| 217 Health - Heart Disease Resources |
| $84 Million Grant Awarded to Fund ISCHEMIA |
| The NHLBI has awarded an $84 million grant to fund the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA). The trial will randomize 8,000 patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate to severe ischemia. Two different treatment strategies for this patient population will be compared: |
| August 1, 2011 |
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| A heart of gold: Better tissue repair after heart attack |
| A team of physicians, engineers and materials scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have used nanotechnology and tiny gold wires to engineer cardiac patches, with cells all beating in time, that could someday help heart attack patients. |
| September 25, 2011 |
| Abbott commences Absorb-XIENCE PRIME comparative clinical trial |
| Abbott today announced the initiation of ABSORB II, the first randomized, controlled, multi-center clinical trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy and performance of the Absorb™ bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) compared to the company's XIENCE PRIME™ Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System. |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Abbott's XIENCE PRIME Stent Wins U.S. Clearance |
| Two years behind Europe, the FDA has issued Abbott clearance to market the company's XIENCE PRIME everolimus eluting coronary stent. |
| November 3, 2011 |
| Abused girls may have higher risk of heart disease, stroke as adults |
| Sexually and physically abused girls may have higher risks for heart attacks, heart disease and strokes as adults, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011. |
| November 13, 2011 |
| Adrenaline use in cardiac arrest |
| Adrenaline has kept its place in cardiac arrest guidelines despite limited evidence for or against its use. The PACA (Placebo versus Adrenaline versus Cardiac Arrest) study by Jacobs and colleagues, soon to be published in Resuscitation, the official journal of the European Resuscitation Council, provides the best evidence to date supporting the use of adrenaline to treat cardiac arrest. |
| July 26, 2011 |
| Aggressive glycemic control does not improve clinical outcomes for diabetic CABG patients |
| Surgeons from Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, aggressive glycemic control does not result in any significant improvement of clinical outcomes as compared with moderate control. The findings, which appear in this month's issue of Annals of Surgery, also found the incidence of hypoglycemic events increased with aggressive glycemic control. |
| September 28, 2011 |
| Allergy to Plavix can be overcome: study |
| Allergies to Plavix, also know by its chemical name, Clopidogrel occur in about six percent of patients given the drug, vital for the prevention of life-threatening stent thrombosis after angioplasty and percutaneous coronary interventions. |
| January 16, 2012 |
| American first: A patient treated with a disappearing heart device |
| The interventional cardiology team at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) used the world's first drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold to successfully treat a woman suffering from coronary artery disease. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Anger, Stress May Provoke Heart Attacks |
| Angry Heart Attack Survivors More Than Twice as Likely to Have Another Heart Attack, Study Finds |
| August 31, 2011 |
| Anti-clotting drug lowers risks in acute coronary syndrome treatment |
| An oral anti-clotting drug, when added to standard medical treatment for acute coronary syndrome, lowered the risk of death, heart attack or stroke an average of 16 percent. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Anti-clotting Drug Warfarin May Be Safe for Elderly |
| Studies Suggest Warfarin May Be Underused for Patients Over 80 |
| August 31, 2011 |
| Appropriate Use Criteria for Revascularization Updated |
| The 2012 Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Revascularization Focused Update incorporates data from the SYNTAX trial on the indications for PCI and CABG in patients with symptomatic, multivessel disease, as well as data from the CathPCI registry. |
| January 30, 2012 |
| APS conference explores gender disparities in cardiovascular disease |
| For years, those involved in cardiac care viewed the diagnosis and treatment procedures for cardiovascular disease as applicable to both men and women, despite the fact that heart disease kills 200,000 women each year, five times the rate of breast cancer. Today, thanks in part to physiology -- the study of how the body works -- physicians now know that instead of developing blockages in the arteries supplying blood to the heart, a common occurrence with men, women accumulate plaque more evenly inside the major arteries and in smaller blood vessels. This condition, which appears to be particularly common in younger women, can be as dangerous as the better-known form of the disease. |
| October 14, 2011 |
| Are You Chained to Your Pillbox? |
| What to do to curb your need for drugs that treat high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and osteoarthritis. |
| May 10, 2011 |
| Arthritis sufferers at increased risk of heart disease |
| Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers are at an increased risk of dying due to cardiovascular disease. A new five year study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy showed that the risk of cardiovascular disease for people with RA is due to disease-related inflammation as well as the risk factors which affect the general population. Treatment of arthritis with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) also reduced the patient's risk of heart disease. |
| August 15, 2011 |
| Artificial nanoparticles influence the heart rate |
| In light of the increasing demand for artificial nanoparticles in medicine and industry, it is important for manufacturers to understand just how these particles influence bodily functions and which mechanisms are at play — questions to which there has been a dearth of knowledge. Studies on heart patients have shown for decades that particulate matter has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. Yet, it remained unclear whether the nanoparticles do their damage directly or indirectly, for example through metabolic processes or inflammatory reactions. The reactions of the body are simply too complex. |
| August 1, 2011 |
| ATGL produces key signaling molecules essential for regulation of lipid, energy metabolism |
| Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are daunting modern-day epidemics. In Western Europe more than 50% of the population is overweight and approximately 15 million people die from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke every year. These conditions are often caused by disorders of fat metabolism, resulting in a massive accumulation of fat in various tissues and of cholesterol in the walls of arteries. |
| August 22, 2011 |
| Atherosclerotic plaques spread downstream in coronary arteries |
| In human coronary arteries, atherosclerotic plaques tend to spread downstream because of the changes in blood flow patterns the plaque causes, researchers have found. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke |
| Signs and Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation |
| October 06, 2011 |
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| 'Bad' cholesterol not as bad as people think, study shows |
| The so-called "bad cholesterol" — low-density lipoprotein commonly called LDL — may not be so bad after all, shows a Texas A&M University study that casts new light on the cholesterol debate, particularly among adults who exercise. |
| May 5, 2011 |
| Bad cholesterol: It's not what you think |
| It's time to rethink the halo-and-pitchfork view of our blood fat levels |
| An Article |
| Bayer and J&J's blood thinner drug triumphs at late phase clinical trial |
| Drug makers Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson's new blood clot preventing drug can provide life-saving benefits at very low doses in patients who suffer from acute coronary syndrome finds a new clinical trial. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Bayer's oral contraceptives may increase risk of blood clots, stroke or heart attack |
| Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is aware of two studies published today in The British Medical Journal, ONLINE FIRST. These papers are "Risk of venous thromboembolism in users of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone or levonorgestrel: nested case-control study based on UK General Practice Research Database" by Lianne Parkin et al; and "Risk of non-fatal venous thromboembolism in women using oral contraceptives containing drospirenone compared with women using oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel: case-control study using United States claims data" by Susan S. Jick et al. |
| April 25, 2011 |
| Beneficial or not beneficial: that is the question for IL-1 inhibition in atherosclerosis |
| Atherosclerosis is a disease of the major arterial blood vessels. It is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. |
| December 27, 2011 |
| Bile acids may hold clue to treat heart disease |
| Heart disease is a major cause of death in industrialised countries, and is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes. Many scientists believe that what links these conditions is a chronic, low-grade inflammation. |
| December 6, 2011 |
| Blood pressure drugs may offer benefits in valvular heart disease |
| Drugs used to treat blood pressure could offer significant benefits to patients with one of the most common forms of valvular heart disease, new research at the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside has revealed. |
| August 1, 2011 |
| Blood-based genomic test better than imaging test for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease |
