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Psychological stress in middle age can lead to dementia: Research

Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer's disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia.

16 Aug 2010

New T cell engineering approach can improve success rate of immune-cell therapies

Clinical trials using patients' own immune cells to target tumors have yielded promising results. However, this approach usually works only if the patients also receive large doses of drugs designed to help immune cells multiply rapidly, and those drugs have life-threatening side effects. Now a team of MIT engineers has devised a way to deliver the necessary drugs by smuggling them on the backs of the cells sent in to fight the tumor. That way, the drugs reach only their intended targets, greatly reducing the risk to the patient.

16 Aug 2010

Use of estrogen alone does not increase lung cancer mortality in postmenopausal women: Study

Use of estrogen alone did not increase lung cancer mortality in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online August 13 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial, which consisted of several clinical trials on postmenopausal women, one study showed women with previous hysterectomy taking combined estrogen plus progestin therapy had a statistically significant increase in lung cancer mortality, but not incidence. Other studies with combined hormone therapy have had conflicting results. But the influence of estrogen alone was unclear.

16 Aug 2010

U.S. officials probing payments by drug and device makers to doctors overseas

The New York Times reports that federal officials are investigating whether a dozen drug and device makers "made illegal payments to doctors and health officials in foreign countries." Although pharmaceutical companies routinely contract with doctors in the United States to be consultants, experts say the situation is more complex overseas because "in much of the rest of the world, doctors are government employees. And even consulting arrangements that would be considered routine in the United States might violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, particularly if the payments are outsize or the arrangements are not disclosed to the governments.

16 Aug 2010

Low socioeconomic status, stressful childhood events develop risk of cardiovascular disease

Early life adversity through poverty, social isolation or abuse in childhood is linked to heightened reactivity, which can lead to heart disease later on, a leading expert on stress and disease said Saturday."Many diseases first diagnosed in mid-life can be traced back to childhood," Karen A. Matthews, PhD, said at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. "Having some bad health habits in your 20s and 30s is part of the reason why people get diseases later on. However, it isn't the whole reason. The evidence shows that certain reactions to adverse childhood experiences associated with lower socioeconomic status, isolation and negative events can affect the disease process."

16 Aug 2010

Study shows early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation reduces risk of stroke

The earlier that patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation obtain the correct treatment, the lower is the risk of serious secondary effects such as stroke. A thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that a well-established measurement score can easily assess the risks for this patient group.

16 Aug 2010

CD31 positive cells have potential for treating peripheral artery disease: Research

Isolating cells from a patient's blood or bone marrow that nourish blood vessels may be a safer and less arduous route to treatment of cardiovascular disease than obtaining rare stem cells, according to research from Emory University School of Medicine. In recent clinical trials, doctors in several countries have tested the ability of a patient's bone marrow cells to repair damage, such as heart attacks and peripheral artery disease, created by problems of blood flow.

16 Aug 2010

UT System Board of Regents approve plans for new University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center

The UT System Board of Regents today gave its approval to plans for a new state-of-the-art University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The project now will go to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for its review and final approval.

13 Aug 2010

NewCardio second-quarter net loss decreases to $1.5 million

NewCardio, Inc., a cardiac diagnostic technology provider, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

New implantable device to prevent sudden cardiac arrest

Northwestern Memorial Hospital heart rhythm specialists recently gave a 34-year-old man a makeshift paramedic—who's always on duty—inside of his chest by implanting a device that did not require X-ray assistance and the usual snaking of wires leading to the heart. In fact, the innovative device rests just beneath the surface of the skin and its components are positioned using the patient's own anatomical landmarks.

13 Aug 2010

NAC to deliver education program on asthma management for youth

As children with asthma head back to school this fall, the National Asthma Campaign Foundation (NAC) is partnering with Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) to deliver Fight Asthma Now (FAN), an asthma education program that teaches youth to control and manage their asthma.

