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.

NitroMed have launched BiDil for the treatment of heart failure in black patients

NitroMed, Inc. announced today that BiDil® (isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine hydrochloride) is being launched for the treatment of heart failure in black patients as an adjunct to current standard therapies.

4 Jul 2005

Daclizumab effective at reducing organ rejection and risk of infection in heart transplant patients

A new study shows that a drug, called daclizumab, is effective at reducing organ rejection and risk of infection in heart transplant patients. The multi-center study by cardiologists from the United States, Sweden, Germany and Canada will be published in the June 30 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Jun 2005

Ethnicity makes little difference in the quality of outpatient care

A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found that once U.S. patients visit a doctor for outpatient care, their race and ethnicity make little difference in the quality of care they receive.

28 Jun 2005

Diuretics work better than newer and more costly medicines for diabetics with high blood pressure

Diuretics (water pills) work better than newer and more costly medicines in the treatment of high blood pressure and prevention of some forms of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes, according to results from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT).

28 Jun 2005

Nitromed heart drug designed for blacks wins U.S. approval

A new heart drug designed specifically for blacks has been approved by U.S. officials.

26 Jun 2005

Wearing a continuous positive airway pressure device helps heart failure patients with obstructive sleep apnea get a good night's rest

Wearing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device not only helps heart failure patients with obstructive sleep apnea get a good night's rest, it lowers blood pressure and heart rate well into the morning, apparently, by reducing sympathetic nervous system activity, according to a new study (PDF) in the June 21, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

21 Jun 2005

Fish may help prevent heart failure as well as heart attacks

Older people who ate fish once or twice a week had a 20 percent lower risk of developing congestive heart failure during 12 years of follow-up, according to a new study (PDF) in the June 21, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

21 Jun 2005

Study shows why thiazolidinediones cause edema and helps understand role of kidneys in hypertension

In related discoveries with far-reaching implications for treating diabetes and understanding hypertension, University of Utah researchers have learned why thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a major anti-diabetes drug, cause edema and also have found a new pathway critical to fluid metabolism. Identification of this pathway may help understand fundamental mechanisms of blood pressure control.

19 Jun 2005

FDA recommends heart drug designed for blacks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have announced that a heart-failure drug manufactured for African-Americans significantly reduced deaths and hospitalizations and its side effects were similar to those of a placebo's.

16 Jun 2005

Protocol used to treat the first known survivor of rabies without prior vaccination published

The protocol used to treat the first known survivor of rabies without prior vaccination is published in the June 16, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It is hoped that this approach can be replicated, tested, and provide a guide for treating this fatal condition, especially in parts of the world where the incidence of rabies is rampant.

15 Jun 2005

National Service Framework for chronic heart failure is urgently needed

A new National Service Framework for chronic heart failure is urgently needed, because patients with heart failure are getting a raw deal, despite the availability of effective treatment, say leading cardiologists in Heart.

15 Jun 2005

Report on Hispanics and genes, culture, and medicines highlights the rise of individualized medicine

"The FDA's review today of BiDil could make it the first drug approved specifically for African Americans and marks the end of 'one-size-fits-all' medicine," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

15 Jun 2005

Acute coronary syndrome patients at increased risk of stroke

Patients hospitalized with chest pain or heart attack symptoms are at an increased risk of stroke even after being discharged, according to a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Jun 2005

Panel advise limited use of heart drug Natrecor

An independent panel of experts say heart-failure drug Natrecor should be restricted and only used with acutely ill hospitalized patients.

15 Jun 2005

Medicare's investment in quality improvement may not be paying off

Medicare's quality improvement organizations are charged with improving the medical care of Medicare beneficiaries.

14 Jun 2005

Viagra helps children with heart-lung condition achieve improved quality of life

Viagra, a drug originally developed to treat heart disease, and now more commonly used to treat impotence, may also help children with a serious heart-lung condition to walk further and breathe more easily.

14 Jun 2005

Doppler imaging provides better understanding of muscular dystrophy

A new study presented this week at the American Society of Echocardiography's 16th Annual Scientific Sessions offers new hope to children stricken with Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD), a degenerative muscular disease characterized by a loss of voluntary muscle control which can eventually affect the heart.

14 Jun 2005

Short-term use of CPAP therapy may protect against cardiovascular disease

A common sleep therapy used to treat patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may actually have a protective effect against death related to cardiovascular disease.

13 Jun 2005

Unique therapeutic strategy to combat cachexia

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's Doernbecher Children's Hospital have uncovered a unique therapeutic strategy to combat cachexia - severe malnutrition and physical wasting away - in children and adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study is published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

9 Jun 2005

US specialists call for heart patients to be screened for psychological distress

Heart patients should be screened for psychological distress and, if necessary, referred for help from mental health professionals, according to the authors of research published today (Thursday 9 June) in the European Heart Journal.

9 Jun 2005

Heart Failure News and Research

Further Reading

NitroMed have launched BiDil for the treatment of heart failure in black patients

Daclizumab effective at reducing organ rejection and risk of infection in heart transplant patients

Ethnicity makes little difference in the quality of outpatient care

Diuretics work better than newer and more costly medicines for diabetics with high blood pressure

Nitromed heart drug designed for blacks wins U.S. approval

Wearing a continuous positive airway pressure device helps heart failure patients with obstructive sleep apnea get a good night's rest

Fish may help prevent heart failure as well as heart attacks

Study shows why thiazolidinediones cause edema and helps understand role of kidneys in hypertension

FDA recommends heart drug designed for blacks

Protocol used to treat the first known survivor of rabies without prior vaccination published

National Service Framework for chronic heart failure is urgently needed

Report on Hispanics and genes, culture, and medicines highlights the rise of individualized medicine

Acute coronary syndrome patients at increased risk of stroke

Panel advise limited use of heart drug Natrecor

Medicare's investment in quality improvement may not be paying off

Viagra helps children with heart-lung condition achieve improved quality of life

Doppler imaging provides better understanding of muscular dystrophy

Short-term use of CPAP therapy may protect against cardiovascular disease

Unique therapeutic strategy to combat cachexia

US specialists call for heart patients to be screened for psychological distress

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