Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

People exposed to core disgusts show higher levels of attention

We know it too well. We are watching a horror film and the antagonist is about to maim a character; we ball up, get ready for the shot and instead of turning away, we lean forward in the chair, then flinch and cover our eyes - Jason strikes again! But what is going on in our body that drives us to this reaction, and why do we engage in it so readily? Recent research published in the Journal of Communication found that people exposed to core disgusts (blood, guts, body products) showed higher levels of attention the more disgusting the content grew even though they had negative reactions to the content.

13 Jun 2014

Heart rate may identify premature infants at risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis

Measuring variability of heart rate may identify premature infants at risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious inflammatory condition that can lead to death, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

13 Jun 2014

2 medications equally effective in treating major epileptic brain seizures in children

A recently published clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has answered an urgent question that long puzzled ER pediatricians: Is the drug lorazepam really safer and more effective than diazepam - the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication as first line therapy most often used by emergency room doctors to control major epileptic seizures in children?

13 Jun 2014

New advanced treatment can make huge difference for patients who suffer "brain attack"

When car crash victims suffer serious injuries, emergency crews often get them to trauma centers for the advanced care they need.

13 Jun 2014

Weight loss most important factor for improving cardiovascular health in obese OSA patients

Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) tend to co-exist and are associated with a variety of cardiovascular risk factors, including inflammation, insulin resistance, abnormal cholesterol, and high blood pressure. While effective therapies are available for OSA, researchers are still unclear about what interventions are most effective in reducing the burden of risk factors for cardiovascular disease associated with OSA in obese patients.

13 Jun 2014

Study uncovers why statins increase diabetes risk

McMaster University researchers may have found a novel way to suppress the devastating side effect of statins, one of the worlds' most widely used drugs to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.

13 Jun 2014

Recreational football training sessions lower blood pressure and improves heart function

The studies, published in the acclaimed Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, show that 24 weeks of twice-weekly recreational football training sessions lower blood pressure and improves heart function in men with high blood pressure and men with type 2 diabetes.

13 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 12, 2014

Today's headlines include stories examining how Eric Cantor's primary defeat will change the House GOP leadership and the Republican strategy to replace the health law.

12 Jun 2014

Low cholesterol may increase mortality risk in patients with kidney cancer

People are often told to reduce their cholesterol to improve their heart health, but new research suggests that low cholesterol may increase kidney cancer patients' risk of dying from their disease. The findings, which are published in BJU International, indicate that cholesterol testing may help doctors as they monitor and treat patients with kidney cancer.

12 Jun 2014

Study supports proposal to screen all men with gout for presence of ED

A new study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress showed that erectile dysfunction (ED) is present in most men with gout and is frequently severe.

12 Jun 2014

Aston University plans for new Medical School to train new generation of doctors

Aston University (UK) has announced plans for a new Medical School which will train a new generation of doctors in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

12 Jun 2014

Findings provide new strategy for developing safe, effective vaccine against strep throat

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified the genes encoding a molecule that famously defines Group A Streptococcus (strep), a pathogenic bacterial species responsible for more than 700 million infections worldwide each year.

12 Jun 2014

Back App: A training apparatus for Sitting Disease

Scientific research is increasingly showing strong links between spending too much time sitting and the development of severe long and short term health problems.

12 Jun 2014

Va. governor examining ways to expand Medicaid by executive action

In related news, The Oklahoman reports that Mercy health system is blaming states' decisions to not expand the low-income health care program as the reason it is planning layoffs, and KHN details Michigan's expansion efforts.

12 Jun 2014

Risk factors for hospital readmissions identified in stroke patients

Hospital readmission, an important measure of quality care, costs the United States an estimated $17 billion each year. And according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about half of those readmissions could be avoided.

11 Jun 2014

Infection prevention and control guidance prioritizes strategies to combat MRSA

New guidelines aim to reduce the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), improve patient safety and prioritize current prevention efforts underway in hospitals. This drug resistant bacterium is a common source of patient morbidity and mortality in U.S. hospitals, causing nearly twice the number of deaths, significantly longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs than other forms of the bacteria.

11 Jun 2014

Bacteria must be considered part of overall pathology of atherosclerosis

Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, or overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published today in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

11 Jun 2014