Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Medtronic’s atrial fibrillation device fails to impress safety panel

The US health advisers rejected a Medtronic Inc. device for treating atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that is a major cause of stroke, citing risks to safety. The panel voted 8-2 that risks of device outweigh benefits of the Medtronic Cardiac Ablation System especially given the high number of strokes among patients who got the device during clinical trials.

From Medtronic 30 Oct 2011

Python heart holds surprises that could be of use in cardiology

The expanding hearts of pythons have intrigued researchers. Leslie Leinwand - a University of Colorado at Boulder molecular biologist who studies heart disease in humans called pythons’ expanding hearts “amazing biology”. “They're not swelling up. They're building (heart) muscle,” he said.

30 Oct 2011

'Deep sequencing' technology identifies new target area for depression

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Yale University have identified a new target area in the human genome that appears to harbor genes with a major role in the onset of depression.

29 Oct 2011

Study uncovers mTOR's complex signaling pathway

Even yeast understand austerity. A finely tuned system evolved early on to help cells survive in a world where good times come as fast as they go. The system, a molecular switch found in organisms from yeast to humans, involves a nutrient-sensing protein that turns growth on in times of plenty and shuts it off when times are lean.

29 Oct 2011

Glitazone treatment does not cause side effects in patients with metastatic thyroid cancer

Repeated radio-ablation therapy with iodine-131 to treat metastatic thyroid cancer can be less effective than the initial round of treatment due to de-differentiation of the cancer cells as the disease progresses, making them less sensitive to I-131.

29 Oct 2011

VUMC doctors to begin statin drug screening for rare genetic variation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center doctors announced today they will begin screening patients who take commonly prescribed statin drugs for a rare genetic variation that can increase risks for side effects from these drugs such as muscle aches, kidney damage and even death.

29 Oct 2011

Researchers uncover biochemical signals that trigger generation of new lung alveoli

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College say they have taken an important step forward in their quest to "turn on" lung regeneration -- an advance that could effectively treat millions of people suffering from respiratory disorders.

29 Oct 2011

More than 50,000 patients at high risk of SCA have been prescribed ZOLL's LifeVest

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that more than 50,000 patients at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) have been prescribed the LifeVest Wearable Defibrillator.

29 Oct 2011

Study: Reduced secretion of beta-amyloid signals beginning of Alzheimer's

For decades the amyloid hypothesis has dominated the research field in Alzheimer's disease. The theory describes how an increase in secreted beta-amyloid peptides leads to the formation of plaques, toxic clusters of damaged proteins between cells, which eventually result in neurodegeneration. Scientists at Lund University, Sweden, have now presented a study that turns this premise on its head.

29 Oct 2011

Sorin Group third quarter revenues decrease 2.1% to €171.4 million

Sorin Group: Revenues of €171.4 million, a 2.1% decline (-4.9% as reported) over the same period last year.

29 Oct 2011

Third Annual Translational Cancer Medicine Symposium to be held on Dec. 2

The University of Hawaii Cancer Center and The Queen's Medical Center (QMC) will host an international symposium on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 8:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at The Queen's Conference Center Auditorium to discuss new information related to the recent discovery of the BAP1 genetic mutation and its link to mesothelioma, melanoma and potentially other cancers.

29 Oct 2011

Meriter to join Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute

Effective January 1, 2012, Wisconsin Heart & Vascular Institute will join Meriter Medical Group. The practice, which includes 16 cardiologists, vascular surgeons and mid-level providers who are highly trained specialists with experience in all areas of cardiovascular care, will be renamed Meriter Wisconsin Heart. Meriter Medical Group will thus have grown from 68 providers to 116 in less than 2 years, an increase of 71%.

29 Oct 2011

Preventive use of ACZ may reduce risk of severe high altitude illness

Measuring specific, exercise-related responses can help physicians determine who may be more at risk for severe high altitude illness (SHAI), according to a study conducted by researchers in France. The researchers also found that taking acetazolamide (ACZ), a drug frequently prescribed to prevent altitude illness, can reduce some of the risk factors associated with SHAI.

29 Oct 2011

The West Clinic to partner with Methodist for cancer care

Methodist Healthcare and The West Clinic have entered into a partnership, effective January 1, 2012, to transform cancer care in the Mid-South area. The West Clinic, the region's premier cancer practice and a nationally-recognized leader in cancer research, is joining forces with Methodist to create a comprehensive, fully integrated cancer service for the benefit of Mid-South residents.

29 Oct 2011

Cardiovascular Associates reaches definitive agreement with ABHS

Cardiovascular Associates (CVA), one of the leading cardiovascular care practices, and Alexian Brothers Health System (ABHS) have reached a definitive agreement to formally align the two prestigious organizations. The agreement will form the Alexian Brothers Heart and Vascular Institute and provide the framework that will continue to grow ABHS's reputation as a center of cardiac care excellence and innovation.

29 Oct 2011

New drug could combat cardiovascular disease

A new therapy being studied in non-human primates by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and colleagues is demonstrating promise as a potential tool for combating cardiovascular disease by increasing good cholesterol and lowering triglycerides in the blood.

29 Oct 2011

NHS must plan to deal with predicted 45% leap in new cancer cases

The NHS must start planning now to deal with a predicted leap of 45 per cent in the number of new cancer cases in the UK over the next two decades, Cancer Research UK warns today (Friday).

28 Oct 2011

Potential avenue to make an unhealthy heart grow more like a healthy version

Identification of three fatty acids involved in the extreme growth of Burmese pythons' hearts following large meals could prove beneficial in treating diseased human hearts, according to research co-authored by a University of Alabama scientist and publishing in the Oct. 28 issue of Science.

28 Oct 2011

Five actions necessary to achieve sustainable development, 'green economy' and environmental change

As the global media speculate on the number of people likely to inhabit the planet on Oct. 31 an international team of population and development experts argue that it is not simply the number of people that matters but more so their distribution by age, education, health status and location that is most relevant to local and global sustainability.

28 Oct 2011

Dietary intervention in adolescence benefits glycemic control and blood pressure long-term

A recent study has found that a childhood behavioral intervention to lower dietary intake of total fat and saturated fat and increase consumption of foods that are good sources of dietary fiber resulted in significantly lower fasting plasma glucose levels and lower systolic blood pressure when study participants were re-evaluated in young adulthood.

28 Oct 2011