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Researchers suggest that genetic screening may predict heart attack risk

Testing for 11 specific genetic variations in hundreds of people with no history of heart disease provided information that led to revision of their estimated heart attack risk, say Mayo Clinic researchers.

17 Nov 2010

Combination of CT scans effective in diagnosing coronary artery disease

Heart imaging specialists at Johns Hopkins have shown that a combination of CT scans that measure how much blood is flowing through the heart and the amount of plaque in surrounding arteries are just as good as tests that are less safe, more complex and more time-consuming to detect coronary artery disease and its severity.

17 Nov 2010

John Muir Health opens The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower

Today, John Muir Health opened the doors of The Hofmann Family Patient Care Tower at John Muir Medical Center, Concord, which includes 120 new private rooms (61 open with 59 shelled for future use), a new Cardiovascular Institute and a new Emergency Department. The 172,000 square foot facility, which took three years and $212 million to complete, also features state-of-the-art technology and a patient-focused, healing environment.

17 Nov 2010

Argon enters licensing agreement with Rex Medical for UltraStream catheter

Argon Medical Devices, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive licensing agreement with Rex Medical, LP for exclusive rights to market and distribute the UltraStream chronic dialysis catheter on a global basis.

16 Nov 2010

Size of hippocampus may be linked to early dementia

The size of the part of the brain known as the hippocampus may be linked to future dementia, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

16 Nov 2010

UC San Diego researchers receive NIH grant to develop scaffolds

University of California, San Diego NanoEngineers won a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the tools to manufacture biodegradable frames around which heart tissues functional blood vessels included will grow.

16 Nov 2010

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals presents positive results of TSC study for PAD at American Heart Association

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC today announced positive results of its Phase I/II proof-of-concept study of Trans Sodium Crocetinate (TSC) in patients suffering from walking impairment due to peripheral artery disease (PAD).

16 Nov 2010

PLC Systems third quarter net loss decrease to $5,000

PLC Systems Inc., a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, today reported financial results for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2010.

15 Nov 2010

Study analyzes neurological recovery after hypothermia treatment in cardiac arrest patients

Heart experts at Johns Hopkins say that physicians might be drawing conclusions too soon about irreversible brain damage in patients surviving cardiac arrest whose bodies were for a day initially chilled into a calming coma.

15 Nov 2010

AHA/ASA announce need for comprehensive hospital certification program for heart and stroke care

The American Heart Association should develop a comprehensive hospital certification program with policies and evidence-based criteria for cardiovascular disease and stroke care in the United States, according to an American Heart Association Presidential Advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Nov 2010

Research roundup: Doctors' industry ties; Patient safety and residents' hours; Designing a medical home

Archives of Internal Medicine: Physician Professionalism And Changes in Physician-Industry Relationships From 2004 to 2009 -"During the last 6 years a number of efforts have aimed to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, certain types of physician-industry relationships (PIRs)," including policies "that forbid physicians from accepting samples and receiving food and beverages in offices, limiting company representatives' access to physicians' offices and clinical areas, and banning faculty participation in speaker bureaus and other forms of promotional activity," write the authors.

12 Nov 2010

Amorfix second quarter net loss decreases to $25,728

Amorfix Life Sciences, a product development company focused on the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for misfolded protein diseases, today announced its operational and financial results for the three and six months ended September 30, 2010.

12 Nov 2010

Vascular Quality Improvement Initiative expands SVS' focus on clinical outcomes

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) announced a new quality initiative to improve the care of patients with vascular disease. The Vascular Quality Improvement Initiative includes a registry and regional study groups to analyze the data collected from the registry. The initiative expands SVS' focus on clinical outcomes and benchmarked reporting.

12 Nov 2010

Scientists unveil mechanism of liver regeneration

The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood. Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells the cells that form the lining of blood vessels play a key role.

12 Nov 2010

New catheter device for abdominal aortic aneurysm

William E. Sorfleet had a life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm, but at age 82, he was too old for major invasive surgery to repair the bulging blood vessel. So vascular surgeon Dr. Ross Milner of Loyola University Hospital repaired the aneurysm with a catheter device instead of a scalpel. The catheter, inserted through an artery, deployed a device called a stent graft that repaired the aneurysm.

12 Nov 2010

NIH/NIDCR awards $1.1 million grant to Agenta for soft tissue healing development

Agenta Biotechnologies, Inc., a private biotechnology company, announced that it has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH/NIDCR) for the further development of a biologically activated membrane to improve soft tissue healing associated with oral surgery.

12 Nov 2010

Butte radiologist settles lawsuit against St. James Healthcare

On Oct. 15, Butte radiologist Dr. Jesse A. Cole accepted a $4 million settlement in his lawsuit against St. James Healthcare and its parent corporation, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Systems, Inc., a Kansas not-for-profit corporation (not to be confused with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth religious community, a separate entity).

11 Nov 2010

BIOTRONIK releases Pulsar-18 stent for treatment of long lesions in superficial femoral, infrapopliteal arteries

BIOTRONIK AG, a European manufacturer of therapy solutions for vascular intervention, has announced the international full market release of the innovative Pulsar-18 stent for treatment of long lesions in the superficial femoral and infrapopliteal arteries. Pulsar-18 is unique in the market, representing an advance in technology that further reinforces the company's position as a leader in providing high quality technologies for patients with peripheral vascular disease.

11 Nov 2010

Resistance exercise may promote better cardiovascular health

Resistance exercise (such as lifting weights) produces a different pattern of blood vessel responses than aerobic exercise, suggesting that it may have specific and important benefits for cardiovascular health, according to a study in the November issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

11 Nov 2010

ESC emphasizes simple measures for diabetic patients to slow-down CVD progression

Diabetics can face a five times increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than non-diabetics. This leads to a seven to ten year reduction in life expectancy and a higher probability of suffering a fatal heart attack. These sad statistics have prompted the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to mark World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2010 by emphasising the simple measures that diabetes patients should adopt to slow-down the progression of CVD and greatly improve their quality of life.

11 Nov 2010