Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

PhaseBio raises $48.4M in Series B financing

PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs to treat diabetes, metabolic disease and cardiovascular disease, announced today that it has raised a total of $48.4 million from its Series B financing following receipt of the third tranche to advance the company's product development programs.

6 Jun 2012

Abbott announces results from HUMIRA Phase 3 study on axSpA

Abbott today announced results from the open-label extension of the Phase 3 ABILITY-1 investigational study of HUMIRA (adalimumab), which assessed the improvement in signs and symptoms of disease for patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who have no X-ray evidence of structural damage.

6 Jun 2012

Patients with type 2 diabetes have 20% increased risk of blood cancers

Patients with type 2 diabetes have a 20 percent increased risk of developing blood cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma, according to a new meta-analysis led by researchers at The Miriam Hospital.

6 Jun 2012

Cardio-protective drug during cancer treatment may prevent heart damage in children

About 75 percent of children with leukemia who take chemotherapy face life-threatening heart problems as they age, but an international study led by a University of Rochester Medical Center investigator shows that giving a cardio-protective drug during cancer treatment may prevent the damage.

6 Jun 2012

Special echocardiograms show promise for early detection of heart disease in RA patients

Special echocardiograms show promise for early detection of a potentially deadly complication in rheumatoid arthritis: heart disease, Mayo Clinic research shows. The findings were being presented at The European League Against Rheumatism annual meeting in Berlin.

6 Jun 2012

UCSD researchers receive $4M NIMH grant to study accelerated biological aging in schizophrenia

Researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego have received a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, to study accelerated biological aging in schizophrenia.

6 Jun 2012

Transgenomic introduces ICE COLD-PCR mutation detection technology

Transgenomic, Inc. today announced the commercial launch of its ICE COLD-PCR mutation detection technology, a breakthrough technology enabling unmatched sensitivity and complete DNA mutation detection using the standard sequencing equipment already installed in laboratories around the world.

6 Jun 2012

High pollution increases risk of repeated heart attacks by over 40%

Air pollution, a serious danger to the environment, is also a major health risk, associated with respiratory infections, lung cancer and heart disease. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has concluded that not only does air pollution impact cardiac events such as heart attack and stroke, but it also causes repeated episodes over the long term.

6 Jun 2012

Transcranial magnetic stimulation enhances visual abilities in healthy adults

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an international team led by researchers from the Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (CNRS / Inserm / UPMC) has succeeded in enhancing the visual abilities of a group of healthy subjects.

6 Jun 2012

Statisticians devise new predictive algorithm for future medical conditions

Analyzing medical records from thousands of patients, statisticians have devised a statistical model for predicting what other medical problems a patient might encounter.

5 Jun 2012

IRIN examines next steps in global fight against NCDs

IRIN examines the next steps in fighting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), "the leading cause of death worldwide," noting, "The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reduce preventable deaths from [NCDs] like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers, by 25 percent by 2025."

5 Jun 2012

Investigational diabetes drug appears to improve insulin sensitivity without side effects

Drugs for type 2 diabetes can contribute to weight gain, bone fractures and cardiovascular problems, but in mice, an investigational drug appears to improve insulin sensitivity without those troublesome side effects, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown.

5 Jun 2012

HDL to offer testing services based on Critical Diagnostics' Presage ST2 Assay

Critical Diagnostics, a U.S.-based biomarker company focused on cardiovascular diseases and Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL, Inc.), announced today an agreement under which HDL, Inc. will soon offer ST2 testing services based on Critical Diagnostics' Presage ST2 Assay.

5 Jun 2012

Risk of recurrent shingles episode is relatively low: Study

People who have had an episode of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, face a relatively low short-term risk of developing shingles, according to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. These findings suggest that among people with immune systems that have not been compromised, the risk of a second shingles episode is low.

5 Jun 2012

New data from CardioFocus’ HeartLight EAS clinical study on AF

CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announces new worldwide data with its technology was presented during the scientific sessions at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, in Boston, MA last month.

5 Jun 2012

Results from Celgene’s ABRAXANE plus gemcitabine clinical study on resectable pancreatic cancer

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation today announced results from a study of ABRAXANE(paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) in combination with gemcitabine in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.

5 Jun 2012

Researchers uncover brain signaling pathway responsible for renal excretory function

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers recently uncovered a brain signaling pathway responsible for regulating the renal excretion of sodium. The findings appear in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

5 Jun 2012

Caffeine/coffee intake associated with reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset

Those cups of coffee that you drink every day to keep alert appear to have an extra perk - especially if you're an older adult. A recent study monitoring the memory and thinking processes of people older than 65 found that all those with higher blood caffeine levels avoided the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the two-to-four years of study follow-up. Moreover, coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for these individuals.

5 Jun 2012

New algorithm can help ED physicians to reduce number of heart failure deaths

Physicians can reduce the number of heart failure deaths and unnecessary hospital admissions by using a new computer-based algorithm developed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) that calculates each patient's individual risk of death. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the algorithm improves upon clinical decision-making and determines whether or not a patient with heart failure should be admitted to hospital.

5 Jun 2012

New evidence to support a range of healthy behaviors

Five new studies provide evidence to support simple steps we can take to prevent illness and improve our overall health. In the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers report on fish consumption to reduce the risk of colon cancer; the effectiveness ofhypnotherapy and acupuncture for smoking cessation; regular teeth cleaning to improve cardiovascular health; the effectiveness of primary care physicians in weight loss programs; and the use of low-dose aspirin to reduce cancer risk.

5 Jun 2012