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Drug lowers inflammatory markers associated with risk for heart attack

A preliminary study suggests that use of a drug that inhibits a specific protein in patients with certain genetic variants that increase their risk for heart attack reduced their levels of inflammatory markers associated with heart attack risk, according to a study in the May 11 issue of JAMA.

10 May 2005

New study suggests Pioglitazone HCl may significantly improve key predictors of cardiovascular risk

Study results published in the May 17th issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, found that the diabetes medication pioglitazone HCl reduced carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Patients taking pioglitazone also experienced significant reductions in insulin resistance, C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) and blood pressure, all of which contribute to the overall risk for cardiovascular disease.

9 May 2005

Antibiotics do not prevent heart attacks

Clinicians and researchers have found that more than three quarters of heart attack patients have been infected with chlamydia pneumoniae - a bacteria found in arteries of heart attack patients - and multiple studies have found this can double the risk of developing subsequent heart attacks.

27 Apr 2005

Obesity and insulin resistance fuels cardiovascular risk factors in teens

Obesity and insulin resistance are a menacing tag team that fuels cardiovascular risk factors in teens, according to a study reported in an obesity-themed issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Apr 2005

Statins used before or after strokes improve outcomes

New research into the use of statins before or after a stroke has shown that a patients recovery after an ischemic stroke can be improved.

12 Apr 2005

Airway inflammation boosts infarction damage

Epidemiological studies show that the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications are increased in long standing cases of asthma. Historically, the complications are often attributed to the chronic drug therapy used to treat asthma.

3 Apr 2005

Cranberry juice may help protect against heart disease

Protection against a wide variety of diseases is among the many benefits of a diet high in whole fruits and vegetables. Cranberries over the years have been identified with preventing or ameliorating urinary tract infections and playing a positive role gum disease, ulcers and even cancer.

3 Apr 2005

Vegetarians who don't cook their food have abnormally low bone mass

Vegetarians who don't cook their food have abnormally low bone mass, usually a sign of osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. But a research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis also found that raw food vegetarians have other biological markers indicating their bones, although light in weight, may be healthy.

28 Mar 2005

Link between C-reactive protein, heart disease and stroke

The cells that line the arteries are able to produce C-reactive protein, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the April issue of American Journal of Pathology.

16 Mar 2005

Beneficial effects of Alpha-Linolenic acid in walnuts

The recently-announced USDA dietary guidelines stress the need for consumers to be more aware of the benefits of polyunsaturated essential omega-3 fatty acids in order to achieve a healthy diet. Many people look to fish, such as salmon, for omega-3s, but plant sources such as walnuts are also specifically noted in the USDA recommendations.

15 Mar 2005

Heart disease risk in older women identified by simple blood test

Postmenopausal women who are not identified by traditional cardiovascular risk factors, could benefit from a simple blood test to show their white blood cell (WBC) count which may predict cardiovascular events and risk of death.

15 Mar 2005

Simple blood test may help to predict cardiovascular risk in older women

White blood cell (WBC) count may predict cardiovascular events and risk of death in postmenopausal women who are not currently identified by traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to an article in the March 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Mar 2005

Link between cardiovascular disease and periodontal bacteria

Researchers report this week that older adults who have higher proportions of four periodontal-disease-causing bacteria inhabiting their mouths also tend to have thicker carotid arteries, a strong predictor of stroke and heart attack.

14 Mar 2005

Gene identified that confers susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration

By combining the tools of high-throughput biology and statistical genetics, scientists at Rockefeller University, Yale University School of Public Health and the National Eye Institute have identified a gene that confers susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of vision loss in the United Sates for those over 60.

14 Mar 2005

Childhood obesity is a serious health problem in Australia

Professor Michael Booth, co-director of the University of Sydney's Centre for Overweight and Obesity, said teenagers were already showing signs of serious illness caused by their weight.

24 Feb 2005

Link between heart disease and periodontal bacteria

7 Feb 2005

Soy may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Every 34 seconds, an American man or woman dies of cardiovascular disease. Now, research suggests that a diet rich in soybean oil can help. Two new studies shed light on the power of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to reduce heart disease risk. Soybean oil provides an excellent source of ALA, as do leafy greens, some nuts and flax.

12 Jan 2005

Statins lower C-reactive protein (CRP), a major new risk factor for heart disease marked by inflammation

For years, doctors have believed that statin therapy lowers the risk of heart disease solely by lowering levels of cholesterol.

9 Jan 2005

Reduced progression of atherosclerosis tied to statin drugs lowering fats, protein

Aggressive therapy with statins -- drugs that inhibit cholesterol synthesis -- works better than moderate statin therapy in reducing fats and proteins in the blood that have been linked to atherosclerosis, a new multi-center study concludes. Statins’ effects on both complex compounds appear beneficial in cutting patients’ cardiovascular risks.

6 Jan 2005

Sticking to one diet plan key to losing weight

A comparison of four popular diet plans finds that the key to losing weight may not be which diet plan a person picks, but sticking with the plan that is chosen, according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2005