Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Study finds increasing dosage of blood thinners can help cardiovascular disease patients with genetic defect

Cardiovascular disease patients who have a genetic defect that makes them less responsive to blood thinners may be helped with an increased dosage, according to results of an innovative pilot study led by a cardiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

2 Nov 2010

Most hospital patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Eighty-one percent of hospital patients are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, a Loyola University Health System study has found.

2 Nov 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim announces availability of PRADAXA in U.S. pharmacies

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its new oral anticoagulant, Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) 150mg capsules, will be available starting Wednesday by prescription in pharmacies across the United States, including CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, Kmart® and The Kroger Co. In addition, leading independents under the Health Mart®, Good Neighbor Pharmacy® and Medicine Shoppe® banners will be stocked.

2 Nov 2010

ISHIB releases new recommendations to manage hypertension in African Americans

Through the publication of its Consensus Statement on the Management of High Blood Pressure in Blacks in this week's issue of Hypertension, ISHIB today released new recommendations recognizing that high blood pressure among African Americans is a severe health problem. The consensus statement suggests that treatment should start sooner and be more aggressive among African Americans.

2 Nov 2010

MedCath completes sale of Heart Hospital of Austin to St. David's Healthcare Partnership

MedCath Corporation and its physician partners announced today the completion of the sale of substantially all the assets of Heart Hospital of Austin to St. David's Healthcare Partnership, L.P. The transaction, which was announced in February and was subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory requirements, was completed today.

2 Nov 2010

FDA approves Medtronic Talent Thoracic Stent Graft with Captivia Delivery System

Advancing the minimally invasive treatment of aortic aneurysms, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Talent Thoracic Stent Graft with Captivia® Delivery System, which features a tip capture mechanism for controlled deployment and precise placement of the implantable medical device.

2 Nov 2010

New findings pave way to improve early detection of ovarian cancer

A drug in testing to treat atherosclerosis significantly inhibited growth of ovarian cancer in both human cell lines and mouse models, the first such report of a peptide being used to fight malignancies, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

2 Nov 2010

NICE to lose its power to ban life saving drugs

Ministers have finally clarified that patients would not be denied life-extending drugs just because the NHS rationing body decides they are too expensive. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) the drug watchdog in the UK will be stripped of its powers to stop drugs being available on the NHS due to price. The arbitrary limit on the cost of new drugs – around £30,000 per year of extended high-quality life – will be scrapped from 2014.

1 Nov 2010

XXXXL suits now on the racks: UK health experts concerned

In a worrying development Britain’s largest ‘off-the-peg’ suit - the XXXXL - has gone on sale, boasting a 64 inch chest jacket and 60 inch waist trousers. Health experts fear the development and say that a record 5.5 million overweight Britons are now officially on GP registers with an eight percent rise over last year.

1 Nov 2010

Dr Sartori’s contentious alternative therapy: inquest date set

The Medical Practitioner's Board of Western Australia is looking into the case of a doctor and her role in an alternative cancer therapy program. Five cancer patients have died after apparently being given industrial solvents and dangerous minerals as a part of an alternative therapy program by Alexandra Boyd, a well-known Mosman Park breast cancer specialist. She along with two registered nurses administered the concoctions to the people in question.

1 Nov 2010

FDA approves cancer drug Afinitor for treatment of rare genetic disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the cancer drug Afinitor (everolimus) on Friday to treat patients with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS), a rare genetic disorder. This approval was for treatments of SEGA that can not be treated with surgery.

1 Nov 2010

Gore announces new Early TIPS for Ascites Study

W.L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced a new prospective, randomized, multi-center study at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The hypothesis of the study is that early intervention with the GORE® VIATORR® TIPS Endoprosthesis improves transplant-free survival when compared to large volume paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis and difficult to treat ascites.

1 Nov 2010

FDA grants Clinical Data's PRX-8066 Orphan Drug Designation for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Clinical Data, Inc. today announced that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to PRX-8066, the Company's selective serotonin 2B (5-HT2B) receptor antagonist.

1 Nov 2010

American Anesthesiology acquires Greensboro Anesthesia Physicians

American Anesthesiology, a subsidiary of MEDNAX, Inc., today announced the acquisition of Greensboro Anesthesia Physicians, P.C., a physician group practice that provides patient services at three hospitals within the Moses Cone Health System and two surgery centers in the Greensboro, NC, metropolitan area.

1 Nov 2010

Global Genes Project launches new campaign to create awareness about rare diseases

The Global Genes Project, a non-profit advocacy organization that aims to raise awareness about the prevalence of rare diseases worldwide, today launched the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign. The 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign is designed to draw attention to an estimated 7,000 different chronic, life-threatening and fatal rare diseases and disorders affecting approximately 30 million Americans and millions more globally.

1 Nov 2010

Catalyst’s CPP-115 improves retinal safety profile than vigabatrin

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. today announced positive results from a series of CPP-115 preclinical safety and efficacy evaluations. CPP-115 was found to have a significantly improved retinal safety profile compared to vigabatrin.

1 Nov 2010

Acorda reports net income of $12.4 million for third quarter 2010

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010.

1 Nov 2010

Sugar in excess leads to complications

In light of Diabetes Awareness Month, many people are showing increased interest in the topic of sugar and sugar alternatives. With the various forms of sugar available table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, agave, and honey understanding the differences between sugars and their effects on the body is not all sweet.

1 Nov 2010

GE Healthcare enters agreement to acquire assets of Orbotech Medical

GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd., a subsidiary of Orbotech Ltd. (Orbotech), and a manufacturer of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors used in GE Healthcare's innovative Alcyone nuclear medicine technology.

1 Nov 2010

Shield signs strategic commercialization agreement for ST10-021 iron therapy product

Shield Holdings AG (Shield), the independent specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of late-stage hospital pharmaceuticals, today announces that it has signed a strategic commercialisation agreement for its lead asset, ST10-021, an iron therapy product which has commenced Phase III clinical development, with AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG.

1 Nov 2010