Heart disease in black women

Heart disease in black women

PITTSBURGH

Middle-aged black women have higher levels of a protein in their blood associated with a predictor of heart disease than their white counterparts, even after other factors, such as obesity, are taken into consideration, according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

The finding, recently reported in the journal Menopause, suggests routine blood testing of black menopausal women may be warranted to determine their heart-disease risk and potentially when to start therapies, such as aspirin and statins. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“Our study revealed for the first time that in black, but not white, women going through menopause, higher levels of an easily measured risk factor for heart disease are associated with higher amounts of early atherosclerosis, even after accounting for other risk factors for heart disease. A clinical trial to determine whether routine screening in this population can save lives may be warranted,” said lead author Dr. Norman C. Wang, M.D., assistant professor in Pitt’s School of Medicine.

Nursing scholarships

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley has received $60,000 to establish the Michael S. Senchak/Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation Nursing Scholarship.

Since 1997, the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley has awarded nearly $1 million to Mercy Health employees and family members to further their clinical education and clinical instructor programs at local, accredited universities. Last year, 53 students received more than $150,000 in scholarships thanks to local organizations and individual donors who have contributed to further a skilled, clinical workforce.

Michael S. Senchak, a registered nurse, worked 22 years at Mercy Health, formerly Humility of Mary Health Partners. He began as an orderly then registered nurse in several departments, including neurovascular, orthopedic and the emergency room, and ultimately became the vice president of shared-support services.

Diabetes study

ATHENS

The same technology used by forensic investigators to capture fingerprints also can help doctors predict whether patients might be at risk for developing diabetes, a new study finds.

A team of scientists and clinicians led by Molly Morris of Ohio University has found that a technology called wavelet analysis can take detailed snapshots that reveal the level of asymmetry in an individual’s fingerprints. The study found that fingerprint asymmetry is a marker of type 2 diabetes in adults. In addition, the team discovered a connection between the irregular fingerprint patterns and patients with type 1 diabetes.

This study is the first to efficiently measure fluctuating asymmetry in fingerprints (differences in fingerprints between the corresponding fingers on the right and left hands) and show that it can be used to predict a person’s risk to develop diabetes.

The research recently was published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.

Mammograms could prevent heart disease

A new study reveals that mammograms, a routine examination to detect possible cancer, could also prevent an even bigger killer – heart disease – because mammograms can uncover calcium deposits in breast arteries, which could be similar to deposits in arteries leading to the heart, said Dr. Larry Altshuler, M.D., director of oncology intake at Cancer Treatment Centers of America.