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Keeping cardiovascular disease risk factors low may lead to a longer, healthier life

If you have optimal heart health in middle age, you may live up to 14 years longer, free of cardiovascular disease, than your peers who have two or more cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

6 Nov 2012

Adenovirus detection not uncommon among children with Kawasaki disease

Clinicians should take caution when diagnosing a child who has a high fever and whose tests show evidence of adenovirus, and not assume the virus is responsible for Kawasaki-like symptoms. According to a new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital appearing in Clinical Infectious Diseases, adenovirus detection is not uncommon among children with Kawasaki disease.

5 Nov 2012

Study: Many Hispanic/Latino adults in the U.S. are at high risk for heart attack or stroke

A study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicated that many Hispanic/Latino adults living in the United States are at high risk for heart attack or stroke. This risk is highest in men and in older people, born in the US or that have lived in the US more than 10 years, that prefer to speak English, are lower income, or never finished high school.

5 Nov 2012

Sapacitabine tolerated, efficacious in elderly leukemia patients

The nucleoside analog sapacitabine appears to be “active and tolerable” in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia, say authors of a phase II study reported in the Lancet Oncology.

5 Nov 2012

Larger aneurysms linked to greater fluctuations in flow behaviour

Brain aneurysms occur in about six percent of the population. They are dilated sections of blood vessels, which can deteriorate over time until the blood vessel wall ruptures, resulting in a haemorrhage. This causes a loss of mental functions and severe headaches. Haemorrhages of this kind can even be life threatening. The treatment of such patients involves complex medical decision-making. The models developed by Julia Mikhal can be of great use in this regard.

5 Nov 2012

Study compares effectiveness of CABG surgery with PCI for adults with diabetes and heart disease

Adults with diabetes and multi-vessel coronary heart disease who underwent cardiac bypass surgery had better overall heart-related outcomes than those who underwent an artery-opening procedure to improve blood flow to the heart muscle, according to the results from an international study. The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

5 Nov 2012

Family members less likely to administer CPR for cardiac arrests: Japanese study

Family members didn't give CPR for cardiac arrests as often as passers-by or friends in a Japanese study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

5 Nov 2012

SpinChip aims to help doctors analyse patients' blood samples on the spot

The Norwegian company SpinChip aims to help doctors analyse patients' blood samples on the spot and provide immediate results.

5 Nov 2012

Study highlights potential treatment that reduces kidney growth

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic disorders, affecting one in every 1,000 people and responsible for up to ten percent of patients on dialysis worldwide. The disease is characterized by the development of cysts that lead to progressive kidney failure and necessitate dialysis or a kidney transplant in most patients aged around fifty. Moreover, the persistent cyst growth causes high blood pressure and painful complications.

5 Nov 2012

Pradaxa use does not appear to increase serious bleeding

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the results of a Mini-Sentinel assessment that indicates bleeding rates associated with new use of Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules do not appear to be higher than bleeding rates associated with new use of warfarin, which is consistent with observations from the pivotal RE-LY trial.

4 Nov 2012

New studies support limiting daily sodium consumption to less than 1,500mg

New studies support limiting daily sodium consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory.

3 Nov 2012

Sleep experts advise people to reset sleep habits when they reset clocks

On Sunday morning, the clocks will fall back to mark the official end of daylight savings time. Northwestern Medicine sleep experts warn that the one hour time shift can be disruptive to sleep patterns, but that it also offers an excellent opportunity to evaluate and improve sleep patterns.

3 Nov 2012

Data from four Phase 2 trials of AMG 145 to be presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2012

Amgen will present data from four Phase 2 trials of AMG 145, an investigational fully human monoclonal antibody directed against PCSK9, a protein that reduces the liver's ability to remove low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol from the blood, at the upcoming American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012.

3 Nov 2012

Red Cross provides aid and comfort to thousands affected by Sandy's wrath

The American Red Cross has a massive response to Superstorm Sandy underway to help people across multiple states.

3 Nov 2012

Lomitapide shows promise in treating homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

An international effort led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has resulted in positive phase 3 clinical trial results for a new medicine to treat patients suffering from a rare and deadly cholesterol disorder.

3 Nov 2012

Researchers develop new technique to predict enzymes known to accelerate diseases

Predicting how atherosclerosis, osteoporosis or cancer will progress or respond to drugs in individual patients is difficult.

3 Nov 2012

Malaysia hopes to solve nutrition transition problem

With health problems like obesity and diabetes on the rise due to changing diets in emerging economies, Malaysia is forging new linkages between domestic and international scientists and institutions in hopes of mitigating the problem.

3 Nov 2012

FDA expands Janssen’s Xarelto use to reduce risk of DVT and PE

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to include treating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial treatment.

3 Nov 2012

CIBMTR renews Stem Cell Therapeutics Outcomes Database contract with HRSA

The Medical College of Wisconsin Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research successfully competed for, and was awarded, renewal of the Stem Cell Therapeutics Outcomes Database contract with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

3 Nov 2012

Improving health can be as easy as opening freezer door, says Loyola physician

Improving health can be as easy as opening the freezer door. "Save time, save money, boost nutrition and control portions by eating low-calorie, frozen foods," advises Jessica Bartfield, MD, internal medicine who specializes in nutrition and weight management at Loyola University Health System.

3 Nov 2012