Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Research roundup: Putting good science into practice; shifting hospital costs; finding savings in Mass.

In 2006, researchers published a widely reported study showing that for many patients who had suffered a heart attack more than 24 hours before and had a blocked coronary artery, certain heart procedures, such as balloon angioplasty and the insertion of stents, were no more effective than drugs alone. In 2007, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued guidelines urging doctors to not use such treatments in those patients.

16 Jul 2011

Genome Research publishes studies utilizing emerging Collaborative Cross mouse strains

The Collaborative Cross represents a large collection of new inbred mouse strains created by the mouse genetics community aimed at revolutionizing the study of complex genetic traits and diseases. Derived from classical inbred strains and wild-derived strains, the CC captures nearly 90% of known genetic variation in laboratory mice, far surpassing more commonly used inbred strains.

15 Jul 2011

ECG results for young athletes prone to misinterpretation

Pediatric cardiologists are prone to misinterpreting electrocardiograms when using the results to determine whether young athletes have heart defects that could make exercising perilous, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. This is the first research to examine the acumen of pediatric cardiologists from several health-care institutions in using ECGs to detect rare heart conditions associated with sudden cardiac death.

15 Jul 2011

Patients with pulmonary hypertension more likely to have complications after bilateral TKA

A new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery has identified patients who are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality when undergoing knee replacement surgery in both legs at the same time.

15 Jul 2011

Scientists analyze structural changes in calcium channels caused by Timothy-mutation

The human genome encodes 243 voltage-gated ion channels. Mutations in calcium channels can cause severe inherited diseases such as migraine, night blindness, autism spectrum disorders and Timothy syndrome, which leads to severe cardiovascular disorders.

15 Jul 2011

IBM, Coriell partner to explore personalized medicine

IBM today announced that Coriell Institute for Medical Research, the largest biobank of living human cells, is using IBM technology to advance its research of human genetic disease and to more efficiently maintain its massive collection of biological resources.

15 Jul 2011

Family doctors misdiagnose 31.7% of coronary heart disease: Study

Of 180 patients in this study in whom a reference committee later identified coronary heart disease (CHD), 31.7% had originally been misdiagnosed by their family doctors as not having CHD.

15 Jul 2011

Rcadia reports promising results from calcium scoring cCTA trial

Rcadia Medical Imaging has achieved proof-of-concept with the first fully automated software that performs calcium scoring directly from a coronary CT angiography (cCTA) study.

15 Jul 2011

IQWiG finds no differences between two treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes

Whether patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus benefit from attempts to lower their blood glucose levels to near-normal levels through treatment remains an unanswered question. The studies currently available provide indications of a benefit but also of potential harm.

15 Jul 2011

Scientists discover high levels of antioxidants in two species of neotropical blueberries

One of the treats of summer-fresh, antioxidant-rich blueberries-has new competition for the title of "superfruit." But at least the contenders are keeping the title in the family. Researchers have found that two species of wild blueberries native to the tropical regions of Central and South America-the New World tropics, or Neotropics-contain two to four times more antioxidants than the blueberries sold in U.S. markets.

15 Jul 2011

CLEOPATRA Phase III study on HER2-positive mBC meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that CLEOPATRA, a pivotal Phase III study, met its primary endpoint.

15 Jul 2011

Tocotrienol could help reduce stroke damage

Preventive supplementation with a natural form of vitamin E called tocotrienol could help reduce brain damage caused by strokes, researchers reported today at the 2nd International Conference on Tocotrienols and Chronic Diseases.

15 Jul 2011

UTHealth enrolls first patient in new stem cell therapy trial for ischemic stroke

The first Texas patient has been enrolled by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in the country's first double-blind clinical trial studying the safety and efficacy of an innovative stem cell therapy that can be given up to 19 days after an ischemic stroke.

15 Jul 2011

Bariatric surgery cost-effective for all obese

Bariatric surgery is not only cost-effective for treating people who are severely obese, but also for those who are mildly obese, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

15 Jul 2011

NeoStem to acquire Amorcyte

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement whereby NeoStem will acquire Amorcyte, Inc., a development stage cell therapy company focusing on novel treatments for cardiovascular disease.

15 Jul 2011

OSI Systems introduces Sonicaid Encore to track fetal heartbeat

OSI Systems, Inc., a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications in the Security and Healthcare industries, today announced the introduction of the Sonicaid Encore, a high performance fetal and maternal monitor that uses advanced technology for patient monitoring in labor and delivery.

15 Jul 2011

Being health wards off dementia and Alzheimer's: Study

According to a new study even relatively minor health problems seemingly unrelated to the mind may affect a person's risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This is apart from the other known risk factors like heart disease, strokes and other serious health conditions that affect the circulatory system or brain. The study was published this week in the journal Neurology.

14 Jul 2011

inVentiv Health announces completion of PharmaNet acquisition

inVentiv Health, offering best-in-class clinical, commercial and consulting services to the healthcare industry, today announced it has completed the acquisition of PharmaNet Development Group, Inc., a recognized leader of global drug development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, generic drug and medical device industries.

14 Jul 2011

New paper provides unique review on respiratory disorders in the Middle East

Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new paper now available in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them.

14 Jul 2011

Mary Ann Liebert launches new journal on games, human health

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the launch of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications (G4H), a new, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the development, use, and applications of game technology for improving physical and mental health and well-being.

14 Jul 2011