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.

Blacks less likely to get expensive, newer heart treatments

Blacks who suffer the most common type of cardiac ischemia – non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome – are less likely than whites to receive expensive or newer evidence-based treatments, according to a report in a special disparities themed issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2005

Nature of electrical abnormalities occurring during the development of heart failure

A Johns Hopkins undergraduate student has contributed to new research showing that electrical changes in the heart leading to heart failure can occur long before a patient exhibits any clinical symptoms.

8 Mar 2005

Adiponectin may be helpful in finding treatments for Progeria

In a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that decreased levels of HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, may contribute to premature heart disease in children with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, or Progeria.

8 Mar 2005

Keep laughing, its doing you more good than you realise

Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore showed two movies, one humorous, one stressful, to 20 healthy volunteers and tested the function of their blood vessels.

7 Mar 2005

Beta-blockers can benefit patients with certain serious heart problems such as diastolic heart failure

Beta-blockers, medications that block the action of certain hormones on the heart, can benefit patients with certain serious heart problems such as diastolic heart failure, according to cardiologists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005

Implanted devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of heart health

Implanted devices intended to optimize the cardiac function of patients with heart failure have provided new insights into which patients might be at higher risk of dying suddenly from their disease, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005

Serum sodium level is a major predictor of a poor prognosis for heart failure patients

Research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's Scientific Sessions in Orlando pinpoints a major marker of a poor prognosis for heart failure, hyponatremia, or a lower than normal concentration of serum or blood sodium.

7 Mar 2005

FDA issues information on the risks and benefits of Crestor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), today issued public health advice, patient information, and professional healthcare information on the risks and benefits of Crestor (Rosuvastatin calcium), a cholesterol-lowering drug.

2 Mar 2005

Abnormal electrocardiograms linked to heart enlargement

When a segment of a patient’s electrocardiogram known as QRS is unusually long, the patient may also be more likely to have an enlarged left ventricle, even when there are no signs of heart failure or previous heart attack, according to a new study(PDF) in the March 1, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

1 Mar 2005

Rising awareness, new product alternatives to boost prospects of European sleep apnea diagnostics market

Low levels of awareness among patients and physicians about sleep apnea are hindering the uptake of related diagnostics. Increased knowledge about this breathing disorder together with the emergence of new alternatives to current diagnostics tools is set to aid in market expansion.

28 Feb 2005

Caution against FDA approval of race-based pharmaceutical

New York University Sociologist Troy Duster concludes that a pharmaceutical to combat heart disease among blacks is based on faulty research and urges the Food and Drug Administration to obtain more reliable data before approving the drug.

27 Feb 2005

FDA approves Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) for the treatment of heart failure

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) Tablets for the treatment of heart failure (NYHA class II-IV and ejection fraction less than or equal to 40%) to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular causes and reduce hospitalizations for heart failure.

23 Feb 2005

Taipan venom used as a new drug to treat heart failure

A venom component from the Taipan, the world’s deadliest snake, is being developed by Brisbane biotechnology company ElaCor, as a new drug to treat heart failure.

23 Feb 2005

NICE promotes use of dual-chamber pacemakers for treating bradycardia

In new medical guidance for England and Wales published today, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) promotes the expanded use of dual-chamber pacemakers for treating slow heart rhythms, called bradycardia, which affect an estimated 100,000 people in the UK.

23 Feb 2005

Study reveals need for change in surgical procedures

IPRO has announced progress in surgical infection prevention after the Archives of Surgery published a study highlighting the need for better, more consistent practices to address infection risk factors.

22 Feb 2005

Vioxx doubles risk of heart attacks and strokes

The largest prospective trial ever examining the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx as a chemoprevention agent found that the risk of developing a cardiovascular "event" - heart attacks and/or strokes - was almost double in patients who received the drug, compared to patients who took the placebo, according to a study out Feb. 15 on-line in The New England Journal of Medicine.

15 Feb 2005

Older heart transplant recipients fare just as well as their younger counterparts

Policy makers who use age as a discriminating factor in determining eligibility for heart transplant surgery may want to reconsider their rules in the light of new research at the University of Alberta.

14 Feb 2005

Sudden emotional stress can result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness

Shocking news, such as learning of the unexpected death of a loved one, has been known to cause catastrophic events, such as a heart attack.

10 Feb 2005

Special imaging study shows failing hearts are energy starved

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for the first time to examine energy production biochemistry in a beating human heart, Johns Hopkins researchers have found substantial energy deficits in failing hearts.

7 Feb 2005

Rheumatoid arthritis linked to excess risk of congestive heart failure

A serious chronic disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by inflammation and damage of the joint, major organ involvement and increased mortality. Among patients, about one in three deaths results from cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels).

3 Feb 2005