Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Electronic cigarettes far less harmful and may be beneficial to health

Smoking is the most preventable risk factor for cardiac and lung disease and is expected to cause 1 billion deaths during the 21st century. Electronic cigarettes have been marketed in recent years as a safer habit for smokers, with several millions of people already using them worldwide.

26 Aug 2012

Children with obesity face increased risk for gallstones

Children who are overweight or obese face an increased risk for gallstones, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition.

26 Aug 2012

Parachute device improves outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure

A novel non-invasive device which separates healthy and damaged heart muscle and restores ventricle function improves 3 year outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012.

26 Aug 2012

Study addresses important early risk factors of cardiovascular health in adolescents

Early exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with various adverse health outcomes in children and adolescents, including low birth weight and impaired lung growth and function.

26 Aug 2012

Statins reduce pancreatitis risk

Statins reduce the risk for pancreatitis in patients with normal or mildly elevated triglyceride levels, say the authors of a large meta-analysis.

24 Aug 2012

HIV-like immunodeficiency observed in Asia

Researchers have discovered an adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome with symptoms similar to those of advanced HIV in Thailand and Taiwan.

24 Aug 2012

Vigorous exercise associated with mental illness vulnerability

Contrary to expectations, engagement in vigorous exercise is positively associated with the incidence and prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar II disorder and alcohol dependence, US researchers report.

24 Aug 2012

Radiating fears over diabetes in childhood cancer survivors

People who undergo pancreatic irradiation during childhood cancer therapy are at an increased risk for developing diabetes later in life, report researchers.

24 Aug 2012

State Senator honors UCLA lung transplant doctors during special ceremony

Dr. Abbas Ardehali, professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the UCLA Heart and Lung Transplant program, and Dr. David Ross, professor of pulmonology and medical director of the UCLA Lung Transplant program, were honored by State Senator Sharon Runner (R-Antelope Valley) during a special ceremony at the State Senate Chamber in Sacramento on Aug. 21.

24 Aug 2012

Pre-emptive therapy better than valacyclovir prophylaxis in treating CMV in transplant recipients

Waiting to treat the commonest viral infections in transplant recipients until they reach a certain threshold is better than prophylactically treating all recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

24 Aug 2012

Cocoa and blood pressure: an interview with Dr Karin Ried

The compounds in cocoa responsible for blood pressure reduction are called flavanols or polyphenols. Flavanols are also found in green tea, dark berries or red wine.

24 Aug 2012

Study demonstrates how DBP production is modulated by daily variations of temperature

Numerous processes in our body fluctuate in a regular pattern during the day. These circadian (or daily) variations can be driven by local oscillators present within our cells or by systemic signals controlled by the master pacemaker, located in the brain. Ueli Schibler, professor at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, unveils a molecular mechanism by which body temperature rhythms influence the expression of 'clock genes' and synchronize local oscillators.

24 Aug 2012

Parental methylated histones not transferred to daughter DNA

It's widely accepted that molecular mechanisms mediating epigenetics include DNA methylation and histone modifications, but a team from Thomas Jefferson University has evidence to the contrary regarding the role of histone modifications.

24 Aug 2012

Scientists develop reliable method to convert adult blood cells into iPSCs

Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a reliable method to turn the clock back on blood cells, restoring them to a primitive stem cell state from which they can then develop into any other type of cell in the body.

24 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Cantaloupes and food safety; Diversity in health incentives

People don't ordinarily think of cantaloupes as killers, but over the last two summers 32 Americans have died after eating contaminated pieces of the popular fruit. ... Government is hyper-vigilant about terror attacks and problem airliners, which is good, but not so much about food - at least if you judge by the time it's taking the Obama administration to release new rules intended to prevent exactly the sort of food-borne outbreaks cantaloupes have caused.

24 Aug 2012

Bristol-Myers Squibb terminates BMS-986094 Phase II development for treatment of hepatitis C

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced today that the Company has discontinued development of BMS-986094 (formerly known as INX-189), a nucleotide polymerase (NS5B) inhibitor that was in Phase II development for the treatment of hepatitis C.

24 Aug 2012

MOZ protein could explain variations in severity of DiGeorge syndrome

The discovery of a 'switch' that modifies a gene known to be essential for normal heart development could explain variations in the severity of birth defects in children with DiGeorge syndrome.

24 Aug 2012

Roundup: Ore. lawmakers examine 'disclosure' as way to limit malpractice claims; $2.8M in fraudulent public assistance given in Mass.; Md. exchange announcement Thursday

Lawmakers are expected to take up tort reform when the Oregon Legislature convenes next February. To get those discussions moving, a Patient Safety and Defensive Medicine Workgroup is developing draft legislation that includes issues such as confidentiality, mediation, dispute resolution, litigation, discovery and patient safety. Disclosure -- informing patients when a serious medical event has occurred in a hospital setting -- is also on the table.

24 Aug 2012

Concern over ameba-infested tap water deaths

People with sinusitis who regularly treat their condition using nasal irrigation should be aware of a potential contamination risk associated with using inadequately filtered tap water, say US researchers.

23 Aug 2012

Nicotine dependence risk increased in bipolar disorder

Adults with mood and anxiety disorders are significantly more likely to be smokers than the general population, a US study of data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions shows.

23 Aug 2012