Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Countries agree to fight the harmful use of alcohol with global strategy

For the first time, delegations from all 193 Member States of World Health Organization (WHO) reached consensus at the World Health Assembly on a resolution to confront the harmful use of alcohol -- which contributes to poor health globally, can devastate families and damage the structure of communities.

24 May 2010

Overall proportion of hospital patients died after heart attack fell by 37%: AHRQ

The overall proportion of hospital patients who died in the hospital after a heart attack fell by 37 percent between 2000 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The rate fell from from 106 per 1,000 patients to 67 per 1,000 patients during the period

21 May 2010

Democrats push three-year Medicare 'doc fix' as part of larger tax bill

A proposal to stop planned payment cuts to Medicare doctors for three years is in a bill extending tax cuts and lengthening unemployment benefits.

21 May 2010

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

"The number of Americans enrolled in high-deductible health plans has risen to more than 10 million but still represents a small portion of the insurance market, according to a report from insurance group America's Health Insurance Plans. Enrollments in these high-deductible health plans, which typically are paired with tax-free health savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, are up about 25 percent from last year, the report said" (5/20).

21 May 2010

Pharmacist-led HBPM program improves blood pressure control

A pharmacist-led home blood pressure monitoring program supported by the American Heart Association's Heart 360 website dramatically improved blood pressure control for patients with uncontrolled hypertension, according to a study.

21 May 2010

Researchers analyze impact of health promotion program on cardiovascular disease-related medical, hospital costs

A comprehensive health promotion program reduced cardiovascular disease-related medical and hospital costs, according to a new study. CSX Transportation, a national company with 30,000 employees, developed the program in 2004 to address employees' high rates of cardiovascular disease when compared to national benchmarks and the associated higher healthcare costs.

21 May 2010

African-Americans, Hispanics less likely to meet MTM eligibility requirements: Study

Medicare's Part D prescription medication management program, also known as Medication Therapy Management, could be off limits to some of the patients who need it most — older African-Americans and Hispanics — a new study finds.

21 May 2010

Lack of discussion on resuming sex after heart attack associated with less sexual activity

Sexual activity declines in the year after heart attack for patients who don't get instructions from their doctors about when it's safe to resume sex, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 11th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

21 May 2010

PLC Systems' RenalGuard to be showcased at EuroPCR 2010

PLC Systems Inc., a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, today announced that it will demonstrate RenalGuard® at EuroPCR, the annual meeting of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), May 25-28, 2010, in Paris, France. More than 11,000 clinicians and professionals are expected to attend this event.

21 May 2010

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories launches tacrolimus capsules in the US market

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories today announced that it has launched tacrolimus capsules, (0.5mg, 1mg, 5mg), a bioequivalent generic version of Prograf Capsules, in the US market on May 20, 2010. The United States Food & Drug Administration granted an approval of Dr. Reddy's ANDA for tacrolimus capsules on May 13, 2010.

21 May 2010

European researchers define research priorities in biogerontology

The quality of the medical care for geriatric patients is a major investment for society and must imperatively be a research priority in Europe. This is why 50 European researchers, met on May 17 - 19 in Brussels, to define the research priorities in the field of biogerontology for the next 10 to 15 years.

21 May 2010

New technique may improve treatments for heart disease

Spanish researchers have employed for the first time adult cells extracted from a human heart to turn stem cells from adipose tissue into cardiac myocytes. In other words, they achieved to "reprogram" adult stem cells, which might improve treatments for heart disease therapeutical.

21 May 2010

Patients with VAD implants develop varying severities of AVWS

The findings of a 12 patient study recently published in Thrombosis and Haemostasis by University Medical Center Freiburg documented that patients implanted with a ventricular assist device (VAD) experienced a rapid onset of acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS), while patients implanted with the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart did not.

21 May 2010

Washington State Department of Health shows smoking inside homes drops by 61% since 2000

New research released today by the Washington State Department of Health shows the number of people smoking inside homes in our state has declined by 61 percent since 2000. The drop is more than double the overall decline in adult smoking during the same period.

21 May 2010

Study explores genetic imbalances that give rise to childhood brain tumors

The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genetic imbalances at the heart of childhood brain tumors known as high-grade gliomas (HGGs) identified a cancer gene that is unusually active in some tumors and is now the focus of a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital clinical trial.

21 May 2010

Blood biomarker underscores role of inflammation in vascular disease

UC Davis researchers have discovered that a blood component linked with inflammation can predict coronary artery disease in African-Americans.

21 May 2010

Leading cardiologist uses new imaging system

LightLab Imaging, Inc. announced today that Good Morning America featured Dr. Marco Costa, a leading interventional cardiologist and Director of the Interventional Cardiovascular Center at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, using the newest imaging technology available to hospitals in the United States – Optical Coherence Tomography.

21 May 2010

New research seeks customised treatment of cardiovascular diseases

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials, CIC biomaGUNE, is involved in the research consortium of cvREMOD, which aims to move forward in the attainment of new diagnosis techniques for prevention and customised treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the upcoming four years.

21 May 2010

Routine cessation of clopidogrel in patients before colonoscopy polypectomy not necessary: Researchers

Researchers at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York examined postpolypectomy bleeding in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel and found that the postpolypectomy bleeding rate is significantly higher in patients undergoing polypectomy while taking clopidogrel and concomitant aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but that the risk is small and the outcome is favorable.

21 May 2010

Vitamin D plays much wider role in people's life

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin - we make it when our skin is exposed to UV rays. In a perfect world everyone would eat fresh, organic foods, get outside, and enjoy a little sunshine all year round. But with today's busy lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer many people are vitamin D deficient and don't know it.

21 May 2010