stroke and other ailments--and a pretty remarkable effect on the Medicare budget. And a pretty remarkable effect on longevity!

Article here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/americans-have-healthier-hearts-we-have-a-healthier-budget-too/2019/02/07/d5e7a178-2b1c-11e9-b2fc-721718903bfc_story.html?utm_term=.3d953d0e59f3

[Mikej]

Best of the morning reading--a pretty extraordinary decline in spending on heart attack, stroke and other ailments--and a pretty remarkable effect on the Medicare budget. And a pretty remarkable effect on longevity!

Article here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/americans-have-healthier-hearts-we-have-a-healthier-budget-too/2019/02/07/d5e7a178-2b1c-11e9-b2fc-721718903bfc_story.html?utm_term=.3d953d0e59f3

Pretty sure diabetes is the new problem. Kind of unbelievable that 2012 is the most recent data available from the study. In this day and age? Good to see a change though -

[Rada]

Yet life expectancy is declining in the USA.

[paredown]

Yet life expectancy is declining in the USA.

I thought about that too--but I suspect it is the opiod epidemic that is distorting the numbers...

[echappist]

opiod and suicides

[joosttx]

opiod and suicides

Diabetes

[fmradio516]

what a coincidence. my mom just had an angiogram yesterday to check for clogged arteries as she has severe heart failure. turns out she doesnt have any clogged arteries but a bad leaking valve. just got the news this morning.

[marciero]

Pretty sure diabetes is the new problem....



More generally, metabolic syndrome

[Mr. Pink]

Less and less cigarette smoking.

[likebikes]

Less and less cigarette smoking.

more and more pot smoking due to legalization though.

[Mr. Pink]

.......and, what does that have to do with heart disease, other than the urge for Oreos?

[zmalwo]

.......and, what does that have to do with heart disease, other than the urge for Oreos?

That pretty much does it

[biker72]

what a coincidence. my mom just had an angiogram yesterday to check for clogged arteries as she has severe heart failure. turns out she doesnt have any clogged arteries but a bad leaking valve. just got the news this morning.

Good news is that heart valves are very fixable. I have a friend that had his valve repaired almost 20 years ago. He's still in great health at 80.

[fmradio516]

Good news is that heart valves are very fixable. I have a friend that had his valve repaired almost 20 years ago. He's still in great health at 80.

Thanks. I just always think of my grandma when it comes to this stuff. she had a valve replacement when I was growing up and it never stopped leaking. Had 3 open heart surgeries. Docs said at the last one to say goodbye because the scar tissue was so bad, but she pulled through. She suffered though. Always in and out of the hospital..

[wc1934]

Good news is that heart valves are very fixable. I have a friend that had his valve repaired almost 20 years ago. He's still in great health at 80.
yes - my father-in-law just had this procedure. They entered thru his femoral artery (did a test run prior) with a collapsable valve made of titanium (flaps were from pigs ears) and inserted the valve inside his own. Home in 2 days. Good luck.