Heart Failure News and Research

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Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which a problem with the structure or function of the heart impairs its ability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs. It should not be confused with cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction.

Pay for performance may have reduced UK mortality rates

The introduction in 2008 of a US-based “pay-for-performance” scheme into National Health Service hospitals in the northwest of the UK resulted in a significant decrease in mortality rates, particularly for pneumonia, study findings show.

7 Dec 2012

Study reveals increase in incidence of dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI), an abrupt or rapid decline in kidney function, is a serious and increasingly prevalent condition that can occur after major infections, major surgery, or exposure to certain medications.

7 Dec 2012

New technique can reduce hemodialysis complications in kidney patients

Approximately two million people around the world regularly undergo hemodialysis - blood purification outside the body - as a result of kidney failure. This usually involves creating a dialysis fistula - a connection between an artery and a vein - in the patient's arm. However this causes complications in as many as 50% of patients, primarily related to changes in blood flow.

7 Dec 2012

RedHill Biopharma completes $6.5M private placement

RedHill Biopharma Ltd., an Israeli biopharmaceutical company focusing primarily on development and acquisition of late clinical stage, patent-protected, new formulations and combinations of existing drugs, reported the completion of a private placement in a total amount of approximately $6.5 million.

6 Dec 2012

UC San Diego Health System receives Comprehensive Stroke Center designation

UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest is one of five facilities in the country, and the only center in San Diego County, to be recognized as one of the first Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSC), the newest level of certification for advanced stroke care awarded by The Joint Commission.

6 Dec 2012

Mediterranean diet may be too expensive for many

Results from the Italian Moli-sani study suggest that the Mediterranean diet, once so typical in this region of Europe, is now too expensive for many people.

6 Dec 2012

NICE reject intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema

The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not recommended a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant for individuals with diabetic macular edema who do not respond to existing therapies.

5 Dec 2012

Software to curb hospital readmissions?

Stung by a multimillion-dollar penalty for failing to meet new patient readmissions standards set by Medicare, UMass Memorial Health Care is using transaction analytics software to reduce frequent and costly readmissions for patients with heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.

5 Dec 2012

Pharmacological stress echo can identify rejected hearts suitable for transplantation

Hearts previously rejected due to donors' age or other risk factors can now be declared viable for transplantation using pharmacological stress echo, according to research presented at EUROECHO and other Imaging Modalities 2012.

5 Dec 2012

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have same early cardiovascular damage as diabetics

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have the same early cardiovascular damage as diabetics, according to research presented at EUROECHO and other Imaging Modalities 2012.

5 Dec 2012

Regular, moderate coffee consumption may help prevent type 2 diabetes

Drinking three to four cups of coffee per day may help to prevent type 2 diabetes according to research highlighted in a session report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), a not-for-profit organisation devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health.

5 Dec 2012

Healthy eating prevents second heart attack, stroke or death in people with CVD

A heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish significantly reduces the chance of a second heart attack and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease, McMaster University researchers have found.

4 Dec 2012

Obstructive sleep apnea affects women more severely than men

Women suffering from sleep apnea have, on the whole, a higher degree of brain damage than men with the disorder, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing.

3 Dec 2012

Vasculitis and the metabolic syndrome frequently co-exist

The metabolic syndrome is significantly more common in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis than healthy individuals, researchers have found.

3 Dec 2012

Air quality in cities linked to inflammatory risk in diabetes

Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants is associated with a rapid increase in systemic inflammation in patients with diabetes, report Indian researchers.

30 Nov 2012

Topical simvastatin may be answer to nonhealing diabetic wounds

Topical simvastatin significantly accelerates wound healing in mice and may be a good treatment option for diabetic patients with nonhealing wounds, say researchers.

30 Nov 2012

Novartis to highlight key data from extensive oncology portfolio at SABCS and ASH meeting

Novartis will highlight more than 140 presentations on key data from its extensive oncology portfolio at the leading year-end scientific meetings devoted to hematology and breast cancer, demonstrating continued innovation in research and development efforts to advance the care of patients with cancer and rare diseases.

30 Nov 2012

High–fructose corn syrup use linked to diabetes

Countries that have opted to use high-fructose corn syrup in their food and drink industry have a 20% higher mean prevalence of diabetes than countries that have minimal use of or do not use the sweetener.

29 Nov 2012

Answers to the questions of stem cells

Next week, more than 1,200 people from 25 countries are expected to attend the 8th Annual World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., a gathering co-sponsored by Mayo Clinic. As those close to the science explore potential stem cell applications, many patients have questions about what stem cells are and how they are being used. Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinic's Regenerative Medicine Consult Service, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about stem cells.

29 Nov 2012

Tadalafil may offer therapeutic strategy in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found in an initial clinical trial that a drug typically prescribed for erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension restores blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles in patients with a type of muscular dystrophy that affects males, typically starting in childhood or adolescence.

29 Nov 2012