| A blood-based gene expression test was found to be more effective for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease in stable symptomatic patients than myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), a common test that uses a radioactive agent to evaluate the blood flow and function of the heart. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Blueberry's effects on cholesterol examined in lab animal study |
| Laboratory hamsters that were fed rations spiked with blueberry peels and other blueberry-juice-processing leftovers had better cholesterol health than hamsters whose rations weren't enhanced with blueberries. That's according to a study led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist Wallace H. Yokoyama. |
| May 31, 2011 |
| Boston Sci's PROMUS Element Plus Stent Now Available in U.S. |
| Boston Scientific received FDA clearance and is planning to immediately begin marketing its PROMUS Element Plus Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent system. The everolimus eluting stent is essentially the combination of the PROMUS Element Stent coupled with an improved catheter delivery system. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Breakthrough medical food reverses risk of heart disease and diabetes |
| Researchers at the University of Florida and Metagenics Inc. today announced that a program consisting of a breakthrough medical food combined with a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-style diet is almost twice as effective as one of the best diets alone for lowering risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. |
| May 19, 2011 |
| BSP completes HyperQ technology clinical research study on CAD |
| BSP Biological Signal Processing Ltd., which develops and manufactures products for the non-invasive, accurate diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease, recently announced the successful completion of a comprehensive clinical research study evaluating the performance of the company's HyperQ technology in diagnosing CAD. |
| November 14, 2011 |
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| CABG still preferred over PCI in patients with triple vessel disease |
| Results from CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG Registry Cohort-2 show that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with significantly higher risk for serious adverse events in patients with triple vessel disease than coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The protective effect of CABG for myocardial infarction was described as "especially remarkable". In view of these results, said investigator Dr Hiroki Shiomi from Kyoto University Hospital in Japan, "CABG would still remain the standard treatment option in patients with triple vessel disease, particularly when their SYNTAX scores are high". |
| August 29, 2011 |
| Calcium scores and heart disease risk, experts debate |
| A procedure called coronary artery calcium scoring -- or CAC -- checks for calcium buildup in the arteries. It rates heart attack risk and gauges the benefit of certain heart treatments, such as statins. Doctors generally use a blood test to check for high levels of C-reactive protein, which can signal artery inflammation and is a potential predictor of a heart attack. |
| August 22, 2011 |
| Canada's first renal denervation procedure to reduce high blood pressure performed today |
| Doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre today performed a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat high blood pressure, called renal denervation, for the first time in Canada. The procedure can significantly reduce high blood pressure in patients who cannot effectively treat their hypertension through drugs. |
| January 17, 2012 |
| Canadian Journal of Cardiology publishes report on delayed vs. immediate coronary stenting |
| The Canadian Journal of Cardiology has published a paper on the timing of coronary stenting, a thought-provoking paper that challenges one of the dogmas of acute heart attack management today. |
| October 19, 2011 |
| Cardiac disease: Coronary or not? |
| Acute myocardial Infarction (AMI) is a major cause of death and disability. Worldwide, one in eight patients die of an ischemic heart disease. Its rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical for the initiation of effective evidence based medical management, including early revascularization, but is still an unmet clinical need. |
| August 30, 2011 |
| CardioDefender Smartphone-based ECG, a 21st Century Holter Monitor |
| Everist Genomics, an Ann Arbor, Michigan company, is set to release its CardioDefender diagnostic system, a smartphone ECG that can provide continuous readings throughout the day that can help detect arrhythmias that may be hard to spot in an office visit. |
| November 9, 2011 |
| CAS after prior revascularization safe, effective for carotid artery stenosis patients |
| A new study shows that carotid artery stenting following prior same-side carotid artery revascularization is safe, effective and results in lower incidences of in-hospital death, stroke and heart attack compared to first-time CAS for carotid artery stenosis. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Cheap Drugs Could Huge Number of Deaths from Heart Attacks and Strokes, Study Suggests |
| A major new international study involving researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has revealed that aspirin, statins, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are prescribed far too infrequently. They are cheap, preventive medicines that could prevent a huge number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes. |
| September 7, 2011 |
| Childless Men May Have Higher Heart Risk |
| Study Shows Men With No Kids Had 17% Increased Risk in Death From Heart Disease or Stroke |
| September 26, 2011 |
| Cholesterol drugs may improve blood flow after stroke |
| Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may help clot-busting drugs treat strokes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. |
| April 26, 2011 |
| Clinical and genetic risk factors associated with early stent thrombosis |
| Patients with certain genes or specific factors related to use of the anti-clotting drug clopidogrel are more likely to experience a blood clot within a coronary stent shortly after placement, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA. |
| October 27, 2011 |
| Compared to Stress Testing, Patients Who Undergo CT Angiography More Likely to Undergo Subsequent Invasive, More Costly Cardiac Procedures |
| In an analysis of Medicare data of nearly 300,000 patients who underwent outpatient evaluation for coronary artery disease by either computed tomography angiography or stress testing, those who underwent CT angiography were more likely to have subsequent cardiac testing procedures that were more costly and invasive, such as cardiac catheterization. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Considerably lower risk of stent thrombosis and restenosis in 'new generation' drug-eluting stents |
| Results from the SCAAR study, presented at the ESC Congress 2011 today, showed that Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) with "new generation" Drug Eluting Stents, was associated with a 38% lower risk of clinically meaningful restenosis and a 50% lower risk of stent thrombosis compared to old generation DES. |
| August 30, 2011 |
| Coronary Artery Stenting Viable Palliative Option for Infants and Toddlers |
| Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not a generally accepted option for infants or toddlers with acute coronary syndrome. However, a new report published in the August issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), found coronary stent implantation to be a feasible and safe palliative option for children fifteen months and younger. |
| August 22, 2011 |
| Coronary calcium scoring can determine risk of cardiac events |
| If your doctor says you have a negative stress test, or that your cholesterol or blood pressure are normal, how assured can you be that you're not likely to have a heart attack in the next seven to 10 years? Assessing traditional risk factors, such as age, high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and family history can estimate a person's risk, but the picture is not always clear-cut. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Coronary heart disease due to genes, not family lifestyle |
| It has long been known that hereditary factors play a role in coronary heart disease. However, it has been unclear whether the increased risk is transferred through the genes or through an unhealthy lifestyle in the family. A new study from the Center for Primary Health Care Research in Sweden, published in the American Heart Journal, shows that genes appear to be most important. |
| August 26, 2011 |
| Coronary Heart Disease Prevalence in US Continues to Decline |
| The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the US continues to drop, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys, published in Morbidity and Mortality World Report, show a signficant decrease in overall CHD prevalence from 6.7% to 6% from 2006 to 2010. |
| October 13, 2011 |
| Could an electronic nose sniff out heart failure? |
| A good nose can be a curse. Dogs, for instance, have been shown to be able to sniff out lung cancer in humans, which means the poor creatures have to smell our breath, with a lot of smokers in the mix, one sample at a time. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| CT Angiography Found Less Helpful in Patients With High Calcium Scores |
| Computed tomography angiography has been proposed as a less invasive method to exclude obstructive coronary artery disease, but no consensus has been achieved about its clinical role in different patient subsets. |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Cycling fast: vigorous daily exercise recommended for a longer life |
| A study conducted among cyclists in Copenhagen, Denmark1 showed that it is the relative intensity and not the duration of cycling which is of most importance in relation to all-cause mortality and even more pronounced for coronary heart disease mortality. |
| August 29, 2011 |
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| Dabigatran associated with increased risk of acute coronary events |
