Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Study highlights value of defibrillators in typical medical settings

Patients who received an implantable heart defibrillator in everyday practice had survival benefits on par with those who received the same devices in carefully controlled clinical trials, according to a new study that highlights the value of defibrillators in typical medical settings.

1 Jan 2013

Improvement needed in at-home cardiac care for elderly

Elderly patients with coronary heart disease who refuse an offer of center-based cardiac rehabilitation and receive an at-home plan instead fare no better after 12 months than their counterparts who receive usual care, report researchers.

31 Dec 2012

Weight gain after adolescence has repercussions for hypertension

Individuals who gain weight in adulthood as well as those who are overweight in adolescence and adulthood are at increased risk for hypertension, research suggests.

31 Dec 2012

Oral Eliquis receives FDA approval for treatment of clots in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the anti-clotting drug Eliquis (apixaban), an oral tablet used to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots (systemic embolism) in patients with atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve problem.

29 Dec 2012

Developer of Boron Neuron Capture Therapy bestowed National Medal of Science honor

President Barack Obama named University of Missouri researcher M. Frederick Hawthorne as recipient of the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the country to scientists. Hawthorne is the director of the International Institute of Nano and Molecular Medicine at the University of Missouri, as well as Curators' Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Radiology.

29 Dec 2012

Behavioral changes and discipline needed to lose weight

Losing weight and saving money are perenially the top New Year's resolutions made by many Americans. But both require behavioral changes and a certain amount of discipline.

29 Dec 2012

Heart transplant patient becomes unexpected ambassador for organ donation

Kevin Riepl arrived at Cedars-Sinai in October 2010, suffering from sudden heart failure that left him fighting for his life. Surgeons swiftly installed a heart pump and later transplanted a new heart, saving his life and turning him into an unexpected ambassador for organ donation.

29 Dec 2012

MBL Physiology course has a positive 'real research' impact on students

What happens when graduate students in biology are given the freedom to play, dabble in new fields, launch into the unknowns of genuine research, not worry about getting "good" results?

29 Dec 2012

Long-term, regular aspirin use linked to macular degeneration

Using aspirin on a regular basis for 10 years or more during middle-to-old age could increase the risk for the developing incident age-related macular degeneration, indicate study results.

28 Dec 2012

Subclinical hypothyroidism not a risk factor for heart disease

Persistent subclinical hypothyroidism in older adults is not associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events, US research shows.

28 Dec 2012

Diabetes interventions show promise in primary care

Two lifestyle-based diabetes interventions developed in a clinical trial could successfully promote weight loss in primary care, research shows.

28 Dec 2012

Ulcerative colitis impairs work capacity

Patients with ulcerative colitis have higher rates of sick leave or disability pension than the general population, show findings published in Gastroenterology.

28 Dec 2012

US acute kidney injury deaths ‘double in past decade’

A US study has found that the most severe form of acute kidney injury has increased nationwide by an average 10% per year with the number of associated deaths doubling over the past decade.

28 Dec 2012

New light on how epigenetic signals may function together to determine fate of stem cell

Long-standing research efforts have been focused on understanding how stem cells, cells capable of transforming into any type of cell in the body, are capable of being programmed down a defined path to contribute to the development of a specific organ like a heart, lung, or kidney. Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has shed new light on how epigenetic signals may function together to determine the ultimate fate of a stem cell.

28 Dec 2012

Researchers sequence entire gene to identify mutations that cause hyperinsulinism

Congenital hyperinsulinism is a genetic condition where a baby's pancreas secretes too much insulin. It affects approximately one in 50,000 live births and in severe cases requires the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas.

28 Dec 2012

Bariatric surgery succeeds when new year resolutions to lose weight fail

For years Blanca Ramirez, like many Americans, started each new year with a resolution to lose weight. But no more. "I lost 55 pounds this year and the weight is rolling off and will stay off," said the 42 year-old, married, mother of three. Ramirez underwent bariatric surgery at Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Care in August and has lost 55 pounds in four months.

28 Dec 2012

Juxtapid receives FDA approval for treatment of rare cholesterol disorder

On Dec. 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Juxtapid (lomitapide) to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Juxtapid is intended for use in combination with a low fat diet and other lipid-lowering treatments.

27 Dec 2012

Prevalence of obesity and extreme obesity among young U.S. children may have begun to decline

Obesity and extreme obesity in childhood, which are more prevalent among minority and low-income families, have been associated with other cardiovascular risk factors, increased health care costs, and premature death.

26 Dec 2012

Study on prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis among U.S. soldiers

Among deployed U.S. service members who died of combat or unintentional injuries between 2001-2011 and underwent autopsies, the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis was 8.5 percent, with factors associated with a higher prevalence of the disease including older age, lower educational level and prior diagnoses of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity, according to a study in the December 26 issue of JAMA.

26 Dec 2012

Survey reveals significant improvement in delivery of underused care

An analysis of nationally representative survey data found significant improvement in the delivery of underused care, but more limited changes in the reduction of inappropriate care in ambulatory health care settings between 1998 and 2009, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

25 Dec 2012