Heart Attack News and Research

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Why more women die than men after heart bypass surgery

According to researchers, infections - including those acquired in hospitals, could explain why women die more frequently than men after heart bypass surgery and the explanations for this sex difference are controversial.

28 Feb 2006

Statins lessen heart attack risk

For patients with undiagnosed heart disease, taking medications known as statins and beta-blockers may mean the difference between suffering a heart attack as a first symptom versus experiencing mild chest pain.

24 Feb 2006

Genetic variations help predict risk for salt-induced high blood pressure

Researchers led by UVa Health System pathologist Robin Felder, Ph.D., have demonstrated that looking for several variations of genes that control blood pressure can predict the risk for high blood pressure caused by high levels of salt.

23 Feb 2006

40 percent of Americans at moderate risk for heart disease

"Nearly half the heart attacks come without warning, which means we need to do a better job of screening people. This test has that potential."

23 Feb 2006

Statins and beta blockers may reduce heart attack risk

For patients with undiagnosed heart disease, taking a statin or beta blocker could mean the difference between experiencing mild chest pain, or having a full-blown heart attack as a first symptom. That's the finding of a Kaiser Permanente study in the February 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

21 Feb 2006

Breakthrough anti-inflammatory treatment

Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have developed what could be the next big blockbuster treatment for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

21 Feb 2006

Double whammy of drugs plus ultrasound unblocks arteries

According to a pilot study led by the University of Cincinnati, standard clot-busting medication when used in combination with low-energy ultrasound appears to re-open clogged arteries in stroke patients better than medication alone.

20 Feb 2006

Cutting angioplasty risks

Significant gains made through multi-hospital cooperative effort led by U-M Cardiovascular Center and funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

16 Feb 2006

Estrogen therapy does not reduce the risk of heart attack in healthy postmenopausal women

Estrogen therapy does not appear to reduce the risk of heart attack or coronary death in healthy postmenopausal women, although some data suggest a lower coronary heart disease risk in women aged 50 to 59 years, according to a new article in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

16 Feb 2006

Diuretics improve exercise capacity in patients with congestive heart failure

Diuretics reduce the risk of death, delay heart deterioration and improve exercise capacity in patients with congestive heart failure, a new review of studies shows.

16 Feb 2006

Low-carb diets effective, but may raise cholesterol levels

A synthesis of data from five previous clinical trials suggests that both low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets appear to be effective for weight loss up to one year, but low-carbohydrate diets may be linked to higher overall and LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Feb 2006

Hormone replacement therapy protects against heart disease in younger women

According to a new study hormone replacement therapy using estrogen does not appear to protect postmenopausal women from heart disease.

14 Feb 2006

Many at-risk people aren't getting adequate cholesterol treatment

Even though treatment for cholesterol disorders can reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel disease by about 30 percent over five years, many at-risk people aren't getting adequate treatment, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues reporting in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Feb 2006

Pollution may increase heart attack risk for obese

A University of Alberta researcher believes obese humans face same dangers from diesel exhaust and coal emissions.

7 Feb 2006

38 million Americans with health conditions that put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease

An estimated 63 million adults have low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels higher than what would be ideal as recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

7 Feb 2006

Seven per cent of men having a heart attack drove themselves to hospital

The study, which looked at 890 heart attack patients admitted to six major teaching hospitals in Dublin, Southern Ireland, also found that it took women five times as long as men to go to casualty departments after their symptoms first started. But only one per cent got behind the wheel and drove to the hospital.

7 Feb 2006

Patients checking into a top rated hospital have a 27 percent lower chance of mortality

Patients checking into a hospital rated in the top five percent in the country have, on average, a 27 percent lower chance of mortality and a 14 percent lower risk of complications, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

7 Feb 2006