| The anticoagulant dabigatran is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or acute coronary syndrome in a broad spectrum of patients when tested against some other medicines. |
| January 9, 2012 |
| Dairy Consumption Does Not Elevate Heart-Attack Risk, Study Suggests |
| Dairy products can be high in harmful saturated fat but not necessarily in risk to the heart. A newly published analysis of thousands of adults in Costa Rica found that their levels of dairy consumption had nothing to do statistically with their risk of a heart attack. |
| May 18, 2011 |
| Delayed Vs. Immediate Coronary Stenting |
| The Canadian Journal of Cardiology has published a paper on the timing of coronary stenting, a thought-provoking paper that challenges one of the dogmas of acute heart attack management today. |
| October 19, 2011 |
| Depression can lead to heart disease |
| Depression may have more far-reaching consequences than previously believed. Recent data suggests that individuals who suffer from a mood disorder could be twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to individuals who are not depressed. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Do Grapes or Alcohol Make Red Wine Good for the Heart? |
| Study Shows Both Components May Help Keep Arteries Open |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Drug can reverse overgrown hearts to help prevent heart failure |
| A promising cancer treatment drug can restore function of a heart en route to failure from high blood pressure, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. |
| May 31, 2011 |
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| E-counselling shows dramatic results in lowering blood pressure |
| E-counselling can significantly lower blood pressure, improve lifestyle and enhance quality of life, says Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Robert Nolan. |
| October 23, 2011 |
| Eating chocolate cuts risk of heart disease |
| The researchers compiled a systematic review of seven studies using data from 114,000 patients and found that people who consumed the most chocolate had a 37 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease and a 29 per cent lower risk of suffering a stroke than those who consumed less chocolate. |
| August 31, 2011 |
| EBR Systems Develop Leadless Pacemaker |
| EBR Systems, a start-up out of Sunnyvale California and Cambridge Consultants, the technology design and development firm, have developed a leadless pacemaker system for patients with advanced heart failure. The Wireless Cardiac Stimulation System comprises two units, an implantable electrode and an external control unit. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Effects of dalcetrapib on vascular function |
| Results of the phase IIb dal-VESSEL study show that dalcetrapib, an investigational molecule which acts on cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), did not impair endothelial function (as indicated by flow-mediated dilatation) or increase blood pressure, and was generally well tolerated in patients with or at risk of coronary heart disease. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| Electromechanical Wave Imaging Non-Invasively Maps Electrical Activation of the Heart |
| Researchers from Columbia Engineering School developed a new method to non-invasively map the electrical activation of the heart. The technique, called Electromechanical Wave Imaging (EWI), uses ultrasound waves to detect very small deformations following the electrical activation of the heart. It can be incorporated into most current ultrasound scanners. |
| May 10, 2011 |
| Elevated risk factors linked to major cardiovascular disease events across a lifetime |
| NIH-supported project analyzed data from 18 population-based studies, involving over 250,000 people |
| January 26, 2012 |
| Environment and Diet Leave Their Prints On the Heart |
| A University of Cambridge study, which set out to investigate DNA methylation in the human heart and the "missing link" between our lifestyle and our health, has now mapped the link in detail across the entire human genome. |
| November 29, 2011 |
| ESC calls for European studies exploring readmissions to hospital following PCI |
| The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) welcomes the spotlight that a US study has placed on the importance of measuring rates of rehospitalisation following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. |
| December 19, 2011 |
| ESC introduces update to HeartScore application |
| The number of heart attack and stroke incidents in Europe is likely to reduce with the imminent launch of an update to the HeartScore® application. HeartScore® was first developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2004, and it helps clinicians rapidly estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individual patients using age, gender, basic health indicators, and lifestyle factors. |
| August 26, 2011 |
| Excess Risk of Cardiac Events Associated with Dabigatran |
| Ken Uchino and Adrian Hernandez analyzed data from seven clinical trials comparing dabigatran with warfarin, enoxaparin, or placebo in 30,514 patients. The rate of MI or ACS was significantly higher in the dabigatran groups than in the control groups: |
| January 9, 2012 |
| Experimental Drug Raises 'Good' Cholesterol, May Help Control Diabetes |
| A medicine designed to improve levels of "good" cholesterol may also help control blood sugar in people with diabetes who are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to a new analysis in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. |
| July 18, 2011 |
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| Fat around the heart boosts heart-attack risk |
| Recently, interest in the fat around the heart -so called pericardial fat- is rapidly growing. Even a thin person can have pericardial fat. Several studies suggest that pericardial fat induces inflammation of the artery wall by secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins and plays a role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| FDA adds new heart warning to Sanofi's Multaq |
| Federal health officials have added new safety warnings to the heart rhythm drug Multaq after company studies linked the pill to higher rates of heart attack, stroke and death in a subset of patients. |
| December 19, 2011 |
| FDA approves first diabetes-cholesterol combo pill |
| The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Merck drug as the first combination pill for patients with diabetes who also have high cholesterol. |
| October 07, 2011 |
| Female shift workers may be at higher risk of heart disease |
| Women hospital staff working night shifts may be compromising their own health as they try to improve the health of patients, Dr. Joan Tranmer told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. |
| October 23, 2011 |
| Financial Incentives Increase Utilization of Stress Tests |
| Following coronary revascularization patients are more likely to undergo cardiac stress testing if their physician has a financial interest in the test, according to a new study published in JAMA. |
| November 8, 2011 |
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| 'Good' cholesterol function as important as its levels |
| High levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) are associated with a decreased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) -- a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. This suggests that therapeutics that increase HDL levels could be clinically useful. |
| June 23, 2011 |
| Gastric bypass reduces blood pressure |
| The kidneys play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure by adjusting the production of urine after eating or drinking. This process begins already in the upper digestive tract, which could explain why gastric bypass surgery for obesity also markedly reduce blood pressure, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. |
| September 7, 2011 |
| GE's New Vascular Visualization Applications for Interventional Radiology |
| Computer vision software is continuing to give new eyes to radiologists, improving their ability to spot critical structures on images. GE Healthcare has just unveiled two new applications for use in interventional procedures that point out vasculature near a liver tumor during embolizations and for Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) to better see the path of vascular flow. |
| March 7, 2011 |
| Gelatin-based nanoparticle treatment may be a more effective clot buster |
| A targeted, nanoparticle gelatin-based clot-busting treatment dissolved significantly more blood clots than a currently used drug in an animal study of acute coronary syndrome presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Gene Linked With Death After Coronary Bypass Surgery |
| Duke University Medical Center researchers have found a genetic variant that seems to be associated with lower five-year survival after a coronary artery bypass. |
| September 13, 2011 |
| Genes play greater role in heart attacks than stroke: study |
| People are significantly more likely to inherit a predisposition to heart attack than to stroke, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, an American Heart Association journal. |
| July 26, 2011 |
| Genetic defect disturbs salt handling and pushes up blood pressure levels |
| Hypertension is an endemic condition with far-reaching consequences. For instance, high blood pressure is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. Other organs are also damaged by the chronic condition. Hypertension is attributed to a high salt intake and a genetic predisposition. |
| November 25, 2011 |
| Green tea reduces cholesterol risk |
| In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Xin-Xin Zheng reports that green tea reduces LDL and total cholesterol. This could explain the reasoning behind green tea's apparent reduction to the risk of heart disease. |
| July 8, 2011 |
| Group Health study finds higher dementia risk with atrial fibrillation |
| The most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, is associated with a greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This discovery by scientists at Group Health Research Institute and their collaborators was published online in advance of print on August 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. |
