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Long-term safety of drug-eluting stents in off-label use

Research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit 2007 in New Orleans, La, paints a picture of the "real world" use of drug-eluting stents and offers new insight into the connection between blood clotting, or thrombosis, in the stent - a dangerous complication - and adherence and responsiveness to anti-clotting medication.

3 Apr 2007

Advances in clinical cardiology

Three studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit 2007 in New Orleans, La., highlight the breadth of research propelling advances in clinical cardiology.

3 Apr 2007

Shoulder arthroplasty to relieve pain has no greater risk of complications than replacement of other major joints

Contrary to widespread belief, total surgical replacement of arthritic shoulder joints carries no greater risk of complications than replacement of other major joints, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.

3 Apr 2007

Severe dengue infections may go unrecognized in international travelers

Severe cases of a common travelers' infection may not be recognized if doctors rely on the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines for identifying it, according to a new study published in the April 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

3 Apr 2007

Trial of percutaneous coronary intervention added to optimal medical therapy in patients with stable coronary heart disease

Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) involve opening partially blocked arteries to improve blood flow to the heart. These procedures are performed more than 1 million times a year.

3 Apr 2007

We need to balance out our intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids

A new study suggests that people whose diets contain dramatically more of one kind of polyunsaturated fatty acid than another may be at greater risk for both clinical depression and certain inflammatory diseases.

3 Apr 2007

New blood thinner thrombin-receptor antagonist may work without bleeding risk

When studying a new blood thinner, one of the first signs the drug is working is seeing a slight increase in minor bleeding, nose bleeds and bruising, an inconvenient side effect of preventing the blood clots that are the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

3 Apr 2007

Regular health exams increase likelihood that older adults will get recommended cancer screenings

If you're 50 or older, seeing your doctor every year or two for a checkup may be a good defense against cancer, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis, the University of Washington, and Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

2 Apr 2007

Dual renin system blocking drug combo provides additional blood pressure-lowering effects

A combination of two medicines that act against the effects of the enzyme renin are more effective in lowering blood pressure than either of the medicines alone, according to a study presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 56th Annual Scientific Session.

2 Apr 2007

$Drug that mimics HDL does not reduce risk of death for heart attack patients with refractory shock$

Drug that mimics HDL does not reduce risk of death for heart attack patients with refractory shock

Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), such as heart attack and recent-onset chest pain, remain at considerable risk of experiencing further serious cardiovascular problems despite improvements in care.

2 Apr 2007

Tilarginine does not reduce risk of death after heart attack

The medication tilarginine, a drug that was believed could be beneficial for patients who develop cardiogenic shock (low blood pressure due to impaired cardiac function) after a heart attack, did not reduce the risk of death up to six months after a heart attack, according to a JAMA study published online March 26.

2 Apr 2007

Effect of Torcetrapib on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis

Investigators report that torcetrapib, a drug that substantially raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL (the "good" cholesterol), did not slow the progression of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries as measured using an ultrasound probe (IVUS).

2 Apr 2007

Addition of torcetrapib to statin therapy has no benefit for atherosclerosis progression

For some patients with high cholesterol, even the most aggressive treatment with statin drugs fails to prevent coronary artery disease.

2 Apr 2007

Clinical trial of Ranibizumab for edema of the mAcula in diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the world's largest charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research, announced that the Ranibizumab for Edema of the mAcula in Diabetes Phase 2 Study (READ 2) is now enrolling patients.

2 Apr 2007

Nanocrystal research for cellulose drug delivery

Maren Roman is taking nanocrystal research to a new level that may lead to a new generation of vaccines and better computer printer ink.

2 Apr 2007

Biopsy may underestimate prostate cancer in overweight men

Obese and overweight men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer by biopsy are more likely than healthy weight men to actually have a more aggressive case of the disease than the biopsy results would indicate, according to a study led by a Duke University Medical Center researcher.

2 Apr 2007

Adding estradiol to a polymer-free rapamycin-eluting stent is not associated with any measurable benefit

Patients admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are often treated with a catheter-based procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), during which a stent is inserted into an occluded or narrowed coronary artery to restore blood flow to and from the heart.

2 Apr 2007