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.

Arginetix raises funds for development programs

Arginetix, Inc. today announced it has closed a $10.75 million Series A financing. The company is developing small molecule inhibitors of the enzyme arginase for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis and asthma.

2 Oct 2009

Effect of healthcare reform on treating cardiovascular disease patients

The Ninth Annual Controversies and Advances in Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease continuing medical education conference will feature several discussions and presentations on how healthcare reform could affect cardiovascular disease patients' diagnosis, treatment and outcome.

1 Oct 2009

Study links stress and stroke

Many patients urgently admitted to hospital with cerebral infarction state that they were under great stress over a prolonged period prior to suffering their stroke, is shown in a unique patient study conducted in cooperation between the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden.

1 Oct 2009

Resverlogix RVX-208 exceeds expectations in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial

Resverlogix Corp. announced today that results from the Company's Phase 1b/2a clinical trial have met and exceeded expectations by successfully concluding the drug, RVX-208, is safe and tolerable. Most importantly RVX-208 has met its primary endpoint to increase the production of plasma ApoA-I, the key cardioprotective protein in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often referred to as "good" cholesterol.

1 Oct 2009

Cost-effective screening test for coronary artery disease

A simple, non-invasive test appears to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with silent heart disease who are at risk for a heart attack or sudden death.

1 Oct 2009

Latest optical and laser technology in medicine displayed at FiO meeting

From scopes that help premature babies breathe to techniques for imaging live neurons and beating hearts as they develop, the latest optical and laser technology being deployed in medicine and the biosciences will be on display at the Optical Society's (OSA) Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO), which takes place Oct. 11-15 at the Fairmont San Jose Hotel and the Sainte Claire Hotel in San Jose, Calif.

1 Oct 2009

Former professional players have fewer risks of heart attacks

Former professional football players with large bodies don't appear to have the same risk factors for heart disease as their non-athletic counterparts, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in studying a group of National Football League (NFL) alumni.

30 Sep 2009

Misregulation of SPAK protein may contribute to B-cell lymphoma development

A group led by Dr. Michael Teitell at UCLA has demonstrated that misregulation of the protein SPAK may contribute to B-cell lymphoma development. Their report can be found in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

28 Sep 2009

PROSPECT clinical trial results announced

Abbott today announced primary results from its groundbreaking PROSPECT (Providing Regional Observations to Study Predictors of Events in the Coronary Tree) clinical trial.

25 Sep 2009

NDA submitted to the FDA for new osteoarthritis drug

NicOx S.A. today announced that a New Drug Application (NDA) for naproxcinod has been submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking approval for an indication for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The NDA file contains data from three large pivotal phase 3 studies, all of which met their co-primary efficacy endpoints. NicOx plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for naproxcinod to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in Q4 2009.

25 Sep 2009

Multi-modality imaging to identify plaque

Late-breaking results from the PROSPECT clinical trial shed new light on the types of vulnerable plaque that are most likely to cause sudden, unexpected adverse cardiac events, and on the ability to identify them through imaging techniques before they occur.

25 Sep 2009

Athera Biotechnologies and ALPCO sign distribution agreement

Athera Biotechnologies AB, an atherosclerosis R&D company developing novel products for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and ALPCO, a company providing high quality research immunoassays, announced today that they have signed a distribution agreement.

25 Sep 2009

NIH grants $2.5M for the study of physical forces on cell function

The National Institutes of Health today announced an award of $2.5 million to a team led by Boston University biomedical engineer Bela Suki that will study the role of physical forces on cell function, with the goal of understanding the possible roles of these forces in diseases like atherosclerosis, neuro-degenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, aging and cancer.

24 Sep 2009

Celera and Medco collaborate in KIF6 gene variant testing

Celera Corporation (NASDAQ:CRA) and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MHS), today announced that they have entered into a research collaboration to evaluate whether testing for a gene variant called KIF6 increases patient adherence with statin therapy. Current studies have suggested that only about 50 to 60 percent of the patients who receive a prescription for a lipid-lowering drug are taking the medication after six months.

23 Sep 2009

NicOx announces publication of blood pressure results from the phase 3 study of naproxcinod

NicOx S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris: COX) today announced that an important scientific article has been published in the September issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. The publication describes the blood pressure results from the 301 phase 3 study for naproxcinod in detail. Naproxcinod is the first-in-class Cyclooxygenase-Inhibiting Nitric Oxide Donating (CINOD) anti-inflammatory agent for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA).

22 Sep 2009

Cook Medical launches the CE Marked Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent for treating PAD

In a breakthrough development that could dramatically reduce the number of leg amputations and painful bypass graft surgeries performed annually on European patients, a first-of-its kind drug-eluting stent for a widespread form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is now available to physicians throughout the European Union.

21 Sep 2009

Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals receives U.S. patent for RX-10045

Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading Resolvin therapeutics company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent (U.S. Patent 7,582,785) covering composition of matter for RX-10045, the first Resolvin therapeutic to enter clinical trials.

19 Sep 2009

Study compares annual healthcare costs of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals

Risk factors for metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood lipid levels, can increase a person's healthcare costs nearly 1.6-fold, or about $2,000 per year. For each additional risk factor those costs rise an average of 24%, according to an illuminating article in a recent issue of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

18 Sep 2009

NIH to fund grants for epigenetic research

The National Institutes of Health announced today that it will fund 22 grants on genome-wide studies of how epigenetic changes -- chemical modifications to genes that result from diet, aging, stress, or environmental exposures -- define and contribute to specific human diseases and biological processes.

17 Sep 2009

Calcium stones and cell death is linked to prolonged stressful conditions

Study shows prolonged stress sparks ER to release calcium stores and induce cell death in aging-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and neurodegeneration

15 Sep 2009