| August 8, 2011 |
| Gut bacteria may affect whether a statin drug lowers cholesterol |
| Statins can be effective at lowering cholesterol, but they have a perplexing tendency to work for some people and not others. Gut bacteria may be the reason. |
| October 13, 2011 |
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| Healthy Lifestyle Cuts Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death |
| Study Shows Heart Benefits of Following a Lifestyle That Includes Exercise and Healthy Diet |
| July 5, 2011 |
| Heart Attack Risk Differs Between Men and Women |
| Findings on coronary CT angiography, a noninvasive test to assess the coronary arteries for blockages, show different risk scenarios for men and women, according to a study presented November 30 at the Radiological Society of North America. |
| November 30, 2011 |
| Heart attack test 'detects more' |
| A more sensitive blood test could improve the diagnosis of heart attacks in patients who have minor damage. |
| March 23, 2011 |
| 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. |
| November 21, 2011 |
| Heart Damage Improves, Reverses After Stem Cell Injections in a Preliminary Human Trial |
| Researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas, according to a small trial published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. |
| March 17, 2011 |
| Heart disease and stroke tied to national income |
| An analysis of heart disease and stroke statistics collected in 192 countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the relative burden of the two diseases varies widely from country to country and is closely linked to national income, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). |
| July 8, 2011 |
| Heart Disease Beats Breast Cancer as the Biggest Killer |
| Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of all cancer cases reported in women. However advances in the treatment for breast cancer, and early detection, have improved the chances of survival from the disease. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research has found that two thirds of women with breast cancer died from other causes and that over the length of the study cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death. |
| June 20, 2011 |
| Heart Disease Risk Factors Linked to Some Cognitive Decline |
| Older adults at risk for stroke have significantly increased risk for some types of cognitive decline, according to a multicenter study led by University of California scientists. |
| April 12, 2011 |
| Heart medication best at bedtime, study reveals |
| When doctors give heart drugs to patients, the time of day can make a big difference, according to new research by University of Guelph scientists. |
| May 9, 2011 |
| HHS Announces Initiative to Prevent One Million Heart Attacks and Strokes |
| The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a campaign to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the next 5 years. The announcement was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and in a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, and Donald Berwick, the CMS administrator. |
| September 13, 2011 |
| High testosterone levels and lower heart risks tied together |
| A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that higher natural levels of testosterone in elderly men may reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| How Cavity-Causing Microbes Invade Heart |
| Scientists have discovered the tool that bacteria normally found in our mouths use to invade heart tissue, causing a dangerous and sometimes lethal infection of the heart known as endocarditis. The work raises the possibility of creating a screening tool -- perhaps a swab of the cheek, or a spit test -- to gauge a dental patient's vulnerability to the condition. |
| June 27, 2011 |
| How Computer Modeling Lets Doctors Predict Heart Attacks Before They Happen |
| GPU-driven processing is bringing the predictive power of supercomputers to the radiology suite |
| November 8, 2011 |
| HPV linked to cardiovascular disease in women |
| Women with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke even when no conventional risk factors for CVD are present. |
| October 24, 2011 |
| Hypothermia proven to improve survival and outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest |
| The successful use and evaluation of therapeutic hypothermia to improve survival and reduce the risk of neurological consequences following an out-of-hospital heart attack are explored in the premier issue of Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management. |
| April 6, 2011 |
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| 'IDOLizing' Low Cholesterol |
| High levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) are a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) -- a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. |
| July 18, 2011 |
| If cholesterol had a love child with DNA, it'd look like this |
| There was some interesting breaking news last week about cholesterol. A promising study by the University of North Texas Health Science Center indicates that there's some potential for adding small interfering RNA to synthetic high-density lipoproteins (that's "good cholesterol" or HDL) in order to fight cancer tumors. |
| April 8, 2011 |
| IL-1 gene inactivation may reduce severe clinical complications of atherosclerosis |
| Atherosclerosis is a disease of the major arterial blood vessels. It is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. The proinflammatory molecule IL-1 has been linked to atherosclerosis and a clinical trial has been launched in which an antibody specific for IL-1-beta is being studied for its effects on the severe clinical complications of atherosclerosis (i.e., heart attack and stroke). |
| December 28, 2011 |
| Improved technology may obviate need for drug when assessing patients for a coronary stent |
| A new method for measuring narrowing in the arteries of the heart may allow patients to be assessed for a stent without having to take a drug with unpleasant side effects. |
| December 7, 2011 |
| Increasing levels of 'good' cholesterol reduces risk for heart attack and stroke among diabetics |
| Kaiser Permanente study also finds heart attack and stroke risk increase when 'good' cholesterol levels go down |
| October 07, 2011 |
| Inflammation behind heart valve disease |
| Research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows, that a specific inflammatory factor may be important in the development of the heart valve disease aortic stenosis. The results suggest that anti-inflammatory medication could be a possible new treatment. |
| March 15, 2011 |
| Infusion of Bone Marrow Cells Several Weeks After Heart Attack Does Not Appear to Improve Ventricular Function |
| Intracoronary infusion of bone marrow mononuclear cells 2-3 weeks following a heart attack among patients with left ventricular dysfunction and who had a procedure such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement performed did not result in overall improvement in ventricular function after 6 months. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| International study identifies new gene targets for hypertension treatment |
| A new international report from scientists around the world finds that common variants in 28 regions of DNA are associated with blood pressure in human patients. Of the identified regions, most were completely unsuspected, although some harbor genes suspected of influencing blood pressure based on animal studies. |
| September 11, 2011 |
| Is high blood pressure actually caused by a virus? |
| High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the leading risk factors behind strokes, heart failure, aneurysms, and other deadly serious medical conditions. But here's the weird thing about hypertension: we don't actually know what causes it. |
| August 15, 2011 |
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| Lasers Stimulate Stem Cells and Reduce Heart Scarring After Heart Attack, Study Suggests |
| After a heart attack or stroke, heart scarring can lead to dangerously paper-thin heart walls and a decreased ability to pump blood through the body. Although the heart is unable to completely heal itself, a new treatment developed at Tel Aviv University uses laser-treated bone marrow stem cells to help restore heart function and health. |
| August 11, 2011 |
| Less salt, less strokes, says new research |
| Speaking ahead of a United Nations High Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases, Professor Francesco Cappuccio from Warwick Medical School argues that lowering dietary salt intake has the potential to save millions of lives globally by substantially reducing levels of heart disease and strokes. |
| August 12, 2011 |
| Link shown between environmental toxicants and atherosclerosis |
| Environmental toxicants such as dioxins, PCBs, and pesticides can pose a risk for cardiovascular disease. For the first time a link has been demonstrated between atherosclerosis and levels of long-lived organic environmental toxicants in the blood. The study, carried out by researchers at Uppsala University, is being published online this week in ahead of print in the prestigious journal Environmental Health Perspectives. |
| October 11, 2011 |
| Living in Poor Neighborhood a Risk Factor for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Death |
| People living in poor neighborhoods are at higher risk of dying of heart disease outside a hospital than are people who live in wealthier neighborhoods, research suggests. |
| September 20, 2011 |
| Low risk? Women and young men responsible for large portion of heart attacks |
| In a contemporary cohort of acute heart attack patients, 70 percent of the patients were unaware they had coronary heart disease prior to the event and 60 percent of those patients were women or young men. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Lower socioeconomic status linked with heart disease despite improvements in other risk factor |
