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Researchers find way to take pediatric patient's skin cells

Researchers have found a way to take a pediatric patient's skin cells, reprogram the skin cells to function as heart valvular cells, and then use the cells as part of a tissue-engineered pulmonary valve. A proof of concept study in the September 2014 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery provides more detail on this scientific development.

2 Sep 2014

Researchers develop new test to identify sickle cell disease in minutes

Within minutes after birth, every child in the U.S. undergoes a battery of tests designed to diagnose a host of conditions, including sickle cell disease. Thousands of children born in the developing world, however, aren't so lucky, meaning many suffer and die from the disease each year.

2 Sep 2014

Permanent atrial fibrillation twins risk of stroke than paroxysmal AF

Permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) doubles the risk of stroke compared to paroxysmal AF, according to research in more than 6 000 patients presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Thomas Vanassche from Belgium. The findings suggest that a simple clinical assessment of the type of AF can help doctors to better estimate stroke risk.

2 Sep 2014

Daily fruit consumption reduces risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 40%

Daily fruit consumption cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 40%, according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Huaidong Du from Oxford, UK.

2 Sep 2014

Abdominal fat more strongly associated with high blood pressure risk

People with fat around their abdominal area are at greater risk of developing hypertension when compared to those with similar body mass index but fat concentrations elsewhere on the body, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Sep 2014

Blood pressure self-management suitable for high-risk patients

Patients with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk can successfully monitor and titrate their own antihypertensive medication, shows research published in JAMA.

1 Sep 2014

Experimental agent TRO40303 ineffective in patients with heart attack

The administration of an experimental agent known as TRO40303 to patients who have had a heart attack, with the hope of preventing tissue damage when impaired blood flow is corrected (reperfusion), was disappointingly ineffective according to results of a European study of patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presented today as a Hot Line the ESC Congress 2014 with simultaneous publication in the European Heart Journal.

1 Sep 2014

Serelaxin reduces occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure

Serelaxin reduces the occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure by almost half in patients admitted for acute heart failure, according to the RELAX-AHF trial. The results were presented for the first time today at ESC Congress by co-principal investigator Professor John R. Teerlink.

1 Sep 2014

New polypill increases adherence to treatment following myocardial infarction

A new polypill increases adherence to treatment following a myocardial infarction (MI), according to results from the FOCUS Study presented for the first time at ESC Congress 2014 today by principal investigator Dr Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart in New York, US.

1 Sep 2014

'Good' cholesterol turns 'bad' by sugar-derived substance

Scientists at the University of Warwick have discovered that 'good' cholesterol is turned 'bad' by a sugar-derived substance.

1 Sep 2014

Obese boys are at 6 fold increased risk of hypertension compared to normal weight boys

Obese youths have a nearly six fold risk of hypertension, according to research in more than 22 000 young people from the PEP Family Heart Study presented at ESC Congress today by Professor Peter Schwandt from Germany.

1 Sep 2014

Measuring coronary artery blockage in heart attack patients can help avoid surgery

A method for measuring coronary artery blockage in heart attack patients can help more than one fifth of them avoid stents or surgery, according to a British study presented at the ESC Congress 2014 today.

1 Sep 2014

Antihypertensive therapy decreases risk of mortality, CV events, strokes in older adults

Antihypertensive therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events, strokes and mortality in hypertensive older adults, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2014 today by Dr Maciej Ostrowski from Poland.

1 Sep 2014

Researchers come up with new technique to diagnose malaria

Over the past several decades, malaria diagnosis has changed very little. After taking a blood sample from a patient, a technician smears the blood across a glass slide, stains it with a special dye, and looks under a microscope for the Plasmodium parasite, which causes the disease.

1 Sep 2014

Invisible blood in urine: An early warning sign of bladder cancer

New research which finds that invisible blood in urine may be an early warning sign of bladder cancer is likely to shape guidelines for clinicians.

1 Sep 2014

New blood test provides fast, accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis in children

A new blood test provides a fast and accurate tool to diagnose tuberculosis in children, a new proof-of-concept study shows. The newly developed test (TAM-TB assay) is the first reliable immunodiagnostic assay to detect active tuberculosis in children.

1 Sep 2014

Tea significantly lowers risk of non-CV death, study reveals

Drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%, reveals a study in 131 000 people presented at ESC Congress today by Professor Nicolas Danchin from France.

31 Aug 2014

ESC launches first recommendations on use of all new oral anticoagulants in pulmonary embolism

The first recommendations on the use of all new oral anticoagulants in pulmonary embolism are published today in new ESC Guidelines.

30 Aug 2014

Initiatives to reduce deaths from heart failure for patients worldwide

The Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is calling for global policy change relating to heart failure. An international white paper, Heart failure: preventing disease and death worldwide, was published in May 2014.

30 Aug 2014

Preventing tentacle-like structures from forming can stop spread of cancer entirely

A new study from the research group of Dr. John Lewis at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB) and the Lawson Health Research Institute (London, ON) has confirmed that "invadopodia" play a key role in the spread of cancer. The study, published in Cell Reports, shows preventing these tentacle-like structures from forming can stop the spread of cancer entirely.

30 Aug 2014