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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1957)
Heart (Continued) One use of new surgical techniques involved an 11-month-old boy at Cook County Children's Hospital in Chicago. Danny had a hole in his heart between the two lower chambers known as the ventricles. There was no hope for him unless surgery could cover the hole somehow. A team of doctors and nurses worked on Danny for five-and-a-half hours. The heart-lung machine periodically did the work of the body, leaving the bloodless heart open and clear to the surgeons' vision. They mended the hole, and little Danny is well on the road to a happy and normal life. Four other similarly successful oper ations have been performed at the same hospital in recent months. I ot all heart conditions, of course, require surgery. Heart attacks come from a variety of causes, usually after some warning signal. About a year before my brother's at tack (he recovered, incidentally) he had a severe case of high blood pres sure. This was reduced by drugs. How ever, climbing blood pressure usually indicates excessive physical or mental strain in the patient and suggests im mediate examination to determine the cause. Some heart attacks occur because the inner walls of the coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits and plugs. These may be caused by a high level of cholesterol in the blood. Several researchers have suggested a relationship between fatty foods and a high cholesterol level, but more recent surveys question the theory. The New York State Health Commissioner, Dr. Herman Hilleboe, and a University of California biostatistician, Dr. Jacob Yerushalmy, say the suggested associa tion deserves re-evaluation. Others hold that there is nothing substantial in the claim against fatty foods. An excess of cholesterol causes or induces atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries which annually kills more than 200,000 Americans. Whatever the cause of cholesterol, medical science is waging a fight against it. Pharmaceuti cal houses are developing compounds containing fatty acids which they hope will decrease cholesterol in the blood. Surgery is attempting to remedy plugged or clogged coronary arteries supplying the vital blood to the work ing muscle of the heart. When the blood flow is cut off, part of the heart muscle dies. If the artery is badly nar rowed, the heart hurts with angina pec toris because of the extra strain placed on it in struggling for blood. These narrowed or plugged arteries can be reamed out, somewhat as the pipe smoker reams out the stem of his pipe. This is regarded in medical circles as a bold new surgical attack. Other attempts are under way to prevent new blood clots with anti coagulants. A 10-year study of antico agulants shows that these drugs have drastically reduced the occurrence of second heart attacks. Only 14 percent of those receiving anticoagulants suffered a second heart attack within five years, while 60 per cent of those who did not receive the drugs had additional trouble. The drugs also reduced the death rate from second heart attacks. In the drug group 20.6 percent died from the next heart attack, while in the non-drug group the next attack was fatal to 53 percent. Medical reports indicate that heart disease is becoming more prev alent today among our youth, pos sibly because of the excessive nervous tension under which we live. Tension can lead to a chronic state of con striction of the arterioles, the smaller branches of the arteries throughout the body. Constriction of the arterioles places a heavier load upon the heart to pulse blood through them. Eventu ally the heart becomes weary and hy pertensive heart disease occurs. However, a group of heart specialists at the Veterans' Administration Hos pital in Cleveland may be on the trail of a cure for hypertensive heart dis ease. It utilizes a chemical to block the body's use of substances which cause constriction of the blood vessels. Another victory has been scored in the fight against rheumatic fever, which is responsible for 95 percent of all deaths from heart disease in persons under 30. The exact cause of rheumatic fever is unknown although a strepto coccal infection always precedes an on slaught of the disease. The first attack almost never kills and, fortunately, subsequent attacks now can be prevented by penicillin, sulfa, or other drugs. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure, and this is espe cially true in regard to your heart. Watch for danger signals. Pains in the chest could be an indication of a pending coronary thrombosis. Difficult breathing and bothersome pulsations should not go unheeded. Visit your doctor to determine the cause of rising blood pressure. Watch your diet carefully. Continuous heavy eating can put a constant strain on the heart and eventually induce heart trouble. Unusual physical strains should be avoided, as well as sudden or prolonged exertion. Keep your weight at what you should have weighed between the ages of 25 and 30. Avoid unnecessary emotional upsets because they can make your heart beat faster and send your blood pressure up. By all means, enjoy life. But do it at a slow, easy pace; you'll enjoy it longer that way. Family Weekly, October 27, 1957 9 ! I iq?ket7Y7 j FUDCE J Only new "Junket" Quick Fudge Mix is pre-cooked, pre-creamed. No testing. No beating. Smooth, lus cious fudge guaranteed every time. CHOCOMTf HNUCHI COCONUf ARTHRITIC, RHEUMATIC PAINS If your pains of arthritis, rheuma tism, bursitis, sciatica or muscular aches are severe ... if they come back day after day . . . sec your doc tor. 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KMOX AT YOUR OKOCfrS Gelatine Once a day, drink one 54 envelope (115-120 grains) in bouillon, fruit juice or water. In 90 days it makes most nails lovely and pliant. Directions in package. For scientific proof write to Knox Gelatine, Johnstown, N. Y., BOX FW-42. 17 Knox Cttatin Co. I I