| People with lower socioeconomic status are much more likely to develop heart disease than those who are wealthier or better educated, according to a recent UC Davis study. Published online in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, the outcomes also show that this risk persists even with long-term progress in addressing traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. |
| August 26, 2011 |
| Lung Protein May Predict Heart Risk |
| Study Shows Protein Levels in Blood May Indicate Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke |
| June 10, 2011 |
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| Maintaining exercise when the cardiac rehab is complete |
| Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation and who receive telephone counseling that supports exercise are more likely to adhere to an exercise program. Results of the study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. |
| August 23, 2011 |
| Many Young Adults May Have High Blood Pressure |
| Study Shows Nearly 19% of Young Adults May Have Hypertension |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Mayo Clinic finds social media valuable tool to recruit study participants for rare diseases |
| Mayo Clinic has identified a new benefit of social media and online networking: a novel way to study rare diseases. Through patient-run websites dedicated to heart conditions and women's heart health, a team of cardiologists led by Sharonne Hayes, M.D., is reaching out to survivors of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, also known as SCAD, a poorly understood heart condition that affects just a few thousand Americans every year. |
| August 30, 2011 |
| Melatonin Might Help in Controlling Weight Gain and Preventing Heart Diseases Associated to Obesity |
| University of Granada researchers have proven that melatonin -a natural hormone produced by the body- helps in controlling weight gain -even without reducing the intake of food-, improves blood lipid profile -as it reduces triglicerids-, increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol. |
| April 28, 2011 |
| Midlife Obesity Increases Risk for CHD Mortality |
| Obesity in early adulthood doubles the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality , but this association is eliminated after midlife BMI is factored into the equation, according to a report in Archives of Internal Medicine. |
| October 24, 2011 |
| Middle-age blood pressure changes affect lifetime heart disease, stroke risk |
| An increase or decrease in your blood pressure during middle age can significantly impact your lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease. |
| December 19, 2011 |
| Millions with peripheral artery disease not getting vital medications |
| Millions of adults with peripheral artery disease are not receiving the medications needed to reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. |
| June 20, 2011 |
| Mini-Stroke Doubles Risk of Heart Attack |
| Patients who have suffered a "mini stroke" are at twice the risk of heart attack than the general population, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. |
| March 24, 2011 |
| Moderate drinking and cardiovascular health: here comes the beer |
| Beer could stand up alongside wine regarding positive effects on cardiovascular health. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Research Laboratories at the Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura "Giovanni Paolo II", in Campobasso, Italy. Both for wine and beer the key is moderate and regular drinking. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| More knowledge not always helpful for women dealing with heart disease |
| Women with congestive heart failure who repress their emotions, especially anger, are more likely than emotionally expressive women to experience symptoms of depression associated with knowledge about their disease, according to new research. |
| May 4, 2011 |
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| Nanotechnology patch for the heart restores damaged areas |
| When you suffer a heart attack, a part of your heart dies. Nerve cells in the heart's wall and a special class of cells that spontaneously expand and contract — keeping the heart beating in perfect synchronicity — are lost forever. Surgeons can't repair the affected area. It's as if when confronted with a road riddled with potholes, you abandon what's there and build a new road instead. |
| May 19, 2011 |
| Natural Gases as a Therapy for Heart Disease? |
| An understanding of the interaction between hydrogen sulphide (the 'rotten eggs' gas) and nitric oxide, both naturally occurring in the body, could lead to the development of new therapies and interventions to treat heart failure. |
| June 29, 2011 |
| New aging cause revealed by test tube |
| Chemists from The Australian National University have discovered a new way that ageing-related diseases can progress, opening up new preventative and treatment possibilities for conditions such as heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. |
| March 22, 2011 |
| New Approach to Keeping Coronary Arteries Open After Angioplasties |
| Research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine could help lead to new ways to prevent coronary arteries from reclogging after balloon angioplasties. |
| September 30, 2011 |
| New appropriate use criteria reflect latest scientific data on restoring blood flow to heart |
| Updated appropriate use criteria released today offer detailed guidance on when to use an invasive procedure to improve blood flow to the heart and how to choose the best procedure for each patient. The clinical scenarios, written by a group of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, affirm the role of revascularization for patients with acute coronary syndromes and significant symptoms. |
| January 30, 2012 |
| New clues about heart health uncovered by team of biomedical engineer |
| An engineering school isn't where you normally hear about advancements that could improve heart health, but researchers at the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering have used a device that simulates blood flow to uncover new information that could help prevent heart attacks and strokes. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| New formula developed to reassure patients about low heart attack risk |
| If your doctor says you have a negative stress test, or that your cholesterol or blood pressure are normal, how assured can you be that you're not likely to have a heart attack in the next seven to 10 years? |
| November 16, 2011 |
| New Genetic Risk Factor for Sudden Cardiac Death |
| In a large and comprehensive investigation into the underlying causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) -- a surreptitious killer of hundreds of thousands annually in the United States -- researchers have discovered a variation in the genome's DNA sequence that is linked to a significant increase in a person's risk of SCD. |
| July 12, 2011 |
| New Guidelines: Treat High Blood Pressure in Over-80s |
| High Blood Pressure Treatment Extends Life in the Very Elderly |
| April 25, 2011 |
| New research shows mental illness common, linked to heart disease |
| Mental illnesses -- led by anxiety disorders and depression -- now affect one-quarter of the US population according to new research. In Europe a similar proportion -- about 27 percent -- suffers from these same illnesses, a second new study concludes. |
| September 12, 2011 |
| New study calls sodium intake guidelines into question |
| For years doctors have warned that too much salt is bad for your heart. Now a new McMaster University study suggests that both high and low levels of salt intake may put people with heart disease or diabetes at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| New study shows patients with coronary artery disease |
| Thrombotic (clotting) and bleeding events are complications that may occur after surgery. With the aging population in the western world, there are more patients undergoing orthopedic surgery than ever before. This makes understanding the risk of complications from orthopedic surgery exceedingly important. However, there is a lack of data investigating the incidence of thrombotic and bleeding complications in orthopedic surgery. |
| August 30, 2011 |
| New test for coronary artery disease linked to higher rates of cardiac procedures and greater costs |
| A new, noninvasive diagnostic test for coronary artery disease is associated with a higher rate of subsequent invasive cardiac procedures and higher health-care spending. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| New test to better predict heart attack risk in women |
| The biggest killer of women over the age of 50 is heart disease. By age 65 women have the same heart attack or stroke risk as men and a greater risk of dying from either. To help better predict heart attack risk in these women, Atherotech Diagnostics Lab has developed a new and better way to test for heart disease risk. The new test will soon be available exclusively through Atherotech Diagnostics Lab. |
| August 26, 2011 |
| Next Stage of Heart Function Testing: New Highly Sensitive Technique Gives Better Clues to Future Cardiac Events in Heart Patients |
| A new non-invasive technique for measuring how well the heart and blood vessels function in patients already suffering from coronary artery disease could, in a single test, identify which abnormally narrowed blood vessels are the most likely to lead to further cardiovascular complications. According to Dr. Aaron So, at Lawson Health Research Institute and Robarts Research Institute in London, Canada, and colleagues, their technique could reveal functional problems in the circulatory system below the limit of detection of the currently most sensitive method, invasive angiography (or blood vessel x-ray). |
| October 10, 2011 |
| NHLBI stops AIM-HIGH combination clinical trial in high blood cholesterol |
| The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment 18 months earlier than planned. The trial found that adding high dose, extended-release niacin to statin treatment in people with heart and vascular disease, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and stroke. |
| May 27, 2011 |
| Niacin Does Not Reduce Heart Attack, Stroke Risk in Stable CV Patients |
