Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Study to analyze effectiveness of weight-loss program on participants with Type 2 diabetes

Diabetes affects nearly 24 million people in the United States, most with Type 2 diabetes, a disease which is often coupled with obesity. Concerned by the increasing number of overweight Americans, nutrition experts with the UC San Diego School of Medicine are launching Take Charge, a research study analyzing the effectiveness of a commercial weight-loss program on participants with Type 2 diabetes who have a BMI of 25 - 45.

9 May 2012

Stereotaxis launches V-Sono module for Vdrive Remote Navigation System

Stereotaxis, Inc. today announced that the Company has released to the European market the V-Sono intracardiac echocardiography manipulator module for the Vdrive Remote Navigation System.

9 May 2012

UVA achieves two important milestones in VISIUS Surgical Theatre

IMRIS Inc. today reported on the preliminary successes that the University of Virginia (UVA) has achieved in their VISIUS Surgical Theatre. UVA clinicians have treated over 50 patients in their VISIUS Surgical Theatre since its opening, achieving two important milestones in the use of their new intraoperative imaging capabilities.

9 May 2012

Obese women more likely to have children with lower cognitive function

Women who are obese before they become pregnant are at higher risk of having children with lower cognitive function - as measured by math and reading tests taken between ages 5 to 7 years - than are mothers with a healthy prepregnancy weight, new research suggests.

9 May 2012

Call for cookery lessons in schools to reduce childhood obesity

Health professionals, charity leaders and celebrities, including Steven Gerrard and Jamie Oliver, are calling for cookery lessons to be introduced to schools for all children aged between 4 and 14 years old.

8 May 2012

Bioactive formulation for optimal eye health

Morinda Bioactives (formerly Tahitian Noni International) recently announced the release of seven new Fit Body Composition Supplements, one of which is Fit Eye. Fit Eye provides an exclusive formulation of highly effective bioactives derived from the most potent sources, including research-recommended levels of lutein, to support optimal eye health.

8 May 2012

More teenagers and young adults diagnosed with skin cancer

With summer just around the corner, pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center are sounding the alarm on a disturbing trend: A growing number of teenagers and young adults diagnosed with skin cancer.

8 May 2012

Ritalin use in ADHD rises four-fold over a decade

According to latest figures prescriptions for Ritalin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have quadrupled in a decade. This has raised concerns that it is being given to children at the expense of alternative treatments and without appreciation of long-term effects.

8 May 2012

'Good' cholesterol may not protect against coronary heart disease

A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers has found that a subclass of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, may not protect against coronary heart disease (CHD) and in fact may be harmful.

8 May 2012

Covidien to unveil new OneShot renal denervation system at EuroPCR congress

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, will unveil its new OneShot renal denervation system at the EuroPCR congress in Paris, France, on May 16, 2012. Adding to the Company's broad and growing vascular therapies portfolio, the OneShot system is designed to treat patients with hypertension who are not responsive to traditional medical therapy.

8 May 2012

FDA approves St. Jude Medical's Assura family of implantable defibrillators

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Assura portfolio of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds).

8 May 2012

LAA occlusion effectively reduces risk of stroke in patients with A-fib

Patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) who cannot take blood thinners now have an alternative to reduce their risk of stroke, which is five times more common in people with the rhythm disorder. The non-surgical procedure works by tying off the left atrial appendage (LAA), the source of most blood clots leading to stroke in patients with A-fib. Northwestern Medicine- heart rhythm specialists from the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute were the first to perform this procedure in Illinois.

8 May 2012

Long-term exposure to roadways linked with increased risk of death in patients with heart attack

Living close to a major highway poses a significant risk to heart attack survivors, reinforcing the need to isolate housing developments from heavy traffic areas, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study concludes.

8 May 2012

Cheaper anti-blindness drug could save NHS £85 million annually

Avastin (bevacizumab), which is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration – the most common cause of blindness among the elderly costs only £60 per injection. But despite trials showing it is no less effective, another drug, Lucentis, is the current official choice, even though it costs £700 per shot. Avastin is intended to treat bowel cancer, but research by the National Institute for Health Research has shown that it also works just as effectively and safely as Lucentis in treating Wet AMD.

8 May 2012

High rates of birth defects associated with an artificial reproductive technology: Study

A new study has shown that one of the most popular forms of IVF could double the risk of birth defects.

8 May 2012

New information about biological outcomes and commuting distance

As populations move even further away from urban centers, more people spend longer hours behind the wheel on their way to and from work. While sedentary behavior is known to have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, the impact of long commutes by automobile are less understood. A new study has found that greater commuting distances are associated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), increased weight, and other indicators of metabolic risk.

8 May 2012

Stereotaxis to highlight results from Epoch clinical study at HRS annual meeting

Stereotaxis, Inc. will highlight clinical results from the first 1,250 cases and the latest innovations for the Epoch platform, its new generation comprehensive solution for the electrophysiology (EP) laboratory, at the 33rd Annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Scientific Sessions, May 9-12, 2012.

8 May 2012

CardioFocus’ HeartLight EAS to be highlighted at Heart Rhythm 2012

CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight® Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announces that its technology will be highlighted both as part of the scientific sessions and during a private academic symposium at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, May 9-12 in Boston, MA.

8 May 2012

North Suburban Medical Center's Northeast ER opens today

North Suburban Medical Center's Northeast ER opens its doors today at the corner of Holly Street and 128th Avenue to receive emergency patients from the surrounding communities. The 10,000-foot, state-of- the-art emergency department will function just like a hospital-based ER, treating everything from minor injuries to more severe and life-threatening illnesses such as stroke or heart attack. Northeast ER is a true emergency facility, open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

8 May 2012

State roundup: Calif. fight over group homes for seniors; New agency proposed to police disabled care in NY; Conn. retiree health plan expansion could endanger protections

Neighbors were already concerned about the growing number of group homes for the elderly and recovering addicts in the area, many of them for profit. A Times analysis found 24 licensed facilities offering residential care for the elderly within a mile of the proposed project and three more waiting for state approval. It is one of several such clusters that have emerged in Los Angeles County -- including parts of the San Fernando Valley and South Bay -- where families can afford fees that run into thousands of dollars per month. Large swaths of the county's less affluent areas have no such facilities.

8 May 2012