Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Meridia – weight loss pill off the shelves in US

Abbott Pharmaceuticals has announced the withdrawal of weight loss drug Meridia from shelves in the United States and urged patients to stop taking it after regulators questioned its safety. The withdrawal happened last Friday in the US. In January, Meridia sales were suspended in Europe.

10 Oct 2010

Weight loss pill off shelves due to heart attack risk

Final verdict on a popular weight loss drug Reductil is to be delivered today. It is being debated whether the pill should be taken off the shelves in Australia and New Zealand. The drug Sibutramine sold as Reductil is linked to increased risk of heart attacks.

10 Oct 2010

Japanese MHLW approves CryoLife's BioGlue Surgical Adhesive for aortic dissections

CryoLife, Inc. an implantable biological medical device and cardiovascular tissue processing company, today announced that its BioGlue Surgical Adhesive has received Shonin approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for use in the repair of aortic dissections.

8 Oct 2010

Experts meet on ESMO Congress to bring new hope to cancer patients

"A congress of records," is how Professor David J. Kerr, President of the European Society for Medical Oncology described the 35th ESMO Congress, at the opening press conference for the biggest medical oncology event in Europe. "We have had record numbers of submitted and accepted abstracts and are expecting a record number of attendees." The ESMO meeting brings together cancer specialists, patients, industry representatives and members of the media. The 35th ESMO Congress takes place at Fiera Milano City, in Milan, Italy, from 8 to 12 October 2010.

8 Oct 2010

HHS, PEPFAR to invest $130 million to transform African medical education

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to invest $130 million over five years to transform African medical education and dramatically increase the number of practicing health care workers.

8 Oct 2010

Positron comments on new medical radiation bill passed into law in California

Positron Corporation, a leading molecular imaging company specializing in the field of nuclear cardiology, commented on the new medical radiation bill passed into law in California.

8 Oct 2010

Survey shows obstetricians, gynecologists unfamiliar with Chagas' disease

According to recent survey results published in the October issue of The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States are unfamiliar with Chagas' disease, a condition that affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and can cause serious cardiovascular and digestive complications.

8 Oct 2010

IMNG relaunches websites for Internal Medicine News, Hospitalist News

International Medical News Group, an Elsevier company that provides medical news to physicians, today announced the relaunch of its websites for Internal Medicine News (www.internalmedicinenews.com) and Hospitalist News.

8 Oct 2010

Health-TIES consortium aims to accelerate innovation in healthcare

On Thursday 7 October, Europe's top regions in healthcare technology will launch the Health-TIES consortium that aims to accelerate innovation in healthcare. The consortium is backed by a three-year grant from the European Commission and is set up to strengthen the research potential of European regions through research-driven clusters of universities, research centres, enterprises and regional authorities.

8 Oct 2010

Smoking ban contributes to fewer heart attack deaths: Study

A new study finds that the number of deadly heart attacks in Massachusetts fell by more than 7 percent after the state outlawed smoking in workplaces, a possible sign that the ban contributed to better health as fewer people found themselves around smoke.

8 Oct 2010

Low-fat diet reduces risk of heart disease

Losing weight, especially among adults who are very heavy to obese, is a good way to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis, the artery-thickening condition that leads to potentially deadly heart disease. A diet that is low in either fats or carbohydrates can help reduce weight. But which one is the more heart-healthy?

8 Oct 2010

Firm sees drugs sales rising 5 to 7 percent next year, other drug industry news

The Associated Press reports that global prescription drug sales should rise 5 percent to 7 percent next year reaching at least $880 billion, fueled by new drugs and rising sales in developing countries, according to drug data firm IMS Health.

8 Oct 2010

Matchmaker function may help cardiologists understand the natural repair process after heart attacks

Heart muscle cells do not normally replicate in adult tissue, but multiply with abandoned during development. This is why the loss of heart muscle after a heart attack is so dire-you can't grow enough new heart muscle to make up for the loss.

8 Oct 2010

Medical researchers take the next step in personalized medicine

Prescription drugs and their dosages may be standardized, but not every patient reacts to a medicine in the same way. The personal genetic characteristics of individuals and populations can explain why a specific prescription successfully treats one patient and not another, so medical researchers are adopting the new approach called "personalized medicine" and a Tel Aviv University lab is leading the way.

8 Oct 2010

Physicians should check fatty deposits around heart when evaluating heart problems: Researchers

Cardiac imaging researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are recommending that physicians not overlook fatty deposits around the heart when evaluating patients for risk of major heart problems.

8 Oct 2010

ARCA receives European Patent for bucindolol based treatment for heart failure

ARCA biopharma, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company developing genetically-targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, today announced that the European Patent Office has issued a patent on methods of treating heart failure patients with bucindolol based on genetic targeting.

8 Oct 2010

Websites bridge gaps between patients and doctors and marketers

Conveying how well a therapy works and doing so in understandable terms isn't easy, but a group of physicians is trying to change that The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog reports.

8 Oct 2010

Doctors say practices disrupted by piecemeal Medicare payment fixes

Doctor groups are warning congressional leaders that a series of short-term measures lawmakers passed earlier this year to block Medicare payment cuts were too disruptive to medical practices," CQ HealthBeat reports.

8 Oct 2010

Study finds no association between gene variant and risk of coronary disease

A genetic marker touted as a predictor of coronary artery disease is no such thing, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

7 Oct 2010

AngioDynamics reports 3% increase in net sales for fiscal 2011 first quarter

AngioDynamics, a leading provider of innovative medical devices for the minimally-invasive treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease, today reported financial results for the fiscal 2011 first quarter ended August 31, 2010 that were in line with the preliminary results reported on September 7, 2010.

7 Oct 2010