Aspirin May Not Be Effective For Women In Lowering Risk Of Heart Attack

Aspirin therapy has widely been used to prevent heart attacks for both men and women. But there may be considerable variation between men and women in the effectiveness of aspirin therapy in reducing the risk of heart attacks.

A recent study, conducted by a group of researchers from University of British Columbia, Vancouver and published online in BMC Medicine, indicated that women may be much less responsive to aspirin than men.

By identifying 23 clinical trials, the researchers examined the effectiveness of aspirin therapy in preventing heart attacks for a total of 113,494 participants. The researchers reported that aspirin therapy, when compared to placebo, provided a modest reduction in the risk of non-fatal heart attacks (28 percent), but did not reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks.

However, considerable variation in the effectiveness of aspirin across the trials was noted. It was found that roughly 27 per cent of the total variation in reports of non-fatal heart attacks could actually be explained by the proportion of men and women in the trial.

According to what the researchers had found, studies that included men had the largest risk reduction in non-fatal heart attacks (38 percent), while trials that mostly included women failed to show a significant reduction in the risk of non-fatal heart attack.

Based on the data analyzed, the researchers concluded that aspirin is less efficacious in women for the reduction of heart attacks. They also raised the possibility that women are more susceptible to aspirin resistance.

Smoking Mothers Could Produce Fat Children!

Smoking women not only raise the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular disease of their babies but also are at nearly 3 times greater risk of producing obese children.

This is result, of a study conducted by Yamanashi University's School of Medicine, revealed at the recent meeting of public health experts in Japan in the middle of October 2007. The survey was done over a period of almost 2 decades to cover some 1,400 women in Japan who gave birth between April 1991 and March 1997. The researchers then collected the data on about 1,000 of their children when their ages reached 9 or 10.

The study showed that the risk of obesity was 2.9 times higher among children whose mothers smoked when they were 3 months pregnant or in earlier stages of pregnancy, as compared with children of non-smoking mothers. This indicates that mothers who smoke during pregnancy, even in early stages can still affect the health of children over a longer period of time.

Nevertheless, the researchers could not find out the exact correlation. They "speculate" that children whose mothers smoked were in shortage of nutrition in the womb. The poorly fed babies in the womb would naturally stock up nutrition after they were born.

While the truth is yet to be found, what matters most for the mothers-to-be is to stop smoking for the sake of their children.

Smoking Mothers Could Risk Their Babies Of Heart Disease!

Smoking has long been regarded as a risk factor of heart disease. But now, women who smoke and want to have baby may need to think twice because cigarettes may cause heart defects to their babies.

A report presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago revealed that pregnant women who smoke just before pregnant and shortly thereafter may increase the risk of their babies of getting a congenital heart disease by 60 to 80 percent. Exposing to second-hand smoke in the workplace or at home may also raise the women's risk of bearing infants with such defects by 30 percent.

This is the finding provided by a study conducted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Congenital actually means existing at or dating from birth. Congenital heart disease refers to a kind of problem with the heart's structure and function due to abnormal heart development before birth. Congenital heart disease can cause more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defects. Some of these defects may heal over time, others will need treatment. For more information on congenital heart disease, you can want to check out at MedlinePlus.

The actual causes of most of defects are not known, but scientists believe that genetic susceptibilities and exposure to environmental toxins, such as alcohol, infections, various chemicals and some medications, may be the culprits.

Cigarette smoke contains about 3,000 chemicals and sad to say, their potential to cause heart defects is still unclear till now.

The heart's basic structure develops early in pregnancy. During this period, chemicals or infections may easily interfere with the genetic blueprint resulting in abnormalities. Even if pregnant women stop smoking 6 weeks after conception, the foetus can still be exposed to the chemicals in cigarette smoke. The most common problem caused is ventricular septal defect, which is a hole between 2 chambers of the heart.

It is estimated that some 2,000 congenital heart defects could be prevented every year if women stopped smoking before they try to become pregnant. Or better still, do not start smoking at all and this could be good not only for you but also to the people around you!