Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

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A Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Angioplasty and stenting for renal artery lesions

The largest-ever randomized study to evaluate the effectiveness of catheter-based interventions in patients with narrowing of the renal artery has shown that angioplasty and stenting offer no benefit over medical therapy.

2 Apr 2008

Drug does not appear to reduce risk of heart attack or death following CABG surgery

Use of MC-1 (a naturally occurring metabolite of vitamin B6) before and for 30 days after coronary artery bypass graft surgery did not reduce the risk of heart attack or cardiovascular death, according to a JAMA study being released early online April 1 to coincide with its presentation at the annual conference of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Apr 2008

Catheter repair of mitral valve improves heart size, symptoms

A catheter-mounted device that acts like a clothespin to clip together the flaps of a leaky heart valve is not only reducing the abnormal backflow of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium, it is helping to shrink the enlarged, overworked heart and relieving symptoms of fluid overload - all without open-chest surgery.

2 Apr 2008

Study results on novel drug-eluting stent coated with a biodegradable polymer

"Real-world" use of a novel drug-eluting stent coated with a biodegradable polymer is associated with good clinical outcomes, according to one-year data from a large international registry.

1 Apr 2008

Diabetics have same risk for heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular diseases

People with diabetes have the same high risk for heart attack or stroke or cardiovascular death as people who've already had a heart attack, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

1 Apr 2008

New blood pressure drug Micardis (Telmisartan) good at reducing deaths from heart attacks

An international team of researchers have found that a new blood pressure medication is as effective in reducing cardiovascular death, with fewer side effects than the current treatments offered.

1 Apr 2008

Study shows Actos prevented progression of atherosclerotic plaque volume in patients

New data from a clinical trial using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technology found that in patients living with type 2 diabetes, ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl) reduced the atherosclerotic burden in the coronary arteries compared to glimepiride, and prevented progression compared to baseline.

1 Apr 2008

New blood pressure drug telmisartan has fewer side effects

A major Canadian-led global study has found that a new blood pressure medication is effective in reducing cardiovascular death, with fewer side effects than the current standard of care.

1 Apr 2008

Matrix registry probes adherence to clopidogrel at 1 year

A large community-based registry of patients treated with drug-eluting stents is providing important insight into how long patients with complex coronary artery disease typically stick to their doctors' orders to take clopidogrel, a drug that prevents unwanted blood clots; why they stop taking the drug; and the long-term consequences of that decision.

1 Apr 2008

Angina drug ranolazine shows promise for heart rhythm disorders

A recently approved angina drug may also represent a powerful new treatment for a rare hereditary syndrome that places teens at risk for sudden cardiac death, according to research presented at the 57th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Chicago.

1 Apr 2008

Two drug combo blood pressure therapy lowers cardiovascular risk

An international blood pressure study comparing two single-pill drug combinations has yielded results so significant that the study has been stopped early and the researchers say their findings might alter the way high blood pressure is treated worldwide.

1 Apr 2008

Study gives nod to drug-eluting stents in heart attack

Although drug-eluting stents have become widely used for the treatment of stable coronary artery disease, many cardiologists choose bare-metal stents for patients with heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), citing conflicting data about the safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents in this patient group.

31 Mar 2008

Drug-eluting stents outperform bare-metal stents

New evidence from a large randomized study is answering important questions about the best approach to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with a type of heart attack known as ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

31 Mar 2008

Special catheter that clears debris from artery helps blood flow in percutaneous coronary intervention

Use of a special catheter that sucks out, or aspirates, bits of plaque and blood clot that break loose during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) significantly enhances blood flow deep in the heart muscle in patients who are experiencing a heart attack, according to a recently published study.

31 Mar 2008

Decreased sexual satisfaction in postmenopausal women not clearly associated with cardiovascular disease

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) and collaborators nationwide have found that decreased sexual satisfaction in postmenopausal women, is not clearly associated with cardiovascular disease.

31 Mar 2008

Comparison of anticoagulants for angioplasty show similar outcomes

In a comparison of anticoagulants and stents for use with angioplasty following a heart attack, the anticoagulants abciximab and tirofiban had similar outcomes for some cardiac measures within 90 minutes after the procedure, while patients who received stents that released the drug sirolimus had a lower risk of major adverse cardiac events within 8 months than patients who received uncoated stents, according to a JAMA study being released early online March 30 to coincide with its presentation at the annual conference of the American College of Cardiology.

31 Mar 2008

Repeated episodes of stent thrombosis common

When a clot develops inside a coronary stent, it can block blood flow to the heart, potentially causing a heart attack or even death.

31 Mar 2008

Relaxation response training may improve control of hard-to-treat systolic hypertension

Adding the relaxation response, a stress-management approach, to other lifestyle interventions may significantly improve treatment of the type of hypertension most common in the elderly.

31 Mar 2008

Calls for CPR guidelines to be changed

The results of new research has thrown into question cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques which have for decades been deemed best practice in Australia.

31 Mar 2008

Calcium deposits in coronary arteries provide a strong predictor for possible future heart problems

Calcium deposits in coronary arteries provide a strong predictor for possible future heart attacks and cardiac diseases, and detecting such deposits can be valuable for promoting overall cardiac health, according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine and appearing in the March 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Mar 2008

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

Further Reading

Angioplasty and stenting for renal artery lesions

Drug does not appear to reduce risk of heart attack or death following CABG surgery

Catheter repair of mitral valve improves heart size, symptoms

Study results on novel drug-eluting stent coated with a biodegradable polymer

Diabetics have same risk for heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular diseases

New blood pressure drug Micardis (Telmisartan) good at reducing deaths from heart attacks

Study shows Actos prevented progression of atherosclerotic plaque volume in patients

New blood pressure drug telmisartan has fewer side effects

Matrix registry probes adherence to clopidogrel at 1 year

Angina drug ranolazine shows promise for heart rhythm disorders

Two drug combo blood pressure therapy lowers cardiovascular risk

Study gives nod to drug-eluting stents in heart attack

Drug-eluting stents outperform bare-metal stents

Special catheter that clears debris from artery helps blood flow in percutaneous coronary intervention

Decreased sexual satisfaction in postmenopausal women not clearly associated with cardiovascular disease

Comparison of anticoagulants for angioplasty show similar outcomes

Repeated episodes of stent thrombosis common

Relaxation response training may improve control of hard-to-treat systolic hypertension

Calls for CPR guidelines to be changed

Calcium deposits in coronary arteries provide a strong predictor for possible future heart problems

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