Blood Clot News and Research

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A Blood Clot is a mass of blood that forms when blood platelets, proteins, and cells stick together. When a blood clot is attached to the wall of a blood vessel, it is called a thrombus. When it moves through the bloodstream and blocks the flow of blood in another part of the body, it is called an embolus.

Breakthrough in the successful treatment of AMI

Medical device pioneer Stentys announced today the results on 20 patients participating in the Company’s ‘APPOSITION I’ clinical study—the world’s first to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) via a self-expanding stent. These data were disclosed today by the study’s principal investigator, Christian Spaulding, M.D., Ph.D., to an audience of cardiologists during a Stentys-hosted satellite meeting at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (“TCT”) 2009 annual scientific meeting.

23 Sep 2009

Women have higher incidence of stroke and mortality than men

Even though the incidence of atrial fibrillation is higher in men than women, a review of past studies and medical literature completed by cardiac experts at Rush University Medical Center shows that women are more likely than men to experience symptomatic attacks, a higher frequency of recurrences, and significantly higher heart rates during atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk of stroke.

23 Sep 2009

Researchers find new technique for long-term treatment of DVT

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition that involves the formation of a blood clot inside of a deep vein usually in the legs. A patient with DVT is typically treated with anticoagulants (blood thinners) however researchers have found that image-guided interventional radiology procedures may play a more central role in the long-term treatment of DVT, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

21 Sep 2009

African Americans at higher risk of developing potentially deadly DVT and PE than other ethnic populations

Speaking at the Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) Annual Meeting today, Dr. Garth Graham from the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services followed up on last year's Surgeon General's Call to Action by focusing attention on the African American population which is at significantly increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE).

18 Sep 2009

SSO2 administration reduces heart muscle damage

Supersaturated oxygen (SSO2) administered during catheter-based treatments for heart attack can significantly reduce heart muscle damage, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Sep 2009

Breast cancer prevention drugs may negatively affect patients

Three drugs, including tamoxifen, reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, but each drug carries distinct potential harms of its own, according to a new report from HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Sep 2009

Innovative stroke treatment device to minimize brain damage

Driven by the emergency-room maxim, "Time is brain," NeuroInterventions, Inc. is prototyping an innovative stroke treatment device designed to speed up the restoration of blood flow and thus minimize brain damage.

14 Sep 2009

94-year-old crusader seeks ban on trans fats in the American diet

Fred Kummerow, a 94-year-old University of Illinois veterinary biosciences professor emeritus who still conducts research on the health effects of trans fats in the diet, filed the petition with the FDA last month. The petition is now posted on the FDA Web site, and public comments are invited. (See below for information on viewing the petition and making a comment.)

4 Sep 2009

Bextra qui tam lawsuit leads to Pfizer's whopping $2.3 billion settlement

The decision by a Pfizer sales representative in Florida to file a whistleblower ("qui tam") lawsuit in 2003 kicked off the federal and state investigations that led to Pfizer's record-breaking $2.3 billion settlement today.

3 Sep 2009

Irregular heartbeat is a common cause of stroke

Mellanie True Hills knows personally the toll that atrial fibrillation (afib) takes. Just two years ago, with a sense of urgency about afib that only a survivor can possess, she designated September as Atrial Fibrillation Month.

2 Sep 2009

Acute myocardial infarction: One of the leading causes of death in the Western world

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains one of the leading causes of death in the Western world, with prevalence predicted to increase dramatically in developing countries, especially India and China.

1 Sep 2009

Reperfusion therapy proves beneficial for patients with heart attacks

The wider use of reperfusion therapy in patients with heart attack (AMI) can save millions of lives in Europe. Effective reperfusion therapy in an AMI patient can cut the individual risk of dying by half.

1 Sep 2009

Warfarin therapy provides substantial protection for elder patients with atrial fibrillation

Warfarin (an oral anticoagulant) therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation - the most common type of significant heart rhythm disorder - appears to be most beneficial for the oldest patients, for those who have had a prior stroke and for patients with multiple risk factors for stroke, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.

1 Sep 2009

Cordis enrolls first patient in the CYPRESS clinical study

Cordis Corporation, a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of interventional vascular technology, announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in the CYPRESS study, which will assess clinical outcomes in a broad range of patients with coronary artery disease who take dual anti-platelet therapy after receiving a CYPHER Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent. The procedure was performed by Patrick Flaherty, D.O., Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock, AK.

31 Aug 2009

Health Net urges Americans to have their blood cholesterol measured

Tomorrow, September 1, marks the start of National Cholesterol Education Month. In support of this educational effort, Health Net, Inc., (NYSE: HNT) is encouraging those who haven't yet done so, to have their blood cholesterol measured and, if it's high, to embark on a cholesterol-lowering program.

31 Aug 2009

Oral dabigatran etexilate reduces the risk of stroke and systemic embolism

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced data from the landmark RE-LY® study - the largest atrial fibrillation (AF) outcomes trial ever conducted (18,113 patients in 44 countries worldwide) - presented for the first time at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. Results show that dabigatran etexilate 150mg BID significantly reduces the risk of stroke and systemic embolism by 34% (p<0.001) in patients with atrial fibrillation compared to well-controlled warfarin without increasing the risk of major bleeding.

31 Aug 2009

European Medicines Agency accepts reviewal of Merck's MAA for regulatory approval of vernakalant IV

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, announced today that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) accepted for review the Company’s Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for regulatory approval of vernakalant intravenous (IV).

27 Aug 2009

Optimum Lightpath chosen as telecommunications provider by Medical Arts Radiology

Optimum Lightpath(SM), a market leader in Ethernet-based communication solutions for New York metropolitan area businesses, today announced that Medical Arts Radiology, one of the largest medical imaging groups in Long Island, has selected Optimum Lightpath as its telecommunications provider.

26 Aug 2009

Patients enrolled in the TREAT Phase 3 study treated with Aranesp to a target hemoglobin of 13 g/dL

Amgen today announced that in a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (not requiring dialysis), anemia and type-2 diabetes (the Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Endpoints with Aranesp((R)) Therapy, or TREAT), treatment of anemia with Aranesp((R) )(darbepoetin alfa) to a hemoglobin target of 13 g/dL had no statistically significant effect on either of two primary endpoints compared with placebo treatment.

26 Aug 2009

New online educational forum for medical professionals from HMP Communications

HMP Communications, the authoritative source for education services targeting healthcare professionals for over two decades, announced it has added a new online educational forum at www.CardiovascularLIVE.com. The site offers video instruction and discussion forums for medical professionals.

26 Aug 2009