Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

UMDNJ-RWJMS, RWJUH among the first to offer TAVR procedure

Physicians at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJ) and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) are among the first in the nation to offer a groundbreaking aortic valve replacement technique that provides new treatment options and hope for patients diagnosed with severe aortic valve disease who are suffering from end-stage heart disease.

14 Feb 2012

Two studies demonstrate preliminary success of CyBorD in AL amyloidosis

Two studies published today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), demonstrate preliminary success of an effective multiple myeloma (MM) regimen in patients with AL amyloidosis, a rare and devastating blood disease that results in deposition of damaging abnormal protein in critical organs of the body, including the kidneys, heart, liver, and intestines, and shares some characteristics with MM.

14 Feb 2012

Air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older women

A large, prospective study led by a researcher at Rush University Medical Center indicates that chronic exposure to particulate air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older adults.

14 Feb 2012

Moderate air pollution increases risk of stroke by 34%

Air pollution, even at levels generally considered safe by federal regulations, increases the risk of stroke by 34 percent, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers have found.

14 Feb 2012

CyBorD regimen shows promise against AL amyloidosis

A Mayo Clinic-led study, published in the American Society of Hematology (ASH) journal Blood found that CyBorD, a triple chemotherapy drug combination that has been successful in helping patients with the blood cancer multiple myeloma, also showed promise in improving the care for patients with the rare blood disease AL amyloidosis.

14 Feb 2012

Researchers pinpoint source of Loeys-Dietz syndrome

A USC research team has pinpointed the source of a genetic disorder that causes life-threatening birth defects, which may allow doctors to quickly diagnose and better treat the disease.

14 Feb 2012

Medtronic begins two Symplicity renal denervation system clinical initiatives

Medtronic, Inc. announced today the start of two clinical initiatives evaluating the broader, real-world clinical use of the company's Symplicity renal denervation system across multiple conditions.

From Medtronic 13 Feb 2012

Eating fructose does not lead to an increase in blood pressure

Eating fructose over an extended period of time does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, according to researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

13 Feb 2012

State roundup: Health law implementation in Alaska, Calif., mental health funding challenges, Miami's heart attack network

Alaska is one of several states suing to overturn the Affordable Care Act -- President Obama's health care overhaul. But behind the scenes, state agencies are quietly working on implementing various requirements in the law. One of those requirements is an exchange, which will work kind of like Expedia, but for health insurance plans. While the state studies its options, a bill moving through the legislature would also establish an exchange.

13 Feb 2012

Chemotherapy during pregnancy for cancer does not necessarily harm the baby: Study

When a pregnant woman is diagnosed with cancer, she and her family and doctors are faced with difficult decisions about her health and that of her unborn child. It is known that giving chemotherapy in the first 12 weeks, when the baby's organs are still forming, raises the chances of birth defects. Postponing the treatment, however, could allow the cancer to spread. Over the last decade, doctors have been more willing to use chemotherapy after the first trimester, but there have been worries that the child's brain and heart could suffer damage.

13 Feb 2012

Trevena commences TRV130 Phase I clinical trial for severe post-operative pain

Trevena, Inc., the leader in discovery and development of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, announced today the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial of TRV130, a novel candidate designed for the intravenous treatment of moderate-to-severe post-operative pain.

13 Feb 2012

Report addresses treatment preferences among depressed patients after heart attack

A report in the last 2011 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the treatment preferences that are expressed by depressed patients after a heart attack.

13 Feb 2012

Study looks at link between delivery time and outcomes for infants with birth defects

Weekday delivery is no better than night or weekend delivery for infants with birth defects, according to a new study presented today at The Pregnancy Meeting, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual conference. The finding is good news for all parties - moms, babies and healthcare teams - and suggests that this high-risk population of women should deliver when their bodies are ready to deliver, regardless of the day or time.

13 Feb 2012

Length of residence in the U.S. increases risk of PTB among Hispanic women

The longer a Hispanic woman lives in the United States, the higher her risk of preterm birth (PTB), with nearly half of PTBs among Hispanic women occurring in those who were born in the U.S.

13 Feb 2012

KSU, St. Michael's receive U.S. patent to use BRCA1 gene for cardiovascular disease

St. Michael's Hospital and King Saud University have received their first joint U.S. patent to use the BRCA1 gene as a therapy for cardiovascular disease.

13 Feb 2012

Excessive consumption of phosphate damages health

Excessive consumption of phosphate is damaging to health. Therefore, food that contains phosphate additives should be labeled, as recommended by Eberhard Ritz and coauthors in their article in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.

12 Feb 2012

Research team studies effect of anabolic steroids on body fat

A research team at Luleå University of Technology and Umea University has, in a unique study involving ten Swedish elite lifters who are actively using anabolic steroids, studied the effect of Anabolic steroids on body fat. Swedish elite lifters who use anabolic steroids have more dangerous fat distribution in the body.

12 Feb 2012

Y chromosome may be the link that passes heart disease risk from father to son

The study, published in The Lancet, focused on genetic markers on the Y chromosome — which is present only in male DNA (women have two X chromosomes) — and found that men with a certain genetic variant were 50% more likely to have coronary artery disease than those without it. The increased risk was independent of other contributors to heart disease such as age, weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

12 Feb 2012

Human 'shock absorbers' discovered

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Sydney, has found the molecular structure in the body which functions as our “shock absorber”. The discovery of the previously unknown part of the molecule will be applied to the researchers’ work on designing improved versions of a human blood vessel and on repairing skin damage, including burns.

12 Feb 2012

TKR surgeries have more than doubled over the past decade

New research presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that more than 4.5 million Americans are living with a total knee replacement (TKR), as the number of TKR surgeries has more than doubled over the past decade, with the sharpest rise among younger patients. Osteoarthritis continues to be the primary reason for TKR.

10 Feb 2012