Heart News and Research

RSS

Researchers find kidney-specific gene defects may increase risk of heart failure

Scientists have identified the first DNA sequence variant common in the population that is not only associated with an increased risk of heart failure, but appears to play a role in causing it.

18 Jan 2011

Platelet-rich plasma shows a promising biologic treatment for myocardial infarction: Study

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, in collaboration with BioParadox, Inc., have published data supporting the use of platelet-rich plasma as a promising biologic treatment for myocardial infarction.

18 Jan 2011

Pharmacists can help patients to manage their medication and stop smoking

Consulting a pharmacist, or other healthcare professional, when quitting smoking boosts a patient's chance of long-term success from three per cent to 30 per cent.

17 Jan 2011

Beer cheers for health: Study look at beer, Mediterranean diet and heart

A new study shows that people who drink moderate amounts of beer, ale or lager reduce their risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. The study involved 1,249 volunteers over 57 years old who combined a Mediterranean diet (fish, olive oil, and fruits and vegetables) with exercise and up to a pint of beer a day. People, who drank beer in moderation, had a lower body fat content.

17 Jan 2011

Brought back to life after heart stopped beating for three hours

Engineer Arun Bhasin, 53, fell unconscious in Croydon, south London, in December in temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius after falling in the street and hitting his head. He was taken to the hospital, but he suffered a cardiac arrest.

16 Jan 2011

Smoking harms DNA within minutes: Study

According to the latest research in the US, smoking tobacco damages the body in minutes rather than years. The study was published in the Chemical Research in Toxicology revealed that the chemicals which cause cancer form rapidly after smoking.

16 Jan 2011

Painkillers and heart attack risk

A new study has shown that taking certain commonly used painkillers for long periods or in high doses increases the risk of heart attacks or strokes. The study comes from researchers from Bern University and is published in the British Medical Journal.

16 Jan 2011

Research roundup: Racial disparities in cancer and other care, nursing home closures, extending drugmakers' exclusivity

Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Projections Of The Cost Of Cancer Care In The United States: 2010-2020 - "By combining cancer prevalence with average annual costs of cancer care by phase of care and tumor site for 13 cancers in men and 16 cancers in women" and "all cancer sites combined," the authors project there will be just over 18 million cancer survivors in 2020 compared to 13.8 million survivors in 2010.

14 Jan 2011

Tips to comfort people in bereavement

"People are very uncomfortable when they try to comfort someone who is grieving. If you say the wrong thing, you can actually make matters worse," said Aurora Winter, Founder of the Grief Coach Academy, and author of "From Heartbreak to Happiness."

14 Jan 2011

Endosense, Siemens Healthcare enter joint catheter ablation development project

Endosense, a Swiss medical technology company, and Siemens Healthcare, one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry, have agreed to commence a joint development project intended to integrate the contact-force data provided by Endosense's TactiCath® force-sensing ablation catheter with Siemens' electrophysiology solutions.

14 Jan 2011

Unintended direct conflict between pharmaceutical marketing and public health

Drugs that pharmaceutical companies market most aggressively to physicians and patients tend to offer less benefit and more harm to most patients - a phenomenon described as the "inverse benefit law" in a paper from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

14 Jan 2011

Scientists develop Australia's first pluripotent stem cell lines using skin biopsies for FA disease

Scientists have developed Australia's first adult induced pluripotent stem cell lines using skin biopsies from patients with the rare genetic disease Friedreich Ataxia.

14 Jan 2011

Judge orders Guidant to pay $296 million fine for withholding information about faulty heart devices

This Boston Scientific Corp. subsidiary faces this fine as well as three years of probation as part of a case that began in 2005.

14 Jan 2011

BIOTRONIK announces FDA IDE approval and first patient enrollment for TOCCASTAR clinical trial

BIOTRONIK SE Co. & KG highlights two key milestones toward receiving premarket approval (PMA) of the TactiCath, a novel technology for treating atrial fibrillation (AF): FDA IDE (investigational device exemption) approval and the first patient enrollment of the TOCCASTAR (TactiCath Contact Force Ablation Catheter Study for Atrial Fibrillation) clinical trial.

14 Jan 2011

GOP leaders reformulate strategies to undo health law

In the wake of last weekend's shootings in Arizona, GOP House leaders are contemplating ways to proceed with their planned health law repeal vote. Meanwhile, even as the debate continues — perhaps with more civility — The Washington Post offers a fact-check of one of the key points in play.

14 Jan 2011

'Pacemaker' Hcn4 gene responsible for generation of repetitive activity in SAN tissue and heart rate regulation

The study of Dario DiFrancesco and his equipe identifies the "pacemaker" Hcn4 gene as the gene functionally responsible for the generation of repetitive activity in sinoatrial node tissue and for the regulation of heart rate. Hcn4 codes for HCN4 channels, the molecular components of "funny" ion channels of pacemaker cells of the sinoatrial node (SAN) tissue.

14 Jan 2011

New research shows hospital's design features can improve patient care, reduce health care expenses

Extra large private hospital rooms with plenty of natural light and artwork may seem like unaffordable luxuries, but new research shows that these and other architecture and design features can improve patient care and in the long run reduce health care expenses.

14 Jan 2011

Merck announces changes in vorapaxar clinical studies

Merck today provided the following statement on the changes to the clinical studies for vorapaxar, one of the Company's investigational cardiovascular medicines, following an announcement from the two academic centers leading the studies of vorapaxar.

14 Jan 2011

American Heart Association urges public to reduce salt intake

The American Heart Association today issued a call to action for the public, health professionals, the food industry and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium Americans consume daily.

14 Jan 2011

Patients on dialysis may face risk of death from atrial fibrillation: Study

The abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, is increasingly common in patients on dialysis and is linked to a sharp rise in death, in an already at-risk population, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

14 Jan 2011

Heart News and Research

Researchers find kidney-specific gene defects may increase risk of heart failure

Platelet-rich plasma shows a promising biologic treatment for myocardial infarction: Study

Pharmacists can help patients to manage their medication and stop smoking

Beer cheers for health: Study look at beer, Mediterranean diet and heart

Brought back to life after heart stopped beating for three hours

Smoking harms DNA within minutes: Study

Painkillers and heart attack risk

Research roundup: Racial disparities in cancer and other care, nursing home closures, extending drugmakers' exclusivity

Tips to comfort people in bereavement

Endosense, Siemens Healthcare enter joint catheter ablation development project

Unintended direct conflict between pharmaceutical marketing and public health

Scientists develop Australia's first pluripotent stem cell lines using skin biopsies for FA disease

Judge orders Guidant to pay $296 million fine for withholding information about faulty heart devices

BIOTRONIK announces FDA IDE approval and first patient enrollment for TOCCASTAR clinical trial

GOP leaders reformulate strategies to undo health law

'Pacemaker' Hcn4 gene responsible for generation of repetitive activity in SAN tissue and heart rate regulation

New research shows hospital's design features can improve patient care, reduce health care expenses

Merck announces changes in vorapaxar clinical studies

American Heart Association urges public to reduce salt intake

Patients on dialysis may face risk of death from atrial fibrillation: Study

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News