Congestive Heart Failure News and Research

RSS

Congestive Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump blood the way it should. In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can't send blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems. "Heart failure" doesn't mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, it's a serious condition that requires medical care. Heart failure develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker. It can affect the right side of the heart only or both the left and right sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.

Women with obstructive sleep apnea may be at increased risk for pregnancy complications

Women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appear to be at greater risk for serious pregnancy complications, longer hospital stays and even admission to the ICU than mothers without the condition, according to a new study of more than 1.5 million pregnancies presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

22 May 2017

Fluid overload may increase risk of early death in kidney failure patients on hemodialysis

New research indicates that sustained fluid overload- when there is too much fluid in the blood- may increase the risk of early death in kidney failure patients on hemodialysis. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, point to the importance of monitoring and treating fluid overload in these patients.

5 May 2017

Study: Patients operated by higher volume mitral surgeons experience lower mortality and reoperations

Surgeons who perform more than 25 mitral valve operations a year are more likely to perform repairs that are durable, and their patients are more likely to be alive a year after the operation, than when operations are performed by lower-volume surgeons, an Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai study has found.

3 May 2017

Infantile spasms and multiple sclerosis relapse data presented at AAN

Mallinckrodt plc, a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced new results from two company-sponsored studies: one study on use of H.P. Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection) in patients with infantile spasms (IS) and a second study on the economic burden of moderate-to-severe multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse.

2 May 2017

Knocking out lipid-modifying enzyme can boost post-heart attack healing, study shows

Two immune responses are important for recovery after a heart attack -; an acute inflammatory response that attracts leukocyte immune cells to remove dead tissue, followed by a resolving response that allows healing.

2 May 2017

Reduced kidney function is major contributor of cardiovascular deaths

A new analysis indicates that by 2013, cardiovascular deaths attributed to reduced kidney function outnumbered kidney failure deaths throughout the world.

17 Apr 2017

‘Vertical integration’ of healthcare leads to fewer hospital readmissions

"Vertical integration" of healthcare-; closer coordination of care between primary care and hospitals-; leads to a lower rate of hospital readmissions, suggests an experience from Portugal reported in the May issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

13 Apr 2017

VUMC reaches major milestone by completing 1,000 heart transplantations

Surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center performed five heart transplants in four days to place the institution among an elite group of transplant centers in the country -; reaching 1,000 heart transplantations.

7 Apr 2017

New finding on key protein opens door to potential therapies for chronic illnesses

Scientists have determined unexpected characteristics of a key protein linked to blood pressure control and to nerve growth, pain control and heart tissue regeneration. The findings, published April 5 online in the journal Nature, opens doors to potential new therapies to control cardiovascular disease and pain.

6 Apr 2017

Researchers find way to use ultrasound for monitoring fluid levels in the lung

A team of engineering and medical researchers has found a way to use ultrasound to monitor fluid levels in the lung, offering a noninvasive way to track progress in treating pulmonary edema - fluid in the lungs - which often occurs in patients with congestive heart failure.

21 Mar 2017

Low-risk atrial fibrillation patients fare better without antithrombotic therapy, study finds

Findings from a large, community-based study show that antithrombotic therapy doesn't decrease low-risk atrial fibrillation patients' risk of suffering a stroke within five years. In fact, researchers found that low-risk patients fared better without any antithrombotic therapy.

17 Mar 2017

FDA approves new nasal spray for adults who overproduce urine at night

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Noctiva (desmopressin acetate) nasal spray for adults who awaken at least two times per night to urinate due to a condition known as nocturnal polyuria (overproduction of urine during the night).

3 Mar 2017

Research on repair of broken hearts hints at possibility of new designer cardiovascular therapies

Unlike the self-repair abilities of our skin, bone and other tissues, which can readily heal and rebuild themselves after injury, evolution has left the mammalian heart with relatively little regenerative capacity.

22 Feb 2017

Supervised exercise training at moderate intensity improves prognosis for heart failure

Contrary to what was previously assumed, physical exercise does not lead to harmful ventricular enlargement.

21 Feb 2017

New bed sensors can warn older adults of impending heart problems

Congestive heart failure is one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions among those 65 years old and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

14 Feb 2017

Scientists identify gene variants that predispose children to developing Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common acquired heart disease in children. Untreated, roughly one-quarter of children with KD develop coronary artery aneurysms -- balloon-like bulges of heart vessels -- that may ultimately result in heart attacks, congestive heart failure or sudden death.

9 Feb 2017

Cancer drug could promote regeneration of damaged heart muscle, research shows

An anticancer agent in development promotes regeneration of damaged heart muscle 0- an unexpected research finding that may help prevent congestive heart failure in the future.

3 Feb 2017

‘Love hormone’ from insects could be used as drug lead to prevent uterine contractility in preterm labour

In a recent study published in "Scientific Reports", an international team of researchers led by MedUni Vienna report that an oxytocin-like neuropeptide ("inotocin") exhibited a specific pharmacological profile for the human receptors of oxytocin (known as the "love hormone") and vasopressin.

1 Feb 2017

TUM researchers decipher secret behind cohesion of heart muscles

Our hearts beat a life long. With every beat our heart muscle contracts and expands. How this can work throughout an entire life remains largely a mystery. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have now measured the forces acting between the building blocks titin and α-actinin which stabilize the muscle.

25 Jan 2017

Important vaccines that should not be missed by adults, elders and pregnant women

Vaccines are an important part of routine healthcare for adults, seniors and women who are pregnant.

16 Jan 2017