Heart Failure News and Research

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Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which a problem with the structure or function of the heart impairs its ability to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs. It should not be confused with cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction.

Interventional radiologists complete RDN human trial in patients with uncontrolled hypertension

Interventional radiologists have completed the first human randomized controlled trial of therapeutic renal denervation or RDN—a procedure that uses a catheter-based probe inserted into the renal artery that emits high-frequency energy to deactivate the nerves near the kidneys that are linked to high blood pressure.

29 Mar 2011

Atypical antipsychotics is a safe mental health medication for nursing home residents

Conventional antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines often administered to nursing home residents are no safer than atypical antipsychotics and may carry increased risks, according to an article in CMAJ.

29 Mar 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's Protecta implantable defibrillators

Medtronic, Inc. today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the Protecta portfolio of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators.

29 Mar 2011

Nurse staffing levels, safety net status both factors in patient outcomes

A new study finds that higher nurse staffing levels can lead to better patient outcomes. However, the study also found this to not always be the case at safety net hospitals. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Mirror reports on hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions. And, in other news, new research has found that patients are less likely to fill prescriptions when doctors specify brand names instead of allowing generic substitutions.

28 Mar 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's Consulta and Syncra pacemaker systems

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved its Consulta and Syncra cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemaker systems.

25 Mar 2011

HDL, BG Medicine to offer galectin-3 testing services for patients with heart failure

Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. and BG Medicine, Inc., announced today an agreement under which HDL, Inc. will offer galectin-3 testing services based on the BG Medicine Galectin-3 Test.

25 Mar 2011

Most clinicians feel systems and procedures for preventing hospital readmissions ineffective

More than nine out of ten clinicians believe that reducing readmissions is an important topic, but few have the resources at hand to tackle it, according to a new study from QuantiaMD®, the leading mobile and online physician community, and the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM).

24 Mar 2011

First continuous-flow total artificial heart transplant performed at THI

Doctors at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital have successfully implanted the first continuous-flow total artificial heart in a desperately ill patient facing imminent death.

24 Mar 2011

Protein α-myosin could be a promising therapeutic target for myocarditis

Myocardits is an inflammation of the heart muscles that is a major cause of heart failure in young patients. In some cases, the disease is caused by viral infection, but in other patients it is linked to an autoimmune attack on the heart muscle. There are few effective treatment options for myocarditis, in part because the molecular mechanisms that underlie the defect are poorly defined.

24 Mar 2011

Roundup: Calif. lawmakers mull bill to tighten hospital security; abortion measures continue to advance in various states

A California legislative committee gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would tighten security at hospitals and increase their requirements for reporting violent acts to the state.

24 Mar 2011

U.S. hospitals bill insurance companies $1.2 trillion during 2008 for inpatient care: AHRQ

U.S. community hospitals billed insurance companies and federal and state programs $1.2 trillion in 2008 for inpatient care, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

23 Mar 2011

Breast cancer updates

Many survivors of breast cancer cite stress as a link to the cancer despite no scientific proof of a connection. Experts believe that the root cause here are the lifestyle-related issues - such as smoking and obesity - where there is a clear link to the cancer.

22 Mar 2011

Experts to showcase nursing education, practical innovations at Las Vegas national conference

Motivating and educating nurses to help them excel in their daily practice is the focus of this year's National Conference for Nurse Practitioners: The Conference for Primary and Acute Care Clinicians, May 11-14, 2011, at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, NV.

22 Mar 2011

High sodium intake may increase risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney problem

Taking in too much sodium may turn out to be quite a salty situation. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2010 high blood pressure cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care services, medications, and missed days of work.

22 Mar 2011

Research roundup: Successful medical homes; shortage of HIV doctors; boosting use of $4 generic drugs

Every Friday, Jennifer Evans compiles this selection of recently-released health policy studies and briefs.

19 Mar 2011

Science journal publishes CYTK preclinical cardiac myosin activation research results

Cytokinetics, Incorporated announced today the publication of preclinical research in the March 18, 2011 issue of the journal Science regarding the activation of cardiac myosin by an investigational drug candidate, omecamtiv mecarbil, and the potential therapeutic role that this novel mechanism may play for patients with systolic heart failure.

18 Mar 2011

British pie, mash and gravy meals too salty: Heart health experts

A new study by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) in the UK that looked at 526 pie, mash and gravy meals and products, found some meals to be extremely high in salt. A chicken and mushroom pie with chips or mash, gravy and peas from pub chain Wetherspoons contained an alarming 7.5g of salt, well over the daily maximum recommendation of 6g a day. All the pie and mash pub meals looked at contained more than 3g, half the daily maximum, the report said. The survey, conducted by YouGov, found that the mashed potato and gravy could significantly increase the salt content of a meal. According to CASH, while good progress has been made by supermarkets in cutting salt levels in pies, there are still too many products containing unnecessary quantities of salt.

17 Mar 2011

Stem cell therapy successfully heals a scarred and failing heart

A new study has shown that stem cells could heal scars caused by old heart attacks. In all eight patients who received the experimental treatment in an ongoing clinical trial this therapy worked. All of them had suffered heart attacks an average of 5 1/2 years prior; one of the patients had his heart attack 11 years earlier.

17 Mar 2011

Sports medicine physician suggests cardiac screening for young athletes requires augmentation of existing diagnostics to achieve greater accuracy, become cost-effective

Sports medicine physician Steve Watts says cardiac screening for young athletes is useful in preventing sudden cardiac death and suggests new diagnostics have the potential to add value and change the debate about the viability of cardiac screening for young athletes in the United States.

17 Mar 2011

PsiOxus commences MT-102 Phase II study for treatment of cancer- and age-related wasting

PsiOxus Therapeutics, Ltd. announced initiation of a Phase II study of MT-102, a small molecule therapeutic for the treatment of cancer- and age-related wasting. MT-102 is being developed to reverse the effects of cachexia, a wasting disease that accompanies cancer, heart failure, COPD, renal failure, cirrhosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

17 Mar 2011

Heart Failure News and Research

Further Reading

Interventional radiologists complete RDN human trial in patients with uncontrolled hypertension

Atypical antipsychotics is a safe mental health medication for nursing home residents

FDA approves Medtronic's Protecta implantable defibrillators

Nurse staffing levels, safety net status both factors in patient outcomes

FDA approves Medtronic's Consulta and Syncra pacemaker systems

HDL, BG Medicine to offer galectin-3 testing services for patients with heart failure

Most clinicians feel systems and procedures for preventing hospital readmissions ineffective

First continuous-flow total artificial heart transplant performed at THI

Protein α-myosin could be a promising therapeutic target for myocarditis

Roundup: Calif. lawmakers mull bill to tighten hospital security; abortion measures continue to advance in various states

U.S. hospitals bill insurance companies $1.2 trillion during 2008 for inpatient care: AHRQ

Breast cancer updates

Experts to showcase nursing education, practical innovations at Las Vegas national conference

High sodium intake may increase risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney problem

Research roundup: Successful medical homes; shortage of HIV doctors; boosting use of $4 generic drugs

Science journal publishes CYTK preclinical cardiac myosin activation research results

British pie, mash and gravy meals too salty: Heart health experts

Stem cell therapy successfully heals a scarred and failing heart

Sports medicine physician suggests cardiac screening for young athletes requires augmentation of existing diagnostics to achieve greater accuracy, become cost-effective

PsiOxus commences MT-102 Phase II study for treatment of cancer- and age-related wasting

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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