Chest Pain News and Research

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People without heart disease symptoms should use caution in obtaining cardiac imaging exams

At the radiation dose levels used in cardiac imaging exams, such as cardiac CT or nuclear medicine scans, the risk of potentially harmful effects from ionizing radiation are low.

2 Feb 2009

Drug-coated stents less risky for heart bypass patients

Coronary bypass surgery may carry less risk of serious complications if stents coated with a drug that suppresses cell growth are used in the procedure rather than bare-metal stents, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and colleagues have found.

23 Jan 2009

Non-surgical, non-pharmacological treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease compared

Two non-surgical, non-pharmacological treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) both appear effective in reducing medication use and improving voice and swallowing symptoms, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

19 Jan 2009

New diagnostic tool to measure blood flow could prevent needless stents

Doctors may be implanting too many artery-opening stents and could improve patient outcomes - and ultimately save lives - if they did more in-depth measurements of blood flow in the vessels to the heart.

15 Jan 2009

Phase 3 trial begins for Gammagard liquid plus rHuPH20 in primary immunodeficiency patients

Baxter International Inc. and Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. gas announced the start of a Phase 3 clinical trial of Baxter's Gammagard Liquid [Immune Globulin Intravenous] 10% (IGIV), marketed as KIOVIG in the European Union, with Halozyme's recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme (rHuPH20, Enhanze Technology) for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency (PID).

From Baxter International Inc. 5 Jan 2009

Appropriate use criteria for coronary revascularization

If you're committed to fitness, the decision to climb a couple of flights of stairs rather than take the elevator is clear. But if you develop chest pain on the way up, deciding how to treat the symptoms of clogged arteries in your heart is much more complicated.

5 Jan 2009

FDA to review prasugrel for acute coronary syndromes

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and Eli Lilly and Company has confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee (CRDAC) will review prasugrel during an advisory committee hearing on February 3, 2009.

1 Jan 2009

Alarm over high lead contamination of Esperance sea food

Alarm over high lead contamination of Esperance sea food. The presence of high concentrations of lead found in fish in a part of Western Australia has prompted a warning to people living in the Esperance area to avoid eating some local seafood.

8 Dec 2008

Interferon as long-term treatment for hepatitis C not effective

Use of the drug interferon as a long-term maintenance strategy to slow the progression of liver disease associated with the hepatitis C virus is ineffective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and their colleagues from nine other institutions have found in a multicenter study.

5 Dec 2008

Cardiac CT effectively assesses coronary artery stenosis

Cardiac CT can effectively assess coronary artery stenosis, according to a large study performed at Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands.

1 Dec 2008

Coronary CTA is a low cost, non-invasive alternative for evaluating coronary artery disease

Coronary CTA offers a low cost, non-invasive alternative to conventional angiography for evaluating patients who are suspected of having coronary artery disease; true even if the patients have calcified coronary artery plaques, according to a study performed at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.

1 Dec 2008

Advanced CT scans 100 percent accurate in checking for clogged arteries

In a development that researchers say is likely to quell concerns about the value of costly computed tomography (CT) scans to diagnose coronary artery blockages, an international team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins reports solid evidence that the newer, more powerful 64-CT scans can easily and correctly identify people with major blood vessel disease and is nearly as accurate as invasive coronary angiography.

26 Nov 2008

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics doses first patient in trial for severe coronary heart disease

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. , announced today that it has dosed the first patient in North America (NA) as part of its ACORD Phase II clinical trial to treat patients with severe coronary heart disease.

25 Nov 2008

Women more likely than men to be hospitalized for chest pain

Women are more likely than men to be hospitalized for chest pain for which doctors cannot find a cause, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

24 Nov 2008

Reminder, signs of a heart attack can be subtle

You know the drill: join the family for feasting on a high-fat, carbohydrate-filled meal followed by a generous slice of pumpkin pie

21 Nov 2008

African-Americans with depression and heart attack have greater risk of death

African-American patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and previously treated depression that persists at their MI hospitalization have an increased risk of post-MI death, according to Emory researcher Susmita Parashar, MD, MPH.

12 Nov 2008

Timing is everything for some heart attack patients

There is strong evidence that getting to the hospital quickly during a heart attack is critical, since early treatment saves both lives and heart muscle. And if the responsible coronary artery is completely blocked, it should be opened as soon as possible.

11 Nov 2008

Rivaroxaban shows promise in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Researchers reported on a study of a new oral anti-clotting agent - rivaroxaban - designed to identify doses that would be safe to test in subsequent Phase III efficacy and safety trials. The results of ATLAS ACS-TIMI 46 were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

11 Nov 2008

Exercise training safe in heart failure patients - offer clinical benefit

Exercise training is safe in heart failure patients, does not significantly reduce hospitalization or death, but is associated with several improved clinical outcomes, even in those already receiving optimal medical care, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. The Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training (HF-ACTION) was presented as a late-breaking clinical trial.

11 Nov 2008

Secondary prevention program may reduce risks after heart attack

An intensive, comprehensive, long-term secondary prevention program lasting up to three years after cardiac rehabilitation appears to reduce the risk of a second non-fatal heart attack and other cardiovascular events, according to a report in the November 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Nov 2008