Heena Sharma Blog

As the burden of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in India makes it an important health issue, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker on Thursday brought its much-anticipated ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature to Apple Watch users to India. Available with an update to watchOS 6 on Apple Watch Series 4 and later, the ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notification feature will help users identify signs of AFib, the most common form of irregular rhythm. "We are confident in the ability of these features to help users have more informed conversations with their physicians," said Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple's Vice President of Health. "With the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature, customers can now better understand aspects of their heart health in a more meaningful way," Desai added. AFib can lead to blood clot formation in the heart, leading to stroke. It is more prone in those patients who are predisposed to having AFib and stroke. A...

A new study revealed that patients receiving hormone therapy as a part of their gender-transition treatment are at an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular diseases , including strokes, heart attacks and blood clots. The study was published in 'Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association'. The results are based on an analysis of medical records of 3,875 Dutch individuals who received hormone treatment between 1972and 2015 as part of their gender transition. "In light of our results, we urge both physicians and transgender individuals to be aware of this increased cardiovascular risk," said study author Nienke Nota. "It may be helpful to reduce risk factors by stopping smoking, exercising, eating a healthy diet and losing weight, if needed before starting therapy, and clinicians should continue to evaluate patients on an ongoing basis thereafter," Nota added. Past research has shown that hormone therapy increases cardiovascula...