Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Patient quality, care coordination programs surface in California

The University of California, San Francisco's heart failure program is an effort to reduce repeat hospitalizations by giving patients plenty of information and support to help them after they are discharged. Since the program began three years ago, the hospital's readmission rate has dropped by 30 percent. The hospital says the program has also saved Medicare at least $1 million a year.

7 Sep 2011

Cheap medicines could prevent huge number of deaths from heart attacks, strokes

A major new international study involving researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has revealed that aspirin, statins, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are prescribed far too infrequently. They are cheap, preventive medicines that could prevent a huge number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes.

7 Sep 2011

New Vital Signs report finds decline in cigarette smoking among American adults

Fewer American adults are smoking cigarettes, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, daily smokers are smoking fewer cigarettes each day, it says.

7 Sep 2011

March of Dimes urges all pregnant women to get influenza immunization

Getting a flu shot during pregnancy protects the mom-to-be from what could be a very serious – even fatal – illness and can protect her newborn who is too young to receive his or her own immunization.

7 Sep 2011

Researchers investigate special diets that could help youngsters keep the weight off

A shocking 17 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls aged two to 15 years are obese in the UK, putting them at risk of serious, long-term health problems. Now a team of Aberdeen researchers are investigating special diets which could help youngsters keep the weight off, thanks to a grant from children's charity Action Medical Research.

7 Sep 2011

Diabetes prevention in five steps: Study

According to a new study meeting just one of five key health goals reduces the odds of developing diabetes in middle age by roughly one-third. The report adds that the more goals are met the lower the risk falls, even if there is a family history of diabetes.

6 Sep 2011

U.S. smoking rates on slow decline: CDC report

Roughly 45 million adult Americans smoke and this is much lesser than the figures a few years back. Even those who still smoke have cut back on the number of cigarettes they smoke, but the rate of decline has begun to slow, U.S. health experts said on Tuesday. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing an estimated 443,000 Americans each year.

6 Sep 2011

FDA stalls the blood-thinner Xarelto’s approval citing inadequate evidence

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a staff report released today that “there is insufficient information about the drug to determine whether it is safe for use with its proposed labeling.” Their report questions its safety and effectiveness, saying a new study is needed.

6 Sep 2011

Discovery of a key protein’s role in cell clearance could impact future treatments of autoimmune diseases, obesity and atherosclerosis

The healthy human body is extremely efficient at cleaning house. Every day, we purge 100 to 200 billion dead or dying cells – a process called cell clearance, which is fundamental in our ability to maintain a healthy physiological balance and prevent a number of chronic diseases. Professional cleaning cells, called phagocytes, are responsible for ridding the body of dead, or ‘apoptotic,’ cells.

6 Sep 2011

Chocolate protects heart but stirs debate on intake

A new study shows that chocolates are beneficial for heart health. The study published in the British Medical Journal and presented at the European Cardiology Society's annual congress in Paris analyzed data from seven studies involving 114,009 adults, ages 25 to 93, and including information on their diets and occurrences of cardiovascular disease over periods from eight to 16 years.

6 Sep 2011

Mental health problems ail nearly half of all Americans: Report

According to a new government report about half of Americans will experience some form of mental health problem at some point in their life. The report stresses that more must be done to help the population with mental health problems.

6 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 6, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations include reports from a GOP presidential candidate forum in South Carolina and analysis of what to expect as Congress returns to Washington.

6 Sep 2011

McMaster team demonstrates essential role of AMPK enzyme in exercise

You may think your lack of resolve to get off the couch to exercise is because you're lazy, but McMaster University researchers have discovered it may be you are missing key genes.

6 Sep 2011

Biologists reveal why men's ring fingers are longer than their index fingers

Biologists at the University of Florida have found a reason why men's ring fingers are generally longer than their index fingers - and why the reverse usually holds true for women.

6 Sep 2011

Study: No big shift toward higher fatal heart attack rates after menopause in women

Contradicting the long-held medical belief that the risk of cardiovascular death for women spikes sharply after menopause, new research from Johns Hopkins suggests instead that heart disease mortality rates in women progress at a constant rate as they age.

6 Sep 2011

Moderate to severe cognitive impairment has impact on life expectancy

Cognitive impairment, even when detected at an early, mild stage, is a significant predictor of decreased life expectancy.

6 Sep 2011

'Shan Song' finds new way of processing non-genetically modified soybeans

How much did you know about soybeans? How did you find the difference between GM soybeans and non-GM soybeans? How can people find the 'New Market' for traditional non-GM soybeans? You may get the answer if you knew 'Shan Song'.

5 Sep 2011

Mesoblast receives EMA clearance to initiate Revascor Phase 2 trial for heart attacks

Global regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that it had received clearance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a 225-patient multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe for its lead cardiovascular product Revascor(TM) in conjunction with angioplasty and stent procedures to prevent heart failure after a major heart attack.

5 Sep 2011

Australia’s Mesoblast receives nod to start first European trial of allogeneic stem cell treatment for heart attacks

Global regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, (ASX: MSB), today announced that it had received clearance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a 225-patient multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe for its lead cardiovascular product Revascor™ in conjunction with angioplasty and stent procedures to prevent heart failure after a major heart attack. Revascor™ is an allogeneic, or “off-the-shelf”, adult stem cell product derived from Mesoblast's proprietary Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC) platform technology which is being developed for use in a range of cardiovascular diseases including congestive heart failure, chronic angina, and heart attacks (acute myocardial infarction).

5 Sep 2011

Stroke in the young on the rise: Study

A new study has revealed that more children and young adults in the U.S. are having strokes. Researchers speculate that unhealthy lifestyles could be a likely contributor.

5 Sep 2011