Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Simple walking test can predict how well seniors would recover from operations

An elderly person's walking speed can predict how well he or she will fare after an operation, according to new findings presented at the 2011 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver, reported that a simple, walking test that typically takes less than 20 seconds was a powerful tool for predicting how well seniors would recover from various surgical procedures.

27 Oct 2011

Medtronic initiates Symplicity System clinical study in treatment-resistant hypertension

Medtronic Inc. announced today the start of SYMPLICITY HTN-3, the company's U.S. clinical trial of the Symplicity Renal Denervation System for treatment-resistant hypertension.

From Medtronic 27 Oct 2011

Scripps researcher receives U-M's Eric J. Topol Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine

The University of Michigan Medical School today announced the establishment of the Eric J. Topol Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine. A world-renowned cardiologist, Dr. Topol is currently chief academic officer at Scripps Health and a senior cardiologist practitioner at Scripps Clinic.

27 Oct 2011

Clinical and genetic risk factors associated with early stent thrombosis

Patients with certain genes or specific factors related to use of the anti-clotting drug clopidogrel are more likely to experience a blood clot within a coronary stent shortly after placement, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2011

As High Court considers health law challenges, key legal issues take shape

Reuters details a number of the key questions that have surfaced in legal briefs related to the Supreme Court consideration of challenges to the health law. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in its brief, took a nuanced approach regarding the individual mandate.

27 Oct 2011

Super broccoli on the shelves to protect from heart disease

British scientists unveiled a new breed of broccoli that experts say packs heavy on nutritional values. The new broccoli was specially grown to contain two to three times the normal amount of glucoraphanin, a nutrient believed to help ward off heart disease. Glucoraphanin breaks fat down in the body, preventing it from clogging the arteries.

27 Oct 2011

Scientists studying complete genetic profiles of centenarians to find the secret of longevity

Scientists have announced Wednesday that they would examine some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools: whole-genome sequencing, the deciphering of a person’s complete collection of DNA. They speculate that DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help people stay disease-free longer.

27 Oct 2011

CT scans can help detect COPD among men smokers

Among men who were current or former heavy smokers, undergoing lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) scanning identified a substantial proportion who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that this method may be helpful as an additional tool in detecting COPD, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2011

Study provides details on genetics behind many metabolic diseases

In what is so far the largest investigation of its kind, researchers uncovered a wide range of new insights about common diseases and how they are affected by differences between two persons' genes. The results from this study could lead to highly targeted, individualized therapies.

27 Oct 2011

Scientists discover gene variants that contribute to early stent thrombosis

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent implantation in people with coronary artery disease.

27 Oct 2011

Simple blood test could quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease

A simple blood test could someday quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Oct 2011

Three dry days a week reduces risk of alcohol related liver disease

The Royal College of Physicians said the present official guidance on healthy drinking limits is ‘extremely dangerous’ and must be rewritten – because it implies that drinking every day is fine. Government advice states men should drink no more than four units a day and women no more than three.

24 Oct 2011

DNA synbodies, a new class of affinity reagents, gets major NIH boost

An ongoing Arizona State University effort to develop a revolutionary class of reagents that holds great promise for the future of medicine has received a major boost with a three-year, $4 million award from the National Institutes of Health.

24 Oct 2011

Exploring palliative care's positives and negatives

What if a new medication for severely ill patients had no role in curing them but made them feel much better despite being sick?

24 Oct 2011

CryoLife begins enrollment in BioFoam Surgical Matrix IDE clinical trial

CryoLife, Inc.,, a leading tissue processing and medical device Company focused on cardiac and vascular surgery, today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical trial for its BioFoam® Surgical Matrix protein hydrogel technology. In connection with the trial, BioFoam will be used as an adjunct to conservative measures of achieving hemostasis on newly resected liver parenchyma.

24 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 24, 2011

Today's headlines include a variety of health policy news developments, including speculation about how the Supreme Court might review the health law and what's happening with the super committee.

24 Oct 2011

CoreLab Partners releases new semi-automated CalECG v3 solution

CoreLab Partners, Inc. has launched a new semi-automated ECG solution through its ongoing collaboration with Analyzing Medical Parameters for Solutions (A.M.P.S.) LLC.

24 Oct 2011

Six prominent surgeons receive ACS' Honorary Fellowship

Honorary Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) was awarded to six prominent surgeons from South Africa, England, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, and the People's Republic of China last night during Convocation ceremonies that preceded the official opening of the College's 97th Annual Clinical Congress.

24 Oct 2011

SCI patients with autonomic dysfunction more likely to develop heart disease

New research from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation may help explain why people with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a higher risk of developing heart disease.

24 Oct 2011

Simulation improves cardiac surgical training results

Residents in cardiac surgery who receive extra training on a take-home simulator do a better job once they get into the operating room, Dr. Buu-Khanh Lam today told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

24 Oct 2011