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New data finds 50% decline in heart surgery wait times in Alberta and BC

New data from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine shows that wait times for a number of heart surgeries have gone down close to 50 per cent in Alberta and British Columbia.

6 Apr 2011

EKG test is a poor predictor of sudden death syndrome in young athletes

The sudden death of a young athlete always prompts full media attention, most recently spurring a call for preventative screening methods, including costly electrocardiogram tests for all school-age athletes.

6 Apr 2011

High clusterin levels linked to Alzheimer's prevalence and severity

Higher levels in blood of the protein clusterin, also known as apolipoprotein J, are significantly associated with the prevalence and severity of Alzheimer's disease, but not with the risk of onset of new disease, according to a study in the April 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Apr 2011

LDL particles may be a more accurate measure of subclinical atherosclerosis than LDL cholesterol

LipoScience, Inc., a highly innovative diagnostic company that is advancing patient care by developing high value proprietary blood tests using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, today announced presentations of two clinical studies "from the podium" at the 60th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Apr 2011

New insight into embryonic tissue separation

As our bodies form, cells within the embryo divide and separate. Certain cells come together to form the outer layer, or ectoderm, of the early embryo, and give rise to tissue such as the skin and nervous system.

6 Apr 2011

Elevated levels of sodium limit body's natural responses to stress

All those salty snacks available at the local tavern might be doing more than increasing your thirst: They could also play a role in suppressing social anxiety.

6 Apr 2011

Milliman Care Guidelines honors Sound Physicians with prestigious award

Sound Physicians, a leading hospitalist organization focused on driving improvements in quality, satisfaction and efficiency of inpatient healthcare delivery, today received the Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare.

6 Apr 2011

Device to treat resistant hypertension lowers blood pressure by 33 points

A device designed to treat people with resistant hypertension helped lower blood pressure by 33 points, a substantial drop that would otherwise require patients to take an additional three or four drugs, on top of this subgroup's usual regimen of up to five drugs, to control their difficult-to-treat condition.

6 Apr 2011

Major depression linked to premature aging of immune cells: Study

Certain cases of major depression are associated with premature aging of immune cells, which may make people more susceptible to other serious illness, according to findings from a new UCSF-led study.

6 Apr 2011

Editorial cautions against estrogen-only hormone therapy after hysterectomy

An editorial in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association cautions against estrogen-only hormone therapy in women who have had a hysterectomy because of longstanding evidence that it raises the risk of breast cancer.

6 Apr 2011

TomTec, GE partner to deliver enhanced cardiology patient care

GE Healthcare IT, a global leader in healthcare information technology, and TomTec Imaging Systems, a proven leader in cardiovascular ultrasound analysis, are working together to deliver enhanced patient care.

6 Apr 2011

Genzyme, Isis present mipomersen phase 3 study data in severe heFH at ACC meeting

Genzyme Corp., a subsidiary of sanofi-aventis Group, and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that data from two phase 3 studies of mipomersen in patients who had high cholesterol levels while on lipid-lowering therapy were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session.

6 Apr 2011

Estrogen only hormone replacement not so risky after 50’s: Study

According to a new study hormone therapy may not be as risky for elder women as earlier thought. This comes from the Women's Health Initiative, a federally funded trial that tracked thousands of women taking hormones or placebo pills for years. The WHI looked at women who have had hysterectomies or have had their uterus removed and thus can take estrogen unaccompanied by another hormone, progestin. It found that a heightened risk of stroke from taking estrogen faded with time, while a reduced risk of breast cancer held steady.

5 Apr 2011

New stethoscope for nurses from Littmann

A new stethoscope designed especially for nursing professionals has been launched by global technology company 3M. The Littmann Lightweight II S.E. stethoscope has a unique ovoid double-sided chestpiece for better movement around blood pressure cuffs and body contours, making it ideal for listening to blood pressure, chest, bowel, abdominal, heart, lung and breath sounds.

5 Apr 2011

MR patients treated with Abbott MitraClip system demonstrate clinical benefits of initial treatment at two years

Abbott today announced data from its EVEREST II (Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge REpair STudy) study showing that patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) treated with the company's investigational percutaneous catheter-based MitraClip® system continue to demonstrate the clinical benefits of initial treatment shown at one year out to two years, including improvements in heart function and reductions in symptoms.

5 Apr 2011

New risk calculator predicts risk of postoperative complications for bariatric surgery patients

A new risk calculator can predict the risk of postoperative complications occurring for individual bariatric surgery patients, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The risk calculator will help in surgical decision-making and will help patients better understand what they can expect during recovery in order to prepare for a bariatric operation.

5 Apr 2011

Milliman Care Guidelines presents Doyle Award to ADVANTAGE Health Solutions and Sound Physicians

Milliman Care Guidelines today presented its Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare to ADVANTAGE Health Solutions, Inc.(SM) and to Sound Physicians. The awards were presented in ceremonies here at the Milliman Care Guidelines Client Forum.

5 Apr 2011