Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Carotid ultrasound improves risk management in rheumatoid arthritis

A trial of radiofrequency ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has shown that carotid intima-media thickness is significantly greater in patients treated only with synthetic therapeutics compared with those who are also taking biologics.

29 Oct 2012

Stay active to keep a healthy mind in very old age

Poor physical performance, especially a slow walking speed, is significantly associated with dementia in individuals aged over 90 years, show study results.

29 Oct 2012

Autoantibody aids identification of hyperexcitability disorders

Researchers have found that testing for a glycine receptor autoantibody aids the identification of a broad spectrum of autoimmune brainstem/spinal cord hyperexcitability disorders.

29 Oct 2012

Positive interim data from XBiotech monoclonal antibody Phase II study for type 2 diabetes

XBiotech, a privately held biotechnology company, announced positive interim analysis results today from a Phase II study using a True Human monoclonal antibody (MABp1) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Results from this study continue to reinforce the role of IL-1α as a master regulator of chronic inflammation in multiple disease states, and the therapeutic benefits of neutralizing antibodies produced from the XBiotech platform.

29 Oct 2012

Insurers, hospital stocks register presidential election jitters

As polls show a virtual tie between President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney, news outlets report on how the health care industry and those who are sick or uninsured are contemplating the possible outcomes.

29 Oct 2012

High-intensity training boosts cognitive function

A regular exercise routine can make you fitter than ever - mentally fit.

29 Oct 2012

FDA report says pharmacy knew about contamination problems

A federal inspection of a company whose tainted pain medicine has caused one of the worst public health drug disasters since the 1930s found greenish-yellow residue on sterilization equipment, surfaces coated with levels of mold and bacteria that exceeded the company's own environmental limits, and an air-conditioner that was shut off nightly despite the importance of controlling temperature and humidity.

29 Oct 2012

Female smokers who stop before middle age on average gain ten extra years of life

The largest-ever study of the hazards of smoking and benefits of stopping for women in the UK has shown that female smokers lose at least ten years of lifespan, but that stopping before the age of 40, and preferably well before the age of 40, avoids more than 90% of the increased risk of dying caused by continuing to smoke, while stopping before the age of 30 avoids over 97% of it.

29 Oct 2012

Maternal bariatric surgery affects cardiovascular risk profile of offsprings

Kids born to moms who have lost a substantial amount of weight after undergoing bariatric surgery have fewer cardiovascular risk factors than their siblings who were born before the weight loss surgery.

29 Oct 2012

Peer mentoring in schools can increase kids' physical activity levels

Using peer mentors to enhance school-day physical activity in elementary aged students has been given an A+ from Nova Scotia researchers.

29 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 29, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how the presidential election's outcome could impact the insurance industry as well as the fate of people who are sick or uninsured.

29 Oct 2012

Routine ECG can help doctors identify patients at higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes

Canadian scientists have determined that routine electrocardiogram results for patients with atrial fibrillation - the most common form of irregular heart beat - can help doctors identify those at higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including death.

29 Oct 2012

UK remains at risk of devastating stroke crisis, new report confirms

The UK remains at risk of a devastating stroke crisis, according to UK health experts launching Reports published today, on World Stroke Day, by Action for Stroke Prevention, an alliance of renowned health experts and patient organisations.

29 Oct 2012

Idea of nuclear reprogramming holds promise for repairing damaged tissue

The idea of taking a mature cell and removing its identity (nuclear reprogramming) so that it can then become any kind of cell, holds great promise for repairing damaged tissue or replacing bone marrow after chemotherapy.

29 Oct 2012

FDA clears MAQUET’s new SENSATION PLUS 7.5Fr. 40cc intra-aortic balloon catheter

MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC, a leading provider of cardiovascular technologies, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CE mark approval for its new SENSATION PLUS 7.5Fr. 40cc intra-aortic balloon (IAB) catheter.

29 Oct 2012

Drug-eluting stents exhibit some benefits in patients over 80

Rarely tested in patients over the age of 80, a study found that drug-eluting stents exhibited some benefits over bare-metal stents, though both types of stents demonstrated a clinical benefit. Results of the XIMA trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium.

29 Oct 2012

High-intensity interval training makes middle-aged people smarter

High-intensity interval training makes middle-aged people not only healthier but smarter, showed a Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) study led by Dr. Anil Nigam of the MHI and University of Montreal, in collaboration with the Montreal Geriatric University Institute.

29 Oct 2012

St. Luke's cardiologist wins TCT 2012 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Clinical Operator Award

Barry D. Rutherford, MD, a world renowned interventional cardiologist, was presented the TCT 2012 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Clinical Operator Award in a ceremony held today during the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).

29 Oct 2012

Scientists identify mechanism via Top2b enzyme that drives doxorubicin-induced heart damage

Doxorubicin, a 50-year-old chemotherapy drug still in widespread use against a variety of cancers, has long been known to destroy heart tissue, as well as tumors, in some patients.

29 Oct 2012

Scientists hope to unravel mystery of how Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease

Investigators at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have accelerated the search for the bacterial genes that make the Lyme disease bacterium so invasive and persistent. The discovery could advance the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, which affects an estimated 30,000 Americans each year.

29 Oct 2012