Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Experimental study on most common form of heart valve disease in Western countries may lead to new treatments

A team of scientists from the University of Montreal and the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre, led by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, has completed an important study that show how a new type of medication can lead to an improvement in the aortic valve narrowing

18 Apr 2008

Non-surgical heart valve replacement procedure permits swift recovery and discharge from hospital

Interventional cardiologists at Rush University Medical Center now offer a minimally-invasive transcatheter valve replacement procedure for patients with congenital heart disease that doesn’t involve open heart surgery.

18 Apr 2008

Herceptin and chemotherapy improves response rates without major adverse effects in HER2 breast cancer

Women with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer seem to do better if they are treated with a combined anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy regimen before surgery, together with trastuzumab (Herceptin) before and after surgery, according to results from the largest multi-centre trial to investigate this treatment.

18 Apr 2008

Constraint induced therapy causes increase in gray matter

A rehabilitation therapy developed by a UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) neuroscientist produces changes in the structure of the brain, the first evidence of actual brain remodeling resulting from a rehabilitation therapy.

17 Apr 2008

Heparin versus placebo for acute coronary syndromes

Compared with those on placebos, giving heparin to people who have heart conditions like unstable angina and some forms of heart attack reduces the risk of having another heart attack, concluded a Cochrane Systematic Review.

17 Apr 2008

Frequent migraines linked to women's risk of cardiovascular disease

New research shows women who have weekly migraine are significantly more likely to have a stroke than those with fewer migraines or no migraine at all, but those with lower migraine frequency may face increased risk of heart attacks.

17 Apr 2008

Children with migraine more likely to have sleep disorders

Children with migraine are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea and lack of sleep, than children without migraine, according to research on the effects of headaches on children’s sleep patterns that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008.

17 Apr 2008

The mechanism of phosphorus as a cardiovascular risk factor in chronic kidney disease

The estimated 19 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face a high risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that a main source of this cardiovascular risk is CKD patients' high levels of blood phosphate.

17 Apr 2008

Nanomagnets used to carry genes to fight tumours

A revolutionary cancer treatment using microscopic magnets to enable 'armed' human cells to target tumours has been developed by researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

17 Apr 2008

Physical activity and enhanced fitness to improve cognitive function in older people without known cognitive impairment

Aerobic exercise could give older adults a boost in brainpower, according to a recent review of studies from the Netherlands.

17 Apr 2008

New molecule could be key to anti-heart attack drug

When too many blood platelets stick together in the bloodstream, they form dangerous clots that can clog blood vessels and cause a heart attack. If a clot doesn't get dissolved or rapidly removed, it can cause permanent damage or even death.

17 Apr 2008

No link between aromatase inhibitors and cardiovascular problems

New evidence has emerged that, contrary to some current fears, aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are not associated with an increased risk of heart problems in women who take them to prevent their breast cancer recurring.

17 Apr 2008

Menstrual status and long-term cardiovascular effects of intense exercise in top elite athlete women’

It has long been assumed that menstrual disorders amongst elite female athletes are related to tough training regimes combined with insufficient energy intake. However, a new doctoral thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet overturns old ideas that elite sport can damage the health. Many elite female athletes can have a congenital condition, that gives them higher levels of testosterone and that might even contribute to their sporting successes.

17 Apr 2008

Creatinine increase in elderly means increased renal disease, mortality

Even small increases in serum creatinine levels during hospitalization raise the risk of end stage renal disease and mortality of elderly patients over the long term, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

16 Apr 2008

An effective colon cancer prevention treatment

Using a combination of a targeted cancer-fighting agent called DFMO and a low dose of an anti-inflammatory drug, UC Irvine researchers have reduced the risk of reoccurring colorectal polyps, an early sign of colon cancer, by as much as 95 percent with fewer toxic side effects.

15 Apr 2008