Sudden Cardiac Death News and Research

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The term sudden cardiac death refers to natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms.

Johns Hopkins to participate in 1000 Genomes Project

Researchers at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM) at Johns Hopkins will join other national and international scientists in the 1000 Genomes Project, an ambitious effort that will involve sequencing the genomes of numerous people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation.

23 Jan 2008

Methadone and rare ventricular arrhythmia link

Methadone is a possible cause of sudden cardiac death even when it isn't overdosed but is taken at therapeutic levels primarily for relief of chronic pain or drug addiction withdrawal, a new study by Oregon Health & Science University researchers suggests.

10 Jan 2008

FDA to review potential anti-arrhythmic claims for Ranexa

CV Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the Company that it will evaluate the approval of potential anti-arrhythmic claims for Ranexa (ranolazine extended-release tablets) as part of its ongoing review of the Company's supplemental new drug application (sNDA).

10 Dec 2007

Questions raised over the safety of the long-term use of the birth control pill

New research has again raised concerns about the safety of the long-term use of the birth control pill.

7 Nov 2007

Lives are saved when defibrillators are placed in public spaces

Heart experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have evidence that at least 522 lives can be saved annually in the United States and Canada by the widespread placement of automated external defibrillators, the paddle-fitted, electrical devices used to shock and revive people whose hearts have suddenly stopped beating.

6 Nov 2007

Supplements do not reduce cancer risk

Most experts agree that supplements add little, if anything, to a well-balanced diet.

2 Nov 2007

When it comes to treatment for heart attacks white men get a better deal

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center (DCRI) in the United States say there is disparity in the treatment men and women receive for heart failure in hospitals.

4 Oct 2007

Heart disease of the left main coronary artery is often an inherited condition that clusters in families

Moreover, they discovered that initially healthy siblings of a person with the condition were 2.5 times more likely to go on to develop some form of heart disease than were siblings of a patient with heart disease that did not relate to the left main coronary artery.

4 Oct 2007

Call for food industry to phase trans fats out of their products

Experts on nutrition and public health are calling on leaders in the food industry to speed up the elimination of industrially produced trans fatty acids from the foods they produce and distribute, and to become partners in promoting healthy diets throughout the Americas.

27 Sep 2007

Call for more genetic research in the sport and exercise sciences

Genetic research into athletic ability should be encouraged for its potential benefits in both sport and public health, a leading group of scientists meeting at the University of Bath said today.

13 Sep 2007

Survey to evaluate arrhythmia rate in so-called high-risk MI patients

Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of mortality in European and North-American countries. Studies have been attempting to identify the right population of patients at high risk of Sudden Cardiac Death ever since the introduction of the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD).

2 Sep 2007

Omega-3 fatty acids for a health heart

While a heart-healthy diet has become synonymous with plenty of fruits and vegetables and little fat and cholesterol, there's more to the story. Omega-3 fatty acids should be part of a heart-healthy diet, too, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

7 Aug 2007

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator effective in preventing sudden cardiac death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

High-risk patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy appear to have reduced risk of sudden cardiac death with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that terminates dangerous heart rhythm disorders, according to a study in the July 25 issue of JAMA.

25 Jul 2007

Worldwide clinical trial of cardiac resynchronization therapy

The University of Zurich has announced an investigator initiated large-scale prospective randomized controlled clinical trial to assess the clinical impact of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) in heart failure patients.

23 Jun 2007

Obese heart attack patients more likely to survive after treatment than normal weight patients

Obese and very obese patients have a lower risk of dying after they have been treated for heart attacks than do normal weight patients, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday 20 June).

20 Jun 2007

Overdiagnosis of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS)

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) can be lethal if not diagnosed -- yet recent increased awareness of the disorder may lead to diagnosing patients when they don't have the syndrome and then prescribing treatments that restrict patients' lifestyles, a new Mayo Clinic study shows.

1 Jun 2007

Statin drugs also may help reduce risk of heart failure

Statin drugs, known primarily for their ability to lower cholesterol, also may reduce the overactive sympathetic nervous system response that contributes to the worsening of heart failure and increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, two University of Missouri-Columbia researchers have found. Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.

2 May 2007

Genetic risk for early death in rheumatoid arthritis

A chronic autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is marked by inflammation that takes a progressive toll on not only the joints, but also various organs and the whole body.

30 Apr 2007

Physician's role in getting patients active

Physicians and their patients alike know that physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, but what is less clear is what kind of a role doctors should have in increasing their patients' activity levels.

7 Apr 2007

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators offer lifesaving benefits, return to active life, and reduced cost

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine have discovered that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) -- electric monitoring devices that deliver a lifesaving shock in the event of a cardiac arrest -- help patients with heart problems live longer more active lives.

7 Apr 2007