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RLY5016 potassium binder helps to regulate hyperkalemia in heart failure patients

Results from a recent phase 2b clinical trial may provide a new approach to managing excess potassium levels in patients with heart failure and heart failure with chronic kidney disease.

30 Aug 2010

SHIFT study finds Ivabradine reduces heart failure risk

Ivabradine, a selective If inhibitor already investigated for its effects in coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction, significantly lowers the risk of heart failure, according to results of the SHIFT study (Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial).

30 Aug 2010

Large clinical trial does not confirm benefits of erythropoieitin for first ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Results from the HEBE III study, a prospective, randomised, multicentre trial performed in seven centres in the Netherlands, suggest that the promising effects of erythropoieitin seen in previous smaller studies cannot be confirmed for the improvement of clinical outcome in patients with a first ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

30 Aug 2010

Registered nurses win landmark victories over issue of missed breaks

Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), representing more than 16,000 registered nurses in Washington State, has won two landmark decisions for patient safety on the issue of missed breaks for registered nurses. Cases decided in Seattle and Spokane both affirm the employer's responsibility to provide uninterrupted rest breaks to nurses.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds bone marrow stem cell therapy improves efficacy in chronic heart failure

Bone marrow stem cell therapy improves ventricular performance, quality of life and survival in patients with chronic heart failure, according to results from the STAR-heart study.

30 Aug 2010

New research contradicts previous reports on blood-thinner clopidogrel

New findings by McMaster University researchers contradict earlier reports that people with a certain genetic make-up don't benefit from the blood-thinner clopidogrel, also known as Plavix.

30 Aug 2010

New campaign to create awareness on atrial fibrillation related strokes

Mission 1 Million Getting to the Heart of Stroke launches today announcing a worldwide effort to help prevent as many as 1 million atrial fibrillation (AF) related strokes through increased awareness and understanding.

30 Aug 2010

ATOLL study favors enoxaparin over UFH for primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The international ATOLL study sponsored by the Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris showed that enoxaparin reduced the composite of death, complication of myocardial infraction, procedure failure or major bleeding by 17% in comparison with standard heparin death, recurrent acute coronary syndrome or urgent revascularisation. The results of the ATOLL study were presented at the hotline session of the annual European Cardiology Congress (ESC 2010) in Stockholm, Sweden.

30 Aug 2010

Jefferson scientists receive grant to study genetics of platelet gene expression

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have received a four-year, $3 million National Institutes of Health grant funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study variations of platelet function, specifically, the genetics of platelet gene expression. The study aims to find data that can be translated into novel therapeutic strategies and develop better predictors of cardiovascular disease.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds BMI, thrombogenic factor increases cardiovascular risk

Although having a high body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers are only beginning to understand how BMI affects the physiological processes involved in the development of the disease. Now, a study of a subset of women in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), suggests that as BMI increases, so do platelet reactivity and thrombogenic microvesicles and activated protein C in the blood-all of which contribute to the formation of atherothrombosis and associated cardiovascular events.

30 Aug 2010

Exmovere to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear

Exmovere Holdings, Inc., a biomedical engineering company, today announced plans to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear. Exmovere is in the advanced stages of taking to market a washable, conductive fabric-based biosensor pajama called "Exmobaby." Exmobaby is the first-ever baby garment developed for remote monitoring of heart rate, emotional state and behavior.

27 Aug 2010

Transcatheter heart valve replacement recipient celebrates 102nd birthday

When Doris Snyder celebrated her 102nd birthday on August 10, she was that much closer to the expected birth of her first great-granddaughter who's due to arrive early September. She is very excited about the milestone, which might not have been possible were it not for a cutting-edge, experimental procedure that replaced one of Doris' heart valves weeks earlier when she was 101. The valve had been rendered useless by aortic valve stenosis—hardening from calcium deposits that restrict the flow of blood from the heart.

27 Aug 2010

FDA approves Novartis' Tekamlo for treatment of high blood pressure

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tekamlo™ (aliskiren and amlodipine) tablets, a single-pill for the treatment of high blood pressure combining the only approved direct renin inhibitor, Tekturna® (aliskiren), with the widely used calcium channel blocker amlodipine. Tekamlo is approved as initial therapy for patients who are likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals, and as replacement therapy for patients whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled with either aliskiren or amlodipine alone.

27 Aug 2010

Most home care clients rely on informal care from spouse or child

One in six people providing informal care to seniors experiences distress, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), and those caring for seniors with moderate to severe cognitive impairment, such as those with Alzheimer's or other dementia, are most at risk.

27 Aug 2010

APF offers actionable solutions to improve access to pain care

The American Pain Foundation (APF), the nation's largest consumer advocacy organization for people in pain, released today a position statement imploring the medical community, regulators and concerned stakeholders to reaffirm their ethical commitment to the 76.5 million Americans—or one in four people—who struggle with pain, work collaboratively to improve access to pain care and dismantle the barriers preventing timely, appropriate and effective pain care for millions.

27 Aug 2010

World's tallest man undergoes Gamma Knife surgery

Much of Sultan Kosen's eight feet, two-inch stature rose up in an 17-year period starting at age 10, when the benign tumor in his brain's pituitary gland highjacked the organ, causing it to secrete massive amounts of growth hormone, making Mr. Kosen's body grow fast and grow without ceasing. He will need to wait several months to find out if his Gamma Knife® surgery last Thursday at the University of Virginia (UVA, Charlottesville, Va.) has inactivated the tumor and he has reached his final height, but his physicians are optimistic.

27 Aug 2010

Expansion of rapid response systems throughout the Veterans Affairs network can reduce morbidity

Implementing a rapid response team to aid in managing "potentially unstable" patients has led to a sharp reduction in the rate of cardiac arrests at a U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, reports a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

27 Aug 2010

Viking Systems to present Next Generation 3DHD technology at 5th ISHAC

Viking Systems, Inc. announced today that it will present its Next Generation 3DHD technology at the 5th International Symposium on Hybrid Approach to Congenital Heart Disease (ISHAC) from August 31 - September 2, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio.

27 Aug 2010

Athera Biotechnologies, Electra-Box Diagnostica sign distribution agreement for 'CVDefine' kit

Athera Biotechnologies and Electra-Box Diagnostica, announced today that they have signed an agreement for distribution of "CVDefine" kit. CVDefine measures a new biomarker in blood, a specific anti-body, that has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Athera Biotechnologies is part of the Karolinska Development portfolio.

27 Aug 2010

Second-hand smoke triggers complex inflammatory response

Second-hand smoke is associated with a number of diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. It is an irritant to lung tissue and blood vessels, but the processes through which the body reacts to second-hand smoke comprise a mystery scientists are only beginning to unravel. Researchers at the University of Colorado-Denver are currently studying how second-hand smoke affects the lungs of rats, and so far it appears that second-hand smoke triggers a complex inflammatory response.

27 Aug 2010