Heart experts share some surprising findings

A shot that could lower cholesterol, a connection between blood type and stroke, and how income affects heart health were among more than 4,000 papers presented this week at the American Heart Association's 84th annual scientific meeting in Orlando.

The five days of meetings, which concluded Wednesday, drew more than 19,000 attendees from around the world to what is one of the largest annual medical conferences in the country. All converged to share the latest research in the treatment and prevention of America's first and third leading causes of death: heart disease and stroke.

Here are some findings relevant to Americans combating these diseases:

-A shot for high cholesterol: Patients struggling with high cholesterol may soon get just the shot in the arm they need. In the first human test of a new injectable drug designed to target LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, scientists at Amgen laboratories in California found it lowered cholesterol in healthy individuals by almost two-thirds.

Researchers injected a laboratory-made human protein (AMG 145) or a placebo into 56 healthy subjects ages 18 to 45.

"Those receiving the higher doses saw a 64percent reduction in their cholesterol compared to those who received a placebo injection," said Clapton Dias, medical-sciences director of pharmacology for Amgen, who presented the findings. The medication had no effect on triglycerides or HDL, also called "good" cholesterol.

AMG 145 works by disabling the agent that inhibits the liver's ability to remove bad cholesterol from the blood.

Although statin medications help many patients lower their cholesterol, about 25 percent can't achieve their cholesterol goals on statins, and many can't tolerate them, Dias said. "So we're looking for another agent."

Five clinical trials are under way to further test the efficacy of AMG 145.

-Shots dampen sex lives: The ill-timed shocks that patients who have cardiac defibrillators implanted in their chests sometimes receive while having sex can put a damper on their sex lives, according to another study presented.

A common treatment for those born with a heart defect as well as those with acquired heart disease, implantable cardioverter defibrillators deliver an electric shock to the heart when the device senses an abnormal heartbeat. The jolt is meant to restore normal rhythm.

"If you've been shocked during sex, you're terrified to try it again," said Dr. Stephen Cook, director of Adult Congenital Heart Disease at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Cook presented and led the study, which looked at the incidence of sexual dysfunction in ICD patients.

Cook and his colleagues studied 151 men and women who had congenital heart disease; 41 had ICDs. Their average age was 37.

On a five-point scale, with one being not concerned and five being very worried, ICD patients rated 4.6 when asked whether they felt anxiety about getting a shock during sex.