Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

MEDNAX second-quarter revenue increases 9% to $349.1 million

MEDNAX, Inc. today reported earnings per share of $1.04 for the three months ended June 30, 2010, that were driven by contributions resulting from the Company's acquisitions and ongoing operating efficiencies.

3 Aug 2010

Acorda second-quarter net loss decreases to $6.8 million

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

3 Aug 2010

Pairing adolescents with college student mentors keeps kids healthy, fit

A program pairing healthy young adults with urban middle school students helped the adolescents adopt healthy habits, active lifestyles and a healthy weight, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The study, published August 2 in the journal Pediatrics, found that linking African American, inner city adolescents in Baltimore with one-on-one mentorship from college students prevented the schoolchildren from becoming overweight for at least two years after the mentorship experience. Researchers found the adolescents ate fewer snacks and desserts, and engaged in active play more often. The rate of overweight/obesity in the group declined five percent.

3 Aug 2010

Toxic protein in bee venom improves liposome encapsulated drug effectiveness

The next time you are stung by a bee, here's some consolation: a toxic protein in bee venom, when altered, significantly improves the effectiveness liposome-encapsulated drugs or dyes, such as those already used to treat or diagnose cancer. This research, described in the August 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal, shows how modified melittin may revolutionize treatments for cancer and perhaps other conditions, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and serious infections.

3 Aug 2010

Menstrual cycle affects body's response to tracheal intubation: Research

In women undergoing surgery, the heart rate and blood pressure response to ventilation tube placement varies at different times of the menstrual cycle, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

3 Aug 2010

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives patent for drug formulation

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a clinical-stage drug-development company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted it patent no. 7,759,506 entitled "Bipolar Trans Carotenoid Salts and Their Uses." This patent includes drug formulation and use claims relating to Diffusion's entire family of first-in-class new chemical entities. Diffusion Pharmaceuticals is commercializing this family of first-in-class drug candidates to treat serious or life-threatening medical conditions characterized by hypoxia or oxygen deprivation at the cellular level.

3 Aug 2010

Study finds low carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors

The effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for weight loss have been frequently debated. According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment, but a low-carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors.

3 Aug 2010

Americans halved their risk of dying from CHD over past 20 years: Study

By smoking less, watching their cholesterol and lowering their high blood pressure, Americans halved their risk of dying from coronary heart disease over the past 20 years, a new study shows.

3 Aug 2010

Emerging Healthcare Solutions executes Term Sheet with Stand-By Systems

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. disclosed today that the Company has executed a Term Sheet with Stand-By Systems. The Term Sheet represents successful negotiations between the two companies just ahead of finalizing a Definitive Agreement. Stand-By Systems (SBS) owns the FDA approved SBS 1615 catalytic oxygen generator and associated systems. This cutting edge generator provides medical grade USP oxygen at the push of a button from self-contained inert dry compounds.

3 Aug 2010

miRagen Therapeutics develop MicroRNA based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, announced today the publication of data demonstrating the essential role of microRNA-451 (miR-451) in the regulation of erythropoiesis, the process of red blood cell production in the body.

3 Aug 2010

Bypass better strategy for treating progressive, complex recurrent SFA disease: Study

Researchers from The Methodist Hospital's DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center in Houston, Texas have studied outcomes of patients who had endovascular and open interventions for recurrent superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusive disease. Results of their work are detailed in the August issue of the Society for Vascular Surgery's® Journal of Vascular Surgery®.

3 Aug 2010

FDA approves N30 Pharma's NDA for N6022 GSNOR

N30 Pharmaceuticals, LLC today announced the approval of its Investigational New Drug Application for N6022 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. N6022, a first-in-class inhibitor of s-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), has the potential to be an important new treatment for acute exacerbations of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

3 Aug 2010

Healthy heart may slow down aging of brain: Study

Keep your heart healthy and you may slow down the aging of your brain, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.In the study, people whose hearts pumped less blood had brains that appeared older than the brains of those whose hearts pumped more blood. Decreased cardiac index, the amount of blood that pumps from the heart in relation to a person's body size, was associated with decreased brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

3 Aug 2010

Vanguard signs definitive agreement to acquire Arizona Heart Institute

Vanguard Health Systems and Arizona Heart Institute (AHI) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement for Vanguard to acquire Arizona Heart Institute, one of the world's leading providers of cardiovascular care. Through this agreement, AHI will align with Abrazo Health Care, a Phoenix-based subsidiary of Vanguard, to become part of its distributive cardiovascular network of community-based physicians, providing future opportunities to greatly expand cardiovascular services and patient base throughout the region.

3 Aug 2010

Etoricoxib better than opioid drug tramadol for postoperative pain: Study

For patients with moderate pain after foot surgery, the cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor drug etoricoxib provides better pain relief with fewer side effects than the opioid drug tramadol, concludes a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

3 Aug 2010

New fat cell with potentially harmful characteristics: Study

The new fat cells arise from stem cells in the bone marrow that travel through the blood stream to fat tissue. They are termed bone marrow progenitor-derived adipocytes. The discovery also revealed that male and female subjects accumulate the new fat cells differently. The research also may help to explain the link between types of obesity and heart disease and other illnesses.

3 Aug 2010

Percutaneous heart valve replacement may be an alternative for open heart surgery

A newer, less invasive method of heart valve replacement shows promise and may be appropriate for patients who cannot tolerate traditional open heart surgery, but research is needed to understand its potential risks and benefits, according to a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

3 Aug 2010

Disparities in cardiovascular disease risk linked to socioeconomic differences between races: Study

A new UCLA study suggests that disparities in cardiovascular disease risk in the United States are due less to race or ethnicity than to socioeconomic status.

2 Aug 2010

Taligen Therapeutics to highlight three pipeline candidates at XXIII ICW

Taligen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing therapies that regulate the complement system to treat inflammatory and immune diseases, today announced that preclinical data on three of its pipeline candidates will be highlighted at the XXIII International Complement Workshop taking place August 1-5, 2010, in New York City.

2 Aug 2010

Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals achieves positive results in first clinical study of CXL-1020 for ADHF

Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, today announced that it has achieved positive safety and tolerability results in the first clinical study of its lead drug candidate, CXL-1020, for the treatment of patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Each year in the United States, more than one million patients are hospitalized with acute heart failure.

2 Aug 2010