Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Discovery of possible new strategy for treating neurologic disorders

Johns Hopkins scientists say that a newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke in rodent brain tissue by interfering with a particular kind of cell death that's also implicated in complications from diabetes and heart attack.

23 May 2011

Positive results from Relypsa RLY5016 Phase 2 trial to be presented at American Society of Hypertension meeting

Relypsa, Inc. today announced the presentation of positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of the company's lead compound, RLY5016, a non-absorbed oral potassium binder being developed as a treatment for hyperkalemia (elevated serum potassium levels).

23 May 2011

Elixir DESyne Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System granted CE Mark approval

Elixir Medical Corporation, a developer of product platforms combining state-of-the-art medical devices with advanced pharmaceuticals, announced that it has received CE Mark for its DESyne Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

23 May 2011

Lifestyle modifications help control blood pressure levels: More evidence

Evidence continues to build that lifestyle modifications help control blood pressure (BP) levels. Data evaluating the consumption of coffee and alcohol and the impact of low fitness levels will be presented at the American Society of Hypertension, Inc.'s 26th Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2011) and will be featured in the May 22 ASH press briefing.

23 May 2011

Baby boomers becoming the replacement generation

The Associated Press reports that knee and hip replacement surgeries are on the rise for the baby boomer generation, not because of obesity, but because of their efforts to stay fit.

23 May 2011

New hybrid OR at Loyola equipped with advanced fluoroscopy equipment

Loyola University Medical Center has opened a hybrid operating room that combines the imaging capabilities of a cardiac catheterization lab with the sterile environment of a conventional operating room (OR).

23 May 2011

First Edition: May 23, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about a new poll that shows Americans don't believe Medicare has to be cut in order to balance the budget.

23 May 2011

Lund University researcher discovers new sepsis biomarker in blood

Sepsis is the name of an infection that causes a series of reactions in the body, which in the worst case can prove fatal. The problem for both patients and doctors is that the early symptoms are difficult to distinguish from less dangerous infections such as a severe flu or winter vomiting disease.

23 May 2011

New data from ProSavin Phase I/II trial in Parkinson's presented at ASGCT annual meeting

Oxford BioMedica, a leading gene therapy company, announces that new data from the on-going Phase I/II trial of ProSavin for the treatment of Parkinson's disease were presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 14th Annual Meeting held in Seattle, USA by Professor Stephane Palfi, Principal Investigator at the Henri Mondor Hospital in Paris, on Saturday 21 May 2011.

23 May 2011

CT scan may help determine early death in individuals with diabetes

New findings out of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center reveal that a common test may be useful in predicting early death in individuals with diabetes.

23 May 2011

Patients with chronic heart failure can benefit from telemonitoring

Two trials presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2011, organized by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, will help to define the precise populations of patients with chronic heart failure in whom telemedical management delivers benefits.

23 May 2011

Huntsman's stance on Utah health mandate questioned

During a campaign stop Friday, former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. presented Utah's health reform as a model for what other states could do. And, Huntsman pointed out, Utah did not mandate that people buy health insurance, unlike the Massachusetts model now a thorn for Mitt Romney. His assertion, however, was called into question by a story in the Huffington Post, under the headline "Huntsman vs. Huntsman," which quoted Utah health policy players who said Huntsman had wanted a mandate but didn't get it.

23 May 2011

Patients with mild heart failure more likely to benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillation

Patients with dyssynchronous yet viable ventricles are most likely to benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy combined with defibrillation, concludes the latest analysis of the MADIT CRT trial.

23 May 2011

Eplerenone reduces new onset atrial fibrillation and flutter in patients with class 2 heart failure

The aldosterone antagonist eplerenone significantly reduced the development of new onset atrial fibrillation and flutter in patients with class 2 heart failure, concludes a sub-analysis of the EMPHASIS-HF trial, presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2011, organized by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

23 May 2011

McDonald's reacts to protests and calls to fire Ronald

McDonald's Corp has refused to pay heed to the protesters who ask it to assess the impact of its food on childhood obesity, and said its trademark clown Ronald McDonald would be hawking Happy Meals to kids for years to come.

22 May 2011

Avandia withdrawal from shelves by November: FDA

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has announced that in the beginning of November, the diabetes drug Avandia will no longer be sold in pharmacy shelves, due to the cardiovascular risks it’s causing its patients.

22 May 2011

UB's graded exercise test for concussion could help decide hockey player's fitness to return to the ice

As the chase for the 2011 Stanley Cup heads to the finish, several players are off the ice suffering from concussion, an injury all too common in this contact sport.

21 May 2011

Global clinical program demonstrates safety of Medtronic Resolute drug-eluting stent

A pooled analysis of the global RESOLUTE clinical program presented today during a late-breaking clinical trials session at EuroPCR demonstrated the strong safety record of the Resolute drug-eluting stent (DES) from Medtronic, Inc., across a wide variety of patient and lesion types.

From Medtronic 21 May 2011

CDC issues guidelines on dealing with the walking dead

Hoping to draw attention to other disaster preparedness, a normally stoic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines this week on how to cope with an invasion of the brain-munching walking dead.

21 May 2011

Blood stored in banks may undergo changes and damage

New research provides evidence for significant differences between new and old red blood cells used for transfusions and could provide a cheap, rapid and effective way to monitor the quality of blood supplies.

21 May 2011