Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Harvard's Wyss Institute completes first clinical study of new rapid neuroassessment device

Doctors routinely track their patients' hand-eye coordination to monitor any neuromuscular deficits, particularly as patients age or when they are injured -- but the tests they have been using to track this kind of information may be subjective and qualitative.

10 Feb 2013

HHS turns down Miss. Insurance Commissioner's bid for exchange

Commissioner Mike Chaney wanted to set up a state-based marketplace for insurance to open next year as part of the health overhaul, but federal officials said the Mississippi governor's opposition made it impossible for the exchange to function as required by law.

10 Feb 2013

N.Y. hospitals, nursing homes coping with Sandy, other closure problems

In Superstorm Sandy's wake, health experts and regulators are warning that thousands of nursing homes nationwide are still ill-prepared for a natural disaster. The late October storm was the latest in a string of disasters to reveal gaps in emergency planning, despite an industry-wide effort to improve preparedness in the years since Hurricane Katrina.

10 Feb 2013

Inhibiting JNK enzyme protects against ischemic/reperfusion injury

Using two different compounds they developed, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been able to show in animal models that inhibiting a specific enzyme protects heart cells and surrounding tissue against serious damage from heart attacks.

10 Feb 2013

Research roundup: 'Shared decision making' can reduce costs, improve care; Effects of mental health parity

With shared decision making, patients and their clinicians collaboratively review the risks and benefits of available treatments options while also considering the patients' preferences and values.

10 Feb 2013

Advocates warn about impact on medical research as debate about automatic cuts continues

Supporters of the National Institutes of Health argue that an anticipated $1.6 billion cut would undermine research in cancer, heart and AIDS, while adding to economic and unemployment woes.

10 Feb 2013

Taro, Sun Pharma mutually agree to terminate merger agreement

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that they have mutually agreed to terminate their merger agreement, announced in August 2012, pursuant to which all shareholders of Taro would have received a cash payment of $39.50 per share upon the closing of the merger.

10 Feb 2013

Positive data from POZEN's PA32540 Phase 3 studies presented at AHA 2013 stroke conference

POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company committed to transforming medicine that transforms lives, presented data today from the combined results of two Phase 3 studies of PA32540, an antiplatelet therapy of enteric-coated (EC) and immediate-release omeprazole, in patients with previous cerebrovascular disease.

10 Feb 2013

Northwestern Medicine to open new Outpatient Center in Glenview, Illinois

Northwestern Medicine today announced that on March 1 it will open a new Outpatient Center at 2701 Patriot Boulevard in Glenview, Illinois. At this new center, 20-30 physicians will offer patients a wide range of primary care and specialty clinical services.

10 Feb 2013

LPA genetic variant increases risk of heart valve calcification

Researchers have found a genetic variant that doubles the likelihood that people will have calcium deposits on their aortic valve. Such calcification, if it becomes severe, can cause narrowing or a blockage of the aortic valve, a condition called aortic stenosis.

9 Feb 2013

Marijuana may double stroke risk in young adults

Marijuana, the most widely used illicit drug, may double stroke risk in young adults, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2013.

9 Feb 2013

Academic medical centers play an integral role in developing new treatments and cures

As an internationally recognized researcher into aging and dementia, Suzanne Craft is keenly aware of the importance of volunteers in clinical studies.

9 Feb 2013

Omega-3 fatty acids can prevent sudden cardiac death in dialysis patients

Medical literature long has touted the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the heart. But until now, researchers have not studied the potential benefit for people on hemodialysis, who are among the highest-risk patients for sudden cardiac death.

9 Feb 2013

Emphasis on 'How' missing from 'IF campaign' against global hunger

The "Enough Food for Everyone If" campaign (IF campaign), "supported by a coalition of more than 100 development organizations, has identified four priorities on aid, land, tax avoidance and market transparency," Zahid Torres-Rahman, founder of Business Fights Poverty, writes in the Guardian Sustainable Business blog.

9 Feb 2013

Certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration

"You are what you eat," the saying goes, but is what you eat playing a role in how much you sleep? Sleep, like nutrition and physical activity, is a critical determinant of health and well-being. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and its consequences, sleep researchers have begun to explore the factors that predispose individuals to weight gain and ultimately obesity.

9 Feb 2013

Allopurinol may improve CV outcomes in kidney disease

The xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol appears to be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality in patients with hypertensive nephropathy, show findings from a Japanese study.

8 Feb 2013

Metabolic syndrome risk factors prevalent in bipolar disorder

People who have bipolar disorder are at a high risk for developing the metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular disorders, say researchers.

8 Feb 2013

White matter injury common after aortic arch surgery in infants

Diagnostic category is the strongest predictor for postoperative white matter injury in infants undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease, say researchers.

8 Feb 2013

eGFR ‘powerful’ operative risk gauge

Patients’ estimated glomerular filtration rate is highly predictive of their risk for dying after surgery, shows a systematic review and meta-analysis.

8 Feb 2013

Conference attendees express concern over growing burden of NCDs

Inter Press Service reports on "a conference organized by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) on World Cancer Day [February 4] in Geneva," during which experts warned about the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) -- "cancer, heart disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, among others" -- especially in low- and middle-income countries.

7 Feb 2013