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.

Single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories

Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have discovered that a single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories.

16 Oct 2004

New online resource helps people diagnosed with depression

People diagnosed with depression can now find out more about the condition by listening to the experiences of others, thanks to a new online resource launched on Friday 8 October by the Database of Individual Patient Experiences (DIPEx).

12 Oct 2004

Biomarker called cystatin C predicts which people are less likely to survive a heart attack

A biomarker called cystatin C, which measures kidney function, predicts which people are less likely to survive a heart attack, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

11 Oct 2004

Study increases likelihood that MRI could be used as predictive technology to determine which patients should be placed on statin therapy for atherosclerosis

Using modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, researchers at Johns Hopkins have been able to detect the early benefits of a cholesterol-lowering medication much sooner than before.

11 Oct 2004

Progestin in hormone therapy could dramatically affect heart attack severity

“One type of hormone therapy limited heart muscle damage to only 5 percent while another resulted in permanent damage to 35 percent of muscle,” said J. Koudy Williams, Ph.D., lead investigator, from Wake Forest Baptist. “If we can learn more about this mechanism we might be able to identify better hormone therapies for postmenopausal women.”

10 Oct 2004

Aspirin might well be considered the top utility player in the medicine cabinet

This cheap over-the-counter drug can be used not only for fever, pain and arthritis, but to prevent heart attack, stroke or angina. It also may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Yet aspirin also has side effects worth considering, and its very accessibility may hamper its use.

8 Oct 2004

Receiving a blood transfusion is associated with a greater risk of death for patients with acute coronary syndromes

The use of invasive procedures for treatment of ischemic heart disease has more than tripled in the past 2 decades and is likely to increase in high-risk patients, according to background information in the article.

5 Oct 2004

Black and Hispanic patients experience marked delays in heart attack treatment compared with whites

Black and Hispanic patients experience marked delays in heart attack treatment compared with whites, Yale researchers report in an article published in the October 6 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

5 Oct 2004

International society agrees that the potential of stem cells derived from fat show promising clinical uses

While questions still remain about the nature and function of stem cells found in fat, a group of researchers and clinicians convened today in Pittsburgh at the Second Annual Meeting of the International Fat Applied Technology Society (IFATS) agreed that research should move forward with the ultimate goal of performing human clinical trials to test the cells' therapeutic potential for specific indications.

5 Oct 2004

Immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Pharmaceutical company, Merck Sharp & Dohme has announced an immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of the drug, Vioxx (rofecoxib), commonly used for patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.

4 Oct 2004

Sibling history is a better predictor of coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that sibling history -- whether or not a brother or sister had early heart disease -- is a better predictor of a person's likelihood of developing coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring.

4 Oct 2004

MHRA advice following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued advice following the withdrawal of a widely-used pain-killer and anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib).

4 Oct 2004

Data demonstrate that Celebrex does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with arthritis and pain

Pfizer has said that three large long-term Celebrex (celecoxib capsules) studies involving more than 6,000 patients have not shown any significant safety issues and are expected to continue to completion.

4 Oct 2004

Vitamin supplements not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer

A systematic review and meta-analysis (pooled analysis) of previously published randomised trials in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provides strong evidence that antioxidant supplements (such as vitamin supplements) are not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer.

30 Sep 2004

Mouse study suggests that survivors of severe heart attacks may have problems learning certain tasks

A new study in mice suggests that survivors of severe heart attacks may have a difficult time with some learning tasks.

29 Sep 2004

Draft Medicare plan to cover implantable defibrillators

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today proposed to expand coverage of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), a move expected to save thousands of lives a year.

29 Sep 2004

Guidant announces plans to initiate vulnerable plaque study

Guidant has announced plans to conduct a study designed to increase clinical understanding of “vulnerable” plaques – lipid-rich coronary lesions that suddenly rupture – that may cause most heart attacks.

27 Sep 2004

Poor performance on an exercise treadmill can mean double risk for heart attack

Among men without heart disease but who have significant cardiac risk factors, a poor performance on an exercise treadmill test is associated with more than doubling of the risk for a heart attack or other coronary heart disease event, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

27 Sep 2004

Overweight children up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before age of 65

Overweight children are three to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before they reach the age of 65 warns the World Heart Federation, an NGO dedicated to the prevention of heart disease and stroke, on World Heart Day, Sunday 26th September 2004.

20 Sep 2004

Coronary angioplasty within 24 hours of medical therapy could improve the outcome for heart-attack patients

Results of a randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that a more aggressive approach involving coronary angioplasty soon after anticlotting medical therapy is safe and could offer a better prognosis than more conservative treatment for patients who have had heart attack.

17 Sep 2004

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

Further Reading

Single protein appears central to the formation of the long-term memories

New online resource helps people diagnosed with depression

Biomarker called cystatin C predicts which people are less likely to survive a heart attack

Study increases likelihood that MRI could be used as predictive technology to determine which patients should be placed on statin therapy for atherosclerosis

Progestin in hormone therapy could dramatically affect heart attack severity

Aspirin might well be considered the top utility player in the medicine cabinet

Receiving a blood transfusion is associated with a greater risk of death for patients with acute coronary syndromes

Black and Hispanic patients experience marked delays in heart attack treatment compared with whites

International society agrees that the potential of stem cells derived from fat show promising clinical uses

Immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Sibling history is a better predictor of coronary heart disease than parental history or traditional risk factor scoring

MHRA advice following withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Data demonstrate that Celebrex does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with arthritis and pain

Vitamin supplements not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer

Mouse study suggests that survivors of severe heart attacks may have problems learning certain tasks

Draft Medicare plan to cover implantable defibrillators

Guidant announces plans to initiate vulnerable plaque study

Poor performance on an exercise treadmill can mean double risk for heart attack

Overweight children up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before age of 65

Coronary angioplasty within 24 hours of medical therapy could improve the outcome for heart-attack patients

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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