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American Heart Association joins international organizations to fight the global threat of stroke

During this year's observance of "World Stroke Day," Thursday, October 29, the American Heart Association and its division, the American Stroke Association, will join international organizations with a unified message about the global threat of stroke.

26 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 26, 2009

Several Democratic senators voiced optimism on Sunday that Congress would pass a health care bill containing at least the germ of a government-run insurance program. Their expectations were grudgingly seconded by Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008 (The New York Times).

26 Oct 2009

Canadian cardiologists, oncologists team up to fight breast cancer

A team of Canadian cardiologists, in collaboration with oncologists, are playing an important role in the war against breast cancer Dr. Michael McDonald told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

26 Oct 2009

Younger women experience larger improvements after myocardial infarction than men

In recent years, women, particularly younger women, experienced larger improvements in hospital mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) than men, according to a study published in the Oct. 26, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

26 Oct 2009

Peripheral artery disease can increase risk for stroke and heart disease

Edmonton researchers recommend that people over age 40 be screened for peripheral artery disease (PAD), which puts people at high risk for serious medical complications including heart disease, stroke, and possible lower limb amputation.

26 Oct 2009

Comparison study between pre and postoperative BNP measurements for predicting negative outcomes after CABG surgery

Results from a clinical study presented at the 2009 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Meeting suggest that elevated preoperative levels of the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) biomarker may predict hospital length of stay and mortality after primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery better than measurements of elevated postoperative BNP levels.

26 Oct 2009

Dexmedetomidine can reduce pain when removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients

A study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting demonstrated that the use of the sedative Dexmedetomidine was safe and reduced the amount of time for the extubation process, or the process of removing a tube from the airway of critically ill patients.

26 Oct 2009

Aldosterone antagonist therapy can be adopted for treating heart failure

Less than one-third of patients hospitalized for heart failure and participating in a quality improvement registry received a guideline-recommended treatment of heart failure, aldosterone antagonist therapy, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

Aerobic activity makes older adults' arteries more elastic

Just three months of physical activity reaps heart health benefits for older adults with type 2 diabetes by improving the elasticity in their arteries - reducing risk of heart disease and stroke, Dr. Kenneth Madden told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

26 Oct 2009

New urine tests may help predict kidney problems post surgery

Two studies presented at this week's Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists offer new information as to how physicians might better determine which surgical patients may be at risk for developing kidney injury after surgery.

26 Oct 2009

Exercise and lifestyle changes are key to improve heart health

Exercise is a wonderful way of boosting heart health, but it's proving to be a tough sell in Ontario South Asian communities, Dr. Milan Gupta told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

26 Oct 2009

Millions of children in the US suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D

Millions of children in the United States between the ages of 1 and 11 may suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a large nationally representative study published in the November 2009 issue of Pediatrics, accompanied by an editorial.

26 Oct 2009

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements do not improve levels of depression in heart disease patients

Contrary to the findings of some studies, new research indicates that augmenting antidepressant therapy with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement does not result in improvement in levels of depression in patients with coronary heart disease, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

Obese patients less likely to achieve cholesterol and blood pressure control

Obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are less likely to reach recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts, according to new research presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

26 Oct 2009

Women and men experience same typical or non-typical heart attack symptoms

The gender difference between men and women is a lot smaller than we've been led to believe when it comes to heart attack symptoms, according to a new study presented to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

26 Oct 2009

Study: High protein levels are associated with heart attack and not stroke

People with high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood, may be at higher risk for heart attack and death but not stroke, according to a study published in the October 20, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Oct 2009

$Cardiovascular disease may increase hip fracture incidence$

Cardiovascular disease may increase hip fracture incidence

A study that includes twins finds that the risk of hip fracture was significantly increased following a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with analysis also suggesting a genetic predisposition to the development of CVD and fractures, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

26 Oct 2009

Dr. Shelagh Coutts receives award for developing new brain scan

Award-winning neurologist Dr. Shelagh Coutts is on the fast track of developing new brain scanning techniques for rapid and effective diagnosis of mini-strokes.

26 Oct 2009

TV program shares insights on epilepsy, diagnosis and treatment

A recent edition of Immunotherapy Weekly reported that the television program 'Sharing Miracles' featured award-winning actor Danny Glover during the month of September. In this episode, the Hollywood star discussed his career and his battle against epilepsy.

24 Oct 2009

Optical system for simultaneous imaging electrical and metabolic quantities in the heart

Cardiac rhythm disorders can result from disturbances in cardiac metabolism. These metabolic changes are tightly linked with specific cardiac electrophysiology (CEP) abnormalities, such as depressed excitability, impaired intra- and extracellular conductivities, wave propagation block, and alteration of conduction velocity, action potential amplitude, and duration.

24 Oct 2009