Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Beaver Medical Group expands range of ophthalmological services at Banning Specialty Care Center

Beaver Medical Group is expanding the range of ophthalmological services offered at its Banning Specialty Care Center. By relocating the SCC ophthalmology services within the facility and purchasing new technology, patients will have greater access and more convenience when they need eye care.

17 Aug 2010

Thickening of neck artery wall increases risk of heart attack, stroke: Study

Researchers for the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studied 5,614 Italians in four villages and found that those who scored high for antagonistic traits on a standard personality test had greater thickening of the neck (carotid) arteries compared to people who were more agreeable. Thickness of neck artery walls is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

17 Aug 2010

Researchers visualize ruptures of atherosclerotic plaques with multi-color CT and gold nanoparticles

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time developed a way to visualize coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using multi-color computed tomography (CT), an innovation that will lead to better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The data are published in the September issue of Radiology.

17 Aug 2010

FDA issues Proposal to Withdraw Marketing Approval for orthostatic hypotension drug midodrine hydrochloride

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed to withdraw approval of the drug midodrine hydrochloride, used to treat the low blood pressure condition orthostatic hypotension, because required post-approval studies that verify the clinical benefit of the drug have not been done.

17 Aug 2010

Study finds abnormal expression of miRNAs can contribute to human diseases

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center have identified an RNA sequence that promotes increased numbers of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and disease, including heart disease and cancer. The findings are published in the August 13 issue of Molecular Cell.

17 Aug 2010

Australia’s first artificial heart in place

Angelo Tigano, 50 was given only two weeks to live at the start of this month. But last week surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney gave him the country's first artificial heart after a five-hour operation to keep him alive.

16 Aug 2010

Amphetamine abuse associated with increased risk of aortic dissection

Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a tear in the main artery leading from the heart, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

16 Aug 2010

$Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures$

Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures

Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

16 Aug 2010

Massachusetts General Hospital implants Levacor Ventricular Assist Device

World Heart Corporation, a developer of mechanical circulatory systems, announced today that the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. has successfully implanted its first Levacor™ Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). Mass General is the fifth implanting site nationwide in the Levacor VAD Bridge-to-Transplant (BTT) Study. This is the eleventh implant with the Levacor VAD since the inception of the BTT study.

16 Aug 2010

Align Technology releases Invisalign G3 for greater predictability of tooth movements

Align Technology, Inc. today announced the launch of Invisalign® G3, the most significant collection of new features and innovations in the company's history. Invisalign G3 is engineered to deliver even better clinical results, with new aligner and software features that make it easier to use Invisalign with Class II and Class III patients, new SmartForce™ features designed for increased predictability of certain tooth movements, and simpler, more intuitive software to streamline treatment planning and review.

16 Aug 2010

PLC Systems second-quarter total revenues decrease to $1,019,000

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

16 Aug 2010

MEDNAX acquires Laredo-based pediatric cardiology physician group

MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of a pediatric cardiology physician group based in Laredo, TX.

16 Aug 2010

Medforma unveils new Internet-based wellness platform

Nearly 80 percent of health care costs are spent on treating preventable diseases. And most of this burden falls on employers and employees. To help employers reduce these expenses while improving the health of their workforces, St. Paul-based Medforma Inc., today unveiled the next-generation of its Internet-based wellness platform called Health Portrait™.

16 Aug 2010

Smart for Life continues to improve Chocolate Chip Cookie

The trailblazing company whose Smart for Life weight management products featuring the cookie diet component has recently improved its Chocolate Chip Cookie to include the most protein offered in a meal replacement cookie on the market at a whopping 6 grams per serving. The amount of protein found in meal replacements is instrumental in curbing hunger, maintaining muscle mass, and providing energy, not to mention contributing to weight loss.

16 Aug 2010

Nile Therapeutics second quarter 2010 net loss decreases to $1.5 million

Nile Therapeutics, Inc.,a company focused on the development of novel therapeutics for heart failure patients, today announced its second quarter financial results for 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Kaiser Permanente uses integrated care delivery model to aid mothers understand benefits of breastfeeding

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and Kaiser Permanente believes that one of the most important choices a mother can make to promote the health of her family is to choose to breastfeed exclusively. Kaiser Permanente, with more than 90,000 births in 2009, uses its integrated care delivery model to help mothers understand the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child and support the mother's infant feeding decision.

16 Aug 2010

Exercise can ease arthritis pain

People with arthritis who exercise have less pain, more energy, improved sleep, and better day-to-day function, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

16 Aug 2010

Washington Hospital's Stroke Program receives Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award

In just a few short years since its inception, Washington Hospital's Stroke Program has earned top honors - The Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award - which is part of the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA)'s Get With The Guidelines(GWTG) program, a national evidence-based initiative to improve stroke patients' outcomes.

16 Aug 2010

Researchers pace embryonic heart with laser

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University found that pulsed light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. The work, "Optical pacing of the embryonic heart," will be published in the advanced online issue of Nature Photonics on Aug. 15, 2010.According to the scientists, this non-invasive device may prove an effective tool in understanding how environmental factors that alter an embryo's heart rate lead to congenital defects. It may also lead to investigations of cardiac electrophysiology at the cellular, tissue and organ levels, and possibly the development of a new generation of pacemakers.

16 Aug 2010

Treatment for diabetics cost U.S. hospitals 25% more than stays for non-diabetics

U.S. hospitals spent $83 billion in 2008 caring for people with diabetes, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In that year, nearly one of every five hospitalizations involved a person with diabetes.

16 Aug 2010