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Study recommends depression screening In AF clinics

Electrophysiologists (EPs) rate the quality of life of patients with Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly better than the patients themselves do, with the greatest level of disagreement about mental health.

24 Jun 2013

AliveCor launches Heart Monitor for iPhone 4, 4S and 5 in UK and Ireland

AliveCor, Inc., a premier digital health company, announced today that its Heart Monitor for iPhone 4, 4S and 5 is now available for purchase in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

24 Jun 2013

EHRA White Book reports on current status of arrhythmia treatments in 55 ESC member countries2

The first European data on lead extraction was released today by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The information is published in the EHRA White Book 20131, launched at EHRA EUROPACE 2013 in Athens, Greece, during 23-26 June.

24 Jun 2013

New $11 million grant for lowering stroke risk among black and young populations

A new $11 million grant to Kaiser Permanente Northern California and UC San Francisco will support a multifaceted research program aimed at lowering stroke risk among black populations and younger stroke victims by targeting high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

21 Jun 2013

Amount of exercise, not frequency important for healthy life

A new study by Queen's University researchers has determined that adults who accumulated 150 minutes of exercise on a few days of the week were not any less healthy than adults who exercised more frequently throughout the week.

21 Jun 2013

Clinical study shows that clopidogrel not effective in infants with congenital heart diseases

One of the largest clinical trials done in infants with congenital (present at birth) heart diseases, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the increasingly common practice of using the drug clopidogrel (Plavix-) to reduce shunt-related blood flow issues is not effective in the dose studied.

21 Jun 2013

New treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis

Robert Stoler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital and co-medical director, Division of Cardiology, is leading Baylor's participation in an exciting clinical trial to research a new treatment option for AS patients.

From Medtronic 21 Jun 2013

New model developed to predict atrial fibrillation stroke risk factors

A more accurate and reliable stroke prediction model has been developed to help physicians decide whether to start blood-thinning treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation, as described in the current online issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

21 Jun 2013

Laughing gas is associated with increased risk for perioperative cardiac events

A clinical trial published in the July issue of Anesthesiology may shed some light on whether nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") causes an increased risk for cardiac events, including heart attacks after surgery, particularly among high-risk patients.

20 Jun 2013

Researchers monitor dynamic cellular events that take place during cardiac regeneration in zebrafish

In a study published in the June 19 online edition of the journal Nature, a scientific team led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine visually monitored the dynamic cellular events that take place when cardiac regeneration occurs in zebrafish after cardiac ventricular injury. Their findings provide evidence that various cell lines in the heart are more plastic, or capable of transformation into new cell types, than previously thought.

20 Jun 2013

Nearly 70% of Americans use at least one prescription drug, say researchers

Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed, their study found. Twenty percent of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

20 Jun 2013

Researchers launch clinical trial on stem cells to prevent amputations in end stage PAD

University Hospitals Case Medical Center clinical researchers have launched an innovative clinical trial, unique in its design, which will evaluate the ability of a patient's own stem cells to prevent leg amputations in end stage peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

20 Jun 2013

Gene switch off may increase risk of heart and blood vessel disease: Research

Risk of heart and blood vessel disease may increase when a particular gene is switched off, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series Webinar.

20 Jun 2013

Surgeon provides guidance to identify ways to manage patients with sleep apnea

Although as many as 25 percent of patients undergoing surgery suffer from sleep apnea, few hospitals have policies to help manage the risks of this condition during surgery, and there is little evidence to help guide anesthesiologists and surgeons caring for these patients.

20 Jun 2013

UT candidate wins AHA fellowship to support research in cardiovascular, stroke discoveries

University of Texas at San Antonio biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate Anand Srinivasan has been awarded a $25,000, one-year doctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association (AHA).

20 Jun 2013

Oral probiotic supplement increases vitamin D levels in blood, says study

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the first report of an oral probiotic supplement significantly increasing circulating vitamin D levels in the blood.

20 Jun 2013

High strength satin drugs do not increase risk of kidney injury among heart attack survivors

A higher strength of cholesterol-lowering drugs, or statins, did not increase the risk of kidney injury among heart attack survivors, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series Webinar.

20 Jun 2013

Walnuts can play role in protecting against heart disease

Promising results from a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition provide convincing evidence that walnuts can help protect against heart disease.

20 Jun 2013

Study: One in four stroke survivors suffer from symptoms of PTSD

One in four people who survive a stroke or transient ischemic attack suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder within the first year post-event, and one in nine experience chronic PTSD more than a year later.

20 Jun 2013

LDL cholesterol blood levels: an interview with Dr. Harvey Kaufman

What is LDL cholesterol? What blood level of LDL cholesterol is considered optimal and why are high levels of LDL cholesterol a key marker of death risk from heart disease? Dr. Harvey Kaufman, senior medical director of Quest Diagnostics gives us some answers.

From Quest Diagnostics 19 Jun 2013