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Study evaluates safety and effectiveness of Diamondback device for heart attacks

Drilling through concrete to create an opening may sound more like construction than medicine, but the approach is similar to what researchers at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) are doing in a clinical trial to evaluate a device that breaks through hardened coronary arteries, in an effort to prevent heart attacks and relieve chest pain.

23 Nov 2011

UTHealth and Memorial Hermann HVI first in Houston to implant FDA approved artificial heart valve

Cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute are the first in Houston to implant the artificial heart valve recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as a newer, smaller version that is part of a clinical trial.

21 Nov 2011

Vitamin D and its good and bad effects on the heart

Vitamin D in excess may not be beneficial and may even harm the heart says a new study. Scientists have long known that low levels of the nutrient can hurt the heart, but new research shows that higher than normal levels can make it beat too fast and out of rhythm, a condition called atrial fibrillation. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

17 Nov 2011

New CAD test associated with higher rates of cardiac procedures, health-care spending

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. That's according to an observational study of Medicare recipients conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

16 Nov 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.

16 Nov 2011

Blood-based gene expression test more effective in ruling out obstructive CAD

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.

16 Nov 2011

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) shows success as blood thinner in acute coronary syndrome

A new anti-blood clotting drug – Xarelto (rivaroxaban) has shown clinical success. It may help people with “acute coronary syndrome” lower their risk of death, subsequent heart attack or stroke, a new study finds. Acute coronary syndrome is term that includes people with angina or prior history of heart attack.

15 Nov 2011

Study compares safety of procedures at hospitals with and without cardiac surgery backup

Hospitals that do not have cardiac surgery capability can perform nonemergency angioplasty and stent implantation as safely as hospitals that do offer cardiac surgery. That is the finding of the nation's first large, randomized study to assess whether patients do just as well having nonemergency angioplasty performed at smaller, community hospitals that do not offer cardiac surgery.

15 Nov 2011

Herat risk screening inadequate in high school sports physicals: Study

Following incidents of deaths of high school athletes who collapse suddenly during practice or a game, new guidelines for screening prep athletes for hidden heart problems before the start of a season had been in place since 1996. About one of every 30,000 to 50,000 high school athletes dies each year from cardiac arrest.

14 Nov 2011

BIDMC researcher says improvement in survival rates best 'since introduction of aspirin'

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, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions.

14 Nov 2011

Study finds pregnancy safe for 80% of women with lupus

Promising research led by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery may offer hope for women with lupus who once thought that pregnancy was too risky.

7 Nov 2011

Riverview to participate in Atlantic C-PORT-E Elective Angioplasty trial

In May 2009, Riverview Medical Center became part of a research study sponsored by Johns Hopkins University called the Atlantic C-PORT-E Elective Angioplasty trial. Riverview was selected to participate in this research study for its high level of experience and outstanding cardiovascular services.

4 Nov 2011

Role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in clinical cardiology

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) has undergone substantial development and offers important advantages compared with other well-established imaging modalities.

3 Nov 2011

Edwards Lifescience receives FDA approval for Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first artificial heart valve that can replace an aortic heart valve damaged by senile aortic valve stenosis without open-heart surgery.

3 Nov 2011

New computer-based tool enables early diagnosis of cancer

A computer-based tool could help GPs to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from two of the most common forms of cancer, potentially saving thousands of lives every year.

31 Oct 2011

Meriter to join Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute

Effective January 1, 2012, Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute will join Meriter Medical Group. The practice, which includes 16 cardiologists, vascular surgeons and mid-level providers who are highly trained specialists with experience in all areas of cardiovascular care, will be renamed Meriter Wisconsin Heart. Meriter Medical Group will thus have grown from 68 providers to 116 in less than 2 years, an increase of 71%.

29 Oct 2011

Children with PAH may benefit from sildenafil treatment

Sildenafil is currently approved for adult pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); however, new research presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows the drug may also provide significant benefits for children with PAH, helping to improve both oxygen delivery and exercise capacity.

24 Oct 2011

Women more likely to develop lupus at earlier ages

Debilitating. Destructive. Life-altering. These are just a few words used to describe autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases affect women 8 times more often than men, with lupus being one of the most disruptive. Lupus is a disease that occurs when a person's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs instead of attacking foreign invaders such as common viruses and bacteria. Lupus often results in wide-spread inflammation, pain, swelling and organ/tissue damage throughout the body.

19 Oct 2011

Million Hearts initiative strikes at leading killer of Americans

The number of Americans who report they have coronary heart disease – which includes heart attack and angina (chest pain) – continues to decline but rates vary widely from state to state and by race and ethnicity, according to a new report published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

14 Oct 2011

Lipomannan on TB bacterium's outer cell surface can block TNF production

The bacterium that causes tuberculosis has a unique molecule on its outer cell surface that blocks a key part of the body's defense. New research suggests this represents a novel mechanism in the microbe's evolving efforts to remain hidden from the human immune system.

4 Oct 2011