13 Aug 2010

U-M dentistry agrees to use Interleukin's PST test for gum disease clinical study

University of Michigan School of Dentistry has signed an agreement with Interleukin Genetics Inc. to conduct what may be the largest clinical study to date using genetic testing to assess the risk for gum disease.

13 Aug 2010

New criteria by ACR for early diagnosis, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

New criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, could prevent thousands of people from developing disabling late stage disease, by redefining how RA should be classified.Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease, primarily of the joints. If untreated, it leads to damage of bone and cartilage, joint deformities and disability. Around 350,000 people in the UK are living with RA, which affects around three times as many women as men.

13 Aug 2010

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Poor kidney function is common among injection drug users, particularly those with HIV, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians should monitor the kidney function of HIV-infected injection drug users and consider them candidates for medical treatments to protect their kidneys when appropriate.

13 Aug 2010

Statin drugs can neutralise heart disease dangers of fatty food: Study

Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge so that customers can neutralise the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College London suggest in a new study published this week.Statins reduce the amount of unhealthy "LDL" cholesterol in the blood. A wealth of trial data has proven them to be highly effective at lowering a person's heart attack risk.

13 Aug 2010

Tracking heart rate can provide important marker of health issues: Research

An elevated resting heart rate that develops or persists during follow-up is associated with a significantly increased risk of death, whether from heart disease or other causes, researchers from the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center found studying outcomes in more than 9,000 patients.

13 Aug 2010

Medtronic acquires ATS Medical

Medtronic, Inc. today announced it has completed its acquisition of ATS Medical, Inc. following payment of $4.00 per share in cash for each share of ATS Medical stock and assumption of net debt, with a total transaction value of approximately $370 million.

13 Aug 2010

Study examines comparative value of different blood pressure lowering medications

Expensive brand-name medications to lower blood pressure are no better at preventing cardiovascular disease than older, generic diuretics, according to new long-term data from a landmark study.Paul Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, reported the results on Aug. 13 at the plenary session of the China Heart Congress and International Heart Forum in Beijing. Whelton is president and CEO of Loyola University Health System and chairman of the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heat Attack Trial (ALLHAT), which has examined the comparative value of different blood pressure-lowering medications.

13 Aug 2010

Research identifies intracellular mechanism for altering blood vessels permeability for tumours treatment

Dr. Jean-Philippe Gratton, Director of the Endothelial cell biology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr-al (IRCM), identifies a new intracellular mechanism responsible for modulating vascular permeability: the nitrosylation of beta-catenin protein by nitric oxide. This scientific breakthrough could have a possible impact on the treatment of cancerous tumours by altering the permeability of the blood vessels irrigating them. Dr. Gratton's team will publish the results of its research tomorrow in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

13 Aug 2010

Fast food outlets can provide statin drugs to help customers neutralise heart disease: Researchers

12 Aug 2010

Heart News and Research

Psychological stress in middle age can lead to dementia: Research

New T cell engineering approach can improve success rate of immune-cell therapies

Use of estrogen alone does not increase lung cancer mortality in postmenopausal women: Study

U.S. officials probing payments by drug and device makers to doctors overseas

Low socioeconomic status, stressful childhood events develop risk of cardiovascular disease

Study shows early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation reduces risk of stroke

CD31 positive cells have potential for treating peripheral artery disease: Research

UT System Board of Regents approve plans for new University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center

NewCardio second-quarter net loss decreases to $1.5 million

New implantable device to prevent sudden cardiac arrest

NAC to deliver education program on asthma management for youth

U-M dentistry agrees to use Interleukin's PST test for gum disease clinical study

New criteria by ACR for early diagnosis, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Statin drugs can neutralise heart disease dangers of fatty food: Study

Tracking heart rate can provide important marker of health issues: Research

Medtronic acquires ATS Medical

Study examines comparative value of different blood pressure lowering medications

Research identifies intracellular mechanism for altering blood vessels permeability for tumours treatment

Fast food outlets can provide statin drugs to help customers neutralise heart disease: Researchers

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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