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AHA honors Gladstone scientist with Katz award for cardiovascular research

Li Qian, PhD, has won the Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Young Investigators from the American Heart Association (AHA), marking the first time in the prestigious award's history that a Gladstone Institutes researcher has been the recipient.

18 Nov 2011

New framework to improve care for patients with delirium

A new national plan of action provides a roadmap for improving the care of patients with delirium, a poorly understood and often unrecognized brain condition that affects approximately seven million hospitalized Americans each year.

18 Nov 2011

Two RegeneRx cardiac-related patents receive notice of allowance in Australia, Mexico

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the Company has been notified that two cardiac-related patents will be allowed in Australia and Mexico.

18 Nov 2011

Researchers use baker's yeast to gain insight into chromosome separation process

Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research used, ironically enough, the single-celled organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae -- commonly known as baker's yeast -- to gain new insight into the process by which chromosomes are physically segregated during cell division.

18 Nov 2011

Stent shortening and deformity can cause serious complications for patients

Some stents that keep blood vessels open to treat heart disease are poorly designed to resist shortening, according to publications in the Journal of Interventional Cardiology.

18 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Paul Starr on Obama, Romney and health reform; Glenn close on the need for mental health services

As we testified on Nov. 1 before the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the principal driver of long-term federal deficits is the rapidly mounting cost of healthcare, particularly Medicare. ... Solving the U.S. debt crisis requires structural changes to slow Medicare's cost growth plus significant new revenue to accommodate the retirement of the baby boomers. Any plan without those two essential components should go back to the drawing board.

17 Nov 2011

EC approves Pfizer's Vyndaqel to treat Transthyretin Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy

Pfizer announced today that the European Commission has approved Vyndaqel (tafamidis) for the treatment of Transthyretin Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP) in adult patients with stage 1 symptomatic polyneuropathy.

17 Nov 2011

Stroke incidence related to blood type: Study

A latest study reveals that the risk for stroke maybe tied to blood type, with men and women with type AB and women with type B facing greater risk than people with type O. Researchers add that this study does not prove the link but it agrees with other studies that have tied A, B, and AB to heart attack and to blood clots in the legs. And type O has been linked to a heightened risk for bleeding, which implies less chance of the clots that are responsible for most strokes.

17 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

Ban smoking in cars urges BMA

The British Medical Association is calling for a ban on smoking in all cars. The BMA says research shows levels of toxins in a car after a cigarette has been smoked are up to 23 times higher than they would be in a smoky bar.

17 Nov 2011

Stem cell therapy for heart failure: two studies two successes

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans leading to considerable risk of death, diminished quality of like and recurrent hospitalizations. Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. The most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease, which narrows the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.

17 Nov 2011

Women much more likely to suffer from “broken heart syndrome”

Researchers have found that a woman’s heart is broken more easily than a man’s. In fact females are seven to nine times more likely to suffer “broken heart syndrome,” when sudden or prolonged stress like an emotional breakup or death causes overwhelming heart failure or heart attack-like symptoms, the first nationwide study of this finds. Usually patients recover with no lasting damage add researchers.

17 Nov 2011

Complications from preventable surgical-site infections leading to hospital readmissions after colon surgery

Nearly one-quarter of privately insured colon surgery patients are readmitted to the hospital within three months of discharge at a cost of roughly $9,000 per readmission, according to Johns Hopkins researchers, who've identified a major area for quality improvement and cost reduction in health care.

17 Nov 2011

Tripling clopidogrel dosage improves platelet reactivity in cardiac patients

Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

17 Nov 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 (CHD) prior to the event and 60 percent of those patients were women or young men.

17 Nov 2011

Psoriasis may alter cholesterol composition and decrease 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.

17 Nov 2011

Sedentary behaviour may have different consequences for young people's health

Physical activity will definitely lower children's chances of developing cardiovascular disease down the road, but physical inactivity will not necessarily increase it. Findings from a recent Queen's University study shows different kinds of sedentary behaviour may have different consequences for young people's health.

17 Nov 2011

Majority of adults in America to become obese by 2020

In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to projections presented by Northwestern Medicine researchers at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Wednesday, Nov. 16, in Orlando.

17 Nov 2011

UTHealth study: Heart attack patients who call 911 are sicker

Cardiologists are quick to point to statistics showing that the "door-to-balloon" treatment time for heart attack patients has dropped significantly in the past few years. But a retrospective study reveals that those who call 911 are most likely to have suffered a severe heart attack and despite receiving treatment quickly, they are still dying at unacceptable rates, say researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

17 Nov 2011

Calcium scoring test may predict risk of heart disease

Coronary calcium in heart arteries provides important clues about risk, even among younger and elderly patients and those without traditional risk factors, according to new studies.

17 Nov 2011