Heart News and Research

RSS

A diet of flaxseed shows protective effects against radiation in mice

Flax has been part of human history for well over 30,000 years, used for weaving cloth, feeding people and animals, and even making paint. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that it might have a new use for the 21st century: protecting healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation.

10 Aug 2011

Scientists reveal why human heart has little regenerative capacity

Stem cell researchers at UCLA have uncovered for the first time why adult human cardiac myocytes have lost their ability to proliferate, perhaps explaining why the human heart has little regenerative capacity.

10 Aug 2011

Researchers demonstrate contribution of Immunoglobulin E to atherogenesis

There is an observed correlation between Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels atherosclerosis, with twice amount of IgE present in patients with acute myocardial infarction as in patients with stable angina or without coronary heart disease (CHD). Guo-Ping Shi, DSc, Jing Wang, MD, PhD, and colleagues in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), have demonstrated the direct participation of IgE in atherogenesis in a mouse model.

10 Aug 2011

First renal denervation with Medtronic Symplicity Catheter System performed in Latin America

Medtronic today announced the first use in Latin America of renal denervation with the Medtronic Symplicity Catheter System™ to treat a patient with resistant hypertension, which is defined as high blood pressure despite treatment with three or more anti-hypertensive medications. Hypertension is an especially dangerous disease affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

From Medtronic 10 Aug 2011

Music and music therapy may benefit cancer patients

Cancer patients may benefit from sessions with trained music therapists or from listening to music. Using music can reduce anxiety in cancer patients, and may also have positive effects on mood, pain and quality of life, according to a new Cochrane systematic review led by Dr. Joke Bradt, an associate professor in Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions.

10 Aug 2011

Improved patient selection and practice patterns may lower number of negative tests for CAD

Hospitals vary markedly when it comes to the rate at which diagnostic coronary angiography or catheterization - an invasive procedure that allows doctors to see the vessels and arteries leading to the heart - actually finds obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in people without known heart disease.

10 Aug 2011

Marshfield Clinic improves quality of health care and decreases Medicare costs

When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated its Physician Group Practice (PGP) Demonstration, it challenged the 10 participating large physician group practices to prove that providing high quality coordinated health care could also save money.

9 Aug 2011

Positive data from Lexicon LX1032 Phase 2 study on carcinoid syndrome

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced positive, top-line proof-of-concept data from its recently completed Phase 2 study in carcinoid syndrome with LX1032, telotristat etiprate. Carcinoid syndrome is a chronic condition caused by neuroendocrine tumors that usually originate from the gastrointestinal tract.

9 Aug 2011

Psychologists reveal how people really feel about video games

TWO lecturers at the University of Huddersfield have uncovered new research that contradicts a wide stream of consciousness in the media.

9 Aug 2011

Researchers clarify role of two proteins key to T-cell development

In the latest issue of Nature, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania clarify the role of two proteins key to T-cell development.

9 Aug 2011

UCSD opens first cardiovascular center in the San Diego region

UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (SCVC) will officially open its doors to the public on Monday, August 8 after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) certified the SCVC for patient care.

9 Aug 2011

Los Alamos team sees unprecedented proof of ion's role in enzymatic process

A Los Alamos National Laboratory research team has harnessed neutrons to view for the first time the critical role that an elusive molecule plays in certain biological reactions. The effort could aid in treatment of peptic ulcers or acid reflux disease, or allow for more efficient conversion of woody waste into transportation fuels.

9 Aug 2011

Researchers identify new source for sexual problems in middle-aged, older men

Researchers have found a potential new source for sexual problems among middle-aged and older men: the relationships between their female partners and the men's closest friends.

9 Aug 2011

Continuous positive airway pressure machine more effective for sleep apnea patients

Among the treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, the effectiveness of a nighttime-breathing machine called a "CPAP" was backed by the strongest evidence, and a mouthpiece worn at night was also shown to be effective, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

9 Aug 2011

GE Healthcare receives FDA clearance for Optima CT660 system

GE Healthcare today announced FDA clearance of Optima CT660 - a powerful and compact Computed Tomography (CT) system offering improvements from its predecessors in diagnostic capabilities at low dose levels, and designed for sustainability and ease-of-use.

9 Aug 2011

Debate on rationality of coronary angiography in low risk patients continues

A new study reveals that American hospitals vary widely in how they decide who's eligible for an invasive type of heart scan.

9 Aug 2011

Provider groups weigh in with Supreme Court on Calif. Medicaid case; Fla. docs oppose Medicaid revamp

In other Medicaid news, Texas switches its Medicaid recipients to cards instead of using monthly proof-of-coverage letters to save cash while some advocates worry that children's health could be at risk.

9 Aug 2011

Test for ticking biological clock

Researchers from St Andrews University, Scotland have been able to chart the levels of a vital fertility hormone in women of different ages thus essentially detect their biological clocks.

9 Aug 2011

Exercise key to recovery in cancer

According to a new study exercise may also benefit cancer patients. Macmillan Cancer Support (a British cancer charity) report called ‘Move More’ says that cancer survivors are at risk for relapse or other long term health benefits because they are not active enough.

8 Aug 2011

Soy useless for menopause

In their two year study they found that there were no differences in changes in bone density or menopausal symptoms between women taking soy and those taking a placebo, although women taking isoflavones did have more hot flashes, Dr. Silvina Levis of the University of Miami and colleagues reported in the August 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

8 Aug 2011