Cardiology News and Research

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Sex and racial gaps for cardiac rehabilitation referral could be reduced

Substantial sex and racial gaps exist for cardiac rehabilitation referral at hospital discharge, especially among females, African-Americans, Hispanic and Asian patients leading to less favorable outcomes and/or survival rates.

10 Apr 2018

Researchers suggest alternative therapy for heart attack patients with beta blocker intolerance

Beta blockers have become a prescription drug staple for recovering heart attack patients. However, these blood pressure-reducing medications cannot be tolerated by many patients who are at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, including those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, the elderly, and diabetics.

10 Apr 2018

Researchers explore treatment target for acute kidney injury

When you have diabetes then get an acute kidney injury there is a multiplier effect that can worsen your prognosis and destroy your kidneys.

10 Apr 2018

Low and high HDL cholesterol linked to higher risk of infectious disease

Most people recognize that there is a relationship between cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. But new research from Copenhagen University Hospital and University of Copenhagen shows that a certain kind of cholesterol might affect our health differently, that is, through a role in the immune system.

10 Apr 2018

Exercise may be best defense for people with genetic predisposition to heart disease

Exercise may be the best way to keep hearts healthy - and it works even for people with a genetic pre-disposition for heart disease, according to new findings in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation.

10 Apr 2018

Women at highest risk for heart failure during postpartum period, study finds

Heart failure is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and death in the U.S. -- with the rate of pregnancy-related deaths more than doubling between 1987 and 2011. Even so, much about heart failure-related hospitalizations before, during and after delivery is unknown.

10 Apr 2018

Hottest pepper gives man “thunderclap”

An unidentified 34 year old man reportedly ate a Carolina Reaper – one of the hottest rates peppers in the world, during a contest. What followed was a series of intense headaches and retching in the man. The headaches are typically termed 'thunderclap headaches'. The case study was published this week by the doctors attending the man in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

10 Apr 2018

New technique makes it possible to trace lineage of each cell

Every biology textbook states that cells are life's building blocks. But researchers are only now beginning to understand their diversity. Technologies such as RNA sequencing are revealing which genes are expressed in each individual cell.

9 Apr 2018

Cedars-Sinai investigators develop unique technique to improve cardiac care

A team of Cedars-Sinai investigators has developed a new technique for conducting cardiac magnetic resonance imaging tests that improves patient comfort, shortens testing time and has the potential to increase diagnostic accuracy and reliability.

9 Apr 2018

Cardiac fibroblasts contribute to heart disease

An article published in Experimental Biology and Medicine reports that supporting cells in the heart, known as fibroblasts, are selectively activated by factors present in heart disease.

9 Apr 2018

New leadless pacemakers carry reduced risks of complications and are less invasive

Loyola Medicine is now offering select heart patients leadless pacemakers that are less invasive and cause fewer complications than standard pacemakers.

9 Apr 2018

Heart disease risk in breast cancer patients after treatment not higher than average population

Many breast cancer therapies cause damage to the heart. However, in the largest study of its kind so far, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have now shown that the risk of death from heart disease in breast cancer patients following radiotherapy or chemotherapy is no higher than it is among the average population.

9 Apr 2018

Popular e-cigarette flavors produce different levels of toxins

The flavor of an e-cigarette may affect more than a consumer's taste buds, according to Penn State researchers who say the chemicals that make up different flavors also produce different levels of free radicals, toxins often associated with cancer and other diseases.

9 Apr 2018

Researchers find link between common genetic variant and AFib risk in Latinos

"There is a paradox at play when it comes to atrial fibrillation in the Latino population," said Dr. Dawood Darbar.

9 Apr 2018

Controlling blood pressure can prevent dementia in older African-Americans with hypertension

Controlling blood pressure with any of the commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications can prevent dementia in older African-Americans with hypertension according to a new study from Regenstrief Institute researchers.

9 Apr 2018

Frailty scores linked to cardiovascular disease and mortality

Frailty is common in elderly people with cardiovascular disease and goes along with elevated mortality. However, no consensus exists on the definition of frailty. Many scores have been developed to assess frailty and to make predictions on disease and mortality, but there is no gold standard.

9 Apr 2018

People living near oil and gas facilities may have greater health risks

People living near oil and gas facilities along Colorado's Northern Front Range may be exposed to hazardous air pollutants, including carcinogens like benzene, that could pose health risks above levels deemed acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health, Boulder County Public Health, CU Boulder, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of California Irvine.

9 Apr 2018

Fluorescent dye could allow doctors to obtain better images of blood vessels, tissues

Fluorescence imaging is widely used for visualizing biological tissues such as the back of the eye, where signs of macular degeneration can be detected. It is also commonly used to image blood vessels during reconstructive surgery, allowing surgeons to make sure the vessels are properly connected.

9 Apr 2018

Physical fitness helps reduce genetic risk of heart disease, study finds

Keeping fit, even if you're born with a high genetic risk for heart disease, still works to keep your heart healthy, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

9 Apr 2018

A tale of two CT scanners — one richer, one poorer

Benjamin Hynden, a financial adviser in Fort Myers, Fla., hadn’t been feeling well for a few weeks last fall. He’d had pain and discomfort in his abdomen.

9 Apr 2018