Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Renowned cardiologists to discuss latest research on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at HCMA symposium

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the genetic disease in which the muscle of the heart thickens in the absence of an apparent cause, is the leading cause of sudden death in children and young adults. HCM accounts for 40 percent of all deaths on athletic playing fields across the U.S.

29 Apr 2010

Tumor cell factories may be difficult to defeat: Researchers

Many of the colon cancer cells that form tumors can be killed by genetically short-circuiting the cells' ability to absorb a key nutrient, a new study has found. While the findings are encouraging, the test tube study using human colon cancer cells also illustrates the difficulty of defeating these cells, known as cancer stem cells.

29 Apr 2010

Neurocrine Biosciences reports net loss of $8.6M in first quarter 2010

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. For the first quarter of 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $8.6 million, or $0.19 per share compared with a net loss of $19.7 million, or $0.51 per share, for the same period in 2009.

29 Apr 2010

Phase 1B/2 clinical study to evaluate efficacy of PMX-60056 in reversing heparin levels initiated

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has initiated a Phase 1B/2 dose-ranging clinical study with its anticoagulant reversing agent, PMX-60056. The study is intended to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of PMX-60056 in reversing varying heparin levels, including the highest levels commonly used in surgical settings.

29 Apr 2010

Obama's debt commission to consider Medicare cuts, new health care law

President Obama's bipartisan debt commission met Tuesday to discuss ways to reduce the federal deficit. The President said that everything was up for discussion, including provisions of the federal health care law, and entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

29 Apr 2010

Vascular surgeon successfully bypasses torn aorta

Rhonda Mullen was 38 years old and in perfect health when she suddenly felt a searing pain between her shoulder blades. A few hours later, Mullen was being wheeled into an operating room at Loyola University Hospital for emergency surgery to repair an unusual tear in her aorta, the body's main blood vessel.

29 Apr 2010

Investigators study Pioglitazone and Vitamin E for treatment of NASH

A daily dose of a specific form of vitamin E significantly improved the liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Results were published April 28 online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

29 Apr 2010

Merge Healthcare completes merger agreement with AMICAS

Today's successful close of the merger agreement between Merge Healthcare Incorporated and AMICAS, Inc. creates a leading medical imaging software and healthcare IT solutions provider with strong customer relationships, innovative solutions, significant cross selling capabilities, and a solid international presence.

29 Apr 2010

Celera reports net loss of $12.5M for first-quarter 2010

Celera Corporation today reported net revenues of $31.4 million for the first quarter of 2010 that ended March 27, 2010, compared to $45.7 million in the prior year quarter. For the first quarter of 2010, Celera reported a net loss $12.5 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a net loss of $1.4 million, or $0.02 per share, for the prior year quarter.

28 Apr 2010

AAP testimony asks CDC DOH to include periodontal surveillance as part of strategic priorities

The American Academy of Periodontology was recently invited to provide testimony to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Oral Health as part of the strategic planning process for 2011 through 2014.

28 Apr 2010

High dose B-vitamin therapy slows progression of diabetic nephropathy: Study

Patients with diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease caused by diabetes) who received high dose B-vitamin therapy experienced a more rapid decline in kidney function and had a higher rate of heart attack and stroke than patients who received placebo, according to a study in the April 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Apr 2010

Kaiser Permanente approves over 250 grants and donations totaling $7 million

Kaiser Permanente, one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans, announced today it approved more than 250 grants and donations nationwide totaling approximately $7 million in the first quarter of 2010. The grants focused on expanding access to nutritious food, providing safe spaces for all ages to increase physical activity, increasing opportunities for continuing education, and eliminating health disparities.

28 Apr 2010

Causes of death in AIDS patients

New research shows that Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) continues to dramatically reduce rates of mortality from HIV infection in high-income countries, such that non-AIDS-related deaths exceed AIDS deaths after approximately four years of taking ART.

28 Apr 2010

Coronary artery calcium score helpful for determining intermediate risk of heart disease

Including a coronary artery calcium score in a risk assessment for future heart disease events, such as heart attacks, provides a better estimate in some populations than a standard coronary risk factors assessment, according to research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

28 Apr 2010

Volcano to distribute AngioSculpt PTCA Scoring Balloon Catheter in Japan

Volcano Corporation, a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with AngioScore for its AngioSculpt® PTCA Scoring Balloon Catheter for coronary indications in Japan. This is the first of what Volcano believes will be many products distributed by Volcano Japan, which now includes more than 50 direct sales representatives.

28 Apr 2010

Researchers develop new diagnostic approach to fight against Chagas disease

Chagas disease is one of the most deadly parasitic diseases in the world. It affects more than 10 million people, primarily in the Americas. In South America alone it kills 50 000 people each year. A reliable and rapid diagnosis is the key in the battle against infection but until now, this has been next to impossible.

28 Apr 2010

Study: Lower blood oxygen levels can lead to heart abnormalities in children with sickle cell disease

Children with sickle cell disease who also have lower blood oxygen levels while both asleep and awake are likely to have heart abnormalities, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions have found.

28 Apr 2010

Pilot role-modeling program shows reduced and sustained body mass indexes in children

Weight Watchers has helped millions of American adults successfully lose weight and now results from a pilot, family-focused Weight Watchers approach designed to support parents shows potential for success in reducing excess weight in children, according to a study presented at the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, Calif., April 27, 2010.

28 Apr 2010

FIESTY acronym to improve cognitive function, reduce chances of developing dementia

As researchers learn more about how we age, they're finding that genetics are only half of the story when it comes to developing Alzheimer's disease.

28 Apr 2010

FDA issues warning over faulty components in external defibrillators

About 280,000 external defibrillators used worldwide in health care facilities, public places, or in the home may malfunction during attempts to rescue people in sudden cardiac arrest, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned today.

28 Apr 2010