Heart Failure News and Research

RSS

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.

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

Multisequential MRI approach improves heart inflammation diagnosis

A multisequential approach to cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans that highlight different aspects of heart structure and function may offer a better and safer way to identify potentially deadly inflammation of the heart muscle, according to a new study (PDF) in the June 7, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

9 Jun 2005

Atrial fibrillation may soon have an effective treatment

In laboratory tests in dogs, cardiac researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs after heart surgery may lessen or prevent atrial fibrillation. They report their findings in the June 7 issue of Circulation.

8 Jun 2005

Adult African-Americans have heavier hearts which can lead to serious heart disease

Adult African-Americans have higher heart weight – a condition that can lead to serious heart disease – at two to three times the rates of whites, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have shown.

8 Jun 2005

Simple blood test can quickly identify type of congestive heart failure

A simple blood test can quickly identify what type of congestive heart failure (CHF) a patient has, improving diagnostic accuracy; eliminating the need for extensive diagnostic tests, such as heart muscle biopsy or exploratory surgery; and enabling the patient to be treated sooner, according to a study published in the June 7 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Jun 2005

Patients with advanced heart failure significantly improved after receiving stem cell therapy

The study showed, 30 days after receiving the stem cells by injection into their hearts, patients improved an average of 41 percent in their hearts' pumping efficiency and the distance they could walk nonstop increased by 72 percent in a standard test widely used to assess heart patients.

6 Jun 2005

Discovery will lead to more effective treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension

A University of Alberta research team has discovered important new information they hope will lead to more effective treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)--a deadly form of high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries caused by uncontrolled cell growth.

5 Jun 2005

Most heart failure cases are discovered after patients admitted to hospital

About three out of four people diagnosed at a hospital with congestive heart failure were admitted for some other health condition, a new study found.

2 Jun 2005

Metabolic syndrome prevalent in heart attack patients

Nearly half of heart attack patients also met criteria for metabolic syndrome, putting them at a higher risk for development of heart failure, according to an article in the May 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 May 2005

Telemonitoring or telephone calls prevent heart failure deaths

Monitoring heart failure patients with either high-tech home monitors or through regular telephone contacts with nurses improves the odds they will survive during the months after a serious hospitalization, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health in hypertensive postmenopausal women

Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) seems to have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health in hypertensive postmenopausal women, researchers reported at the American Society of Hypertension Twentieth Annual Meeting held in San Francisco.

16 May 2005

Aspirin aids recovery following heart bypass surgery

Many patients who regularly take aspirin to thin their blood prior to undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, have in the past been told to stop the aspirin a week before the operation, but new research has found that they may be better off taking it.

11 May 2005

No glass ceiling for women when it comes to dying from heart disease, say experts

While many of us assume that heart disease mainly strikes men, the fact is 12,000 Australian women die each year from illnesses like stroke, heart attack and heart failure - that's four and a half times the number of lives claimed by breast cancer.

10 May 2005

Australian-designed heart pump gives new hope to heart patients

A 56-year-old New Zealand man, a heart failure patient, is recovering in hospital after world-first surgery to implant an Australian-designed device which helps the heart pump blood.

9 May 2005

Study calls for earlier use of ICDs in patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy

A study presented today at the Late Breaking Clinical Trials presentations at the Heart Rhythm Society's Annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans found that implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) benefit patients with recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the heart muscle's ability to pump and can lead to heart failure.

8 May 2005

New GP contract may not improve treatment for heart failure patients

The new contract for GPs may improve identification and diagnosis of chronic heart failure, but there is a danger that it may fall short of ensuring optimal treatment for these patients, says research published this week in Postgraduate Medical Journal.

4 May 2005

Heart failure patients do better when treated according to guidelines, but too many doctors still fail to prescribe the best treatments

Heart failure patients who are treated in accordance with established European guidelines do better than patients who are not, yet many doctors are still not adhering to the guidelines, according to pioneering research published in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal.

4 May 2005

Mutated gene causes serious heart disease in newborns

The research group of professor Manfred Kilimann at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology has elucidated the genetic cause of a severe heart disease in newborn children. This result will be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics this week.

3 May 2005

E. coli poses significant public health threat to seniors in the U.S.

A new study finds that E. coli bacteremia - a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection caused by a common bacteria also associated with less dangerous urinary tract infections - poses a significant public health threat in the United States, especially among seniors.

2 May 2005