Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Russia aiming to cut number of smokers by 15% by 2050

Russia is aiming to cut the number of smokers in the country by up to 15 percent by 2050, "huge ambitions considering 40 percent of Russians light up," VOA News reports.

27 Jul 2011

Scientists reveal complete three-dimensional atomic structure of an activated GPCR

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are popular drug targets, accounting for about one-third of approved drugs and many hundreds of drugs currently in development. They act as molecular switches that transduce extracellular signals by activating heterotrimeric G proteins located at the inside of the cell.

27 Jul 2011

New Penn Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy

The Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania announces the launching of a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary center focused on discovering novel treatments for orphan diseases.

27 Jul 2011

Novel blood-cleaning procedure allows receipt of transplant from different blood type donor

St. Michael's Hospital today became the first in North America to use a novel blood-cleaning procedure for a kidney patient that will allow him to receive a transplant from a donor with a different blood type.

27 Jul 2011

Researchers investigate the nature of stuttering

Radio-TV-Film senior Alex Murphy has a knack for storytelling through short stories, poetry and screenwriting. One of his undergraduate classes was a professional communication course, which requires students to deliver oral presentations in class.

27 Jul 2011

Merck secures worldwide rights to vernakalant i.v.

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Astellas US LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the investigational intravenous formulation of vernakalant (vernakalant i.v.) in Canada, Mexico and the United States from Astellas.

27 Jul 2011

Gut microflora may influence obesity treatments

Obesity in the United States is reaching ever more alarming proportions, posing a severe menace to public health and exacerbating a crisis in health care costs both domestically and worldwide.

27 Jul 2011

Innovative MD leadership program for medical students

The first medical students enrolled in SELECT, an innovative program designed to educate the physician leaders of the future, will arrive on the USF Health campus this week.

27 Jul 2011

Special panel votes in favor of HDE approval for EXCOR Pediatric VAD

At the request of Dr. Bram Zuckerman, Director, Division of Cardiovascular Devices, Center for Devices and Radiologic Health of the United States Food and Drug Administration, a special panel was convened on Thursday July 21 in Gaithersburg, Maryland to review the results of the EXCOR® IDE clinical trial.

27 Jul 2011

New preclinical data suggests microRNA-15 inhibits cardiomyogenesis

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, announced today that new preclinical data published in the online edition of Circulation Research suggests that microRNA-15 (miR-15) inhibits cardiomyogenesis, the process whereby new heart muscle cells are formed.

27 Jul 2011

PACA study: Adrenaline can treat cardiac arrest

Adrenaline has kept its place in cardiac arrest guidelines despite limited evidence for or against its use. The PACA study by Jacobs and colleagues, soon to be published in Resuscitation, the official journal of the European Resuscitation Council, provides the best evidence to date supporting the use of adrenaline to treat cardiac arrest.

27 Jul 2011

Health Canada issues notice of compliance for OCPI's SAMSCA to treat hyponatremia

Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc. (OCPI) announced today that Health Canada has issued a notice of compliance for SAMSCA (tolvaptan), the first medicine approved in Canada for the treatment of hyponatremia.

27 Jul 2011

Less than 10% on a diet actually lose weight!

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26 Jul 2011

Calorie counts on menus do help diners choose healthy

According to a latest review of the nutritional information on menu card scheme, putting calorie information on menus encourages healthy eating - but only in a limited way.

26 Jul 2011

Hormone therapy may be hazardous in men with pre-existing heart conditions

Adding hormone therapy to radiation therapy has been proven in randomized clinical trials to improve overall survival for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. However, adding hormone therapy may reduce overall survival in men with pre-existing heart conditions, even if they have high-risk prostate cancer according to a new study just published online in advance of print in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology·Biology·Physics, the official scientific journal of ASTRO.

26 Jul 2011

Volunteers needed in worldwide study to help people breathe easier

Australian sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), one of the most important causes of breathlessness and difficulty performing tasks of normal daily life, have the opportunity to participate in a worldwide study, starting this month, assessing a potential new treatment.

26 Jul 2011

Abbott announces research confirming presence of lutein in key regions of the infant brain

Preliminary new research demonstrates for the first time that lutein, an important phytonutrient (plant-based nutrient) that supports eye health, is the predominant carotenoid present in key areas of the infant brain, including areas that regulate overall brain function, cognition, vision, hearing and speech. This new research, supported by Abbott, was presented by Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, a scientist in the Carotenoids and Health Laboratory at Tufts University, at the 16th International Symposium on Carotenoids, in Krakow, Poland.

26 Jul 2011

Smoke-free ground swell increasing

The 2011 results of the Heart Foundation’s smoke-free policy survey reveal that almost 60 per cent of NSW Councils have implemented policy to restrict tobacco use in outdoor areas.

26 Jul 2011

Substances found in cigarette smoke damage blood vessels' endothelial cells

A research term headed by David Bernhard from the University Department of Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna has found out that substances found in cigarette smoke lead to blood vessels' endothelial cells constantly digesting themselves.

26 Jul 2011

Key risk factors for death, transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy

Researchers have identified important risk factors for death and transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy, according to results from a study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

26 Jul 2011