Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Hydrogen sulfide protects blood vessels from diabetes complications

Hydrogen sulfide is a foul-smelling gas with an odor resembling that of rotten eggs. Sometimes called "swamp gas," this toxic substance is generally associated with decaying vegetation, sewers and noxious industrial emissions. And - as odd as it may seem - it also plays a critical role in protecting blood vessels from the complications of diabetes, according to a new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

3 Aug 2011

New generation antidepressants may increase risk of adverse outcomes in elderly

Older people taking new generation antidepressants are at more risk of dying or suffering from a range of serious health conditions including stroke, falls, fractures and epilepsy, a study involving researchers at The University of Nottingham has found.

3 Aug 2011

Childhood mistreatment may increase risk of coronary heart disease in middle age

For all the ills that result from bad parenting, new evidence from an epidemiological study of thousands of people suggests coronary heart disease (CHD) might be added to that list.

3 Aug 2011

Bear bile compound may help treat heart attack: Study

The compound, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is already used to lower cholesterol and help dissolve gallstones, and it's a key ingredient in many traditional Chinese medicines, which use bear bile. According to the latest research from Imperial College London it might also be able to treat abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, in fetuses and heart attack victims.

3 Aug 2011

USPTO issues notice of allowance for Vermillion's PAD biomarker patent

Vermillion, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for a patent entitled "Beta-2 microglobulin as a Biomarker for Peripheral Artery Disease."

3 Aug 2011

Pfizer second-quarter revenues decrease 1% to $17.0 billion

Pfizer Inc. today reported financial results for second-quarter 2011. As a result of Pfizer's decision to sell the Capsugel business, all revenues and expenses related to Capsugel in all periods presented are reflected in a single line, Discontinued operations - net of tax.

3 Aug 2011

Roundup: Atlanta hospital facing questions about extending dialysis care to immigrants; Fla. to limit HMO choices for state workers

The agreement providing dialysis for immigrants who were former Grady patients expires at the end of August, and it's unclear what will happen next. ... Grady's financial situation has deteriorated recently, and its losses this year could reach $20 million or more. Meanwhile, the hospital continues to shoulder an enormous financial burden in caring for uninsured patients, including immigrants, providing more than $200 million in indigent care annually.

3 Aug 2011

Scientists look to create blood platelets from stem cells to study genetics of blood clotting disorders

Johns Hopkins scientists have launched a pioneering research program to create, for the first time, human platelet cells from stem cells in order to study inherited blood clotting abnormalities ranging from clots that cause heart attacks and stroke to bleeding disorders. The study is funded by a $9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of a nationwide initiative to examine how genetic variations cause heart, lung and blood diseases.

2 Aug 2011

Smoking doubles risk of atrial fibrillation

Results from a large, United States based cohort study show that current smokers double their risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to people who have never smoked, after more than 13 years of follow-up. The study, published in the August edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, indicates a trend towards significantly lower risk of developing AF for those who quit smoking cigarettes versus those who continue to smoke.

2 Aug 2011

Sea Squirts found to have pacemaker cells similar to human heart

An international team of molecular scientists have discovered that star ascidians, also known as sea squirts, have pacemaker cells similar to that of the human heart. The research, published in the JEZ A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, may offer a new insight into the early evolution of the heart as star ascidians are one of the closest related invertebrates to mammals.

2 Aug 2011

AtriCure second quarter revenue increases 18.2% to $16.8 million

AtriCure, Inc., a medical device company and a leader in cardiac surgical ablation systems and systems for the exclusion of the left atrial appendage, today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2011. Revenue was $16.8 million, reflecting 18.2 percent growth over the second quarter of 2010.

2 Aug 2011

Enrollment commences in St. Jude Medical's atrial fibrillation stroke prevention trial

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced that the first patient was enrolled in the EAST (Early comprehensive Atrial fibrillation Stroke prevention Trial) clinical trial.

2 Aug 2011

MEDNAX second quarter net income increases 13.3% to $55.9 million

MEDNAX, Inc., the national medical group specializing in neonatal, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, other pediatric subspecialty and anesthesia physician services today reported earnings per share of $1.15 for the three months ended June 30, 2011.

2 Aug 2011

NYU Langone receives NHLBI grant for comparative effectiveness ISCHEMIA Trial

NYU Langone Medical Center announced it has received an $84 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to study the comparative effectiveness of two initial management strategies for patients with coronary artery disease.

2 Aug 2011

New investment to strengthen Clearbridge Accelerator's incubation platform

Clearbridge Accelerator announced today that it has received an investment from Tim Draper, a well-established venture capitalist based in the Silicon Valley.

2 Aug 2011

One in six older people likely to have abnormal liver test and die from all causes

One in six people over 75 are likely to have at least one abnormal liver test and those that have two or more are twice as likely to die from cancer and 17 times more likely to die from liver disease, according to research in the August issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

2 Aug 2011

Officials in Nigerian state say parents who refuse polio vaccination for children could be prosecuted

"Officials in Nigeria's northern Kano state say parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated against polio may be prosecuted," VOA News reports.

2 Aug 2011

Nicotine protects against Parkinson's disease

If you've ever wondered if smoking offered society any benefit, a new research report published in The FASEB Journal offers a surprising answer. Nicotine protects us from Parkinson's disease, and the discovery of how nicotine does this may lead to entirely new types of treatments for the disease.

2 Aug 2011

Obesity more prevalent among Maryland and Virginia residents

Experts at My Weight Doctor, one of the Washington area's most prestigious weight loss clinics, expressed alarm over reports that obesity rates had surged in Maryland and Virginia residents.

2 Aug 2011

Neighborhood SES and leisure-time physical activity after myocardial infarction

Engaging in physical activity after a heart attack is known to increase the odds of survival. In a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the Israel Study Group on First Acute Myocardial Infarction found that myocardial infarction survivors who lived in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods engaged in lower levels of leisure-time physical activity compared to survivors from wealthier neighborhoods.

2 Aug 2011