Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

NCOA spearheads new initiative to help protect older adults from influenza

The National Council on Aging announced today it is spearheading a new initiative to help protect older adults from influenza this upcoming flu season. The educational program, Flu + You, in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur, aims to educate older adults and their caregivers about the seriousness of influenza, the importance of annual influenza immunization, and available vaccine options.

20 Jun 2012

Christiana Care receives $10 million CMMI grant to design new model

Christiana Care Health System has been awarded a $10 million grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to design a new care model that will harness pioneer information technology to transcend the gaps that currently exist within health care to provide more coordinated care and greater value for patients.

20 Jun 2012

$Vertebral fractures flag vascular disease risk$

Vertebral fractures flag vascular disease risk

Abdominal aortic calcification in elderly men appears to be associated with vertebral fractures, say Moroccan scientists.

19 Jun 2012

Sustained ventricular arrhythmias in NSTE ACS rare but high-risk

Sustained ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia in patients admitted with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome are uncommon but worsen patients’ prognosis markedly if they do develop, researchers report.

19 Jun 2012

Cardiovascular risks for excessive endurance training highlighted

Ironman triathlons, ultramarathons, and even marathons are potentially associated with a risk for adverse cardiovascular effects.

19 Jun 2012

Improved CT angiography protocols minimize radiation exposure

Refinements to coronary computed tomography angiography practices can significantly reduce the radiation dose associated with imaging, demonstrates research from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA.

19 Jun 2012

Hospital noises disturb sleep

Common hospital noises such as human conversations, paging systems, intravenous alarms sounding, and doors closing easily disturb patients’ sleep, according to US study results.

19 Jun 2012

MAQUET's INTERGARD SYNERGY vascular graft receives CE mark

MAQUET Cardiovascular, LLC announced today that it has received CE mark for its INTERGARD SYNERGY vascular graft. This graft represents the next generation in antimicrobial grafts combining the well-known antimicrobial properties of silver acetate and triclosan.

19 Jun 2012

C-section rates in US stabilize after eight years of steady increase

A new report on trends in women's health in the United States reveals the national C-section rate has held steady at 33 percent since 2009, leveling off after eight years of steady increase that was in part driven by scheduled, elective surgeries and a trend for increasing the repeat C-section.

19 Jun 2012

FDA clears expanded matrix of sizes for TMI's Chocolate PTA balloon catheter

TriReme Medical, Inc. announced today that it has received FDA clearance for an expanded matrix of sizes for its Chocolate PTA balloon catheter. Chocolate is now approved for the percutaneous transluminal treatment of lesions in the peripheral vasculature in balloon diameters from 2.0 - 4.0mm and in balloon lengths up to 120mm.

19 Jun 2012

FDA clears expanded indications for InTouch Health Remote Presence devices

InTouch Health, the world's premier provider of acute care telemedicine solutions, has received a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance with expanded indications for use for its range of Remote Presence devices which includes RP-7i®, RP-Lite®, RP-Vantage® and RP-Xpress® as well as VisitOR1® which is sold by and is a registered trademark of Karl Storz.

19 Jun 2012

Heart transplant patients who develop restenosis after receiving a stent have poor long-term survival

Heart transplant patients are notorious for developing an aggressive form of coronary artery disease that can often result in heart failure, death or the need for repeat transplantation. The condition can also have a negative impact on future cardiac procedures, such as stenting.

19 Jun 2012

Loneliness can be debilitating to older adults and cause serious health problems

Loneliness - the unpleasant feeling of emptiness or desolation - can creep in and cause suffering to people at any age. But it can be especially debilitating to older adults and may predict serious health problems and even death, according to a new study by UCSF researchers.

19 Jun 2012

Skin disease shares common inflammatory pathway with metabolic disorder

Psoriasis is an independent risk for Type 2 Diabetes, according to a new study by researchers with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, with the greatest risk seen in patients with severe psoriasis.

19 Jun 2012

Upcoming Supreme Court ruling: GOP as 'dog that caught the car'; Growing concerns about mandate

[T]he GOP may be positioning itself to become the dog that caught the car. Political and policy uncertainty is perhaps inevitable given the range of what the Court could do. But the Republicans need a more coherent strategy. ... An orderly unwinding of ObamaCare was always going to be difficult. But based on its disarray and confusion so far, the GOP may be making it harder.

19 Jun 2012

Childhood obesity, bullying, drug abuse and child abuse need to be addressed by presidential candidates

During this presidential election season, there will be plenty of debate between the candidates on the issues. But when it comes to childhood health concerns, a new poll shows many adults agree on the top priorities they want to see the candidates address: childhood obesity and bullying.

19 Jun 2012

Antiarrhythmic short-term treatment useful for some patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently sustained arrhythmia of the heart. It affects several million people in Europe. AF causes a loss of contraction in the atria and gives rise to heart failure. Moreover, it is associated with a high risk of stroke. One in five strokes is due to AF.

19 Jun 2012

LDL particles may be a more accurate measure of early-stage atherosclerosis

LipoScience, Inc., today announced publication of a clinical study in the current issue of Atherosclerosis suggesting that low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles may be a more accurate measure of early-stage (subclinical) atherosclerosis than LDL cholesterol among retired National Football League (NFL) players.

19 Jun 2012

Coronary risk for chronic kidney disease patients could be as high as for those who have had a heart attack

Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease could be at as high a risk of coronary heart disease as patients who have previously had a heart attack, according to an Article published Online First in the Lancet.

19 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Catholic group dismisses compromise on contraceptives; Funding entitlements

President Obama's support for his signature health care act took a fresh hit Friday. The Catholic Health Association, the nation's largest private health care provider, has rebuffed the latest White House moves to make its contraception coverage mandate more acceptable to Catholics and conservative evangelicals, according to Religion News Service.

19 Jun 2012