Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

First Edition: July 6, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about how budget pressures and the deficit reduction negotiations are having an impact on Medicare and Medicaid.

6 Jul 2011

Induced pluripotent cells may make embryonic stem cells unnecessary

For nearly two decades, the medical world and the American public have grappled with the lightning-rod topic of stem cells, in particular the controversy surrounding cells from human embryos. But when researchers four years ago successfully "reprogrammed" adult body cells to become stem cells, some thought the ethical debate was nearly over. Those redirected cells, known as induced pluripotent cells, or iPS cells, show potential as therapy.

6 Jul 2011

High-dose aspirin could help prevent cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients

In some cases, an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but for people with diabetes, regular, over-the-counter Aspirin may also do the job.

6 Jul 2011

Critical access hospitals provide lower quality of care

In an analysis of data from more than 4,500 hospitals that serve Medicare beneficiaries, critical access hospitals had fewer clinical capabilities, worse measured processes of care and higher rates of death for patients with heart attack, congestive heart failure or pneumonia, compared to non-CAHs, according to a study in the July 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Jul 2011

Scientists discover three unexpected RNAs involved in diabetes cell-death pathway

Excess nutrients, such as fat and sugar, don't just pack on the pounds but can push some cells in the body over the brink. Unable to tolerate this "toxic" environment, these cells commit suicide.

6 Jul 2011

Study: More PCIs classified as appropriate for acute indications in the U.S.

In an examination of the appropriateness of the widespread use of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), researchers found that of more than 500,000 PCIs included in the study, nearly all for acute indications were classified as appropriate, whereas only about half of PCIs performed for nonacute indications could be classified as appropriate, according to a study in the July 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Jul 2011

Study highlights importance of mRNA translation in aging process

When researchers at the Buck Institute dialed back activity of a specific mRNA translation factor in adult nematode worms they saw an unexpected genome-wide response that effectively increased activity in specific stress response genes that could help explain why the worms lived 40 percent longer under this condition.

6 Jul 2011

Natural vitamin E may reduce brain damage after stroke

Ten weeks of preventive supplementation with a natural form of vitamin E called tocotrienol in dogs that later had strokes reduced overall brain tissue damage, prevented loss of neural connections and helped sustain blood flow in the animals' brains, a new study shows.

6 Jul 2011

Scientists, medical doctors propose integrated method for treating chronic disease

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, chronic respiratory disorders and cancer represent the major global health problem of the 21st century and affect all age groups.

6 Jul 2011

More evidence needed to determine how diets can reduce hypertension in individuals

New research by a University of Kent pharmacist should reveal more evidence about how diets can reduce blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease in different individuals.

6 Jul 2011

New biological insights into fat tissue

For better or worse, a popular class of anti-diabetic drugs does more than lower blood sugar. One known as rosiglitazone has been in the spotlight for its possible link to increased cardiovascular events, but it also seems to come with unexplained vascular benefits and an unwelcome tendency for weight gain.

6 Jul 2011

Infants treated with certain HIV medication more likely to experience adrenal dysfunction

Infants of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infected mothers who were treated before and after birth with the protease inhibitor lopinavir-ritonavir were more likely to experience adrenal dysfunction, including life-threatening adrenal insufficiency in premature infants, compared with a zidovudine-based regimen, according to a preliminary report in the July 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Jul 2011

Study: 'Vanishing twin' linked to increased risk of congenital malformations

Professor Michael Davies will tell the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today that the "vanishing twin" phenomenon, in which only one child is born from a pregnancy that originally starts as a multiple pregnancy, is linked to a nearly two-fold increased risk in any congenital malformation and to a nearly three-fold risk of multiple malformations.

6 Jul 2011

Alpha-tocotrienol protects brain cells after stroke in three ways

A natural form of vitamin E called alpha-tocotrienol can trigger production of a protein in the brain that clears toxins from nerve cells, preventing those cells from dying after a stroke, new research shows.

6 Jul 2011

Obese children more likely to be bullied

Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be victimised by bullying when compared to children who are not overweight.

6 Jul 2011

First bloodless heart transplant on 6-year-old boy performed at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Between injuries from severe storms that ripped across the country this spring, to the typical blood donation shortage seen each and every summer, experts say that the nation's blood supply is running low. At Nationwide Children's Hospital, doctors are helping to offset that demand by what's known as "bloodless" techniques.

5 Jul 2011

Periodontal disease can affect woman's chance of conceiving

Professor Roger Hart told the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology that the negative effect of gum disease on conception was of the same order of magnitude as the effect of obesity.

5 Jul 2011

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can have visible, negative effects on brain

Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests.

5 Jul 2011

Life satisfaction protects against coronary heart disease

While depression and anxiety have long been recognised as risk factors for heart disease, there is less certainty over the beneficial effects of a 'positive' psychological state, Now, following a study of almost 8000 British civil servants, researchers say that a satisfying life is indeed good for the heart.

5 Jul 2011

Adipose tissue might serve as target for treating obesity-related disorders

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have shown that the quality - not just the quantity - of adipose, or fat, tissue is a significant contributing factor in the development of inflammation and vascular disease in obese individuals.

5 Jul 2011