| In patients whose bad cholesterol is very well-controlled by statins for a long time period, the addition of high-dose, extended release niacin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. |
| November 15, 2011 |
North American Healthcare TV3649 Wristech Blood Pressure Monitor |
 You can monitor your blood pressure away from home with this wrist blood pressure monitor. it's small enough to pack. our compact digital monitor slips over your wrist like a watch. automatically inflates to the correct level. large lcd shows your blood pressure and pulse. automatically remembers the last 99 measurements for easy display of your blood pressure history. also includes a quick reference guide with a log for jotting down your readings as well as a full-length operating guide. |
| Amazon Product |
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| Obstructive Lesions Found in Patients with Calcium Score of Zero |
| A small but significant number of symptomatic patients with calcium scores of zero have obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. |
| November 9, 2011 |
| Olive and sunflower oil fried food not bad for heart: Study |
| A new study shows that all fried foods may not be bad for the heart -- particularly those fried in olive or sunflower oil. |
| January 26, 2012 |
Omron Bp652 7 Series Blood Pressure Wrist Unit |
 The Omron 7 SERIES wrist home blood pressure monitor is an advanced, portable model, offering discreet readings anywhere you go. Ideal for managing heart health, this monitor employs smart Heart Guide Technology, automatically activating the moment your wrist is at heart level and offering precise readings every time. The attached cuff fits wrist sizes 5-1/4 inches to 8-1/2 inches. |
| Amazon Product |
Omron HEM-650 Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sensor) |
 They provide a convenient choice for those who want a second unit for away from home or who have trouble placing a cuff on their arm. The Omron HEM-650 Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sensor) uses Omron's patented IntelliSense technology, which inflates the wrist cuff to the ideal level with each use and offers fast, personalized, and automatic inflation for maximum comfort. No adjustments are required to select an inflation level-especially convenient for hypertensive users and for people with certain arrhythmia or heart disorders, because their blood pressure is more likely to fluctuate. |
| Amazon Product |
| Only 10% of patients with heart attack transferred to another hospital for PCI in recommended time |
| Only about 10 percent of patients with a certain type of heart attack who need to be transferred to another hospital for a PCI (procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) are transferred within the recommended time of 30 minutes, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. |
| June 22, 2011 |
| Optimal approach to treat patients without known coronary disease much less clear |
| In a contemporary cohort of acute heart attack patients, 70 percent of the patients were unaware they had coronary heart disease prior to the event and 60 percent of those patients were women or young men. |
| November 17, 2011 |
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Panasonic EW3006S Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor |
 The Panasonic EW3006S Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor lets you measure your blood pressure whenever and wherever you wish. It's ideal for anyone who wants or needs to keep careful track of their blood pressure over a period of time. You can trust Panasonic Wellness products to help you monitor your physical health in the comfort of your own home. Their range of blood pressure monitors are among the most popular on the market because they're reliable, easy-to-use, and accurate. |
| Amazon Product |
| Patients still being enrolled in clinical trial for new peripheral vascular disease treatment |
| The first three patients to undergo an investigational surgical procedure for peripheral vascular disease that involves the patient's own stem cells continue to do well, reports the University of Louisville surgeon who is the principal investigator. |
| June 18, 2011 |
| Pericardial fat linked with coronary arterial remodeling, non calcified plaque related to ACS |
| Recently, interest in the fat around the heart -so called pericardial fat- is rapidly growing. Even a thin person can have pericardial fat. Several studies suggest that pericardial fat induces inflammation of the artery wall by secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins and plays a role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| Pinpointing air pollution's effects on the heart |
| Scientists are untangling how the tiniest pollution particles — which we take in with every breath we breathe — affect our health, making people more vulnerable to cardiovascular and respiratory problems. While scientists know that air pollution can aggravate heart problems, showing exactly how it does so has been challenging. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| Positive data from Ischemix CMX-2043 Phase 2a trial for peri-operative cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury |
| Ischemix today announced positive top line data from a Phase 2a clinical trial of CMX-2043 for the prevention of peri-operative cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. The trial achieved its primary endpoint of safety with CMX-2043 demonstrating a favorable safety profile at all doses, consistent with the Phase 1 data. Additionally, although the trial was not powered to show statistical differences in efficacy, CMX-2043 demonstrated positive trends in all secondary efficacy endpoints and achieved statistically significant benefits in a key endpoint measure of cardiac health. CMX-2043 is a cardio-protective drug candidate that combines Akt pathway-mediated cell survival effects and anti-oxidant activity in a single small molecule. Ischemix intends to submit detailed results from the CMX-2043 Phase 2a trial for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting. |
| June 17, 2011 |
| Professional dental cleanings may reduce risk of heart attack, stroke |
| Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study (Abstract 17704) from Taiwan presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011. |
| November 13, 2011 |
| Promising and perilous? The ambivalent role of the CXCL12/ CXCR4 axis in heart repair |
| The chemokine CXCL12 acts as a chemical signal which mobilizes hematopoietic and other types of stem cells to leave the bone marrow and enter the circulation. Secretion of CXCL12 also guides these cells to sites at which the perfusion of tissue is sub-optimal due to localized obstruction of blood flow. These capabilities have made CXCL12 and its cognate receptor CXCR4 interesting candidates for therapies aimed at mitigating the effects of damage to the heart caused by myocardial infarction. |
| November 30, 2011 |
| Prosthetic heart valve market to reach $1.3 billion by 2017 |
| The prosthetic heart valve market is expected to reach a value of $1.3 billion by 2017, according to a new report available from companiesandmarkets.com. Growth is being driven by the global ageing population, increased incidence of obesity and diabetes, as well as improvements in technology and cost reduction. |
| August 8, 2011 |
| Protein Could Improve Recovery from Heart Attacks |
| Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, is required during embryonic development and wound healing, as well as during disease processes such as tumor growth. The signals that direct angiogensis are incompletely understood, but could represent novel targets for the development of therapies that promote or inhibit this process. |
| April 11, 2011 |
| Predicting Perilous Plaque in Coronary Arteries Via Fluid Dynamics |
| Researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have developed a method for predicting which areas of the coronary arteries will develop more atherosclerotic plaque over time, based on intracoronary ultrasound and blood flow measurements. |
| August 3, 2011 |
| Psoriasis is associated with impaired HDL function |
| Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Psoriasis Patients Face Higher Than Average Death Risk After a Heart Attack |
| Heart attack patients with psoriasis are 26 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, or suffer from recurrent heart attacks or strokes, and are 18 per cent more likely to die from all causes than those without the inflammatory skin disease. That's the key finding of a Danish study published in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine. |
| September 12, 2011 |
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| Quality-of-life for women an issue: in some matters of the heart, women do not fare as well as men |
| A Heart and Stroke Foundation study has found that women under age 55 fare worse than their male counterparts following a heart attack -- and their health status declines more than that of their male counterparts after one month. |
| October 25, 2011 |
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| Reduction in risk of coronary heart disease from alcohol consumption |
| In a prospective, observational study of approximately 150,000 Norwegians, the investigators found that alcohol consumption was associated with a large decrease in the risk of death from coronary artery disease. |
| November 10, 2011 |
| Regular aspirin may not be good for all: Study |
| Researchers suggest that healthy individuals who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke could be doing more harm than good. An analysis of more than 100,000 patients, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded the risk of internal bleeding was too high. The UK-led study said only people with a history of heart problems or stroke should take the tablets. Experts however added that any decision should be made with a doctor. |
| January 11, 2012 |
| Rehab helps heart patients live longer -- but they have to show up |
| Cardiac rehabilitation boosts longevity, especially in patients with the lowest fitness levels, Dr. Billie-Jean Martin today told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. |
