Cardiology News and Research RSS Feed - Cardiology News and Research

Cardiology is the branch of internal medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The field is commonly divided in the branches of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology.

MD² International opens primary care office on Manhattan's Upper East Side

MD² International, the founders and definitive providers of concierge medicine, opened their Park Avenue practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with Drs. Shari Midoneck and George Ellis. [More]

Study shows VATS-LCSD can help children with refractory cardiac arrhythmias

Inherited ventricular arrhythmias are an important cause of morbidity and sudden cardiac death in children who have structurally normal hearts. Despite conventional medical therapy, some of these children remain symptomatic with recurrent life-threatening arrhythmias, syncope, or frequent discharges from implantable cardioverter defibrillators. [More]

ECMO can be used on neonates with severe respiratory failure until lung transplantation, say scientists

Adults with end-stage respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension requiring ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) have been "bridged" toward lung transplantation with novel lung assist devices such as the Novalung. [More]
Implantation of new mechanical heart valve reduces anticoagulation therapy in AVR patients

Implantation of new mechanical heart valve reduces anticoagulation therapy in AVR patients

For more than 40 years, patients under 65 years of age requiring heart valve replacement have had to choose between a mechanical valve that offers life-long durability but requires aggressive warfarin anticoagulation or a biological (cow or pig) valve that will wear out in 10-20 years but does not require anticoagulation. [More]

Patients with faulty heart valves can benefit from Valve-in-Valve technique

When a biologic aortic valve prosthesis fails, the patient often faces a high risk valve replacement through repeat open heart surgery. A new technique, known as Valve-in-Valve, uses minimally invasive techniques to introduce a collapsible aortic heart valve into the damaged valve in order to restore function. [More]
New protocol for reducing the use of SPECT SPI is found to be diagnostically safe

New protocol for reducing the use of SPECT SPI is found to be diagnostically safe

A new stress test protocol that investigates reducing the use of perfusion imaging in low risk patients undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for possible angina symptoms was found to be diagnostically safe, revealed a US retrospective analysis. [More]
Increased accumulation of coronary artery calcium leads to heart attack risk

Increased accumulation of coronary artery calcium leads to heart attack risk

Patients with increasing accumulations of coronary artery calcium were more than six times more likely to suffer from a heart attack or die from heart disease than patients who didn't have increasing accumulations, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. [More]
Higher vitamin D levels confer no additional benefit

Higher vitamin D levels confer no additional benefit

In recent years, healthy people have been bombarded by stories in the media and on health websites warning about the dangers of too-low vitamin D levels, and urging high doses of supplements to protect against everything from hypertension to hardening of the arteries to diabetes. [More]
Continuous circular cycling ‘a distinct bipolar disorder subtype’

Continuous circular cycling ‘a distinct bipolar disorder subtype’

Results from an Italian study suggest that there are distinct differences in clinical presentation, outcome, and treatment response between bipolar disorder patients with and without intervals between mood episodes. [More]
Lowering door-to-balloon times helps benefit STEMI patients, study finds

Lowering door-to-balloon times helps benefit STEMI patients, study finds

While all heart attacks have the potential to be deadly, one type is referred to as the "widow maker" because of its high risk of death. A ST segment elevation myocardial infarction is a severe type of heart attack that occurs when a blockage in a coronary artery causes heart muscle to die; without prompt treatment risk of fatality increases dramatically. Coronary angioplasty, or percutaneous coronary intervention, is the most common emergency treatment for STEMI. [More]
Sufferers of gout and elevated uric acid levels have significantly increased death risks

Sufferers of gout and elevated uric acid levels have significantly increased death risks

A new study led by researchers at the Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS), University of Limerick (UL) has found that people suffering from gout and elevated serum uric acid have significantly increased risks of death. [More]

Religiosity may influence depression, QoL in bipolar disorder

Results from a Brazilian study suggest that higher levels of intrinsic religiosity are associated with fewer depressive symptoms and increased quality of life in patients with bipolar disorder. [More]

Heart Failure Congress 2013 to feature more than 100 scientific sessions on heart failure

The Heart Failure Congress 2013 promises more science than ever this year, with a record number of abstracts submitted. The congress takes place 25-28 May at the Centro de Congressos de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal. [More]

Practical guidelines on the use of new oral anticoagulants

A practical guide on the use of the new oral anticoagulants has been produced by the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology. [More]
Renal denervation reduces blood pressure for patients not responding to drug therapy

Renal denervation reduces blood pressure for patients not responding to drug therapy

Up to 10 per cent of patients with high blood pressure are resistant to treatment, which puts them at increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks. Clinical trials show that catheter-based renal denervation reduces blood pressure in patients who do not respond to conventional drug therapy. [More]

Sectra signs agreement to distribute healthcare IT suite in Puerto Rico

International medical imaging IT company, Sectra announces an exclusive agreement with Answer Medical Solutions to distribute its healthcare IT suite throughout Puerto Rico. [More]

Annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary

Media registration is now open online for TCT 2013 (Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics), the annual Scientific Symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the theme of TCT 2013 is envisioning the future, with a focus on innovation in medicine and technology. [More]

Cardiac risk patients treated with beta-blockers have lower rates of mortality

Patients at elevated cardiac risk who were treated with beta-blockers on the day of or following noncardiac, nonvascular surgery had significantly lower rates of 30-day mortality and cardiac illness, according to a study in the April 24 issue of JAMA. [More]

Schizophrenia patients misinterpret anger

A study shows that patients with schizophrenia struggle to recognize angry facial expressions, often mistaking them for fear. [More]

Cardiovascular disease grave in patients with bipolar disorder

Cardiovascular disease has a particularly large impact on life expectancy if patients also have bipolar disorder, say researchers. [More]