Chest Pain News and Research

RSS

High volume hospitals not necessarily better with heart valve surgeries

New research by UT Southwestern cardiologists counters long-held beliefs that hospitals performing greater numbers of heart valve surgeries have better outcomes.

23 Nov 2017

Aggressive testing unnecessary for patients who go to ER with chest pain, study suggests

Patients who go to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain often receive unnecessary tests to evaluate whether they are having a heart attack, a practice that provides no clinical benefit and adds hundreds of dollars in health-care costs, according to a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

15 Nov 2017

Study: People with non-O blood types have elevated risk of heart attack during high air pollution periods

Individuals who have A, B, or AB blood types have an elevated risk of having a heart attack during periods of significant air pollution, compared to those with the O blood type, according to new research from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and Brigham Young University.

15 Nov 2017

FDA warns consumers about injuries, disfigurement from using illegal injectable silicone

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a safety communication to warn consumers and health care practitioners about the serious injuries and disfigurement that can result from using injectable silicone or products being falsely marketed as FDA-approved dermal fillers for the purpose of enhancing the size of their buttocks, breasts and other body parts.

14 Nov 2017

Rapid blood test that spots heart attack risk could improve treatment of people with chest pain

A low-cost, rapid blood test that spots whether people are at risk of a heart attack could improve the treatment of people with chest pain at emergency departments around the world, a study suggests.

13 Nov 2017

Recommendations to prevent heart failure hospitalizations

Heart failure (HF) affects approximately 5.7 million adults in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not properly managed, HF can lead to frequent hospitalizations.

10 Nov 2017

ORBITA trial on heart stents for stable angina indicates placebo effect potential

A new study conducted by researchers at the Imperial College London suggests that the placebo effect experienced by patients who receive coronary artery stents might be larger than expected, even though stents themselves are life-saving.

6 Nov 2017

Bulgaria reports outbreaks of bird flu (avian influenza)

Veterinary authorities in Bulgaria have called for culling of nearly 8,000 ducks according to a food safety agency yesterday after two more regions there have reported avian flu infection. According to the agency a total of four outbreaks of bird flu have been registered in Bulgaria at this time.

5 Nov 2017

Stents implanted in the coronary blood vessels may not provide extra benefit

Percutanous angioplasty involves insertion of a stent into a blocked or narrowed coronary artery that eases the blood flow and relieves the pain of severe angina or a heart attack. It is being routinely practiced worldwide. A new study called ORBITA, has revealed that not all patients who undergo this procedure benefit from it.

3 Nov 2017

Blood levels of thyroid hormone may help identify individuals at risk for irregular heartbeat

Individuals with higher levels of thyroid hormone (free thyroxine, FT4) circulating in the blood were more likely than individuals with lower levels to develop irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, even when the levels were within normal range, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

23 Oct 2017

Flat-fee primary care helps fill niche for Texas’ uninsured

Darrell Kenyon had been punting for years on various medical issues — fatigue, headaches, mood swings. The 43-year-old uninsured carpenter was particularly worried about his blood pressure, which ran high when he checked it at the grocery store. Then he heard about a different type of physician practice, one that provided regular primary care for a monthly fee.

3 Oct 2017

Early discharge strategy for low-risk chest pain patients could lead to potential healthcare savings

A new evaluation to determine whether emergency room patients with chest pain can go home and follow up with their doctor proved 100% safe while shaving nearly a day off their visit and $6500 off their bill.

28 Sep 2017

Two protocols help assess patients with chest pain quickly and safely in emergency departments

Two protocols for quickly and safely evaluating patients presenting to emergency departments with chest pain are being adopted by Australian hospitals.

11 Sep 2017

5.4 million Americans age 60 or older are food insecure, shows new report

Hunger does not respect age. A recent report comparing data from 2007 to 2015 finds 5.4 million people age 60 or older in the U.S., or 8.1 percent, are food insecure.

7 Sep 2017

Distinguishing biothreat look-alikes could aid biological surveillance

Biological "detectives" are tracking down biothreats such as the bacteria that causes tularemia ("rabbit fever"), but they constantly face the challenge of avoiding false positives.

26 Aug 2017

LGB older adults found to be in poorer health than heterosexuals

Lesbian and bisexual older women are more likely than heterosexual older women to suffer chronic health conditions, experience sleep problems and drink excessively, a new University of Washington study finds.

24 Aug 2017

Acid-sensing receptor may have significant relevance to physiological response in panic disorder

Panic disorder is a syndrome characterized by spontaneous and recurrent episodes of incapacitating anxiety. It typically emerges during adolescence or early adulthood and can take an exhausting emotional and physical toll on the body.

24 Aug 2017

Hospitals slashed use of two heart drugs after huge price hikes

Even before media reports and a congressional hearing vilified Valeant Pharmaceuticals International for raising prices on a pair of lifesaving heart drugs, Dr. Umesh Khot knew something was very wrong.

9 Aug 2017

Negocios Now names Loyola Medicine neurologist among 50 most influential Latinos in Chicago

Loyola Medicine neurologist José Biller, MD, has been named to Negocios Now's list of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in the Chicago Area.

2 Aug 2017

Roche receives FDA clearance for new Troponin T test to detect patients with suspected heart attack

Roche announced that it has received the 510(k) clearance for its Elecsys Troponin T Gen 5 STAT (TnT Gen 5 STAT) blood test for patients with a suspected heart attack.

27 Jul 2017