Guinness may help reduce heart attacks

Well we knew it all along, Guinness is Good For You!!

The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers the BBC reports

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as a low dose aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.

Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.

Guinness was told to stop using the slogan decades ago - and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink.

The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.

They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.


Clotting is important for patients who are at risk of a heart attack because they have hardened arteries.

A heart attack is triggered when a clot lodges in one of these arteries supplying the heart.

Many patients are prescribed low-dose aspirin as this cuts the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots.

The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness - just over a pint - taken at mealtimes.

We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients

They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.
However, Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, said: "We never make any medical claims for our drinks."

The company now runs advertisements that call for "responsible drinking".
A spokesman for Brewing Research International, which conducts research for the industry, said she would be "wary" of placing the health benefits of any alcohol brand above another.

She said: "We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients.

"It is possible that there is an extra effect due to the antioxidants in Guinness - but I would like to see this research repeated."

She said that reviving the old adverts for Guinness might be problematic - at least in the EU.

Draft legislation could outlaw any health claims in adverts for alcohol in Europe, she said.


The original campaign in the 1920s stemmed from market research - when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born.

In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, based on the belief that it was high in iron.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness - the present advice is against this.

The UK is still the largest market in the world for Guinness, although the drink does not feature in the UK's top ten beer brands according to the latest research.
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Brush your teeth for a healthier heart

People who don't brush their teeth twice a day have an increased risk of heart disease, scientists said Friday, adding scientific weight to 19th century theories about oral health and chronic disease.

British researchers studied nearly 12,000 adults in Scotland and found those with poor oral hygiene had a 70 percent extra risk of heart disease compared with those who brushed twice a day and who were less likely to have unhealthy gums.

People with gum disease are more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes because inflammation in the body, including in the mouth and gums, plays a role in the build up of clogged arteries, said Richard Watt from University College London, who led the study.

The 70 percent extra risk compares to a 135 percent extra risk of heart disease in those who smoke, he said.

Although the overall risk was low -- with a total of 555 heart attacks or other serious coronary problems among 11,869 people -- the effect of regular teeth brushing was significant.

"Compared to things like smoking and poor diet, which are obviously the main risk factors for heart disease, we are not claiming this is in the same league," Watt said.

"But ... even after controlling for all those things there is a still a relationship between this very simple measure of tooth brushing and heart condition," he told Reuters.

"In a way, it's really quite an old story, because back in the early 19th century there was a theory called focal sepsis, and people believed that infections in the mouth caused disease in the whole body," Watt said.

"As a result, they used to take everyone's teeth out."

Watt said such a response was "a bit dramatic," but his findings did suggest that twice-a-day brushing was a good idea.

Gum or periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth and is more likely to occur in people who do not brush their teeth regularly.

Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in Europe, the United States and many other rich nations and together with diabetes, accounted for almost a third of all deaths around the world in 2005, according to the World Health Organisation.

The teeth brushing study published Friday in the British Medical Journal was the first to investigate whether the simple number of times someone brushes their teeth daily has any bearing on the risk of heart disease.

The results showed oral health behaviours were generally good, with 62 percent of participants saying they visited the dentist every six months and 71 percent reporting they brushed their teeth twice a day.

Once the data were adjusted for other known heart risk factors such as social class, obesity, smoking and family history of heart disease, those who reported less frequent teeth brushing had a 70 percent extra risk of heart disease compared to those who brushed twice a day.

Blood tests on those with poor oral hygiene were also positive for two factors called C-reactive protein and fibrinogen -- both of which signal inflammation in the body.
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Swansea player dies at only 22 years old

Swansea City are in mourning following the death of Austrian striker Besian Idrizaj, aged 22.

The club confirmed Idrizaj died at home in Austria.

A Swansea statement read: "We can confirm that the agent of young striker Besian Idrizaj has informed the club that the striker has sadly passed away.
"It is understood that the popular 22-year-old died in his sleep on Friday night while at home with his family in Austria."

The statement continued: "The exact cause of death has not been confirmed and our thoughts are with his family, friends and team-mates at this time."
Ex-Liverpool player Idrizaj spent three years at Liverpool after signing from LASK Linz in 2005 and was sold to FC Eilenburg three years later.

He joined Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2009, but soon moved on to the Swans, debuting against Scunthorpe in the Carling Cup in August.

Idrizaj also had loan spells with Luton Town and Crystal Palace while at Liverpool, having been named Austria's Young Player of the Year before signing on at Anfield.

He went on to make three Championship appearances, two as a replacement, without scoring for the Swans and had a year left on his contract.

Idrizaj made no senior Liverpool appearances, but scored a 26-minute hat-trick at Wrexham for the Reds.

If confirmed as a heart-attack, Idrijaz's death follows several other similar deaths that have hit the sport in recent years.

In June 2003 Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe died aged 28 after collapsing on the field while playing against Colombia in Lyon, France having spent the previous season on loan from Olympique Lyon at Manchester City.

In August 2007 Spanish international Antonio Puerta, 22, suffered a heart attack playing for Sevilla against Getafe and later died in hospital.

Two years later Espanyol skipper Daneil Jarque died aged 26 after suffering cardiac arrest following a training session

As reported by the BBC 16/05/2010
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Honour for pair who saved boss

Two brave firefighters have been honoured for being life-savers – both on and off duty.

Crew Commander Andy Reid and firefighter John Sharpe were praised for their speedy response when Watch Commander Billy Scott collapsed with a suspected heart attack last year.

Today WC Scott told how his life was saved at Mauchline Community Fire Station, Ayrshire: “The evening had begun normally and, following a routine drill, I decided to remain behind at the office to complete some paperwork.

“CC Reid and FF Sharpe also stayed behind in order to catch up on some
computer work.

“Then suddenly I collapsed. The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital with tubes coming out of me.”

After WC Scott collapsed, the pair realised his vital signs were fading and knew they had to act fast.

They grabbed the defibrillator from their fire appliance and used it to save their boss’s life.

Since 2007, all front line appliances in Strathclyde Fire & Rescue have carried automated external defibrillators and it was the use of this piece of equipment, and the ability of FF Sharpe and CC Reid to remain calm, which saved WC Scott’s life.

CC Reid said: “John and I had to stay back in the station to write up incident reports, otherwise we would not have been around to help Billy.”
FF Sharpe added: “It is pure luck that we were in the station. Andy and I were working at the computer when we heard a noise behind us and saw that Billy had collapsed. “We quickly got the defibrillator out of the appliance and used it to resuscitate him.”

WC Scott was taken to Ayr Hospital where a cardiologist said his heart had stopped beating properly, and it was the use of the defibrillator which was able to shock his heart back into a proper rhythm.

Today WC Scott said he is eternally grateful for the swift actions of his colleagues. The life-saving duo were praised at a long-service medal ceremony and lunch at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue HQ in Hamilton, last week.

WC Scott added: “I owe my life to John and Andy – firefighters are supposed to be life-savers but I bet they didn’t think they would save a colleague’s life in their own fire station.”
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