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.

Doctors must choose and manage implanted cardiac defibrillators patients carefully

Implanted devices that can shock a failing heart back into regular rhythm do an excellent job of keeping patients alive, two new University of Michigan studies find.

8 Nov 2004

Genetic testing can be used to distinguish between ischemic and nonischemic forms of heart failure

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that genetic testing can be effectively used to distinguish between heart failure patients who suffer from ischemic or nonischemic forms of the disease.

8 Nov 2004

Diabetic or obese patients suffering advanced heart failure have higher levels of fat embedded in their hearts

Heart failure, progressive and potentially fatal weakening of the heart muscle, is associated with both obesity and diabetes, but the mechanisms by which damage occurs are not well-understood, said senior author Heinrich Taegtmeyer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cardiology.

1 Nov 2004

Do cholesterol-reducing drugs decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes in diabetics?

International researchers will, for the first time, present findings from the landmark 4D trial about whether a cholesterol-reducing drug decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes with type 2 diabetics on dialysis at the American Society of Nephrology’s 37th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri.

1 Nov 2004

FDA approves partial artificial heart

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a partial artificial heart intended to keep people alive in the hospital while they are awaiting a heart transplant.

18 Oct 2004

One in four deaths among women with heart failure can be attributed to kidney problems

About one in four deaths among women with heart failure can be attributed to kidney problems, and more deaths are linked to renal insufficiency than to any other single risk factor, according to a new study in the Oct. 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 Oct 2004

QIMR researchers have received a 5 year grant to develop a vaccine against Group A streptococcus

QIMR researchers have received a 5 year grant from the National Institutes of Health in the USA to develop a vaccine against Group A streptococcus. This extremely prestigious grant makes QIMR one of the most successful recipients of NIH funding in Australia.

18 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

Transatlantic study to help damaged hearts repair themselves

A $6 million, five-year grant from the Parisian Fondation Leduq has set up a transatlantic effort to study ways to help damaged hearts repair themselves, using stem cells from bone marrow, bloodstream, and adult heart tissue.

6 Oct 2004

Discovery of the oldest remains of a woman who died in childbirth

In ancient times, female death rates were particularly high and generally related to problems in maternity, such as complications during pregnancy, childbirth or the period of breast-feeding.

6 Oct 2004

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family

Influenza (or as it is commonly known, the flu) is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family (The orthomyxoviridae is a family of RNA viruses which infect vertebrate).

6 Oct 2004

Noncardiac surgery risky for older heart failure patients

When heart failure patients undergo surgery for other health problems, they are much more likely to die or suffer complications than similar patients who have coronary artery disease

6 Oct 2004

Surgery to reshape damaged hearts may provide long-term benefits for certain patients with advanced heart failure

Surgery to reshape damaged hearts, which excludes scarred muscle tissue and restores the left ventricle’s normal shape, may provide long-term benefits for certain patients with advanced heart failure

6 Oct 2004

Researchers to develop dietary agents to reduce risk of cataracts for astronauts

Astronauts are at increased risk of cataracts because of space radiation. In fact, it is estimated during a long space flight to Mars and back, about one quarter of the crew would become blind because of space radiation-induced cataracts. Other groups which are at increased risk are jet crews, radiation workers and radiation accident cleanup workers.

5 Oct 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

Half of Britons at risk from heart disease

More than half the people tested in a national pharmacy initiative to identify the threat of high blood pressure were found to be at risk according to new research launched today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference.

27 Sep 2004

$16 million investment in minute wireless implant technology

Remon Medical Technologies a privately held medical device company, today announced that it has raised $16 million in the initial close of a Series C financing.

23 Sep 2004

Celacade shown to reduce risk of death and hospitalization in patients with advanced chronic heart failure

Vasogen has announced that comprehensive results from the Company's phase II trial of Celacade (immune modulation therapy) in advanced chronic heart failure patients were published in the September 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

16 Sep 2004

Campaign to reduce high salt consumption in the UK

Every day at least 26 million people eat more than the recommended daily limit of 6g of salt. Men are eating the most with a daily average of 11.0g of salt while women consume an average of 8.1g a day

14 Sep 2004

Prolonged and sustained endurance training prevents stiffening of the heart

The researchers also report that a sedentary lifestyle, in addition to aging, puts older people at risk for heart failure, the leading cause of hospitalizations for patients over 65 and a condition that affects eight out of every 1,000 people older than 70.

14 Sep 2004

Heart Failure News and Research

Further Reading

Doctors must choose and manage implanted cardiac defibrillators patients carefully

Genetic testing can be used to distinguish between ischemic and nonischemic forms of heart failure

Diabetic or obese patients suffering advanced heart failure have higher levels of fat embedded in their hearts

Do cholesterol-reducing drugs decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes in diabetics?

FDA approves partial artificial heart

One in four deaths among women with heart failure can be attributed to kidney problems

QIMR researchers have received a 5 year grant to develop a vaccine against Group A streptococcus

Progestin in hormone therapy could dramatically affect heart attack severity

Transatlantic study to help damaged hearts repair themselves

Discovery of the oldest remains of a woman who died in childbirth

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family

Noncardiac surgery risky for older heart failure patients

Surgery to reshape damaged hearts may provide long-term benefits for certain patients with advanced heart failure

Researchers to develop dietary agents to reduce risk of cataracts for astronauts

Draft Medicare plan to cover implantable defibrillators

Half of Britons at risk from heart disease

$16 million investment in minute wireless implant technology

Celacade shown to reduce risk of death and hospitalization in patients with advanced chronic heart failure

Campaign to reduce high salt consumption in the UK

Prolonged and sustained endurance training prevents stiffening of the heart

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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