Healthy Hearts & Happy Minds

01/10/2026

⬇️⬇️ This sounds really promising.

Research to prevent repeat heart attacks 🫀🧪

A treatment that targets the immune system could help stop repeat heart attacks in people who have recently had one, according to the results of an early-stage clinical trial run here in Cambridge.

Two years after joining the trial, none of the participants that received treatment had further heart attacks.

Sixty patients who had recently had heart attacks took part in the IVORY trial. Of these patients, 55 then participated in up to five years of follow-up health monitoring, known as IVORY-FINALE.

This includes Mark (pictured), from Fulbourn in Cambridgeshire, who had a heart attack in August 2022 while cycling home from the gym.

After initial tests at Addenbrooke's, he quickly received treatment here at Royal Papworth to have a stent fitted that opened a narrowed artery and restored blood flow to his heart. He has had no further heart attacks or symptoms since.

Mark said, “I was keen to join the trial. It wasn’t just the possibility that the treatment could stop me from having another heart attack. It was knowing the team would be closely monitoring my health, so they would probably spot it early if anything started to go wrong."

In the trial, low-dose treatment with a drug called aldesleukin helped patients to avoid further heart attacks by reducing inflammation in major blood vessels, while also reducing other signs of heart attack risk.

This trial is a superb example of collaboration between researchers at Royal Papworth, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Cambridge and others, as we look to bring tomorrow's treatments to today's patients. 💙

🔗 https://royalpapworth.nhs.uk/our-hospital/latest-news/targeting-immune-system-to-prevent-future-heart-attacks

01/09/2026

Time for some relaxation to calm your heart and mind. It’s a little bit later than I planned to help with Christmas Feasting and Fun (my recovery was harder than I anticipated). I discuss moderation and help you with relaxation and an affirmation that can support you in living your life happily after a heart attack or heart surgery.

💛 Your Affirmation “I trust myself to find balance and moderation.”
💛 Your Relaxation and connection to your heart.

www.myheartandmind.co.uk/relaxamation-i-trust-myself-to-find-moderation/

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Relaxamation - I Trust Myself to Find Moderation. A guided session that supports balanced living and moderation.

01/07/2026

🌟 Participants Needed for Health Research 🌟
Have you been diagnosed with dyslipidaemia (high cholesterol) and have also experienced a heart attack, TIA, MI, stroke, or CVA.

Evolve Fieldwork is inviting UK patients to take part in a research study aimed at understanding people’s experiences with the treatment and management of dyslipidaemia.

💬 What is involved?
✔️ 60-minute interview
✔️ 15-minute pre-task
💷 £110 thank-you payment for your time

If you are interested, please complete this short eligibility questionnaire: : https://forms.office.com/e/jADiZcGQcv

📩 You can also contact me directly at: nadine.koekemoer@evolve-fieldwork.com

Your insight could make a real difference. Thank you for considering taking part.

From Sallie Crawley, My Heart & Mind – I am not endorsing this research. However, I will be taking part in it myself and just wanted to give you an opportunity too. Sadly, it is only for UK participants.

fans

12/31/2025

Wishing , fans and anyone that sees this post a wonderful New Year. I hope 2026 brings us love, luck, health, wealth and laughter.

As you know, my work is about helping each other through the mental and emotional issues, as well as the physical recovery from a cardiac health event. I do practice what I preach, so I have been balancing my spoons (see my video session in My Heart & Mind Community from earlier in the year) so that I could be present with my family over the holidays. I have been journaling about how I feel, including my health anxiety, and have been meditating and using some breath work too.

So from my heart to yours, I send you my love and care now and throughout 2026. xXx

12/28/2025

Round-up of 2025 from the American Heart Association.

(wenjin chen via Getty Images) In 2025.

12/24/2025

When living with heart disease, one of the most important things you can do is to quit smoking. I know many of us do, for those who haven't yet, I want to share this article with you. It's a slightly different take on why we have cravings and how you can beat them.

Does this sound familiar? 💭 “I can’t do this. I won’t cope without it.”

If you’ve ever had those thoughts after trying to quit smoking, you’re not alone. It's also interesting to note that this isn't just applicable to smoking, it is the same for anything that we use that creates a dopamine hit, this could be sugar, alcohol, social media scrolling and much more ...

So let's get into it. This week’s article and podcast episode are all about the psychology behind quitting smoking after a heart event.

Learn how to calm the fear voice that says you can’t… and rewire your brain for freedom. Find out about "The Voice That Says You Can’t" https://myheartandmind.co.uk/quitting-smoking-rewiring-the-voice-that-says-you-cant/

Remember: You are stronger than your cravings.

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Struggling to quit smoking after a heart event? Rewire the fear-based inner voice that says you can’t and reclaim your freedom.

12/22/2025

When a dog's bark woke Hannah Cooke in the middle of the night last year she found her husband breathing strangely next to her, before he stopped breathing completely.

After waking, Hannah performed CPR on Adam until an ambulance arrived, saving his life.

A four-year-old golden retriever from County Fermanagh is being honoured as a "CPR hero" in London.

12/20/2025

Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle). It’s when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. This year, 2025, it’s the 21st of December. Starting the next day at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. This is known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, it is celebrated with much joy. On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Giver of Life that warms the frozen Earth. From this day forward, the days will get longer.

The ceremonial Yule log is the highlight of the Solstice festival. Traditionally, the log must be harvested from your own land or given as a gift.... Once in the house, it’s placed in the fireplace and decorated with holly, mistletoe and pine, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set alight by a piece of last year’s log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smoulder for 12 days before being ceremonially put out.

I’m sure like me you’d quite like some solace, energy and focus in the coming 12 days of Yule. Whilst I can’t give you a yule log, I can give you, my care. Look after yourself as you celebrate in whatever way means to the most to you and yours.

From my heart to yours ❤️

12/19/2025

Transform Fear into Freedom After Your Heart Event.
The anxiety and fear that can linger after a heart attack or surgery are real. "Beyond the Beat" addresses these emotional challenges head-on, offering strategies to manage cardiophobia and "pumphead," and cultivate emotional awareness. Learn practical techniques like breathing, mindfulness, and journaling to find peace and take control of your well-being.

Conquer Anxiety. Read "Beyond the Beat."

Are you facing an upcoming heart surgery, recovering from a recent heart attack/surgery or cardiac arrest, or managing a heart disease diagnosis? You're not alone, and the path forward can feel overwhelming. But you can thrive through this experience. goes beyond medical jargon and your physi...

12/17/2025

💖 Rediscovering intimacy after a heart attack or surgery can feel scary but it’s possible!

Today, I talk about how to reconnect with your partner safely, rebuild confidence, and enjoy closeness again, without pressure.

From cuddles to conversation, every step counts.

https://myheartandmind.co.uk/love-sex-and-intimacy-after-a-heart-attack-or-surgery/

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How to safely reconnect with your partner after a heart attack or surgery. Tips for intimacy and sexual health, ways to rebuild confidence.

12/17/2025

Info: The American Heart Association urges people to be aware of and reduce risks for deadly ‘holiday heart attacks’!

KANSAS CITY, December 11, 2025 — The winter holidays can turn deadly as research shows that more people die from heart attacks during the last week of December than at any other time of the year. While being aware of the signs of a heart attack and taking...

12/17/2025

Intimacy, love, and sexual connection can feel complicated after a heart attack, cardiac arrest or surgery but they are a vital part of your recovery and emotional wellbeing. https://myheartandmind.co.uk/love-sex-and-intimacy-after-a-heart-attack-or-surgery/