Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Vast majority of heart attacks may be predicted by nine easily measurable factors

A major Canadian-led global study has found that the vast majority of heart attacks may be predicted by nine easily measurable factors and that these factors are the same in virtually every region and ethnic group worldwide.

29 Aug 2004

New study confirms benefits of rimonabant in weight loss

Phase III clinical study comparing placebo to rimonabant, the first agent in a new therapeutic class known as selective cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) blockers, showed that overweight or obese people taking rimonabant 20mg once daily benefited from a significant reduction in their body weight

29 Aug 2004

Dronedarone is effective and well-tolerated in the prevention of atrial fibrillation

New anti-arrhythmic agent, dronedarone, is highly effective in the prevention of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter recurrence, serious disorders of cardiac rhythm, and is well-tolerated by patients.

29 Aug 2004

Atrial fibrillation patients often receive needless treatment

Results of the Euro Heart Survey on atrial fibrillation (AF), demonstrate that many AF patients receive clot-preventing drugs while not at risk for stroke.

29 Aug 2004

U.S. FDA study shows Canadian drugs to be more expensive

If you think all drugs from Canada are cheaper than U.S. drugs, think again. In the United States, generic drugs - roughly half of all prescriptions - are often cheaper than both Canadian brand-name drugs and Canadian generic drugs, according to a study by the Food and Drug Administration.

29 Aug 2004

Tomato juice may help type 2 diabetics

Tomato juice may be the key to decreasing hyperactive platelet aggregation, which can lead to heart disease, according to the latest nutrition and dietetics study by HMRI researchers based at the University of Newcastle.

27 Aug 2004

Two new findings in the field of primary prevention for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

The first is that both high and low blood pressure increase the chances of developing dementia. The second is that an active and socially integrated lifestyle protects against dementia.

27 Aug 2004

Ephedra substitute - Seville orange may have risks

People taking “ephedra-free” weight loss products that contain the herb Citrus aurantium, or Seville orange, may be doing more harm to their body than good, according to a new review published by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers.

27 Aug 2004

Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), are effective long term

Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), a class of drugs that block production of cholesterol in the liver, lower total cholesterol and LDL and are also associated with cardiovascular benefits, are effective in the long term, conclude authors of a study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

26 Aug 2004

Eggs are a high in lutein, a carotenoid important for eye and skin health

The study published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Nutrition compared the bioavailability of lutein from various sources, in order to determine how it can impact dietary recommendations. Highly bioavailable forms of nutrients are those that the body can most easily absorb and utilize.

26 Aug 2004

FDA approves revised labeling for anti-inflammatory corticosteroid nasal spray

AstraZeneca has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved revised labeling for its anti-inflammatory corticosteroid nasal spray RHINOCORT AQUA® (budesonide).

26 Aug 2004

Study of new gene and cell therapy to better understand how genetically-engineered cells can help pace the heart

Guidant Corporation, Columbia University and Stony Brook University will collaborate to study a new gene and cell therapy that may ultimately provide better understanding of how genetically-engineered cells can help pace the heart.

26 Aug 2004

Artificial heart can keep patients awaiting heart transplant alive

The results of the nine-year study of the CardioWest Total Artificial Heart have concluded that the device prevents death in critically ill patients suffering from irreversible failure of both sides of the heart who are candidates for heart transplantation.

26 Aug 2004

Mission to uncover the genetic make-up of Britain

The researchers will take blood from thousands of volunteers all over Britain. The samples will be used to isolate key pieces of DNA that best identify the influences – including Vikings, Saxons, and Celts – shaping regional populations.

26 Aug 2004

Study emphasizes the importance of monitoring blood pressure and dyslipidemia in patient's with metabolic syndrome

Having three or more traits of the metabolic syndrome significantly increases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease or any other cause, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Aug 2004

High blood pressure increased 30 percent over the last decade in the U.S.

The study found that at least 65 million Americans have hypertension, defined as blood pressure of 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher, using blood-pressure lowering medications, or having been told at least twice by a physician or other health professional that they had high blood pressure (medical history). By that definition, almost a third of U.S. adults have hypertension.

25 Aug 2004

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy reduces artery-clogging plaque

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome appears to reduce artery-clogging plaque, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Aug 2004

New class of compounds play a role in protecting the cardiovascular system

Half a million Americans are diagnosed each year with heart failure, a progressively debilitating condition characterized by the heart's declining ability to pump blood efficiently.

25 Aug 2004

Besides helping infants’ lungs mature, sighs may “reset” breathing regulation mechanism

As if new parents don’t have enough to worry about getting in synch with their infants, many of them wonder “what’s with these sighs?”

25 Aug 2004

Regular exercise boosts immune system in older men

As it turns out, judging by the reaction strength of their immune system to an unknown, but harmless, protein antigen, it’s possible for men over 70 to mount an immune response similar to that produced by much younger men -- if they get regular moderate physical activity of about six hours a week.

25 Aug 2004