Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Thrombus aspiration for acute myocardial infarction does not reduce mortality

Thrombus aspiration for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) does not reduce mortality or other clinical endpoints long term, according to the awaited one-year follow-up results from the Thrombus Aspiration in ST- Elevation myocardial infarction in Scandinavia (TASTE) trial.

2 Sep 2014

FFR guided drug-eluting stenting reduces death compared to medical therapy in stable CAD patients

Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided drug-eluting stenting reduces death, myocardial infarction or urgent revascularisation, as compared to medical therapy in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), according to the results of the FAME 2 trial presented for the first time today at ESC Congress by principal investigator Dr Bernard De Bruyne (Belgium).

2 Sep 2014

Ambulance administration of antiplatelet medication may help heart attack patients

Ambulance administration of the antiplatelet medication ticagrelor to patients with a type of heart attack known as ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is not better than hospital administration, in terms of improving blood flow in blocked arteries before a revascularisation procedure, according to a new study presented at ESC Congress 2014 today.

2 Sep 2014

Inhaled nitric oxide given to heart attack patients may improve recovery

Inhaled nitric oxide, delivered to heart attack patients before and during treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) did not reduce the extent of damaged tissue (infarct), but may have improved recovery, according to Hot Line results presented today at ESC Congress 2014.

2 Sep 2014

Researchers find way to take pediatric patient's skin cells

Researchers have found a way to take a pediatric patient's skin cells, reprogram the skin cells to function as heart valvular cells, and then use the cells as part of a tissue-engineered pulmonary valve. A proof of concept study in the September 2014 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery provides more detail on this scientific development.

2 Sep 2014

New data confirms that mechanical heart valves raise risks during and after pregnancy

The fact that mechanical heart valves increase risks during and after pregnancy, has been confirmed by data from the ROPAC registry presented for the first time today in an ESC Congress Hot Line session by Professor Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink, co-chair with Professor Roger Hall of the registry's executive committee.

2 Sep 2014

Digoxin drug increases risk of adverse cardiovascular events or sudden death

Digoxin may increase the risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) by approximately 20%, according to results from the ROCKET AF trial presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Manesh Patel, director of interventional cardiology and catheterisation labs at Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina, US.

2 Sep 2014

Simple awareness campaign in general practice helps improve early diagnosis of AF

A simple awareness campaign in general practice identifies new cases of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Professor Jean-Marc Davy from France.

2 Sep 2014

Quality of U.S. diet shows improvement, but expands gap in overall diet quality between rich and poor

The quality of the U.S. diet showed some modest improvement in the last decade in large measure because of a reduction in the consumption of unhealthy trans fats, but the gap in overall diet quality widened between the rich and the poor.

2 Sep 2014

Permanent atrial fibrillation twins risk of stroke than paroxysmal AF

Permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) doubles the risk of stroke compared to paroxysmal AF, according to research in more than 6 000 patients presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Thomas Vanassche from Belgium. The findings suggest that a simple clinical assessment of the type of AF can help doctors to better estimate stroke risk.

2 Sep 2014

Low-carb trumps low-fat for weight loss and cardiovascular risk

A low-carbohydrate diet is more effective for weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk factors than a low-fat diet, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

2 Sep 2014

Daily fruit consumption reduces risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 40%

Daily fruit consumption cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 40%, according to research presented at ESC Congress today by Dr Huaidong Du from Oxford, UK.

2 Sep 2014

Abdominal fat more strongly associated with high blood pressure risk

People with fat around their abdominal area are at greater risk of developing hypertension when compared to those with similar body mass index but fat concentrations elsewhere on the body, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Sep 2014

Extracting Cardiac Leads: An Interview with Barry Norlander from Cook Medical

The pacemaker or ICD unit, which is the implanted box or generator i.e. the electrical component of the device that's implanted in the chest, usually lasts between seven to 10 years before the generator’s battery is depleted.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 2 Sep 2014

Blood pressure self-management suitable for high-risk patients

Patients with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk can successfully monitor and titrate their own antihypertensive medication, shows research published in JAMA.

1 Sep 2014

‘Concerning’ rise in pneumococcus risk factors

Researchers report that the incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection has fallen significantly in the USA in the past decade but describe a “concerning trend” whereby the baseline health status of those with serious pneumococcal disease has worsened.

1 Sep 2014

Experimental agent TRO40303 ineffective in patients with heart attack

The administration of an experimental agent known as TRO40303 to patients who have had a heart attack, with the hope of preventing tissue damage when impaired blood flow is corrected (reperfusion), was disappointingly ineffective according to results of a European study of patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presented today as a Hot Line the ESC Congress 2014 with simultaneous publication in the European Heart Journal.

1 Sep 2014

Alirocumab drug significantly improves cholesterol levels compared to ezetimibe

The investigational drug alirocumab significantly improved cholesterol levels compared to ezetimibe, when added to regular statin therapy in patients with high cholesterol and elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the ODYSSEY COMBO II trial, presented as a Hot Line today at ESC Congress 2014.

1 Sep 2014

Serelaxin reduces occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure

Serelaxin reduces the occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure by almost half in patients admitted for acute heart failure, according to the RELAX-AHF trial. The results were presented for the first time today at ESC Congress by co-principal investigator Professor John R. Teerlink.

1 Sep 2014

New polypill increases adherence to treatment following myocardial infarction

A new polypill increases adherence to treatment following a myocardial infarction (MI), according to results from the FOCUS Study presented for the first time at ESC Congress 2014 today by principal investigator Dr Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart in New York, US.

1 Sep 2014