Beta Blocker News and Research

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Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents (beta-blockers) are drugs with multiple actions on the heart. Blockade of beta-1 receptors results in slowing of heart rate, reduction in myocardial contractility, and lowering of systemic blood pressure. In the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which represents a state of reduced oxygen supply to the affected portion of the heart, these effects may be beneficial as they result in reduced myocardial workload and oxygen demand. Furthermore, beta-blockers may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, which are an important cause of death following AMI.

High blood pressure medications useful even in those without hypertension: Study

Researchers have studied existing evidence to suggest that people who have had a stroke or a heart attack might benefit from taking blood pressure medications, even if they do not have high blood. They noted that for every 1,000 people taking the drugs in clinical trials, on average 15 fewer died from heart disease than when the patients got dummy treatment. The study however could not explain the cause for this benefit. The study, which was funded by Tulane University and the National Institutes of Health, was published in the March 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1 Mar 2011

Research uncovers new details about protein interactions in retina

Science fiction novelist and scholar Issac Asimov once said, "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny.' " This recently rang true for an international team of researchers when they observed something they did not expect.

1 Mar 2011

Forest Laboratories third quarter net sales increase 6.7% to $1,063.9 million

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer, announced that reported earnings per share equaled $1.11 in the third quarter of fiscal 2011 after taking a charge for a new product licensing fee of $66.1 million or $0.23 per share, net of tax.

18 Jan 2011

Heart failure patients admitted to general wards twice as likely to die

Heart failure patients admitted to general wards are twice as likely to die as those admitted to cardiology wards, shows a national audit of the treatment of the condition, published online in the journal Heart.

18 Jan 2011

Older adults with recent heart attack, kidney dysfunction lack long-term medication adherence: Study

Among older adults with a recent heart attack, those with lower levels of kidney function are less likely to take their medications as prescribed, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

14 Jan 2011

Investigators find reduction in STEMI rates, but slight increase in NSTEMI incidence rates

Coronary syndromes vary in severity, ranging from unstable angina, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the most severe diagnosis. Little data exist about changing trends in acute myocardial infarction and whether death rates are increasing or decreasing.

13 Jan 2011

Top ten advances in cardiovascular, stroke research in 2010

Research on reducing risks, improving medical treatment and improving lifestyle behaviors to fight the battle against heart disease and stroke are among the key scientific findings that make up this year's top cardiovascular and stroke research recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

22 Dec 2010

Participants in CMS, Premier healthcare alliance HQID VBP project raise quality by 18.3%

With value-based purchasing (VBP) now law under health reform, hospitals participating in the nation's largest hospital VBP demonstration are providing lessons learned that can help others save lives and better craft rules to govern the new program.

20 Dec 2010

AHA recognizes UC Irvine Medical Center's commitment to high-quality cardiac care

The American Heart Association has recognized UC Irvine Healthcare's commitment to the highest standards of care for heart failure patients.

17 Dec 2010

Studies shows that social stress accelerates atherosclerosis development

Studies on genetically engineered mice show that social stress activates the immune system and accelerates the development of atherosclerosis. Commonly used drugs to reduce blood pressure, however, may stop this process. This is the conclusion of a thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

7 Dec 2010

Frisky old men - still keen and active: Sex study

According to the latest Australian study, men at 75 and older have not said good bye to their sex lives yet. They found that nearly one third of these older men were sexually active at least once a year -- including about 1 in 10 men aged 90 to 95. Many of these men have agreed that they would want more of sex and those not sexually active are blaming health issues, low testosterone or lack of partners. The findings appear in the Dec. 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

6 Dec 2010

Anti-stroke blood thinner shows promise in large clinical trials

In new and extensive clinical trials an experimental blood thinner called rivaroxaban is at least as good at preventing strokes as the drug warfarin – that has been the most widely used agent for the past five decades in people with erratic heartbeats called atrial fibrillations. Researchers said this Monday that this drug also sharply reduces the risk of major bleeding that is seen with warfarin.

16 Nov 2010

Diuretic lessens risk of death from mild heart failure: Study

A new study shows that diuretic pill Inspra (generic – Eplerenone) cuts down the risk of death and hospitalization among people with mild heart failure. The drug that is widely used to treat advanced heart failure, also has value for people with mild disease, says lead researcher Faiez Zannad, of Nancy University in Nancy, France. The results were reported at the American Heart Association's annual meeting and published simultaneously online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

16 Nov 2010

$Beta blockers for high blood pressure also reduce fracture risk: Study$

Beta blockers for high blood pressure also reduce fracture risk: Study

Beta blockers, one of the most commonly used types of cardiovascular drugs, taken by about 20 per cent of the population, have been found to cut a person's incidence of bone fracture by half. This new and welcome side effect was reported by Professor Tuan Nguyen from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research and his Australian-based colleagues. “Indeed, we found that men and women who used beta-blockers had a 50 per cent lower risk of fracture than those not using beta blockers… We were very excited about the finding because, as you know, a lot of elderly people use beta blockers ... it’s a very significant public health issue,” he said.

8 Nov 2010

QLT third quarter sales decreases 12.9% to $20.5 million

QLT Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010. Unless specified otherwise, all amounts are in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

3 Nov 2010

miRagen and CU enter agreement on miRNA therapeutics discovery and development

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, and the University of Colorado (CU) announced today that they have entered into sponsored research and licensing agreements to collaborate on miRNA therapeutics discovery and development.

26 Oct 2010

Forest Laboratories second quarter net sales increase 7.7% to $1,037.3 million

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer, announced that diluted earnings per share equaled $1.00 in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

19 Oct 2010

Proper dosing of beta blockers can save many lives after heart attack

For nearly 40 years a class of drugs known as beta blockers have been proven to increase patients' survival prospects following a heart attack by decreasing the cardiac workload and oxygen demand on the heart. In a breakthrough study released in the American Heart Journal, Northwestern Medicine cardiologist Jeffrey J. Goldberger found the majority of patients are frequently not receiving a large enough dose of these drugs, which can put their recovery from heart attacks and overall health into peril.

15 Oct 2010

Behavioral management and preventive medication can combat migraine: Research

The combination of preventive medication and behavioral changes offered significant relief for 77 percent of the individuals enrolled in a study aimed at combating frequent, disabling migraine headaches, according to new Ohio University research published this week in the British Medical Journal.

12 Oct 2010

DecImmune Therapeutics receives funds to improve ischemia reperfusion injury outcomes

DecImmune Therapeutics announced today that it has received a $1 million equity investment from Astellas Venture Management and has additionally been awarded $2.2 million in Phase II SBIR funding from the National Institutes of Health.

28 Sep 2010