Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Caution urged with add-on DPP-4 inhibitors

Physicians should be aware of the need to reduce the dose of sulphonylureas when adding dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes, say the authors of a meta-analysis.

5 May 2016

Study shows short-term statin treatment does not benefit heart surgery patients

Giving daily doses of statins for a few days before and after heart surgery does not prevent heart muscle damage or the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to an international clinical trial led by the University of Oxford and funded by the British Heart Foundation.

5 May 2016

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

A pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have discovered that an enzyme previously thought only to be beneficial could, in fact, pose significant danger to developing embryos. The new research could have implications not only for prenatal development but also for treating lymphedema and liver damage resulting from acetaminophen overdose.

5 May 2016

EPFL neuroscientists find that the brain can filter out cardiac sensations

Our heart is constantly beating yet we normally do not feel it. It turns out that our brain is capable of filtering out the cardiac sensation so that it doesn't interfere with the brain's ability to perceive external sensations. For the first time, researchers from the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL have identified this mechanism. They discovered that a certain region in the brain determines where internal and external sensations interact. Their work appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

5 May 2016

Older adults experience greater survival rates after lung cancer surgery

Patients aged 65 years and older are living longer after lung cancer surgery, and with older people representing a rapidly growing proportion of patients diagnosed with lung cancer, this improved survival is especially significant, according to an article posted online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

5 May 2016

New AVERT system can reduce radiographic dye volume in patients at risk of AKI

In the largest study of its kind, a new device has been found to significantly reduce the volume of radiographic dye without decreasing image quality in patients who are at risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) after undergoing a coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

5 May 2016

LifeBridge Health study to explore potential benefits of wireless heart monitoring system

The LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute has launched a pilot study to evaluate the potential benefits of a wireless heart monitoring system for patients with moderate to severe heart failure. The system tracks weight, blood pressure and other measures, and automatically sends the information to doctors and staff at the Cardiovascular Institute. The study is looking at whether this approach, designed to be simple and easy-to-use, can result in better outcomes for patients with heart failure.

5 May 2016

Certain sugars in the body play key role in colitis, colon cancer development

An Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist has discovered that certain sugars produced by the body play an important role in the development of colitis and, ultimately, colon cancer. The new finding could potentially lead to therapies for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colon cancer.

5 May 2016

Detailed digital models of human organs could bring substantial benefits to clinical trials

Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to research being presented in Sheffield today.

5 May 2016

World Veterinary Day: OIE pays tribute to veterinarians who played crucial role in protecting global health

On World Veterinary Day (30 April), the OIE pays tribute to the crucial role played by veterinarians in protecting global health. This year, the event focuses on the opportunities for veterinarians to continue their training and extend their expertise in areas related to the ‘One Health’ concept. To achieve this, World Veterinary Day promotes collaboration with the human health sector in the coverage of issues such as zoonoses, food safety and antimicrobial resistance.

5 May 2016

Michigan researchers use 'kidney on a chip' device to measure effect of drug doses on kidney cells

University of Michigan researchers have used a "kidney on a chip" device to mimic the flow of medication through human kidneys and measure its effect on kidney cells.

5 May 2016

Bayer-new phase 3 liver cancer data

Bayer has announced that a Phase III trial evaluating its oncology compound Stivarga® (regorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in overall survival. The study, called RESORCE, evaluated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in patients with HCC whose disease has progressed after treatment with sorafenib. The safety and tolerability were generally consistent with the known profile of regorafenib. Detailed efficacy and safety analyses from this study are expected to be presented at an upcoming scientific congress.

4 May 2016

BMJ experts reveal medical error as third main cause of death in the U.S

Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the US after heart disease and cancer, say experts in The BMJ today.

4 May 2016

Researchers discover critical new mechanism for genesis of heart failure

A weak heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood around the body. In Germany, this condition is now the commonest reason for patients to be admitted to hospital.

4 May 2016

International researchers redefine scientifc concept of obesity

Researchers have determined that obesity involves excessive body weight (including fat and muscle) for a given height and not just excess body fat as was formerly believed.

3 May 2016

Increased fitness can normalize platelet function quickly

Women with poor physical fitness display significantly higher platelet activation than women with average to very good fitness. That is the major finding of a study of 62 young women, conducted by the research groups of Ivo Volf and Rochus Pokan and sponsored by the Austrian Heart Foundation. Platelet (thrombocyte) activation can lead to the formation of potentially life-threatening blood clots.

3 May 2016

Positive effects of Mediterranean diet on health of elderly population

Sticking to a Mediterranean style diet might slow down ageing finds the EU funded project NU-AGE. At a recent conference in Brussels, researchers presented that a NU-AGE Mediterranean style diet, tested in the project, significantly decreased the levels of the protein known as C-reactive protein, one of the main inflammatory marker linked with the ageing process

3 May 2016

Bioengineers develop synthetic bed to nurture colonies of human embryonic stem cells

The most productive way scientists have devised to nurture colonies of human embryonic stem cells is to do so atop a bed of mouse cells. That may be fine for lab research, but it poses an unacceptable contamination risk for stem cells intended for transplant into human patients. In a new study, Brown University bioengineers have developed a synthetic bed that works about as well as the mouse cells, called fibroblasts, without any possibility of contamination.

3 May 2016

Study confirms under-utilization of medication in patients after bypass surgery

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University discovered that nearly half of coronary artery bypass patients are not taking statins and aspirin together when they are referred for diagnostic cardiac catheterization at least three years after their initial bypass. Their results are currently in press online in the American Journal of Cardiology.

3 May 2016

Scientists discover genetic switches linked to increased lifespan in mammals

Newly discovered genetic switches that increase lifespan and boost fitness in worms are also linked to increased lifespan in mammals, offering hope that drugs to flip these switches could improve human metabolic function and increase longevity.

3 May 2016