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.

Health insurance plans extend efforts to end tobacco use

Nearly three-quarters of all health insurance plans included in a new survey rely on evidence-based clinical guidelines to address tobacco use, and almost all plans, 98 percent, provide full coverage for at least one type of smoking cessation intervention.

16 Sep 2004

Missing link between inflammatory markers in the bloodstream and the increased risk of heart attack

The study of 386 Olmsted County, Minn., residents used transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to obtain high-quality images of the lining of the aorta, the main artery through which the heart pumps blood to the body.

14 Sep 2004

Guidelines introduce novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis

New antithrombotic guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) introduce novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis and, for the first time, offer specific recommendations for long-distance travelers.

14 Sep 2004

Dentists should measure the blood pressure of every patient

University of Michigan dentistry student Sara Kellogg believes dentists could save lives simply by taking a few minutes to measure the blood pressure of every patient.

13 Sep 2004

Spouses' emotions can effect psychological recovery after a heart attack or angioplasty

Psychological recovery after a heart attack or angioplasty may be delayed if patients’ spouses feel even more anxious or depressed than their ill partners, researchers say.

10 Sep 2004

Bill Clinton is recovering after undergoing successful quadruple bypass surgery

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is recovering after undergoing successful quadruple bypass surgery from New York Presbyterian Hospital; the first accredited Chest Pain Center in New York. His heart disease was extensive, with blockages in some arteries well over 90 percent, doctors said.

8 Sep 2004

Pioneering work with human embryonic stem cells could speed up development of new treatments for Parkinson’s and diabetes

Pioneering work with human embryonic stem (hES) cells could speed up the development of new treatments for a range of degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes according to Dr Stephen Minger of King’s College London, speaking today at the BA Festival of Science.

8 Sep 2004

Postmenopausal women with heart disease have three fold increased risk of heart failure if they also have diabetes

In addition, diabetic women in the study who also had kidney disease or obesity, or whose diabetes was poorly controlled (fasting blood sugar levels above 300 mg/dL) had a risk of heart failure 6-10 times higher than that of women without diabetes.

7 Sep 2004

Ramipril reduces rate of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest by 21 percent

Ramipril, a high blood pressure and heart failure drug, can reduce the rate of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest by 21 percent in people at high risk for heart attack or stroke, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Sep 2004

Scientists investigate the ability of heart muscle to repair itself

The scientists will investigate the ability of heart muscle to repair itself – after being damaged by a heart attack, for example – and to regain function.

6 Sep 2004

Smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have taken a substantial toll on the American wallet

When these cardiovascular risk factors led to a fatal heart attack or stroke in people who had not had a previous heart attack or stroke, it cost more than $13 billion in hospitalization and lost wages annually.

2 Sep 2004

FDA approves stent that treats blockages in the main blood vessel leading to the brain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a stent for use in opening blocked arteries in the neck. The new stent is intended to prevent stroke by treating blockages in the carotid artery, the main blood vessel leading to the brain.

1 Sep 2004

Cardiac rehabilitation improves survival rates by 50%

The study of 1,821 patients from Olmsted County, Minn., who had heart attacks between 1982 and 1998 and survived to go home from the hospital, found that nearly half (48 percent) of the deaths within three years of hospital discharge were attributable to not participating in cardiac rehabilitation.

31 Aug 2004

Study into treatments for Britain’s number one health problem, coronary heart disease

A 12-year, 3,000-patient study into treatments for Britain’s number one health problem, coronary heart disease, has been launched this summer.

31 Aug 2004

Alcohol in moderation maintains a healthy heart and reduces tissue damage following a heart attack

For years researchers have tried to determine why the French have such a lower rate of cardiovascular disease, given the amount of fat consumed in their diets.

30 Aug 2004

Angina drug nifedipine safe for long-term use

Calcium antagonists such as nifedipine are used to relieve the symptoms of angina, but there have been doubts about their long-term safety. However, ACTION--A Coronary disease Trial Investigating Outcome with Nifedipine GITS--provides new information on the drug's long-term use. GITS (gastrointestinal therapeutic system) modifies the release of the drug to provide stable long-term concentrations of nifedipine in blood.

30 Aug 2004

Early use of aggressive statin therapy may offer some benefit for coronary patients

Statins initiated early after a patient experiences an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event at dosages above the typical starting dose may help reduce subsequent cardiovascular events, but the high dose regimen used may increase the risk for muscle-related complications, according to the results from the Phase Z portion of the A to Z Trial released on the JAMA website today.

30 Aug 2004

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) News and Research

Further Reading

Health insurance plans extend efforts to end tobacco use

Missing link between inflammatory markers in the bloodstream and the increased risk of heart attack

Guidelines introduce novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis

Dentists should measure the blood pressure of every patient

Spouses' emotions can effect psychological recovery after a heart attack or angioplasty

Bill Clinton is recovering after undergoing successful quadruple bypass surgery

Pioneering work with human embryonic stem cells could speed up development of new treatments for Parkinson’s and diabetes

Postmenopausal women with heart disease have three fold increased risk of heart failure if they also have diabetes

Ramipril reduces rate of sudden cardiac death and nonfatal cardiac arrest by 21 percent

Scientists investigate the ability of heart muscle to repair itself

Smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have taken a substantial toll on the American wallet

FDA approves stent that treats blockages in the main blood vessel leading to the brain

Cardiac rehabilitation improves survival rates by 50%

Study into treatments for Britain’s number one health problem, coronary heart disease

Alcohol in moderation maintains a healthy heart and reduces tissue damage following a heart attack

Angina drug nifedipine safe for long-term use

Early use of aggressive statin therapy may offer some benefit for coronary patients

High blood pressure combined with elevated LDL cholesterol more than triples risk of heart attack

The proper use of drugs to treat heart disease reduces the need for hospital interventions

Vast majority of heart attacks may be predicted by nine easily measurable factors

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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