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HealthGrades identifies top-rated hospital organ-transplantation centers

The top-rated hospitals for organ transplantation are being identified for the first time today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Based on patient outcomes, quality data for each of the 266 hospitals that perform transplants have been made public at www.healthgrades.com to help patients in need of kidney, lung, heart and liver transplants research and choose a transplant center.

19 Nov 2009

Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for pulmonary hypertension, a rare but deadly disease

We often hear about the perils of high blood pressure, but many Canadians are unaware that high blood pressure in the lungs - known as pulmonary hypertension (PH) - can also have fatal consequences. This month, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada hopes to raise awareness about PH - a rare but serious disease that can strike at any time and has no regard for race, age or gender.

19 Nov 2009

Updated clinical guidelines on Effient treatment for ACS patients

Effient® (prasugrel) tablets, a new antiplatelet medicine, was added as a treatment option in two clinical guideline updates: one for patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and a second one for patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), or severe heart attack.

19 Nov 2009

Treatment of iron deficiency can improve symptoms and quality of life in CHF patients

Intravenous (I.V.) iron treatment with ferric carboxymaltose to reverse iron deficiency can significantly improve symptoms, exercise tolerance and quality of life for chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, researchers said in a late-breaking clinical trial presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009.

19 Nov 2009

Continuous flow heart pump improves survival rates in heart failure patients than current pulsating models

A new, continuous flow heart pump, or left ventricular assist device (LVAD), delivered better two-year survival in advanced heart failure patients than the current pulsatile model, researchers reported in a late-breaking clinical trial presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009.

19 Nov 2009

eHealthInsurance releases six-point checklist to get the most out of Medicare coverage

eHealthInsurance, the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses, that now offers a new online Medicare resource, www.eHealthMedicare.com, today released a six-point checklist to help Medicare recipients make informed decisions about their Medicare options.

19 Nov 2009

'Model' tobacco cessation program reduces smoking rate by 26%

A "model" tobacco cessation benefit offered to Massachusetts' Medicaid participants has produced an astounding 26% drop in smoking rates in only two and a half years, and has already been linked to decreases in heart attacks, hospitalizations for asthma and COPD, and a significant decrease in birth complications.

19 Nov 2009

People with negative emotions may experience more health problems

People who experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express these experience more health problems, says Dutch researcher Aline Pelle. She discovered that heart failure patients with a negative outlook reported their complaints to a physician or nurse far less often. The personality of the partner can also exert a considerable influence on these patients.

19 Nov 2009

Outdoor smoking areas: A new health hazard

Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.

19 Nov 2009

Toddlers and obese children suffer more than youth when exposed to secondhand smoke

Toddlers and obese children suffer more than other youth when exposed to secondhand smoke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009.

19 Nov 2009

FDA: Plavix-Prilosec combination may reduce anti-clotting effect

Patients should avoid using the stomach acid reducer Prilosec/Prilosec OTC (omeprazole) with the anti-clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Nov. 17.

19 Nov 2009

Joint project focuses on finding ways to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and declines in memory and thinking.

19 Nov 2009

Publicly released report cards do not appear to improve hospitals' performance, says new study

An analysis of quality of cardiac care following the public release of data on measures of care at hospitals in Ontario, Canada, did not result in significant systemwide improvement in hospitals' performance on most quality of care indicators, according to a study to be published in the December 2 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference.

19 Nov 2009

New CT scanner offers quality diagnostic images and emits minimum radiation

NYU Langone Medical Center is the first hospital in the Northeast to offer one of the world's fastest and most radiation dose efficient computed tomography (CT) scanner.

19 Nov 2009

Sildenafil drug improves cardiac performance in young adults with congenital heart disease

Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

19 Nov 2009

Results from Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating VT-111 reported by Viron Therapeutics

Viron Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering the development of immune-modulating protein therapeutics derived from pathogens, today reported results from a Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating VT-111 (Serp-1), an anti-inflammatory protein derived from the myxoma virus.

19 Nov 2009

Dual niacin-statin therapy improves blood cholesterol levels but does not diminish plaque buildup

The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows.

19 Nov 2009

Key findings from AstraZeneca's phase II studies of ticagrelor

AstraZeneca today announced the results of the phase II studies, ONSET/OFFSET and RESPOND for ticagrelor (BRILINTA(TM)) at the annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Orlando, FL,with ONSET/OFFSET study results being simultaneously published in the medical journal Circulation.

18 Nov 2009

Clinical Data commences patient enrollment in Stedivaze Phase III trial

Clinical Data, Inc. today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its initial Phase III trial of Stedivaze™, a potential best-in-class vasodilator for use in cardiac stress testing. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Stedivaze (apadenoson) for use as a pharmacologic stress agent in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), a method for detecting defects in the blood supply to the heart.

18 Nov 2009

Way to capture tumor cells in the bloodstream discovered

A team led by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researchers on the cutting edge of nanotechnology has found a way to capture tumor cells in the bloodstream that could dramatically improve earlier cancer diagnosis and prevent deadly metastasis.

18 Nov 2009

Heart News and Research

HealthGrades identifies top-rated hospital organ-transplantation centers

Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for pulmonary hypertension, a rare but deadly disease

Updated clinical guidelines on Effient treatment for ACS patients

Treatment of iron deficiency can improve symptoms and quality of life in CHF patients

Continuous flow heart pump improves survival rates in heart failure patients than current pulsating models

eHealthInsurance releases six-point checklist to get the most out of Medicare coverage

'Model' tobacco cessation program reduces smoking rate by 26%

People with negative emotions may experience more health problems

Outdoor smoking areas: A new health hazard

Toddlers and obese children suffer more than youth when exposed to secondhand smoke

FDA: Plavix-Prilosec combination may reduce anti-clotting effect

Joint project focuses on finding ways to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Publicly released report cards do not appear to improve hospitals' performance, says new study

New CT scanner offers quality diagnostic images and emits minimum radiation

Sildenafil drug improves cardiac performance in young adults with congenital heart disease

Results from Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating VT-111 reported by Viron Therapeutics

Dual niacin-statin therapy improves blood cholesterol levels but does not diminish plaque buildup

Key findings from AstraZeneca's phase II studies of ticagrelor

Clinical Data commences patient enrollment in Stedivaze Phase III trial

Way to capture tumor cells in the bloodstream discovered

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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