Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

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A Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

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

Researchers identify antioxidant mechanisms involved in protection against heart disease

Zvonimir Katusic, M.D., Ph.D., and Mayo colleagues have identified antioxidant mechanisms essential for regenerative function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

30 Apr 2007

Aspirin appears to be less effective heart treatment for women than men

A new study shows that aspirin therapy for coronary artery disease is four times more likely to be ineffective in women compared to men with the same medical history.

30 Apr 2007

Headaches may act like tiny transient strokes

Migraines may be doing more than causing people skull-splitting pain. Scientists have found evidence that the headaches may also be acting like tiny transient strokes, leaving parts of the brain starved for oxygen and altering the brain in significant ways.

30 Apr 2007

Aspirin therapy for coronary artery disease less effective for women than men

A new study shows that aspirin therapy for coronary artery disease is four times more likely to be ineffective in women compared to men with the same medical history.

27 Apr 2007

Performance league tables are linked to lower death rates after major heart surgery

The findings are based on almost 26,000 patients who had coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) for the first time between1997 to 2005, in the north west of England.

25 Apr 2007

New data supports safety of ranolazine but not its effectiveness

The anti-anginal medication ranolazine was shown to be safe in regard to certain outcomes but did not reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack or recurrent ischemia following acute coronary syndromes, according to a study in the April 25 issue of JAMA .

25 Apr 2007

HIV linked to increased risk of heart attack

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is also associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or heart attack.

25 Apr 2007

Time for FDA to set the record straight on common painkillers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has caused an unnecessary scare about some pain relievers by adding a warning to drugs that are safe, says Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

25 Apr 2007

Ranolazine safe but not effective in reducing major cardiac events in ACS patients

25 Apr 2007

Cancer is our number one fear but most don't understand how many cases can be prevented

Cancer is our greatest fear, a Cancer Research UK survey reveals. Over a quarter of Brits say cancer is the thing they most fear, topping the list over Alzheimer's, heart attack and terrorism.

25 Apr 2007

Sticking with guidelines for acute coronary syndromes benefits even very elderly patients

Some say age 90 is the new age 70. If so, there's never been a better time for elderly patients to discuss with family and physicians just how aggressive medical care should be in case of a threatened or definite heart attack.

24 Apr 2007

Migraine associated with increased risk of subsequent major cardiovascular disease in men

Men with migraine headaches may be at an increased risk for major cardiovascular disease and especially heart attacks, according to a report in the April 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Apr 2007

Are higher doses and higher costs for cholesterol drugs worth the extra money?

When it comes to cholesterol-lowering drugs, more is better. At least, that's what heart doctors and heart patients have been hearing in recent years.

24 Apr 2007

Risk and outcome similar for bypass surgery, drug-eluting stents

Drug-eluting stent therapy and bypass surgery for coronary artery disease have about the same risk for a major cardiac event within 30 days after the procedures, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

20 Apr 2007