| October 23, 2011 |
| Researchers develop algorithm to improve remote electrocardiography |
| Today someone in a remote village in India is able to run an electrocardiogram (ECG) via their smart phone on a loved one having a potential heart attack and send to a doctor in New Delhi for analysis. |
| August 23, 2011 |
| Researchers discover new culprit in atherosclerosis |
| A new study by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers identified a new culprit that leads to atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fat and cholesterol that hardens into plaque and narrows arteries. The research explains why cholesterol-laden, coronary artery disease-causing cells called macrophages, accumulate in artery plaques. |
| January 9, 2012 |
| Researchers find gene variants that cause stent thrombosis in people with coronary artery disease |
| In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent implantation in people with coronary artery disease. The team found that three of these variants were associated with impaired sensitivity to the common blood thinner clopidogrel, and a fourth that affects a blood platelet receptor involved in platelet aggregation and clot formation. |
| October 25, 2011 |
| Researchers find unique protein organization in arteries associated with cardiovascular disease |
| Human arteries — some smaller than a strand of hair — stiffen as a person ages. This stiffening is a factor in cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, because it contributes to the circulatory complications in disorders such as high blood pressure and diabetes. University of Missouri researchers have now used advanced 3-D microscopic imaging technology to identify and monitor the proteins involved in this stiffening process. |
| January 9, 2012 |
| Researchers identify molecules that can stimulate heart muscle regeneration |
| Damaged heart tissue is not known for having much inherent capacity for repair. But now, scientists are closing in on signals that may be able to coax the heart into producing replacement cardiac muscle cells. Using a zebrafish model system, researchers have identified a family of molecules that can stimulate stem cells to develop into beating heart muscle cells. |
| December 23, 2011 |
| Researchers Use Gold Nanowires to Create Cardiac Patches |
| A research team comprising scientists, doctors and engineers from the Children's Hospital Boston at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed cardiac patches made from very small gold wires. |
| September 27, 2011 |
| Results of the RIFLE STEACS clinical trial reported at TCT 2011 |
| Results of a randomized clinical trial suggest that using the transradial approach for angioplasty in patients with ST elevation acute coronary syndrome is preferable to the femoral approach, and should be the recommended access route. |
| November 10, 2011 |
| Results of the TRIGGER-PCI trial reported at TCT 2011 |
| A clinical trial comparing prasugrel to clopidogrel for patients with high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HCPR) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was ended early due to relatively few occurrences of cardiac death or myocardial infarction -- the primary endpoint -- at six month follow up. |
| November 9, 2011 |
| Restricted Calorie Diet Improves Heart Function in Obese Patients With Diabetes |
| A low-calorie diet eliminates insulin dependence and leads to improved heart function in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study presented November 28 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Reuters Says Cheap-O 8 GB iPhone 4 Arriving "Within Weeks" |
| The mythological "cheap iPhone" is coming, according to equally mythological "people with knowledge of the matter," reports Reuters. And it's coming soon, they say: a less expensive 8 GB version within weeks. Run, rumor, run! |
| August 23, 2011 |
| Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke May Be Underestimated |
| Study: Someone at Low Risk for Heart Disease in the Short-Term May Be at High Risk Later in Life, if They Have Just One or Two Risk Factors |
| January 25, 2012 |
| Risk Measurement Tool for Heart Attacks and Strokes Updated |
| The number of heart attack and stroke incidents in Europe is likely to reduce with the imminent launch of an update to the HeartScore® application. HeartScore® was first developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2004, and it helps clinicians rapidly estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individual patients using age, gender, basic health indicators, and lifestyle factors. |
| August 26, 2011 |
| Rodents' workouts, diets may hold health benefits for humans with heart failure and diabetes |
| Though rats, fish oil and beetroot juice read like ingredients in a witch's brew, to a Kansas State University research team, information from this combination could lead to health breakthroughs for aging populations and people suffering from heart failure and diabetes. |
| July 22, 2011 |
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| Safety and tolerability of the oral Xa inhibitor darexaban for secondary prevention after acute coronary syndromes |
| A phase II dose-finding study has found that the new oral Factor Xa inhibitor darexaban was associated with a two to four-fold increase in bleeding when added to dual antiplatelet therapy in patients following an acute coronary syndrome. |
| August 30, 2011 |
| Satisfaction with the components of everyday life appears protective against heart disease |
| While depression and anxiety have long been recognised as risk factors for heart disease, there is less certainty over the beneficial effects of a 'positive' psychological state, Now, following a study of almost 8000 British civil servants, researchers say that a satisfying life is indeed good for the heart. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| SATURN Regression Trial: Gorilla Statin and Statin King Battle to a Draw |
| An epic battle comparing the two most potent statins-- the reigning king atorvastatin versus "gorilla statin" rosuvastatin-- ended with a quiet draw. Results of SATURN were presented at the AHA and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Scientists Find Way to Block Stress-Related Cell Death: New Drug Target for Heart Attack, Stroke and Parkinson's Disease? |
| Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a potentially important new therapeutic target that could prevent stress-related cell death, a characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, as well as heart attack and stroke. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Scientists identify gene that exacerbates risk factors for heart disease and diabetes |
| A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered how a gene known as SIRT3 contributes to a suite of health problems sweeping across America, offering new insight into how to combat these potentially fatal conditions. |
| August 18, 2011 |
| SCIPIO Appears Victorious in Initial Treatment of Heart Failure |
| "Scipio" is best known as the name of the masterful Roman general, Scipio Africanus, who defeated Hannibal during the Second Punic War. Thanks to researchers at the University of Louisville and Brigham and Women's Hospital, he may soon have to share his nominal glory with an ongoing clinical trial. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Simple Fitness Test Could Predict Long-Term Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke in Middle-Aged People |
| If you're middle-aged, the answer could provide a strong predictor of your risk of heart attack or stroke over the next decade or more. |
| May 18, 2011 |
| Simple injection could limit damage from heart attacks and stroke |
| This weeks Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) will publish a fascinating new milestone achievement in the search for novel clinical therapies to significantly reduce the loss of tissue and organ-functions following the loss of blood supply in widespread and serious human pathologies such as heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and strokes (cerebral ischemia). This new therapy was also shown to significantly improve the outcome of transplant surgery and of any surgical procedure that involves the temporary loss of blood supply. |
| April 18, 2011 |
| Smaller proportion of Medicare patients hospitalized for heart problems |
| Heart-related problems accounted for a smaller proportion of hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries within the past ten years than did other causes for hospitalization, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke 2011 Scientific Sessions. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| Smoking cigarettes is worse for women's hearts than men's: study |
| Rates of smoking have been reducing in men but increasing in young women in some countries, and now a new review of earlier studies has shown that smoking cigarettes poses a larger risk factor for heart disease in women than in men. |
| August 12, 2011 |
| Smoking during pregnancy lowers levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol in children |
| Researchers in Australia have discovered that mothers who smoke during pregnancy are causing developmental changes to their unborn babies that lead to them having lower levels of the type of cholesterol that is known to protect against heart disease in later life — high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. |
| June 22, 2011 |
| South Asian patients require three times as much repeat angioplasty as white Europeans |
| South Asian patients with coronary artery disease were almost three times as likely to be readmitted to hospital for further interventional treatment to arterial plaque than their White European counterparts. They were also more likely to present as an emergency and require urgent treatment. |
| November 21, 2011 |
| St. Jude Medical’s FAME II Trial Halted Due to Positive Results |
| In the world of coronary artery disease treatment, if you blink, you will miss the latest development, so stent your eyes open for this latest piece of the puzzle. The latest question that keeps getting a new answer with every study is whether optimum medical therapy or percutaneous coronary interventions provides the best results for patients with coronary artery disease. With the introduction of fractional flow reserve technology, the question had to be asked anew. |
