Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Family history of schizophrenia, BD increases autism risk

A history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives is associated with a significantly increased risk for autism spectrum disorders, study results suggest.

10 Jul 2012

TNF-α levels linked to lithium response in BD patients

Patients with bipolar disorder who have a poor response to lithium treatment have significantly higher serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α than those with a good response, researchers report.

10 Jul 2012

Steroid receptor gene variant impacts metabolic health

A variant in the glucocorticoid receptor gene may be associated with increased body fat and insulin resistance, show study findings.

10 Jul 2012

Broken heart syndrome arms against epinephrine high

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” may actually protect the heart from very high levels of epinephrine, suggest results from an animal study.

10 Jul 2012

Peripheral arterial disease predicts mortality in TAVI patients

Patients with severe aortic stenosis who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation are at particularly high risk for complications and death if they also have concomitant peripheral arterial disease, study results show.

10 Jul 2012

COPD still affects treatment received after heart attack

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease receive less aggressive treatment after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction than those without the lung condition, US study results show.

10 Jul 2012

Relaxin key to improved stroke rehabilitation outcomes

Treatment with the reproductive hormone relaxin during physical rehabilitative therapy appears to improve long-term outcomes in stroke patients over rehabilitative therapy alone, say researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Shear forces cause vessel identity crisis

Lymphatic vessels exposed to fast-flowing blood take on characteristics associated with blood vessels, report researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Specific cytokine levels altered in BD patients

Levels of certain cytokines differ between bipolar disorder patients and mentally healthy individuals, as well as between manic and euthymic patients with the mood disorder, results from a systematic review and meta-analysis show.

10 Jul 2012

Salt content in UK takeaway meals ‘alarmingly high’

The level of salt in hot takeaway meals from small independent outlets in the UK should be reduced to minimize adverse health consequences, say researchers who found that levels were disturbingly high.

10 Jul 2012

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs do not necessarily put them at risk

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have a significantly increased risk for complications or long-term mortality after cardiac surgery, researchers say.

10 Jul 2012

Bankers Life and Casualty introduces new life and health insurance product

Bankers Life and Casualty Company today announced a new addition to its portfolio of life and health insurance products, Critical Benefit.

10 Jul 2012

MiR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism

In research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association and published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, Saint Louis University investigator -ngel Bald-n, Ph.D., found that the microRNA miR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism. Further, the research suggests that, in an animal model, the manipulation of this microRNA can improve the liver toxicity that can be caused by statins.

10 Jul 2012

Researchers investigate whether PTSD is a brain disorder

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) are investigating whether post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a brain disorder that can affect multiple parts of the body and cause lifelong illnesses.

10 Jul 2012

New monitoring approach could improve quality of HIV care for prisoners

A new monitoring approach developed by researchers from The Miriam Hospital could close a major gap by providing the ability to track whether HIV-positive prisoners are getting the community-based HIV care they need once they are released.

10 Jul 2012

Romney's stance on the health law tax is blasted by Democrats, scrutinized by GOP

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's reversal on whether the mandate is a tax has made him the target of intense Republican and Democratic scrutiny as the Supreme Court ruling on the health law proves a boon for the campaign bankrolls of both Romney and President Obama.

10 Jul 2012

New research estimates impact of an R rating for movie smoking

New research from Norris Cotton Cancer Center estimates, for the first time, the impact of an R rating for movie smoking.

10 Jul 2012

Sitting down for less than 3 hours a day could extend life expectancy

Restricting the amount of time spent seated every day to less than 3 hours might boost the life expectancy of US adults by an extra 2 years, indicates an analysis of published research in the online journal BMJ Open.

10 Jul 2012

Echocardiography can help identify athletes with heart problems at risk for sudden death

A new study suggests that echocardiography be included as part of screenings to help identify student athletes with heart problems that could lead to sudden death.

10 Jul 2012

Federal government commits $11B to expand operating capacity of FQHC and look-alike clinics

The federal government has committed $11 billion to expand the operating capacity of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which receive federal funding and enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and "look-alike" clinics that receive enhanced reimbursement but no federal grants.

10 Jul 2012