Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

Latest Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

AngioScore receives FDA marketing clearance for PTA Scoring Balloon Catheter

AngioScore, Inc., a developer of novel angioplasty catheters for use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, announced today that the company has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its AngioSculpt® PTA Scoring Balloon Catheter for dilatation of lesions in renal arteries.

26 Mar 2010

Pravastatin benefits elderly carriers of KIF6 gene variant with prior vascular disease

Celera Corporation today announced the publication of data reporting that elderly (over age 70) carriers of the KIF6 gene variant with prior vascular disease received significant benefit from pravastatin (Pravachol®) therapy. Previous research has shown that a variant of the KIF6 gene, a member of the molecular motor protein kinesin family, is associated with up to a 55% increased risk of primary and recurrent coronary heart disease (CHD) events in the placebo arms of the clinical trials, and that this increased risk is virtually eliminated with statin therapy.

26 Mar 2010

Researchers made vital discovery in the development of new drug to cure TB

This World TB Day (March 24), researchers at Sydney's Centenary Institute announce they have made an exciting discovery that could lead to the first new drug for Tuberculosis (TB) in almost fifty years.

26 Mar 2010

FDA to take enforcement action regarding Genzyme's Allston plant

Genzyme Corporation announced today that the FDA notified the company yesterday afternoon that, while the agency recognizes Genzyme’s efforts, it intends to take enforcement action to ensure that products manufactured at the plant are made in compliance with good manufacturing practice regulations. The FDA enforcement action will likely result in a consent decree, under which a third party would inspect and review the plant’s operation for an extended period and certify compliance with FDA regulations.

26 Mar 2010

Diabetes reached epidemic proportions in adult population of China: Study

A large population-based study of diabetes in China conducted by investigators from Tulane University and their colleagues in China has concluded that the disease has reached epidemic proportions in the adult population of China. The study estimates that 92.4 million adults age 20 or older (9.7 percent of the population) have diabetes and 148.2 million adults (15.5 percent) have prediabetes, a key risk factor for the development of overt diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

26 Mar 2010

Early screening for diabetes and kidney disease can improve health outcomes

Millions of Americans may have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and not know it, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

26 Mar 2010

VisEn Medical announces launch of new GastroSense 750 fluorescence agent for imaging gastric motility

VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence imaging from research through medicine, announced today the commercial launch of its new GastroSense™ 750 fluorescence agent for imaging gastric motility and related drug effects in vivo.

26 Mar 2010

NIH grants $1.4 Million to WPI to continue study of arterial plaque

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute research team has received a four-year, $1.4 million award from the National Institutes of Health to continue a groundbreaking study of arterial plaque. This research could lead to tools that will enable physicians to predict the likelihood of plaque rupture, which is responsible for most heart attacks and strokes.

25 Mar 2010

Chronic job stress linked to obesity

A new study that provides a snapshot of a typical American workplace observed that chronic job stress and lack of physical activity are strongly associated with being overweight or obese.

25 Mar 2010

MEDRAD establishes new repair facility in Denver

MEDRAD, Inc. Multi Vendor Service has announced the opening of a repair facility in Denver, Colorado that specializes in 3D/4D ultrasound probes.

25 Mar 2010

Committee recommends inclusion of genetic diseases in newborn screening program

The experts who make recommendations for genetic disease screening in newborns face a challenging task: To make conclusions based on the most authoritative available evidence, while considering gaps in the research on such rare conditions, as well as their human impact. An overview of the steps followed by the expert panels tasked with making these recommendations is presented in a special section of the current issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

25 Mar 2010

Bariatric surgery may delay onset of type 2 diabetes, says study

A team of researchers, led by a UC Davis veterinary endocrinologist, has shown for the first time that a surgical procedure in rats that is similar to bariatric surgery in humans can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

25 Mar 2010

Policymakers should determine risk-reduction initiatives to improve health systems, says new report

Tackling the increasing rates of cardiovascular disease in developing nations will require input from multiple partners, including the business community and international companies as well as global health and development agencies and the governments of these countries, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

24 Mar 2010

Research finds inverse association between supine systolic BP and acute chest pain

New research finds that there is an inverse association between the level of supine (lying face up) systolic blood pressure measured on admission to an intensive care unit for acute chest pain and risk of death at one year, with those patients having high systolic blood pressure having a better prognosis after a year, according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA.

24 Mar 2010

High blood pressure lowers heart patients' death risk

Patients admitted to intensive heart care with chest pains have a better chance of surviving if they have high blood pressure. This is shown in a study by scientists at Linköping University in Sweden published in the world's largest medical journal JAMA.

24 Mar 2010

Bioheart to open five centers to provide cell therapy procedures for congestive heart failure patients

Bioheart, Inc., announced today plans for establishing five Centers of Excellence in Latin America to provide its cell therapy procedures to patients suffering from congestive heart failure and peripheral arterial disease beginning next month, April 2010. Bioheart entered into its first agreement with a leading treatment facilitator, Regenerative Medicine Institute of Tijuana, Mexico. Therapies for CHF and PAD patients will be made available at the Hospital Angeles Tijuana, a fully equipped state-of–the-art private specialties hospital. This will be the first of five Centers of Excellence with four additional Centers to be announced in the coming months.

24 Mar 2010

High-density genotyping array launched to study complexity of mouse genetics

Affymetrix, Inc. and The Jackson Laboratory today announced the full commercial launch of the Affymetrix® Mouse Diversity Genotyping Array. This is the first high-density genotyping array that enables researchers to study the complexity of the mouse genome and the diversity among mouse strains.

24 Mar 2010

Protein deficiency in Down syndrome patients could contribute to cognitive impairment and congenital heart defects

Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes or proteins contained in that additional structure.

24 Mar 2010

Medical imaging benefits outweigh radiation risks, says ESC

Cardiac nuclear imaging and computed tomography angiography (CCTA) still have an important role to play in cardiac disease diagnosis, say experts from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

24 Mar 2010

Children with neurofibromatosis more likely to have cardiovascular problems

Researchers have discovered how a genetic disease known mainly for its life-threatening tumors also can cause sudden death from cardiovascular disease in children, and are mounting a clinical trial to develop treatments for the problem.

24 Mar 2010