Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

£60 million boost for pregnant mums to reduce child poverty

Public Health Minister, Yvette Cooper, will today announce a £60 million boost to tackle child poverty in low income areas even before children are born. The money will extend Sure Start programmes to cover pregnant women and their partners for the first time alongside families with children under four-years-old.

16 Apr 2004

Blood pressure testing in people under 35 often misdiagnosed

Doctors who routinely measure blood pressure in people under 35 are more likely to misdiagnose than to detect hypertension correctly, according to a study in this week's BMJ. This could lead to unnecessary lifelong treatment for many.

16 Apr 2004

Bad hygiene may be good for you

A group of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a connection between poor T cell survival in the body and the development of autoimmunity.

16 Apr 2004

Three hours exercise reduces risk of breast cancer

Three hours of moderate exercise per week significantly reduced circulating estrogens in postmenopausal women, according to a new study published in the current issue of Cancer Research. The finding may explain why women who exercise regularly lower their risk for breast cancer.

16 Apr 2004

Hugs and kisses halve risk of heart attack

Having a really close relationship with another person, whether it be friend, lover, or relative, can halve the risk of further heart attacks, suggests research in Heart.

14 Apr 2004

Women get better picture on hormone replacement therapy

Detailed results of the "estrogen-alone" study within the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which was terminated in early March 2004, are providing some of the first answers to questions about the efficacy of estrogen alone to prevent chronic disease in healthy, postmenopausal women who have had a hysterectomy.

14 Apr 2004

Obese mothers increase likelihood of pre-eclampsia

A research team from the University of Glasgow has been awarded nearly £129, 000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to investigate the cause of pre-eclampsia (PE), a condition that kills nearly 600 babies in the UK each year.

14 Apr 2004

Cancer rates have decreased in men and remained stable in women

Data newly compiled by the American Cancer Society finds death rates for most major cancers continue to decline, but a growing and aging population continues to produce a rise in the total number of cancer deaths.

14 Apr 2004

NASA develops "Black Box" to monitor vital signs

When planes have a problem, analysts can usually figure out what went wrong. They simply check the plane's "black box," which records exactly what was happening to the plane at the time. Now, there's something similar for people. Under the leadership of NASA/Ames design engineer Carsten Mundt, researchers have developed a device that, Stanford electrical engineer and team member Greg Kovacs says, is a black box for human beings.

13 Apr 2004

Estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk

A large, multi-center heart disease prevention study, part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), found that estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk but increased the risk of stroke for postmenopausal women.

13 Apr 2004

Amount of adiponectin hormone lessens chance of heart attacks

Men with high levels of a Adiponectin hormone secreted by fat cells have a lesser chance of heart attacks, according to a new study that could lead to new ways to prevent and treat heart disease.

13 Apr 2004

Mercy Hospital opens new cardiovascular catheterization laboratory

The $40 million expansion of The Cardiac Centers of Mercy & Unity Hospitals reaches a significant milestone this week with the opening of the most technologically advanced cardiovascular catheterization laboratories in Minnesota.

13 Apr 2004

Hospital stay for heart attack shortest ever

Heart attack patients are being discharged from hospital care faster than ever, and a new study indicates patients do not experie any adverse affects from such quick release.

13 Apr 2004

Coronary stent drives Johnson & Johnson to record profits

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales for the first quarter of $11.6 billion, an increase of 17.7% over the prior year. The increase represented operational growth of 12.3% and a currency impact of 5.4%. Domestic sales were up 15.1%, while international sales increased 21.8%, including operational growth of 7.8% and a positive currency impact of 14.0%.

13 Apr 2004

Vitamin C can reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and chronic disease

Vitamin C supplements can reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and chronic disease risk in humans, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

12 Apr 2004

Gene therapy helps damaged heart cells regain strength and beat normally

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and Duke University have used gene therapy to help damaged heart cells regain strength and beat normally again in the laboratory. The work takes the scientists one step closer to eventual clinical trials in humans.

12 Apr 2004

Study shows link between cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Studies are showing that the link between cardiovascular disease and type 1 (juvenile) diabetes – particularly among women – has been significantly underestimated, according to an article in the latest edition of Countdown, the quarterly journal of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

12 Apr 2004

Low carb diets should be avoided by growing children and adolescents

Even if you're not eating "low-carb," it's a good bet you at least know several people who are. Many people have found this the way to lose and maintain weight, while others argue that although you may see results, it could ultimately cause health problems such as heart disease. Most pediatricians would agree that a low-carb diet is not one a growing child should embrace.

9 Apr 2004

Unique heart arrhythmia drug represents one of the first molecular-based therapies for heart failure

Heart researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have developed and tested a unique heart arrhythmia drug that could prevent the sudden death of millions of people with heart failure as well as people with an inherited heart disorder. The drug represents one of the first molecular-based therapies for heart failure and avoids the toxicity of current treatments.

8 Apr 2004

Britain's NHS to buy large volume of mobile MRI scanners

British Health Secretary John Reid today invited bidders to supply the NHS with new, mobile, 'state of the art' MRI scanners and highly qualified staff to help cut waiting times across England. These new scanners will targeted at areas of greatest need. It's expected that they will be operational this summer.

8 Apr 2004