| January 23, 2012 |
| Stem Cells from Cord Blood Could Help Repair Damaged Heart Muscle |
| New research has found that stem cells derived from human cord blood could be an effective alternative in repairing heart attacks. |
| October 13, 2011 |
| Stress Hormones May Increase Cardiovascular Risks for Shift Workers |
| A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that shift work at a young age is associated with elevated long-term cortisol levels and increased BMI. Previous studies have shown that long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. |
| October 03, 2011 |
| Studies on heart disease and stroke prevention overlook ethnic groups |
| Major clinical studies that evaluate prevention strategies for heart disease and stroke fail to consider a participant's ethnicity, a factor that can more than double the rate of death in some groups, according to research led by St. Michael's Dr. Joel Ray. |
| March 17, 2011 |
| Study examines platelet function testing for guiding antithrombotic treatment before PCI procedures |
| Among patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing a procedure such as angioplasty, those who received platelet function tests before receiving antithrombotic therapy to determine appropriate clopidogrel dosing and who had high residual platelet reactivity (platelets resistant to antithrombotic therapy) were at an increased risk of an ischemic event at short- and long-term follow-up of up to 2 years, according to a study in the September 21 issue of JAMA. |
| September 20, 2011 |
| Study finds a decline in heart attacks over 20 years, but rising BMIs may reverse this in the future |
| Better control of cholesterol levels and blood pressure and a decline in smoking have contributed to a 74% drop in the risk of heart attack among nearly 10,000 civil servants working in London over a 20-year period, according to new research. However, the reduction would have been even greater were it not for the fact that more people became fatter during this time, and this rise in body mass index (BMI) accounted for an estimated 11% increased risk of heart attack over the same period. |
| June 9, 2011 |
| Study finds coronary calcium beats C-reactive protein for predicting heart attack and stroke risk |
| The presence of calcium in coronary arteries is a much better predictor of heart attack and stroke than C-reactive protein among people with normal levels of LDL cholesterol, according to a study of more than 2,000 people led by a Johns Hopkins heart specialist. |
| August 19, 2011 |
| Study Finds MR Superior to SPECT, But Clinical Role Is "Uncertain" |
| John Greenwood and colleagues compared the diagnostic accuracy of CMR and SPECT in 752 patients with suspected CHD. All the patients also underwent invasive x-ray angiography. The investigators calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and the negative predictive value of the two tests. |
| December 23, 2011 |
| Study investigates 'missing link' between environmental factors and heart failure |
| A University of Cambridge study, which set out to investigate DNA methylation in the human heart and the 'missing link' between our lifestyle and our health, has now mapped the link in detail across the entire human genome. |
| November 30, 2011 |
| Study on entire Swedish population affirms significance of hereditary factors for venous thromboembolism |
| Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after coronary heart disease and stroke. Researchers at the Centre for Primary Health Care Research in Malmö have mapped the significance of hereditary factors for venous thromboembolism in the entire Swedish population by studying the risk of VTE in children of parents with VTE compared with the children of parents who have not had VTE. |
| May 30, 2011 |
| Study shows oxidants help maintain healthy blood pressure |
| A new scientific study led by researchers at King’s College London has shown that oxidants, a family of molecules known to be involved in ageing and the development of cancer, also have a positive function in the body in helping to regulate blood pressure. |
| January 17, 2012 |
| Study suggests way to bring stroke treatment in from the cold |
| Investigating the mechanism behind a common emergency medical procedure known as therapeutic hypothermia, a team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has found a potential new target for drugs that would help protect patients against brain damage after heart attacks or stroke. |
| April 22, 2011 |
| Study: Most at-risk patients don't adhere to statin treatment, despite real benefits |
| A new study from North Carolina State University shows that the vast majority of patients at high risk for heart disease or stroke do a poor job of taking statins as prescribed. That's especially unfortunate, because the same study shows that taking statins can significantly increase the quality and length of those patients' lives. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| Substance in cancer medicine could prevent heart attacks |
| A substance in medicines for cancer and epilepsy could also prevent heart attacks, according to researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who have been using it to stimulate the body's own defense system against blood clots. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Sunshine Heart's C-Pulse Cardiac Pump Proves Itself in Clinical Trial |
| Sunshine Heart, a company with headquarters in Sydney, Australia and Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is touting results of an early clinical trial evaluating its C-Pulse System in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. |
| November 18, 2011 |
| Surgery improves endocarditis-induced heart failure survival rates |
| Surgery significantly improves short- and long-term outcomes in patients with heart failure caused by a bacterial infection known as endocarditis. |
| November 22, 2011 |
| Synchronized Implantable Heart Pump Could Be Disruptive Technology |
| Abiomed has announced the introduction of a synchronized minimally invasive implantable cardiac assist device at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, FL. Developed to treat patients with chronic moderate heart failure, the Symphony improves coronary perfusion and cardiac output. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| T |
| The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: AHA Releases Update of Heart and Stroke Statistics |
| Once again, statistics on the cardiovascular health of the United States portray a complicated picture of improvement and decline. On the one hand, deaths from cardiovascular disease continue to decline. On the other hand, ominous trends, many stemming from the increase in obesity, suggest that the good news may not last much longer. |
| December 15, 2011 |
| Too Many Heart Patients Getting Migraine Drugs |
| Triptans Taken by 22% of Migraine Sufferers With Heart Problems Who Shouldn't Take Them |
| September 30, 2011 |
| Trigger found for autoimmune heart attacks |
| People with type 1 diabetes, whose insulin-producing cells have been destroyed by the body's own immune system, are particularly vulnerable to a form of inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis) caused by a different autoimmune reaction. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have revealed the exact target of this other onslaught, taking a large step toward potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the heart condition. |
| March 23, 2011 |
| U |
| Ultrahigh Field Cardiovascular MRI at 7T Visualizes Heart in Greater Detail |
| German researchers at Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine have developed a new surface coil for MR imaging of the heart at 7 Tesla. The ultrahigh field technique provides a level of detail to tell the difference between blood and cardiac muscle. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| V |
| Vitamin D may help Explain racial differences in blood pressure |
| High blood pressure, or hypertension, is more common and often more deadly in blacks than in whites, and a new University of Rochester study shows that low vitamin D levels among black people might be a powerful factor that contributes to the racial differences in hypertension. |
| April 26, 2011 |
| W |
| What Doesn't Kill the Brain Makes It Stronger |
| Johns Hopkins scientists say that a newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke in rodent brain tissue by interfering with a particular kind of cell death that's also implicated in complications from diabetes and heart attack. |
| May 23, 2011 |
| Women undergoing PCI display greater number of co-morbidities than men |
| New research shows that women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, exhibit more co-morbidities and cardiovascular risk factors than men. Risk-adjusted analyses have now indicated that, in the contemporary era, gender is not an independent mortality predictor following PCI according to the study now available in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). |
| November 1, 2011 |
| Y |
| Young, apparently healthy - and at risk of heart disease |
| Atherosclerosis -- or buildup of fat in the walls of arteries - is thought of as a disorder of older people but it affects a large number of young men and women, according to a new Heart and Stroke Foundation study. |
| October 25, 2011 |
| X |
| XIENCE Nano Coronary Stent System from Abbott Receives FDA Approval |
| Abbott declared that Food and Drug Administration has approved its XIENCE nano Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, which is a new treatment system for patients suffering from coronary heart disease. |
| May 31, 2011 |
| Z |
| Zune HD Gets A Few New Apps |
| Microsoft may never build another piece of Zune hardware, but Microsoft is still moving forward with software for it, at least. On Wednesday, the company released nine new apps for Zune HD users, which owners can grab by heading to the Zune Marketplace. |
| August 3, 2011 |