Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

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A Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Blood levels of carbon dioxide may be linked to near death experiences after heart attack

Near death experiences have often been described as “seeing life flash before one’s eyes” or “intense feelings of joy and peace.” Now researchers claim that levels of Carbon Dioxide or CO2 may be the causal link for these sensations. They believe that the CO2 alters the levels of certain chemicals in the brain and makes it see lights at the ends of tunnels or dead loved ones.

9 Apr 2010

Gene therapy improve survival rates among heart attack patients

Gene therapy could be an effective way to improve survival rates among heart attack patients, new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) suggests. Academics at the University of Bristol found that boosting levels of a natural growth factor in the heart could help the muscle to recover after a heart attack. The death rate from a heart attack was halved in mice that received the treatment.

1 Apr 2010

Valsartan delays progression to type 2 diabetes in IGT patients: NAVIGATOR study

Results from a landmark study involving more than 9,000 people showed that the high blood pressure medicine valsartan delayed progression to type 2 diabetes in patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a common pre-diabetic condition.

15 Mar 2010

New fatigue rating scale predicts increased risk of heart attack in dialysis patients

For dialysis patients, high scores on a new fatigue rating scale predict an increased risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular events, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

25 Feb 2010

Sulphonylureas, an antidiabetic drug, carries greater risk of heart failure and death compared to metformin

Research: Risk of cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes prescribed oral antidiabetes drugs: Retrospective cohort study using UK general practice research database

4 Dec 2009

Sudden cardiac death more predictable in men than women

A woman who suffers sudden cardiac arrest is significantly less likely than a man to exhibit the decrease in the heart's pumping ability that is widely recognized as a precursor, says a new study in the Nov. 24 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

17 Nov 2009

COMPARE trial results demonstrate higher efficacy of XIENCE V stent system

Late-breaking data presented today from the COMPARE trial demonstrated that Abbott's market-leading XIENCE V(R) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System demonstrated significantly better outcomes in key safety and efficacy measures compared to the TAXUS(R) Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System (TAXUS).

24 Sep 2009

New critical illness plan from Colonial Life introduced

A new critical illness plan from Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company can help many working Americans who may be one serious medical issue away from financial problems. Even with good health insurance, a serious illness, such as a heart attack or stroke, could leave employees on the hook for huge expenses.

15 Sep 2009

Study reveals elevated cTnT levels in post-CABG patients

Levels of a biomarker used in the diagnosis of heart attacks are almost universally elevated in patients who have undergone coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) and, when markedly elevated, are powerfully prognostic, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Heart Center has found.

5 Sep 2009

Abbott introduces XIENCE PRIME Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for global market

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced at the European Society of Cardiology Congress the widespread availability of its next-generation XIENCE PRIME(TM) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

31 Aug 2009

Patients enrolled in the TREAT Phase 3 study treated with Aranesp to a target hemoglobin of 13 g/dL

Amgen today announced that in a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (not requiring dialysis), anemia and type-2 diabetes (the Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Endpoints with Aranesp((R)) Therapy, or TREAT), treatment of anemia with Aranesp((R) )(darbepoetin alfa) to a hemoglobin target of 13 g/dL had no statistically significant effect on either of two primary endpoints compared with placebo treatment.

26 Aug 2009

Emergency physicians should trust their judgment on chest pain symptoms

Their research suggests that emergency physicians should counsel with other physicians against discharge when they feel strongly about a patient for whom there is no compelling data, other than our evaluation and judgment, Chandra said.

4 Aug 2009

Tiny device to 'sniff out' disease, heart attacks, poison and environmental pollution

Like the sensitive seismographs that can pick up tremors of impending earthquakes long before they strike, a similar invention from Tel Aviv University researchers may change the face of molecular biology.

3 Aug 2009

New chemical imaging technique could help in the fight against atherosclerosis

A new chemical imaging technique could one day help in the fight against atherosclerosis, suggests research published in the August 2009 edition of the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

31 Jul 2009

New drug promises to reduce damage from a heart attack

Research into a new drug by Australian heart experts has found that it can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack.

28 Jul 2009

Coronary calcium scoring may predict heart attack risk

Researchers may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary calcium scoring, according to a study published in the online edition of Radiology.

28 Jul 2009

Growth factor enhances heart regeneration, improves heart function without need for cardiac stem cells

Injured heart tissue normally can't regrow, but researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have now laid the groundwork for regenerating heart tissue after a heart attack, in patients with heart failure, or in children with congenital heart defects.

24 Jul 2009

Regular moderate alcohol intake has cognitive benefits in seniors

A glass of wine here, a nightcap there - new research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that moderate alcohol intake offers long-term cognitive protection and reduces the risk of dementia in older adults. The study is being presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD), in Vienna on July 13.

23 Jul 2009

New drug may reduce heart attack damage

A novel drug that targets a master disease-causing gene can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack and may lead to significantly improved patient outcomes, researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have shown.

22 Jul 2009

More evidence in favour of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

As the ESC Congress 2009 draws ever closer, the evidence in favour of a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of cardiovascular disease grows ever stronger. Prevention is the highlight theme of this year's event, which will take place in Barcelona from 29 August to 2 September. Lifestyle factors are heavily on the agenda.

21 Jul 2009