Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

U-M Survival Flight helicopters can save lives of all the Great Lakes states

Three new maize-and-blue helicopters will soon be saving lives in the air above the Great Lakes states, and speeding patients toward advanced care at the University of Michigan Health System's hospitals.

15 Aug 2012

Cathepsins may attack one another instead of the bodily proteins

Researchers for the first time have shown that members of a family of enzymes known as cathepsins - which are implicated in many disease processes - may attack one another instead of the bodily proteins they normally degrade. Dubbed "cathepsin cannibalism," the phenomenon may help explain problems with drugs that have been developed to inhibit the effects of these powerful proteases.

15 Aug 2012

Compounds in cocoa may help decrease blood pressure

Compounds in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, according to a new systematic review in The Cochrane Library. The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group.

15 Aug 2012

Neurostimulator a significant step in treating sleep apnea

At Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin the first tongue pacemaker was implanted Europe-wide that prevents pauses in breathing during sleep and helps against snoring. Physicians at the Department of Otolaryngology used the device for a patient who suffers from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

15 Aug 2012

Prevalence of high cholesterol still an issue for US youths

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.

14 Aug 2012

Cardiovascular control continues despite low pulse pressure in LVAD patients

Patients implanted with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices have low pulse pressure levels but are nevertheless able to maintain cardiovascular control through baroreflexes, German and US scientists have discovered.

14 Aug 2012

Insurance status affects survival after cardiac event

Patients admitted to hospital with an acute cardiac event have higher rates of mortality if they are underinsured compared with those who have private insurance, show US study results.

14 Aug 2012

Depressed cardiac patients at added risk

Coronary artery disease patients may have an increased risk for peripheral arterial disease if they are depressed, study findings show.

14 Aug 2012

HAS-BLED proves predictive ability

Researchers say that the HAS-BLED score is a significant predictor for intracranial hemorrhage when compared with the HEMORR2HAGES and ATRIA scores, supporting international guideline recommendations.

14 Aug 2012

Drug-eluting stents cleared for diabetes patients

All currently available drug-eluting stents are more effective than bare metal stents (BMS) for patients with diabetes, research suggests.

14 Aug 2012

Sleep impairment linked to bipolar disorder course in teens

Sleep impairment plays a significant role in the course of bipolar disorder among adolescents, US study results suggest.

14 Aug 2012

Heartburn and cancer: an interview with Mindy Mintz Mordecai

What most of us think of as heartburn is a symptom of Reflux Disease or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). It’s that burning discomfort an individual experiences when stomach acids and other fluids come back up into their esophagus.

14 Aug 2012

Choice of Ryan energizes campaign--for both GOP and Dems

By choosing U.S. Representative Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has added some verve to what had been a tedious presidential contest. ... Now we have the potential at least for a true contest of ideas: What is the optimum size and role of government? What is the best way to reduce trillion-dollar annual deficits and $15 trillion in total debt? With a rapidly graying population and entitlements that eat up most of the federal budget, can Medicare's growth be stopped without impoverishing senior citizens? Is it time to raise taxes, even on the middle class?

14 Aug 2012

Study: Diabetes drugs increase patients' risk of bladder cancer

A popular class of diabetes drugs increases patients' risk of bladder cancer, according to a new study published online this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

14 Aug 2012

Eating egg yolks accelerates atherosclerosis in a manner similar to smoking

Newly published research led by Dr. David Spence of Western University, Canada, shows that eating egg yolks accelerates atherosclerosis in a manner similar to smoking cigarettes.

14 Aug 2012

BUSM part of Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiac Study

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have been part of a multicenter observational study called TRACS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiac Study) to help determine the health significance of a particular gene mutation which is commonly found in Black Americans.

14 Aug 2012

Three alternative diabetes markers found

Experts have identified three alternative biomarkers that may be useful for picking up on diabetes risk.

13 Aug 2012

Mercury exposure hypertension concerns ‘unfounded’

Mercury exposure is not associated with an increased risk for hypertension, US research shows.

13 Aug 2012

FDA approves Intelliject's Auvi-Q for anaphylaxis

Intelliject, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Auvi-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions in people who are at risk or have a history of anaphylaxis. This is the first-and-only compact auto-injector with audio and visual cues that guide patients and caregivers step-by-step through the injection process.

13 Aug 2012

Twelve states currently have adult obesity rate above 30%

Twelve states currently have an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to a new analysis released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

13 Aug 2012