CardioSource WorldNews July 2015 | Page 12

THE BE T Number Check | #√ Good News for Stroke Care 1,505 The number of certified primary stroke centers in the U.S.—about a third of the 4,640 general hospitals with emergency rooms. Source: American Heart Association news release. June 18, 2015. Unnecessary Treatments Something to Panic About 14.7 The percentage of Medicare patients receiving unnecessary diagnostic, screening, monitoring or treatment procedures. “Conservative estimates suggest that 30% of all health care spending nationwide—roughly $600 billion annually—could be eliminated without any decrease in health care quality,” said study authors. Source: Romano MJ, Segal JB, Pollack CE. JAMA Intern Med. 2015; doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.13. 47% The increased risk of heart disease for those individuals who suffer from panic disorder. “This new data suggesting a link between panic disorders and coronary heart disease, underscores the importance of these patients seeking medical attention for their chest pain symptoms and not merely attributing them to their panic attacks,” said lead study author John Beltrame, MD, PhD. Source: Tully PJ, Turnbull DA, Beltrame J, et al. Psychological Medicine. 2015; doi:10.1017/S0033291715000963. Good to Be Green < 1 minute The length of a ‘micro-break’ spent looking at nature—like a grassy rooftop— that can increase concentration and productivity while working. Researchers are now exploring if green environments impact how creative or helpful people are at work. Source: Lee KE, Williams KJH, Sargent LD, et al. Journal of Environ Psych. 2015; doi:10.1016/j. jenvp.2015.04.003. 10 CardioSource WorldNews July 2015