Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Adolescent hypomania does not predict bipolar disorder

Results from a Swedish study show that only a small proportion of depressed adolescents with hypomania spectrum episodes will develop bipolar disorder in adulthood.

17 Aug 2012

HRT linked to ulcerative colitis in postmenopausal women

Taking postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy increases the risk for ulcerative colitis, but not Crohn’s disease, a study shows.

17 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 17, 2012

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Jenny Gold reports on a new survey about accountable care organizations: "Few hospitals interested in becoming accountable care organizations are ready to take on financial risk, according to a survey released Friday from The Commonwealth Fund."

17 Aug 2012

Affordable Care Act: an interview with Val J. Halamandaris, President of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)

The intent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to provide all Americans with medical insurance. Thirty-five million additional people will be covered, in part by government premiums and in part by making it easier for them to buy their own insurance.

17 Aug 2012

Peptide combinations might offer more effective cancer therapy

Two studies suggest that two peptide agents used either together or individually with a low-dose of a standard chemotherapy drug might offer more effective cancer therapy than current standard single-drug treatments.

17 Aug 2012

Third universal definition of myocardial infarction to be presented at ESC Congress 2012

A new definition of heart attack will be presented at the ESC Congress 2012. The third universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI) clarifies the controversial area of procedural related MI and will be the gold standard for diagnosis and clinical trial endpoints.

17 Aug 2012

Springer publishes Principles of Research Methodology: A Guide for Clinical Investigators

How do you teach medical research? How do you design a good study or develop a workable hypothesis? How do you shape research to improve patient care? These and many more questions are addressed in an authoritative textbook detailing the clinical research process, written by researchers and clinicians at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and other institutions.

17 Aug 2012

Walnuts provide key nutrients that may be essential in male reproductive health

Research published in the recent issue of Biology of Reproduction Papers-in-Press reports that 75 grams (approximately 2.5 ounces) of walnuts consumed per day improved sperm vitality, motility, and morphology (normal forms) in a group of healthy young men between 21-35 years of age.

17 Aug 2012

Food preferences influence sleep patterns, metabolic health

The relationship between short sleep duration and the development of metabolic abnormalities may be partly influenced by food preferences, show study findings.

16 Aug 2012

Blood typifies coronary risk

Individuals with an A, B, or AB blood type have a significantly higher risk for coronary heart disease than those with an O blood type, say experts.

16 Aug 2012

Heart-healthy chocolate lowers blood pressure

Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that regular consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa powder or chocolate reduces blood pressure by a small but significant amount.

16 Aug 2012

Specific episode triggers in young adults with BD identified

Falling in love has the highest specificity for triggering manic/hypomanic episodes in young adults with bipolar disorder, while stressful life events has the highest specificity for triggering depressive episodes, researchers report.

16 Aug 2012

Late heart rejection is in decline in children, mortality the same

The rate of heart transplant rejection after 1 year has decreased in pediatric patients in recent years compared with the early 1990s, report researchers who add that, despite this, mortality rates in these patients have stayed the same.

16 Aug 2012

Prevalence of high cholesterol still a concern for US youth

Cholesterol levels seem to have improved over the last two decades among young individuals in the US, but a high prevalence of unfavorable lipid profiles is still being observed among this population, report researchers.

16 Aug 2012

Surgeons perform two TAVR procedures at Toledo Hospital

Minimally invasive surgery is one of the biggest trends in health care as a safer alternative to major surgery. One of the newest procedures, approved this year by the Food and Drug Administration, is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

16 Aug 2012

Study looks at differences in brain structure between karate practitioners

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers from Imperial College London and UCL (University College London) found that differences in the structure of white matter - the connections between brain regions - were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

16 Aug 2012

Intake of Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil may increase serum osteocalcin concentrations

A study to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) shows consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil for two years is associated with increased serum osteocalcin concentrations, suggesting a protective effect on bone.

16 Aug 2012

Malignant mesothelioma diagnosis with an E-nose: an interview with Associate Professor Deborah Yates, UNSW

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare tumor of the pleura which is the lining of the inside of the chest wall. It is highly linked with asbestos exposure.

16 Aug 2012

Low adropin levels may increase risk of metabolic disease

Working with a national team of researchers, a scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has shown for the first time a link between low levels of a specific hormone and increased risk of metabolic disease in humans.

16 Aug 2012

UCLA performs first transcatheter aortic valve replacement using new device

UCLA has performed its first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), using a new device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to replace an aortic valve in a patient who was not a candidate for open-heart surgery. The procedure took place August 9th.

16 Aug 2012