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World's newest flexible drug-eluting stent used by Methodist cardiologists

A more flexible drug-eluting stent studied in clinical trials at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center has been approved by the FDA, and Methodist physicians were the first in Houston to implant the new device.

12 Mar 2008

New imaging technique provides better view of Barrett's esophagus

Novel techniques to improve the quality of imaging are helping doctors get a better look at esophageal conditions such as Barrett's esophagus (BE), but they do not necessarily improve the diagnosis or physician agreement on images, according to a study published this month in Gastroenterology , the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

12 Mar 2008

Long-term effects of synthetic progestins cause for concern

The widely used synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) decreased endothelial function in premenopausal women in a study done at the University of Oregon.

11 Mar 2008

Study aims to improve treatment for children born with heart defects

Trying to understand and stop the collateral lung damage that can occur in babies with congenital heart disease is the focus of a new study.

11 Mar 2008

Researchers discover molecular pathway in blood vessels that controls blood pressure and vascular function

University of Iowa researchers have identified a molecular pathway in blood vessels that controls blood pressure and vascular function and may help explain why certain drugs for type II diabetes also appear to lower patients' blood pressure.

6 Mar 2008

Novel imaging technique provides comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease

In the current issue of the journal Circulation, a research team from the Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Heart & Vascular Center report their initial experience with a novel imaging technique that enables comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease based on a single computerized tomographic (CT) scan.

6 Mar 2008

Low-fat better than low-carb diets for heart health

Low-fat diets are more effective in preserving and promoting a healthy cardiovascular system than low-carbohydrate, Atkins'-like diets, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

1 Mar 2008

Glioblastoma multiforme responds to new treatment

One of the toughest cancers to treat effectively is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of primary brain cancer.

28 Feb 2008

Discovery of potential drug targets for sepsis

"We have identified a key connection of signaling pathways in the cascade of events leading to sepsis. This defines a crucial point where the immune system spirals out of control to cause severe sepsis and where there is an opportunity for therapeutic intervention," says Scripps Research Professor Wolfram Ruf, who led the research with his postdoctoral fellow Frank Niessen.

28 Feb 2008

Overweight Hispanic children shown to have vascular inflammation

Overweight Hispanic children with normal blood glucose (sugar) levels showed elevated markers for blood vessel inflammation that may predispose them to developing both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, says a new study led by researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center.

28 Feb 2008

URMC cardiac team celebrates 100th heart transplant

The Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation at the University of Rochester Medical Center has reached a milestone, performing its 100th cardiac transplant surgery.

27 Feb 2008

Risks of CVD for COX-2 inhibitors lower than previously reported

In an article published in the March issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) assess the totality of evidence, including strengths and limitations of different types of evidence contributing to the debate about cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

27 Feb 2008

Cognitive impairment among older Americans is declining

Rates of cognitive impairment among older Americans are on the decline, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) comparing the cognitive health of older people in 1993 and 2002.

27 Feb 2008

Many stroke, heart attack patients may not benefit from aspirin

Up to 20 percent of patients taking aspirin to lower the risk of suffering a second cerebrovascular event do not have an antiplatelet response from aspirin, the effect thought to produce the protective effect, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

26 Feb 2008

ImClone Systems enrols first patient in clinical trial of IMC-1121B to treat liver cancer

ImClone Systems Incorporated has announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a disease-directed Phase II clinical trial of IMC-1121B to treat patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).

26 Feb 2008

Genetic mutation linked to peripheral artery disease

The finding, appearing online in the journal Circulation, is the first to document a genetic mutation linked to PAD. Although the work was done in mice, researchers say it is likely to give them new insight into how PAD develops and progresses in humans.

26 Feb 2008