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Cardiovascular disease includes heart attacks, strokes, and the need for heart surgery and is a major cause of premature death and disability. This review set out to assess whether intensive support and encouragement to cut down on salt in foods reduced the risk of death or cardiovascular disease. This advice did reduce the amount of salt eaten which ...

People who suffer a heart attack (due to a blockage in the artery supplying blood to the heart) are usually affected by the damage to a portion of their heart muscle. Current treatment options are unable to restore the damaged section of the heart. Recently, stem cells have been shown to be able to restore and replace the damaged tissue in patients ...

Varicose veins are obvious, dilated veins just under the skin. In normal veins the valves make sure blood only moves in one direction. The valves in varicose veins are faulty, allowing blood to pool and the veins to enlarge. This can cause aching legs, itching and poor cosmetic appearance. People with varicose veins may wear compression stockings, have ...

The main symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is leg pain in one or both calves while walking. Typically, this pain occurs during walking and is relieved by a short period of rest. This clinical phenomenon is called intermittent claudication (IC). Peripheral arterial disease is caused by progressive narrowing of the arteries in one or both legs ...

Thrombolysis involves dissolving a blood clot by injecting an enzyme into the blood clot. It is used as an alternative to surgery for managing severely reduced blood flow (acute ischaemia) in the leg. A blood clot (thrombosis) forms in a leg blood vessel where there is severe narrowing (stenosis) in a natural artery or a bypass graft. The review authors ...

The use of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) in heart surgery is controversial. TEA produces a high level of pain relief and may reduce some of the adverse effects that are associated with heart surgery. Along with these potential benefits of TEA there is a widespread fear that TEA could cause bleeding into the epidural space (haematoma). We have conducted ...

Hypercholesterolaemia is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. In humans, hypercholesterolaemia is often due to high low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels, the so-called 'bad' cholesterol. People with hypercholesterolaemia have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes. Isoflavones, ...

Stroke can cause muscle stiffness, spasms or tightness in the affected arm or leg, with pain and abnormal positioning of the limb. Consequently, there may be difficulties using the arm or leg in everyday activities or in caring for the affected limb. Treatments for spasticity may include botulinum toxin and other injected medications that paralyse the ...

Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is prevalent in the care home population. Whilst care home residents with stroke are likely to be more impaired and dependent than those with stroke residing in their own homes, they are less likely to receive ongoing stroke specialist rehabilitation such as occupational therapy. Occupational therapy ...

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart attacks are one of major cause of mortality world wide. Approximately one third of people suffering heart attacks die before they reach the hospital. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is a procedure where the coronary artery is widened without surgery, using a stent. Although this procedure ...