Heart Attack Can Lead To Rupture Of The Heart

Individuals who have survived a heart attack are at risk to die of heart rupture which is literally the heart bursting out of the arterial wall. This is the result of a new study at the University of Iowa where researchers discovered a single protein that acts as a risk factor in the “biochemical cascade” that will ultimately lead to heart rupture.

The findings of this study was published last November 13, 2011 as an Advance Online Publication of the journal Nature Medicine which focuses experts attention to blocking the action of this specific protein known as CaM kinase. It is known that after a heart attack, the body produces chemicals that are known to be involved in healing and repair of the heart tissue. But too much chemicals can be too much for a frail and injured heart which may cause further damage which can lead to total heart failure and ultimately death due to heart rupture. This study further assesses the effects of the different medications prescribed after a heart attack. Beta-blockers which block the action of adrenaline and medication that block the angiotensin receptor. Mark E. Anderson, MD PhD, UI professor and head of internal medicine and senior study author also stresses the third phases of prescription medication which must be composed of drugs that block aldosterone action.

Aldosterone is known to increase after a heart attack and the high levels of this particular hormone can increase the risk of death days after a heart attack. Aldosterone is also thought to work with CaM kinase which can ultimately lead to techniques in preventing heart rupture through blocking this protein.

This study will surely be beneficial to individuals who have just suffered a heart attack to further preserve heart health and ultimately preventing heart rupture which leads to death.

Why human brains can't get any smarter

Human brains can't get any smarter because they seem to have hit an evolutionary roadblock. You can't have too much of a good thing when it comes to mental performance because there is an upper limit somewhere, researchers suggest.

"In other words... if you go beyond that spot, just like in the fairy tales, you have to pay the price," says Thomas Hills from the University of Warwick in Britain.

"These kinds of studies suggest there is an upper limit to how much people can or should improve their mental functions like attention, memory or intelligence," said Hills, the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science reports.

"Take a complex task like driving, where the mind needs to be dynamically focused, attending to the right things such as the road ahead and other road users - which are changing all the time," he said, according to a university statement.

"If you enhance your ability to focus too much, and end up over-focusing on specific details, like the driver trying to hide in your blind spot, then you may fail to see another driver suddenly veering into your lane from the other direction," he added.

This seems to explain why people with enhanced intelligence suffer from autism, debilitating synaesthesia and neural disorders.

Hills, who conducted a comprehensive review study with Ralph Hertwig from the University of Basel in Switzerland, said drugs like Ritalan only help people with lower attention spans.

But when people who don't have trouble focusing, take these attention boosting pills, they can actually perform worse.

"Or if you drink coffee to make yourself more alert, the trade-off is that it is likely to increase your anxiety levels and lose your fine motor control. There are always trade-offs," Hills concluded. 

Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy tests work by testing a woman’s urine to find out if they have a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This hormone is also called the pregnancy hormone and it builds up in the woman’s body every day that she is pregnant. There are two different types of pregnancy tests. One tests the blood, and the other tests the urine. Women who want to check their blood to find out if they are pregnant will need to see a doctor. A Home Pregnancy Test, can be bought at most Pharmacies.

Women who think they may be pregnant may wonder when is the best time to take a pregnancy test. Blood tests can usually indicate a pregnancy quicker than a home pregnancy test. If a woman wants to find out if she is pregnant by buying a home pregnancy test, the best time to take the test is first thing in the morning with the first urine of the day. The first urine in the morning will give the most accurate reading. A woman should also make sure that the pregnancy test is not expired, otherwise they could get a faulty reading. The digital home pregnancy tests are the best tests to purchase because they give a reading of either pregnant, or not pregnant. Other tests just give an indicator of a minus sign or a plus sign. The minus sign meaning they are not pregnant, and the plus sign meaning they are pregnant. When taking a home pregnancy test, a woman should wait for one week after their first missed period. The longer a woman waits, the more time the pregnancy hormone has time to show up. If a woman takes a pregnancy test too soon, it could give them a false negative, when they are actually pregnant.

When a woman takes a home pregnancy test, she will need to urinate on the home pregnancy indicator stick, and then wait for ten minutes after taking the test. The pregnancy test will usually indicate a pregnancy ten minutes after the urine is placed on the stick. Pregnancy tests can give a false negative if they are not used in the right way. If a pregnancy test has expired, it will give a false reading. If the woman takes the test later on during the day, she may get a false negative because the urine is not as potent. Most urine builds up over night while a person is sleeping, so they will get a lot of urine during the early morning hours, but it decreases in potency as the day goes by.