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Cardiovascular disease in parents is a major predictor of offspring having a heart attack or stroke

A study published in the May 12 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association provides the strongest evidence yet that cardiovascular disease in parents -- particularly at an early age -- is a major predictor of their children having a heart attack or stroke in middle age.

12 May 2004

Landmark study to identify the best dietary strategies to reduce heart disease and Type 2 diabetes

The University of Reading is participating in a landmark study to identify the best dietary strategies to reduce heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

12 May 2004

Zocor Heart Pro to be available over the counter

Ministers have accepted the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) that simvastatin 10mg (Zocor Heart Pro) could be safely sold through pharmacies to reduce the risk of a first major coronary event in people likely to be at a moderate risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

12 May 2004

Researchers awarded $5 million to develop a pediatric heart assist device

Penn State researchers recently were awarded a $5 million contract from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to develop a pediatric heart assist device.

11 May 2004

Compound found in the peels of citrus fruit can potentially lower cholesterol more effectively than prescription drugs

A compound found in the peels of citrus fruit has the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs, and without side effects, according to a study by U.S. and Canadian researchers.

11 May 2004

CMS proposed rule that would increase payments to acute care hospitals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a proposed rule that would increase payments to acute care hospitals for inpatient services in fiscal year 2005

11 May 2004

Study shows states will see an average 44 percent increase in Alzheimer’s disease by 2025

According to the May 11 issue of Neurology, U. S. states will see an average 44 percent increase in Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, with the Western and Southeastern states to be hit the hardest.

11 May 2004

Critical link found between inflammation, heart disease and stroke

Until recently, the story on platelets was pretty simple: tiny blood cells, with limited sophistication because they had no nucleus, and their claim to fame was to be a first-responder to a wound site, to promote healthy clotting and prevent infection.

11 May 2004

Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) are 38 percent more likely to have hypertension

This statistical analysis is the largest epidemiological study to confirm this link, and the first to compare men with ED - and those without - for hypertension

10 May 2004

Europe-wide network fighting heart disease

Academic expertise at the University of Birmingham's Medical School is contributing to a Europe-wide network fighting heart disease. The European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN) is the first European Funded network of excellence in the field of cardiovascular disease.

10 May 2004

A computer-based test that detects impaired cognition has been developed

A computer-based test that detects impaired cognition has been developed by researchers from Monash University's Psychology department and could be used to identify people who are affected by drugs, chronic fatigue or even hangovers.

10 May 2004

Alternative vaccine to Dryvax for smallpox

Not everybody can safely be vaccinated against smallpox using the current FDA-approved vaccine. Scientists hope another study vaccine, now undergoing its first testing in the United States at Saint Louis University, will give a choice to people who can't be given the current vaccine, known as Dryvax®.

10 May 2004

90's saw significant increase in blood pressure among children

That children are heavier on average today than children were a decade ago may now be common knowledge. The rise in weight appears to be accompanied by a significant increase in blood pressure among children between the ages of 8 and 17, say Tulane University epidemiologists in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

9 May 2004

No evidence of CJD associated with the Garden State Racetrack

The Department of Health and Senior Services released a report today on an investigation of a suspected cluster of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) associated with the Garden State Racetrack.

8 May 2004

Measurable improvements in productivity throughout the NHS

NHS Chief Executive, Sir Nigel Crisp today reported that sustained improvements to services for patients were being accelerated, with measurable improvements in productivity throughout the NHS.

8 May 2004

Low fat/high carb eating plan is not bad for good cholesterol

A slight fall in blood levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in men due to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate eating plan may not be a problem, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association’s 5th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

8 May 2004

66 percent of adults never talked to their mothers about heart disease

Just in time for Mother's Day, a national survey commissioned by GE Healthcare reveals that nearly two out of three adults have never talked to their mothers about heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States.

8 May 2004

Britain debates whether to create DNA registry of newborn babies

In a White Paper published last year the Government asked the Human Genetics Commission and the National Screening Committee to consider the case for screening every baby at birth and storing their genetic profile for future use.

7 May 2004

Scottish health professionals tackle problems of obesity

The University of Glasgow is bringing together experts in the field of obesity management to address a conference on Friday 7 May 2004 for health professionals on how to tackle obesity.

6 May 2004

Afro-Americans with high blood pressure have double the risk of enlarged heart

American blacks with high blood pressure have nearly double the risk for left ventricular hypertrophy (enlarged heart) compared to hypertensive whites, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

6 May 2004