Blood Vessels News and Research

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Asclera injection receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Asclera (polidocanol) injection for the treatment of small types of abnormally swollen or twisted veins called varicose veins.

31 Mar 2010

Chocolate can lower blood pressure and reduce risk of heart disease: Study

Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for you - at least in small quantities and preferably if it's dark chocolate - according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. The study is published online today (Wednesday 31 March) in the European Heart Journal.

30 Mar 2010

Call to ban Miaow-Miaow - Mephedrone

Mephedrone also known as “m-cat” or “miaow-miaow” is a synthetic stimulant drug that has effects similar to amphetamines and ecstasy. Mephedrone use has spread fast in UK since it emerged at a pop festival on the Isle of Wight in July last year.

30 Mar 2010

Plaques in blood vessels may break by overproducing protein-digesting enzymes

University of Washington (UW) researchers have gathered evidence that dangerous plaques in blood vessels can rupture by overproducing protein-digesting enzymes. Plaques are fat-laden rough spots in the otherwise smooth walls of arteries. When a plaque ruptures, blood accumulates inside of it, a process known as plaque hemorrhage. The plaque enlarges and artery-blocking clots can form. If the flow of oxygen-rich blood is restricted, a heart attack, stroke, or damage to other organs can occur.

30 Mar 2010

Gene expression in breast tissue may help explain pregnancy-associated breast cancer

Expression of inflammatory-related genes in breast tissue of women who have previously given birth may explain the aggressiveness and frequency of pregnancy-associated breast cancer, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

30 Mar 2010

TB-causing bacteria can hijack fat metabolism to drive progression of the disease

The factors instrumental in triggering latent tuberculosis infection to progress into active disease have long remained elusive to researchers. New insight into the mystery is provided by Professor David Russell, speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburgh today. His work could help develop innovative strategies for treating the disease.

29 Mar 2010

WinRho SDF for ITP: Cangene announces new safety information

Cangene Corporation, in consultation with Health Canada, is informing Canadian patients and healthcare professionals of important new safety information concerning the use of WinRho SDF (Rho (D) Immune Globulin (Human)) for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura, also called immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP. WinRho SDF belongs to a group of biological medicines derived from human plasma known as immunoglobulins. It is administered in hospitals by infusion through the veins.

27 Mar 2010

READ 3 study for DME begins enrolling participants

A Phase II clinical trial for a promising treatment for diabetic eye disease has begun enrolling participants.

27 Mar 2010

New topical drug may help treat diabetic eye disease

Early-stage human clinical trials showed that a new topical drug was safe and had biological effects in a type of diabetic eye disease, and may offer researchers a new approach to prevent and treat diabetic macular edema.

26 Mar 2010

Animal study shows chymase inhibitors could advance treatments for high BP and heart failure

Millions of patients with high blood pressure and heart failure take a class of drugs known as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. These drugs prevent the body from processing angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels.

26 Mar 2010

Tips offered in April 2010 issue of American Journal Of Pathology

A group led by Dr. Massimo Loda at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA has generated a preclinical model of human prostate cancer that mimics the genetic and growth behavior of primary tumors. Their report can be found in the April 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

25 Mar 2010

Bergen research group adopts nanotechnology for cancer research

Professor James Lorens and his team at the University of Bergen's Department of Biomedicine are using nanotechnology to study how to make cells form new blood vessels, both within the patient's body and in the laboratory. In the next phase the team will use this knowledge to investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the progression of cancer.

24 Mar 2010

Elderly patients with moderate sleep apnea live longer than their counterparts, says study

Findings from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology could provide good news for elderly patients who suffer from sleep apnea. The research results from Prof. Peretz Lavie and Dr. Lena Lavie of the Faculty of Medicine show that elderly patients with moderate sleep apnea live longer than their counterparts in the general population.

24 Mar 2010

Single dose of Pain Therapeutics' PTI-188 decreased melanoma tumors: Study

Pain Therapeutics, Inc. today announced encouraging clinical data with PTI-188, an early-stage drug for metastatic melanoma. Metastatic melanoma is a lethal form of skin cancer in which patients typically have a median survival time of 9 months.

24 Mar 2010

Children with neurofibromatosis more likely to have cardiovascular problems

Researchers have discovered how a genetic disease known mainly for its life-threatening tumors also can cause sudden death from cardiovascular disease in children, and are mounting a clinical trial to develop treatments for the problem.

24 Mar 2010

Toshiba’s new V-TRACE MRA for brain imaging

When imaging the brain, time is critical as vascular abnormalities can have a profound effect on patients’ lives if not diagnosed quickly. To help health care facilities diagnose disease with greater accuracy and speed, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has introduced Variable True Rate Angiography with Combined Encodings, an exclusive MRA sequence available on all Vantage TitanTM and Vantage Atlas® MR systems.

22 Mar 2010

Cancer radiotherapy can increase risk of cardiovascular disease later in life

For an as yet unknown reason, cancer radiotherapy can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, a problem that is growing as more and more people survive their cancer diagnosis. New research from Karolinska Institutet now suggests that sustained inflammation induced by post-radiotherapy changes in the gene expression in the arteries could be the cause.

22 Mar 2010

Own blood plasma injection may provide relief for tendinopathy, where traditional treatment fails

When tendon trouble -- such as tennis elbow or Achilles tendon pain -- doesn’t respond to traditional treatment, an injection of the patient’s own blood plasma into the tendon may provide relief.

22 Mar 2010

FDA panel favors approval with conditions of Medtronic's Revo MRI SureScan pacing system

Medtronic, Inc.today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee has voted unanimously in favor of approval with conditions of the Revo MRI™ SureScan™ pacing system designed as MR Conditional, or safe for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems under specified conditions.

20 Mar 2010

Cedars-Sinai Neurovascular Center's clinical trial of minimally invasive stenting procedure for TIA

Individuals between 30 and 80 years of age, who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or non-severe stroke within the past 30 days, and who cannot be treated surgically, may be eligible to participate in a Phase III clinical trial of a minimally invasive stenting procedure at the Cedars-Sinai Neurovascular Center. The study will focus specifically on patients who have had an intracranial artery narrowed by at least 70 percent and who are experiencing recurrent strokes or TIAs despite being on anti-clotting medication.

19 Mar 2010