Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Digoxin increases risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation

Digoxin, a drug widely used to treat heart disease, increases the possibility of death when used by patients with a common heart rhythm problem − atrial fibrillation (AF), according to new study findings by University of Kentucky researchers. The results have been published in the prestigious European Heart Journal, and raises serious concerns about the expansive use of this long-standing heart medication in patients with AF.

28 Nov 2012

Intramyocardial injection of organ-derived stem cells after AMI improves left ventricle function

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line, has found that when mesenchymal cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ADSCs) were injected into the heart muscle (myocardium) of separate groups of laboratory rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, rats in both groups experienced significantly improved left ventricle function and smaller infarct size after cell therapy.

28 Nov 2012

New investigational procedure may prolong life for patients with severe COPD

November is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month. COPD, also known as emphysema, is the third leading cause of death in the United States, only behind heart disease and cancer. Right now, the only studied interventions that prolong life for patients with severe COPD are supplemental oxygen in people with low oxygen levels and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in appropriately selected individuals.

28 Nov 2012

Simple steps for healthy holidays and wellbeing into the New Year

The holidays are here, and weight gain is on everyone's mind. Being skinny, however, doesn't equate to being healthy, according to a video by Connie Gee, vice president and employee wellness strategist for Med-Vision.

28 Nov 2012

Abdominal and visceral fat detrimental to bone strength in obese men

Visceral, or deep belly, obesity is a risk factor for bone loss and decreased bone strength in men, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

28 Nov 2012

African-American patients with CAD have low thoracic fat volume than Caucasians

While obesity is considered a cardiovascular risk factor, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) showed that African-American patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have much less fat around their hearts compared to Caucasian patients.

28 Nov 2012

Subthreshold bipolarity common in major depressive disorder

Results from a Polish study show that a substantial proportion of patients with major depressive disorder meet criteria for subthreshold bipolarity.

27 Nov 2012

Young vascular systems adapt to obesity

Researchers have identified physiologic changes in the vascular systems of children that appear to be an adaptive response to obesity.

27 Nov 2012

Targeted preventive cardiac screening in US athletes ‘would limit cost’

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that a national echocardiographic screening program for US athletes would be prohibitively expensive.

27 Nov 2012

GPs fitting more into patient consultations

GPs are fitting much more into patient consultations than they were a decade ago but the average length of the consultation has stayed the same, research led by the University of Sydney shows.

27 Nov 2012

Arginase might play a role in development of cardiovascular disease in type II diabetics

In a new study published in the scientific journal Circulation, scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden show that an enzyme called arginase might have a key part to play in the development of cardiovascular disease in patients who already have type II diabetes.

27 Nov 2012

Philips Healthcare, UH to showcase latest medical technology at Cleveland Medical Mart

University Hospitals (UH) and Philips Healthcare are among a group of global leaders in healthcare to showcase the latest medical technology at the new Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center.

From Philips Healthcare 27 Nov 2012

Liver disease therapies: an interview with Eric Halioua, CEO of Promethera Biosciences

Liver disease is a very broad family of diseases. There are two main categories of liver disease:

27 Nov 2012

Diabetes can remit after gastric bypass surgery

After gastric bypass surgery, diabetes goes away for some people-often even before they lose much weight. So does that mean gastric surgery "cures" diabetes? Not necessarily, according to the largest community-based study of long-term diabetes outcomes after bariatric surgery.

27 Nov 2012

Buying mail-order medications may encourage patients to stick their treatments

Patients newly prescribed a cholesterol-lowering medication were more likely to pick it up from the pharmacy if they received automated phone and mail reminders, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine today.

27 Nov 2012

TransMedics closes $36 million financing round

TransMedics, Inc., the global leader in organ preservation technology, announced the closing of a $36 million financing round led by Abrams Capital with the participation of existing investors including Flagship Ventures, Hercules Technology Growth Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

27 Nov 2012

Anesthetics can help reduce risk of cardiac surgery drug-associated seizures

Two drugs commonly given during cardiac surgery can lead to convulsive seizures, but anesthetics can help cut the risk, according to new research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2012

First U.S. breathing lung transplant performed in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

First there was the "heart in a box," a revolutionary experimental technology that allows donor hearts to be delivered to transplant recipients warm and beating rather than frozen in an ice cooler. Now that same technology is being used to deliver "breathing lungs."

27 Nov 2012

Johns Hopkins receives $1.9M NIH grant to establish new center for sleep research

More than one-quarter of the adult population of the U.S. suffers from sleep disturbances known to contribute to life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia as well as depression, chronic pain, and fatigue. Often such sleeplessness is a consequence of obesity, lifestyle, and work.

27 Nov 2012

New combinations of medical imaging technologies hold promise for personalized medicine

New combinations of medical imaging technologies hold promise for improved early disease screening, cancer staging, therapeutic assessment, and other aspects of personalized medicine, according to Ge Wang, director of Virginia Tech's Center for Biomedical Imaging, in a recent paper that appeared in the refereed journal PLoS One.

27 Nov 2012