Explain to your patient that it is more efficient to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids than their supplements

The recent research analysis has shown that to prevent heart disease is necessary to eat oily fish such as salmon and tuna, which are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not their supplements.

There were 14 published medical studies selected. The researchers looked at more than 20,000 patients who had a history of cardiovascular disease. The patients' average age was 63. Nearly 80% were men. The daily dose of omega-3 fatty acid supplement ranged from about 0.5g to nearly 5g a day.

It was essential to find out if the supplements made a difference in sudden cardiac death, heart attack, heart failure, death from any cause, stroke or transient ischemic attacks (also called ‘mini-strokes’). The conclusion was that the risk of any of those problems was not reduced by the supplements.

However, there were all the reasons to believe that it was effective to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not supplements. It was demonstrated that eating fatty fish 2 or more times a week is linked with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. For those who don't like fish, eating plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed (семя льна), walnut (грецкий орех), soybean is suggested.

UNIT 6. MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) данные, информация; 2) предполагаемый сердечный приступ; 3) необъяснимая тревожность; 4) более точный анализ; 5) тошнота; 6) рвота; 7) потоотделение.

Heart attack test 'detects more'

Scientists developed a test that could measure damage to heart muscles at a level 4 times deeper than the standard blood test. The blood test measures a protein - troponin - which is released when heart cells are damaged during a heart attack (or myocardial infarction or MI). MI usually happens when the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle is completely interrupted or stops, usually when a blood clot forms in a diseased coronary artery that's already become narrowed by atherosclerosis.

Data from more than 2,000 patients admitted to cardiac units with chest pains and suspected heart attacks was analyzed. Apart from chest pain, most of the patients had difficulty breathing, sweating, nausea or vomiting, felt unexplained anxiety and weakness. However, there were patients with minor heart attacks who hardly had any symptoms of MI and did not have any chest pains.

Researchers said the more sensitive test could help identify heart attacks which could be traditionally undiagnosed and patients were more likely to see a specialist.

Prof. Peter Weissberg commented: "This promising study shows us that by using a more sensitive test for heart muscle damage, more patients who come to hospital with chest pains are identified as having suffered a small heart attack. Over recent years it has become clear that people who suffer heart pain (but only have a small amount of heart damage) are at a very high risk of going on to have a larger, potentially fatal, heart attack if left untreated. The new test will help doctors identify this vulnerable group of patients."

Answer the questions about myocardial infarction.

1) How does the article explain what myocardial infarction is?

2) What symptoms of MI are given in the article?

3) According to the article, why can it be a problem to diagnose MI?

Summarize your answers and explain why it was necessary to find a new way to diagnose MI in addition to existing tests, i.e. formulate the background of the research project described in the article.

Read the statements about the research project described in the article. Which of them are false? Correct them.

1) The research team wanted to find a more sensitive test to identify even minor MIs.

2) Troponin measured by the test is a hormone produced by the heart muscle.

3) The data for the study was collected from the patients with diagnosed MIs.

4) All of the patients had typical clinical manifestations of MI.

5) Heart pain if untreated can lead to larger MIs.

Summarize the information about the troponin study. Present your summary to the class.

Read the passage and answer the question: Why can it be a problem to diagnose a heart attack using ECG?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abnormalities in the electrical activity usually occur with heart attacks and can identify the areas of heart muscle that are deprived of oxygen and/or areas of muscle that have died. In a patient with typical symptoms of heart attack and characteristic changes of heart attack on the ECG, a secure diagnosis of heart attack can be made quickly in the emergency room and treatment can be started immediately. If a patient's symptoms are vague or atypical and if there are pre-existing ECG abnormalities, for example, from old heart attacks or abnormal electrical patterns that make interpretation of the ECG difficult, the diagnosis of a heart attack may be less secure. In these patients, the diagnosis can be made only hours later through detection of elevated cardiac enzymes in the blood.