Beta Blocker News and Research

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Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents (beta-blockers) are drugs with multiple actions on the heart. Blockade of beta-1 receptors results in slowing of heart rate, reduction in myocardial contractility, and lowering of systemic blood pressure. In the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which represents a state of reduced oxygen supply to the affected portion of the heart, these effects may be beneficial as they result in reduced myocardial workload and oxygen demand. Furthermore, beta-blockers may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, which are an important cause of death following AMI.

Concert Pharmaceuticals initiates CTP-347 phase I clinical trial

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase I study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CTP-347, a novel deuterium-containing serotonin modulator created by Concert researchers.

25 Sep 2008

'Deep flaws' with pay-for-performance model need to be addressed to provide quality health care, according to commentary

The "general intent" of pay-for-performance programs "is to reward doctors for providing better care," but as they gain "momentum, the initiative[s] may be having untoward consequences," Sandeep Jauhar, a New York-based cardiologist and author, writes in a New York Times commentary. "To get an inkling of the potential problems," Jauhar discusses another quality-improvement program: surgical report cards.

10 Sep 2008

Safety of antithrombotic treatment in acute coronary syndromes

The management of acute coronary syndromes (with or without ST segment elevation) requires the use of anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel and/or glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors), beta-blockers, thrombolytics in some cases, and revascularization / reperfusion.

2 Sep 2008

Fluvastatin XL use is associated with improved cardiac outcome after major vascular surgery

The DECREASE III Study which took place in the Netherlands between June 2004 and April 2008, showed that patients treated with Fluvastatin showed an improved cardiac outcome after surgery.

1 Sep 2008

Global study shows Telmisartan reduces outcome of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke

An international study led by Canadian researchers has found that telmisartan, a medication used to lower blood pressure, reduced the outcome of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke in people who are unable to tolerate a widely available and effective standard treatment.

31 Aug 2008

New beta-blocker for heart disease and angina

Researchers at The University of Nottingham have been awarded £2.8 million by the Wellcome Trust to develop a new drug that could ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands of heart disease patients who are unable to take beta-blockers.

28 Aug 2008

Drugs and fruit juices - a combination to avoid

It has been common knowledge for a number of years that grapefruit juice can influence the absorption of certain drugs, potentially turning normal doses into toxic overdoses.

20 Aug 2008

New reasons to avoid grapefruit juice when taking certain drugs

Scientists and consumers have known for years that grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of certain drugs - with the potential for turning normal doses into toxic overdoses.

19 Aug 2008

Garlic supplements may help control high blood pressure

According to a new review of relevant research, garlic supplements may be as effective at lowering blood pressure as some hypertension drugs.

4 Aug 2008

Rheumatoid arthritis doubles a person's risk of heart attack

People coping with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus already have a lot to deal with. Even so, paying attention to heart health may be especially important for this group.

29 Jul 2008

Losartan shows promise in treating Marfan syndrome

A small study in 18 pattients assessing the effectiveness of the drug losartan for treating Marfan syndrome in children has yielded encouraging results.

25 Jun 2008

High blood pressure treatment effective in reversing vascular damage

A hypertension medication called olmesartan medoxomil is effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with high blood pressure, according to a new study.

16 Jun 2008

How and where fat is stored predicts disease risk better than weight

Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a heart attack, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

3 Jun 2008

Ideal treatment for potentially fatal heart condition changes with age

Doctors now make more informed decisions on how to treat an electrical disorder of the heart - be it with drugs, an implanted device or nothing - thanks to a series of decades-long, Rochester-based studies.

20 May 2008

Government funds Rochester heart rhythm disorder research into third decade

A team of cardiologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center has won a four-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue its study of a cardiac condition that places teens at risk for sudden death. With the latest award, the team will have received continuous NIH funding for 23 years - one of the longest, continuous, investigator-initiated research projects at the University of Rochester.

20 May 2008

Beta blockers after surgery more risky than beneficial

The results of new research has shown that patients given high doses of beta blocker drugs following non-cardiac surgery were more likely to have a stroke or die. However they were less likely to suffer a heart attack.

13 May 2008

The gender gap is alive and well in heart disease

... a new international study finds, with women differing from men on everything from symptoms to treatment in both heart attack and severe chest pain.

6 May 2008

Women lag in heart attack care, study finds

The gender gap is alive and unwell in heart disease, a new international study finds, with women differing from men on everything from symptoms to treatment in both heart attack and severe chest pain.

6 May 2008

Beta arrestins found to generate new proteins

Duke University Medical Center researchers have recently discovered that a crucial communications pathway in cells not only stops cells from making proteins, it also makes them go. The team was able to define the way in which proteins called beta arrestins (for their role in stopping signals) also turn on pathways that ultimately lead to the production of new proteins in virtually all tissues in the body.

24 Apr 2008

GRK5 polymorphism that inhibits beta-adrenergic receptor signaling is protective in heart failure

About 40 percent of African-Americans have a genetic variant that can protect them after heart failure and prolong their lives, according to research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions.

20 Apr 2008