Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Researchers identify two gene mutations that cause neuromuscular disorder

Research into how carbohydrates are converted into energy has led to a surprising discovery with implications for the treatment of a perplexing and potentially fatal neuromuscular disorder and possibly even cancer and heart disease.

25 May 2012

Oxidative stress may put obese patients at increased risk of kidney damage after heart surgery

Oxidative stress may put obese patients at increased risk of developing kidney damage after heart surgery, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

25 May 2012

Alpha-2 agonists decrease postoperative consumption of opioid drugs

A study from researchers at Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, provides evidence that use of alpha-2 agonists alongside opioids in surgical patients decreased opioid use by 25-30 percent. Even though opioid use was less, these patients reported slightly less pain after surgery.

25 May 2012

Poor cardio-pulmonary function may be strong predictor of survival in women with breast cancer

Women receiving care for breast cancer have significantly impaired cardio-pulmonary function that can persist for years after they have completed treatment, according to a study led by scientists at Duke University Medical Center.

25 May 2012

IUDs and implants effectively reduce risk of unintended pregnancy

A study to evaluate birth control methods has found dramatic differences in their effectiveness. Women who used birth control pills, the patch or vaginal ring were 20 times more likely to have an unintended pregnancy than those who used longer-acting forms such as an intrauterine device (IUD) or implant.

24 May 2012

Positive Results for Pulsar Stent in Clinical Study – BIOTRONIK announces

The six-month results from the prospective, multicenter, single-arm 4EVER study demonstrate efficacy and safety of BIOTRONIK's Pulsar Stent System in 120 superficial femoral artery (SFA) patients. Analysis of the 120 patients showed excellent device performance, very promising patency rates and convincing evidence of the benefits of lower limb intervention on a 4F platform. Although only the interim results were presented at the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC 2012) in Leipzig, Germany, analysis of the full cohort has recently been made available.

24 May 2012

Halo Healthcare acquires assets of NeoMatrix

Halo Healthcare, Inc. announces it has acquired the assets of NeoMatrix, LLC and has restructured the Company, including engaging a new CEO and management team, appointing a new Board of Directors, and relaunching the HALO diagnostic device for breast cancer risk assessment.

24 May 2012

Optimi prototype effectively predicts people at risk of depression

The computing tool, developed by researchers at the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón, the Universitat Politècnica of València and the Universitat de València, along with professionals from the company everis, is able to predict if a person with a high-stress level is at risk of becoming depressed, based on the study of a series of physiological and psychological variables in which artificial intelligence techniques are used.

24 May 2012

Number of Americans with kidney stones nearly doubled since 1994

The number of Americans suffering from kidney stones between 2007 and 2010 nearly doubled since 1994, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and RAND.

24 May 2012

Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack

Calcium supplements might increase the risk of having a heart attack, and should be “taken with caution,” concludes research published in the online issue of the journal Heart.

24 May 2012

Results from several studies related to ACT’s TEMPASURE cardiac ablation catheter

Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics, Inc., a developer of innovative temperature-sensing cardiac ablation systems, today announced results of several studies related to the company's TEMPASURE cardiac ablation catheter.

24 May 2012

ACE’s Blood Sugar Basics Game Plan kicks off to help people with diabetes

The Blood Sugar Basics Game Plan, developed by the American College of Endocrinology (ACE), with support from Merck, is kicking off to help the nearly 26 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes find new ways to help manage their disease. Th

24 May 2012

PTH boosts AMPs to fend off infection-causing microbes

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules produced in the skin to fend off infection-causing microbes. Vitamin D has been credited with a role in their production and in the body's overall immune response, but scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a hormone previously associated only with maintaining calcium homeostasis and bone health is also critical, boosting AMP expression when dietary vitamin D levels are inadequate.

24 May 2012

RARP more costly than RRP in treating prostate cancer

In one of the most comprehensive analyses to date of the cost of robotic-assisted, laparoscopic surgery for prostate cancer, researchers at UPMC found that this now-dominant surgical approach is significantly more costly than standard open surgery, despite little scientific evidence of long-term improved patient outcomes.

24 May 2012

Children with obesity more likely to have idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Children who are overweight or obese -- particularly older, non-Hispanic white girls -- are more likely to have a neurological disorder known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a rare condition that can result in blindness, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

24 May 2012

Study uncovers new obesity genetic markers that may predict dietary intake

Blame it on your genes? Researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center say individuals with variations in certain "obesity genes" tend to eat more meals and snacks, consume more calories per day and often choose the same types of high fat, sugary foods.

24 May 2012