Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

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A Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Antidepressants may increase heart attack or stroke risk in men: Study

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3 Apr 2011

Genentech's Lucentis Phase III trials in DME meets primary endpoints

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced today that the second of two Phase III trials evaluating Lucentis in patients with diabetic macular edema met its primary endpoint.

28 Mar 2011

Mercury in fish may not increase heart disease risk: Study

According to a new study Americans' level of exposure to mercury from sources such as fish is not associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke or other cardiovascular disease. This is in spite of the repeated proofs of neurological deficits in children and unborn babies due to mercury exposure.

24 Mar 2011

Sex and heart attack risk: Study

According to a study published March 23/30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sexual intercourse can trigger dangerous cardiac events and sudden heart attacks. In the two hours after sex, the chances of having a heart attack are dramatically higher than normal, warned the study from two researchers associated with the Tufts University Medical Center in Boston.

23 Mar 2011

Heart attack risk during sex is low: Study

According to the latest research from Tufts Medical Center, sexual intercourse, previously believed does increase the risk of a heart attack, but the risk is still small and only rises during and soon after the deed.

22 Mar 2011

British pie, mash and gravy meals too salty: Heart health experts

A new study by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) in the UK that looked at 526 pie, mash and gravy meals and products, found some meals to be extremely high in salt. A chicken and mushroom pie with chips or mash, gravy and peas from pub chain Wetherspoons contained an alarming 7.5g of salt, well over the daily maximum recommendation of 6g a day. All the pie and mash pub meals looked at contained more than 3g, half the daily maximum, the report said. The survey, conducted by YouGov, found that the mashed potato and gravy could significantly increase the salt content of a meal. According to CASH, while good progress has been made by supermarkets in cutting salt levels in pies, there are still too many products containing unnecessary quantities of salt.

17 Mar 2011

Stem cell therapy successfully heals a scarred and failing heart

A new study has shown that stem cells could heal scars caused by old heart attacks. In all eight patients who received the experimental treatment in an ongoing clinical trial this therapy worked. All of them had suffered heart attacks an average of 5 1/2 years prior; one of the patients had his heart attack 11 years earlier.

17 Mar 2011

Genentech announces positive outcomes from Lucentis Phase III trial against DME

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that two-year results from a pivotal Phase III trial showed patients with diabetic macular edema who received Lucentis experienced rapid and sustained improvement in vision compared to those who received a placebo injection.

11 Mar 2011

13 heart disease risk genes identified

Researchers have found 13 new gene variants that might increase the risk of heart disease. Heart disease being the largest killer worldwide, this discovery could shed light on causes and lead to more effective treatments.

7 Mar 2011

High blood pressure medications useful even in those without hypertension: Study

Researchers have studied existing evidence to suggest that people who have had a stroke or a heart attack might benefit from taking blood pressure medications, even if they do not have high blood. They noted that for every 1,000 people taking the drugs in clinical trials, on average 15 fewer died from heart disease than when the patients got dummy treatment. The study however could not explain the cause for this benefit. The study, which was funded by Tulane University and the National Institutes of Health, was published in the March 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1 Mar 2011

Cholesterol woes across Australia

A new study shows that Victorians and Tasmanians have the worst average cholesterol levels in Australia. The study looked at almost 200,000 patient records over 5 and half years and showed that Tasmanians’ average cholesterol level was the nation’s highest, at 5.41mmol/L (millimoles per litre), with Victorians’ average level at 5.23mmol/L.

15 Feb 2011

Lack of sleep increases stroke & heart disease risk: Study

New research shows that lack of sleep apparently can increase the risk for stroke and heart attack. British researchers for this study, analyzed data collected from more than 470,000 people in eight countries, including the United States. The study was published Feb. 8 in the European Heart Journal.

13 Feb 2011

Burden of stroke over next 40 years to skyrocket: Studies

Findings presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles revealed that strokes are expected to rise by 350% over the next four decades.

13 Feb 2011

Reducing the cardiovascular disease gender gap

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is working with the National Cardiac Societies of its 53 member countries on a project to raise awareness of the disturbing gender gap in cardiovascular disease (CVD). In partnership with the European Heart Network (EHN) and the World Heart Federation (WHF), the ESC has developed the Women@Heart contest in which national societies submit ideas for public awareness campaigns aimed at informing both health professionals and women of the dangers of complacency about CVD.

8 Feb 2011

NHS reforms & proposed spending questioned

According to John Appleby, Chief Economist at the King’s Fund, deaths from heart attacks and cancer in the UK are falling despite lower spending on health than in countries such as France. This, he said calls attention to the Government’s claim that poor outcomes justify a £1.4 billion restructuring of the NHS that will pass control of budgets from managers to GPs. He said, “Comparing health outcomes across countries is complex and not simply down to healthcare spending, but these trends must challenge one of the government’s key justifications for reforming the NHS.”

27 Jan 2011

Traffic noise and stroke risk: Study

A new study shows that traffic noise may increase the risk of stroke, particularly for older individuals. The study looked at the association between road traffic noise and stroke in more than 51,000 Danish people and found that for every 10-decibel increase in noise level, the risk of stroke increased by 14 percent. In those over 65, the risk of stroke increased 27 percent.

26 Jan 2011

Heart failure patients admitted to general wards fare poorly: Study

The latest research shows that patients with heart failure are twice as likely to die if they are admitted to a general hospital ward rather than one specializing in cardiology. Heart failure kills nearly a quarter of a million people in England and Wales every year and about 900,000 people in the UK have the condition that means the heart is weakened and cannot pump blood efficiently. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness and swollen ankles, and it can lead to premature death.

18 Jan 2011

Brought back to life after heart stopped beating for three hours

Engineer Arun Bhasin, 53, fell unconscious in Croydon, south London, in December in temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius after falling in the street and hitting his head. He was taken to the hospital, but he suffered a cardiac arrest.

16 Jan 2011

Painkillers and heart attack risk

A new study has shown that taking certain commonly used painkillers for long periods or in high doses increases the risk of heart attacks or strokes. The study comes from researchers from Bern University and is published in the British Medical Journal.

16 Jan 2011

Older adults with recent heart attack, kidney dysfunction lack long-term medication adherence: Study

Among older adults with a recent heart attack, those with lower levels of kidney function are less likely to take their medications as prescribed, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

14 Jan 2011