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Ultra-fast 320-detector CT scanner can accurately diagnose arterial blockages

An ultra-fast, 320-detector computed tomography (CT) scanner can accurately sort out which people with chest pain need - or don't need - an invasive procedure such as cardiac angioplasty or bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the heart, according to an international study. Results of the study, which involved 381 patients at 16 hospitals in eight countries, are scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany, on August 28.

29 Aug 2012

‘Bioactive’ coils disappoint for cerebral aneurysms

The angiographic outcomes of patients in the Cerecyte Coil Trial add to evidence that “bioactive” coils are no better than bare platinum coils in patients with cerebral aneurysms.

3 Aug 2012

Researchers begin to uncover important clues about SCAD

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a tear of the layers of the artery wall that can block normal blood flow into and around the heart, is a relatively rare and poorly understood condition. It often strikes young, otherwise healthy people -- mostly women -- and can lead to significant heart damage, even sudden death.

17 Jul 2012

New noninvasive imaging technique may help detect heart transplant rejection in children

Cardiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive imaging technique that may help determine whether children who have had heart transplants are showing early signs of rejection. The technique could reduce the need for these patients to undergo invasive imaging tests every one to two years.

14 Jul 2012

Left ventriculography being routinely performed during coronary angiogram

An invasive heart test used routinely to measure heart function is being dramatically overused, especially among patients who recently underwent similar, more effective tests, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

7 Apr 2012

AIUM announces 2012 EER grant recipients

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) announced the recipients of its 2012 Endowment for Education and Research (EER) grants at the 2012 AIUM Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

6 Apr 2012

Detailed CT scan can safely and quickly rule out possibility of heart attack

A highly detailed CT scan of the heart can safely and quickly rule out the possibility of a heart attack among many patients who come to hospital emergency rooms with chest pain, according to the results of a study that will be presented by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session and published concurrently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

27 Mar 2012

CT scan as effective as MRI in predicting recurrent stroke risk

New research from the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) shows that using a CT (computerised tomography) scan, doctors can predict if patients who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, with neurological symptoms such as weakness or speech issues, are at risk for another more severe stroke.

27 Feb 2012

Study finds poor QOL in South Asians with coronary artery disease

In a first-of-its-kind study in Canada, Kevin Bainey of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has discovered that South Asians who live in Alberta with coronary disease experience a lower quality of life.

16 Feb 2012

Einstein, Montefiore experts available to discuss effects of radiation dose and exposure

Experts from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are available for interviews on topics ranging from effects of radiation dose and exposure to MRI imaging to detect brain damage in soccer players due to "heading" and cancer post-treatment imaging during the annual Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly.

24 Nov 2011

New CAD test associated with higher rates of cardiac procedures, health-care spending

A new, noninvasive diagnostic test for coronary artery disease is associated with a higher rate of subsequent invasive cardiac procedures and higher health-care spending. That's according to an observational study of Medicare recipients conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

16 Nov 2011

Stanford Hospital uses new device to treat brain aneurysm

If Barbara Maluo's brain aneurysm had been discovered a few months ago, she would have had few viable treatment options. She was one of the 10 to 15 percent of brain aneurysm patients diagnosed each year with aneurysms so large and wide that they cannot be reliably treated using conventional methods of treatment.

1 Nov 2011

Genetic variant may increase severity of coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first genetic variant associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

29 Sep 2011

Latest Consumer Reports Index: 16.3% of Americans unable to pay medical bills

When we visit our doctors, we don't typically think of ourselves as "consumers" or buyers of health care, but in these tough times, that is precisely the role a patient needs to play to avoid drowning in a sea of medical bills.

6 Sep 2011

Asymptomatic patients do not benefit from CT angiography screening

Coronary computed tomographic angiography, which can detect plaque buildup in heart vessels, is sometimes used as a screening tool to assess the risk for a heart attack. However, the usefulness of the test on low-risk patients who do not have coronary symptoms, such as chest pain, has been unclear.

24 May 2011

New research shows iPhone app can accurately detect stroke

New research from the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine shows that doctors can make a stroke diagnosis using an iPhone application with the same accuracy as a diagnosis at a medical computer workstation.

10 May 2011

Avastin, Lucentis are equally effective for age-related macular degeneration treatment

Age-related macular degeneration, a disease that damages the retina and can destroy central vision, affects approximately 1.6 million Americans. For the past five years, there has been active debate over treatment options for AMD patients because ophthalmologists have not had accurate data regarding the true efficacy of the most commonly used medication.

29 Apr 2011

Women more likely to develop kidney damage after coronary angiogram

Women are at higher risk than men of developing kidney damage after undergoing a coronary angiogram, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

28 Apr 2011

New method of detecting pre-atherosclerotic regions using MEMS thermal sensor

New method could sensitively detect pre-atherosclerotic regions that otherwise showed no clinical signs of atherosclerosis

8 Mar 2011

Story of the heart: Literally as well as metaphorically

Stephen Amidon, a novelist and co-author of The Sublime Engine: A Biography of the Human Heart, writes about the story of the human heart through the world of science, history, culture and our bodies with his brother Thomas who is a practicing cardiologist in Montana and a former medical director of The Hope Heart Institute. Thomas said, “Ironically, I did an angiogram on a patient last week who had very calcified and hardened arteries that were almost precisely in the shape of the Valentine heart… But I don't think the early depicters of that heart shape had access to the same view of the heart that I have.”

14 Feb 2011