Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

ECT improves general neurocognitive function in bipolar patients

A randomised trial shows that electroconvulsive therapy improves overall neurocognition in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression.

10 Dec 2014

Enzymatic activity essential for vision may provide target for drug transport

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have uncovered the mechanism that enables the enzyme Lecithin: retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) to store vitamin A--a process that is indispensable for vision.

10 Dec 2014

Arrhythmia patients who manage lifestyle factors more likely to have long-term survival

Patients suffering from the world's most common heart rhythm disorder can have their long-term outcomes significantly improved with an aggressive management of their underlying cardiac risk factors, according to University of Adelaide researchers.

10 Dec 2014

Simple supplement could reduce heart disease in individuals born with low birth weight

A simple supplement could be a safe and cost-effective way of reducing heart disease in individuals born with a low birth weight, suggests research from the University of Cambridge. The study, carried out in rats, also raises the possibility of developing a blood test to indicate how much damage there is in the aortas of these individuals.

10 Dec 2014

Novo Nordisk introduces new initiative to support healthy lifestyle programming in New Jersey area

Novo Nordisk today announced the launch of the Community Health Collaborative, a new initiative to support and expand healthy lifestyle programming in the Trenton, New Jersey area.

From Novo Nordisk 10 Dec 2014

Study: Long-term endurance training alters epigenetic pattern in the human skeletal muscle

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that long-term endurance training in a stable way alters the epigenetic pattern in the human skeletal muscle. The research team behind the study, which is being published in the journal Epigenetics, also found strong links between these altered epigenetic patterns and the activity in genes controlling improved metabolism and inflammation.

10 Dec 2014

Montreal Heart Institute surgeons develop free aortic surgery app

Three cardiac surgeons from the Montreal Heart Institute, Dr. Yoan Lamarche, Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy and Dr. Philippe Demers, are behind Aorta, a free app that provides specialists with patient-specific recommendations for aortic replacement surgery based on the latest scientific guidelines.

10 Dec 2014

Study calls for new protocols to treat women with high blood pressure

That blood pressure plays a role in human health has been known for quite a while. Hypertension - the medical term for high blood pressure - was first described as a disease in the early 1800s, and the inflatable cuff that's used in measuring blood pressure was invented in 1896.

10 Dec 2014

Study evaluates effect of 2011 ACGME duty hour reforms on patient outcomes

In the first year after the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) reduced the number of continuous hours that residents can work, there was no change in the rate of death or readmission among hospitalized Medicare patients, according to a new study published in JAMA.

10 Dec 2014

Loyola University Medical Center opens center to provide treatments for diseased heart valves

Loyola University Medical Center has opened a multidisciplinary Valve Center that offers patients a full range of treatments for diseased heart valves.

10 Dec 2014

McGill University scientists show how simple potato extract can fight obesity

Take a look in your pantry: the miracle ingredient for fighting obesity may already be there. A simple potato extract may limit weight gain from a diet that is high in fat and refined carbohydrates, according to scientists at McGill University. The results of their recent study were so surprising that the investigators repeated the experiment just to be sure.

10 Dec 2014

Research highlights potential of computers to enhance quality of care, medical outcomes

A computer system was more effective than doctors at collecting information about patient symptoms, producing reports that were more complete, organized and useful than narratives generated by physicians during office visits, according to a Cedars-Sinai study.

10 Dec 2014

Advances in fight against TB, sudden cardiac death

Research projects into two of the biggest killers in worldwide health, tuberculosis and sudden cardiac death, will be the subjects of the University of Leicester Graduate School Doctoral Inaugural Lectures, delivered by two of the winners of this year's PhD prizes in the College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Engineering.

10 Dec 2014

PAH markers identified among Chinese systemic sclerosis patients

A study of Chinese patients with systemic sclerosis has identified predictive markers for accompanying pulmonary arterial hypertension similar to those that have been identified in other ethnic groups.

9 Dec 2014

Quitting cannabis use during manic episodes improves outcomes

A post-hoc analysis of data from a prospective European study reveals that patients with bipolar disorder who stop using cannabis during a manic or mixed episode have similar clinical and functional outcomes to those who have never used the drug.

9 Dec 2014

Excess mortality in schizophrenia ‘not attributable to antipsychotics’

The relationship between antipsychotic use and mortality in people with schizophrenia shows a clear U-shape curve, with the highest risk of death seen in those with no antipsychotic exposure, a Swedish cohort study has found.

9 Dec 2014

Infant mortality rates for RSV much lower than previously thought

It's a virus that has long been characterized as dangerous and even deadly, but new research shows infant deaths from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are actually quite uncommon in the 21st century.

9 Dec 2014

Good first aid kit can help make your vacation perfect

Planning a vacation? Make a little room in your luggage for a travel first aid kit. It won't cost much, and it won't take up much space. Once you reach your destination, you won't need to reach any further than your suitcase to relieve those minor aches and pains that can put a major damper on your plans.

9 Dec 2014

New technique shows promise for early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease

A new technique developed at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology shows promise for early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

9 Dec 2014

Weight loss surgery and exercise lower risks of serious health problems

Throughout the past year, studies on the positive effects of weight loss surgery have been published in a variety of medical journals in the US and abroad. We learned that weight loss surgery is relatively safe, and that it is effective in improving serious health conditions. More recently, we also learned that it is a factor in preventing Type 2 diabetes from developing in people considered to be pre-diabetic.

9 Dec 2014