Atherosclerosis News and Research

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Atherosclerosis is the progressive buildup of plaque - the fatty deposits and other cells - in the inner walls of the arteries. The condition is a consequence of elevated cholesterol and for many it's a silent disease, with no visible signs or symptoms. The disease can begin in early adulthood and continues to progress for the rest of a person's life. Despite the serious nature of atherosclerosis, many people do not understand how it develops and progresses.

Optical and PET/CT activity-based probes could help in non-invasive imaging of atherosclerotic plaques

Researchers at Stanford University have demonstrated for the first time the use of a dual optical and PET/CT activity-based probe to detect atherosclerotic plaques. The study is published in the October issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

20 Oct 2016

Scientists develop smart drug that safely removes fat from liver and blood vessels

Scientists from the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München have developed a ‘smart’ drug that safely clears the liver of fat and prevents blood vessels from clogging up.

13 Oct 2016

Calcium supplements may raise risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage

After analyzing 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and elsewhere conclude that taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage, although a diet high in calcium-rich foods appears be protective.

12 Oct 2016

Smoking linked to thicker heart walls and worse heart function

Smoking is associated with thicker heart walls and reduction in the heart's pumping ability, two factors associated with increased risk of heart failure, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.

3 Oct 2016

Scientists identify molecule in liver cells that regulates release of fats into the bloodstream

ETH researchers have discovered a molecule in liver cells that controls the release of fat into the bloodstream. This "lock keeper" is present in large quantities in overweight people and leads indirectly to vascular narrowing.

28 Sep 2016

NTU scientists develop new test kit for rapid detection of inflammation in diabetic patients

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a new kit that will allow doctors to find out within minutes if diabetic patients are suffering from inflammation.

27 Sep 2016

Researchers discover gene variants linked to thoracic aortic dissections

On Super Bowl Sunday, Tina Wilkins was relaxing in her recliner while she chatted on the phone with her mother and waited for the game to begin. She had recently lost 63 pounds and was in better shape than she had been in years.

20 Sep 2016

Stem cells may be responsible for vascular calcification in patients with kidney disease

Scientists have implicated a type of stem cell in the calcification of blood vessels that is common in patients with chronic kidney disease.

8 Sep 2016

Low levels of diastolic blood pressure linked to heart damage risk

By analyzing medical records gathered over three decades on more than 11,000 Americans participating in a federally funded study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have more evidence that driving diastolic blood pressure too low is associated with damage to heart tissue.

1 Sep 2016

UTHealth scientists discover powerful predictors of congestive heart failure

A team of scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine, led by Eric Boerwinkle, Ph.D., Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., and Bing Yu, Ph.D., have identified powerful predictors of congestive heart failure, a major cause of hospitalization and death in the United States.

31 Aug 2016

Drug-eluting stents more beneficial to patients undergoing saphenous vein graft angioplasty

Drug-eluting stents had a clear advantage over bare metal stents in patients undergoing revascularisation of saphenous (leg) vein grafts, results of the BASKET-SAVAGE trial show.

30 Aug 2016

$Lipoprotein apheresis may have new role in patients with refractory angina$

Lipoprotein apheresis may have new role in patients with refractory angina

Initial investigation of patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD) using functional imaging - rather than guideline-directed care - resulted in significantly less unnecessary angiography, according to results of the CE-MARC 2 trial.

29 Aug 2016

Active strategy of detecting and treating asymptomatic MSAD results in no clinical benefit

In patients with high-risk coronary artery disease (CAD), an active strategy of detecting and treating asymptomatic multisite artery disease (MSAD) combined with intensive medical therapy did not improve 2-year outcomes compared to a more traditional approach of managing only symptomatic coronary and extracoronary lesions, new research shows.

29 Aug 2016

Engineered gut bacteria may one day help reduce negative health effects of obesity

A new therapy that involves engineered gut bacteria may one day help reduce the health problems that come with obesity. Incorporating the engineered bacteria into the guts of mice both kept them from gaining weight and protected them against some of the negative health effects of obesity.

28 Aug 2016

Cedars-Sinai study identifies metabolic enzyme that alerts the body to invading bacteria

Biomedical investigators at Cedars-Sinai have identified an enzyme found in all human cells that alerts the body to invading bacteria and jump-starts the immune system.

25 Aug 2016

Prevalence of coronary calcification similar between patients with psoriasis and type 2 diabetes

Assessing coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a measure of the severity of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and a cornerstone for screening for risk of future cardiac events. The inflammatory skin condition psoriasis has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

24 Aug 2016

Researchers investigate link between diet, obesity-linked Type 2 diabetes, and spinal disc degeneration

Can a diet high in processed fat and sugar and Type 2 diabetes cause degeneration of intervertebral discs in the spine? If so, what is happening, and can it be prevented? As part of an ongoing collaboration between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - a partnership that draws upon the expertise of both schools to address significant health problems - researchers hope to answer those questions by investigating the link between diet, obesity-linked Type 2 diabetes, and intervertebral disc degeneration.

23 Aug 2016

Penn researchers develop model to predict sudden cardiac death risk

Each year more than 300,000 Americans will succumb to out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death (SCD) -- the immediate and unexpected cessation of the heart's ability to function properly -- one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

23 Aug 2016

Seeds of tropical shrub guarana contain ten times more amount of catechins than green tea

The millions of people who consume green tea all over the world benefit from the catechins it contains.

22 Aug 2016

Morbidly obese individuals more likely to experience heart failure, say researchers

A study by Johns Hopkins researchers of more than 13,000 people has found that even after accounting for such risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, so-called morbid obesity appears to stand alone as a standout risk for heart failure, but not for other major types of heart disease.