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Stem cells with heart bypass surgery trial to begin

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has been granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a clinical trial to determine the safety and feasibility of injecting a patient's own bone marrow-derived stem cells directly into the heart during conventional heart bypass surgery.

25 Aug 2005

Coronary angioplasty increases risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have discovered that patients who have either coronary artery bypass graft surgery or coronary angioplasty are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

25 Aug 2005

Using muscle tissue from tarantulas scientists discover how muscles relax

Using muscle tissue from tarantulas, an HHMI international research scholar and his colleagues have figured out the detailed structure and arrangement of the miniature molecular motors that control movement.

24 Aug 2005

Administering Aspirin at onset of heart attack is standard EMT protocol

New survey results indicate that emergency medical providers are administering aspirin to patients at the onset of a suspected heart attack. McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. and makers of the trusted St. Joseph brand, now make it more convenient and accessible for consumers to take aspirin when faced with a heart attack situation.

24 Aug 2005

FDA Approves Aceon to reduce risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Solvay Pharmaceuticals and CV Therapeutics have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Aceon (perindopril erbumine) Tablets for the treatment of patients with stable coronary artery disease to reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI).

24 Aug 2005

China on high alert - new case of pig disease in Hong Kong

After the central government said this week that it had the pig disease under control in Sichuan province, the epicentre of the outbreak, China's far south is now on high alert after one person was killed and three were infected by the disease that has killed nearly 40 in the southwest.

24 Aug 2005

Epidemiological study links heart protection with non-aspirin, non-steroidal drugs

It is well known that aspirin, a non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX), reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

22 Aug 2005

MRI helps map smallest deformations inside hearts

Using magnetic resonance imaging technology, or MRI, to tag the work of millions of individual strands of heart muscle fibers, researchers at Johns Hopkins have successfully mapped the smallest deformations inside the beating hearts of 441 middle-aged and elderly men and women who have either silently developed heart disease or remained healthy.

22 Aug 2005

New technique for creating human embryonic stem cells

Researchers have developed a new technique for creating human embryonic stem cells by fusing adult somatic cells with embryonic stem cells. The fusion causes the adult cells to undergo genetic reprogramming, which results in cells that have the developmental characteristics of human embryonic stem cells.

22 Aug 2005

Heart healthy habits are good for oral health

Heart healthy habits are good for oral health, too, according to a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology.

22 Aug 2005

Heat stress and injury among young athletes can be prevented by progressively increasing practice time and replacing lost fluids

Progressively increasing practice time and intensity and ensuring that football players are replacing lost fluids during training are two ways to significantly reduce the risk of heat stress and injury during preseason practice, a recent expert panel convened by the American College of Sports Medicine found.

22 Aug 2005

Health benefits of different types of language use and writing contexts now explored

Researchers have known for some time that expressive writing can have a positive effect on the writer's health, such as illness recovery.

22 Aug 2005

Some medical conditions increase risk for developing major depression while others do not

Those who feel sad and lack an interest in regular life activities for at least two weeks and qualify for a diagnosis of minor depression are six times as likely to develop major depression compared to those who don't have these symptoms, according to a longitudinal study on risks for depression.

22 Aug 2005

Researchers test experimental drug Neuprex on infants undergoing heart surgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the only institution in the nation approved by the Food and Drug Administration to test an experimental drug on infants undergoing heart surgery to see whether it can help them avoid potentially lethal infections and improve survival.

22 Aug 2005

Effective new tool to improve management of stroke patients

The Stroke Transfer of Care (ToC) document was launched nationally today, following a successful pilot, to improve the delivery and continuity of care for those who have suffered a stroke.

22 Aug 2005

Enzyme in the blood that could be a potential marker for heart failure

A team of scientists led by Walter Koch, Ph.D., director of the Center for Translational Medicine in the Department of Medicine in Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, previously showed that an enzyme called GRK2 or beta-adrenergic kinase (ßARK1) is critically important in heart function.

22 Aug 2005

New guidelines to battle heart failure

Early diagnosis and new treatments can help battle heart failure -- a growing national problem that causes 1 million hospital admissions each year, according to new guidelines released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

22 Aug 2005

Heart surgery safe and successful for many 80 year olds

According to a new report, cardiac surgery can be safely performed in octogenarians and may improve their life expectancy.

21 Aug 2005

High rate of heart attack amongst ethnic minorities in Scotland

The incidence of heart attack amongst Scots of Indian and Pakistani origin is 60-70% higher when compared with non-South Asians, a new report led by the University of Edinburgh has shown.

18 Aug 2005

Slower care for heart attack patients treated after hours and on weekends

Heart attack patients treated with primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) at hospitals after hours and on weekends wait longer to receive clot busters and other treatments and have a higher risk of death than those treated during regular hospital hours

18 Aug 2005