Heart News and Research

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Seasonal differences in blood pressure

Fewer people treated for high blood pressure return to normal pressure levels in the winter compared to those treated in the summer, Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

64-slice CT scans a good test for clogged arteries

A study by an international team of cardiac imaging specialists, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins, concludes that sophisticated computed tomography (CT) scans of the heart and its surrounding arteries are almost as reliable and accurate as more invasive procedures to check for blockages.

6 Nov 2007

Heart failure patients benefit from nurse-led intervention

Heart failure patients are more likely to comply with important non-medication interventions, such as fluid and salt restrictions and regular weighing, when they have intensive support from a heart failure nurse and multidisciplinary team than if they do not, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Childhood BMI rebound influences heart disease late in life

The earlier in life children reach their lowest body mass index (BMI) signals potential heart disease risk factors and may become evident as early as age 7, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Women with implantable cardioverter defibrillators fare less well than men

While ICDs—implantable cardioverter defibrillators—are the device of choice to manage abnormal heart rhythms, a new study led by cardiologists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggests that women with ICDs fare less well than their male counterparts.

6 Nov 2007

New review of catheterization after heart attack

In a subset of patients suffering heart attack, adding stents to clot-busting medical therapy after the optimal treatment window ends isn't justified, say researchers from Duke University Medical Center.

6 Nov 2007

Impact of various diabetes treatments on patients' health after heart attack.

Mayo Clinic researchers helped clarify a growing concern about the link between diabetes mellitus treatments and heart attack with the first large, population-based study showing that a group of common medications does not reduce diabetic patients' heart attack survival rates.

6 Nov 2007

More effective method of treating high blood pressure

Scientists at Robarts Research Institute have developed a simplified and more effective method of treating high blood pressure.

6 Nov 2007

Breastfeeding boosts infants' IQs, but only if the babies have a specific genetic variant

This study looked at how long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAS), which are present in human milk but not in cow's milk or most infant formulas, are metabolized. LC-PUFAS in breast milk, the authors said, is believed to enhance cognitive development because the fatty acids are required for efficient neurotransmission and are involved in neuronal growth and regeneration.

6 Nov 2007

Breastfeeding babies offers them long-term heart-health benefits

Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Breast cancer screening may not be cost-effective for older women on dialysis

For older women on dialysis, routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer may not be a cost-effective use of medical resources, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Francisco.

6 Nov 2007

Don't slack off on exercise if you want to avoid packing on the pounds as you age

Don't slack off on exercise if you want to avoid packing on the pounds as you age.

6 Nov 2007

Blood-incompatible infant heart transplants safe, may save more lives

ABO-incompatible heart transplantation (heart transplantation among non-compatible blood groups) can be safely performed in infants a year old or younger, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Half of heart attack patients stop taking lifesaving medications within three years

Recovery from heart attacks is best served by continuing to take prescribed medications.

6 Nov 2007

Blood pressure more of a problem in winter

According to the latest research from the U.S. high blood pressure may be more difficult to control in winter.

6 Nov 2007

Bayer Pharmaceuticals agrees to a marketing suspension of Trasylol

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that, at the agency's request, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. has agreed to a marketing suspension of Trasylol, a drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery, pending detailed review of preliminary results from a Canadian study that suggested an increased risk for death.

5 Nov 2007

U-M study finds shorter sleep duration for 9- to 12-year-old kids is associated with increased risk for being overweight

Diets high in fat and sugar may not be the only things contributing to American children's expanding waistlines. Research findings from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital suggest that kids who aren't getting enough sleep also may be at an increased risk for being overweight.

5 Nov 2007

Stanford researchers start voluntary program to screen athletes for heart problems

Everyone has heard the stories: the fit 20-something who drops dead in the middle of a marathon, the high school football player who, without warning, dies during practice. While rare, the stories of sudden death among young athletes strike fear into the hearts of parents everywhere.

5 Nov 2007

World-famous Papworth heart transplant hospital in trouble

A hospital in Britain which has been at the forefront of heart transplant surgery ever since it carried out the UK's first successful operation in 1979, is in trouble.

5 Nov 2007

American women at increased risk of silent coronaries

After examining data from government health surveys undertaken in the United States, researchers say more American women are developing a type of artery disease that raises the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

5 Nov 2007