Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Of the 2.3M inmates, only 1.5M meet DSM IV medical criteria for substance abuse: CASA

Of the 2.3 million inmates crowding our nation's prisons and jails, 1.5 million meet the DSM IV medical criteria for substance abuse or addiction, and another 458,000, while not meeting the strict DSM IV criteria, had histories of substance abuse; were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their crime; committed their offense to get money to buy drugs; were incarcerated for an alcohol or drug law violation; or shared some combination of these characteristics, according to Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population. Combined these two groups constitute 85 percent of the U.S. prison population.

27 Feb 2010

Aetna.com: Most visited health insurance website

The recently redesigned Aetna.com is a hit with web surfers, who made it the most visited website among health insurers in the fourth quarter of 2009. In fact, 20 percent of Americans who visited a health insurance website during the quarter visited an Aetna site, according to “The Online Health Insurance Landscape,” an independent online audience measurement of health insurance websites recently released by comScore.

27 Feb 2010

Blacks less likely to know they have atrial fibrillation or about use of warfarin

A large nationwide study that includes neurologists from Mayo Clinic has found that blacks are substantially less likely than whites to know that they have atrial fibrillation or to use warfarin, the most common treatment for the condition. Atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm, significantly increases risk of stroke. Warfarin is known to reduce that risk.

27 Feb 2010

Minimally-invasive procedure as effective as gold standard for treating carotid artery blockages: Study

A major study shows that a minimally-invasive procedure is as effective and safe as the gold standard for treating blockages of the carotid artery, giving patients who prefer a less invasive procedure a proven alternative.

27 Feb 2010

Widespread cases of flu plunge from 49 to zero

Normally, this is the peak period for the flu in the United States. But that just doesn't seem to be the case this year.

27 Feb 2010

Stroke incidence and treatment: Racial and geographic disparities

Blacks are more likely to have an undiagnosed key risk factor for stroke and are more likely to have a stroke than whites, according to two studies presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

For people who carry common gene variants, smoking increases risk of aneurysm

For people who carry common gene variants, cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk that a blood vessel in the brain will weaken and balloon out - called an aneurysm - which could be life-threatening if it ruptures, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

Overall incidence of stroke, heart attack and death similar in carotid endarterectomy and stenting procedures

The two major procedures for opening blocked neck arteries to restore blood flow to the brain proved similar in overall long-term safety and efficacy, but showed differences in stroke and heart attack in the weeks following the procedure, according to late-breaking science presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

CREST stroke prevention trial: Seminal and robust

The CREST trial that compared traditional surgery with less-invasive stenting to clear dangerously clogged carotid arteries in the neck is being called "seminal and robust."

27 Feb 2010

Hospital Roundup: Recession takes toll on NY hospital, investigation of heart surgeries in Maryland and California's soaring fees

The New York Times: Harlem's North General hospital may fold. Despite "often successful" efforts by "Harlem's civic, political and religious leaders … to get more money and more state subsidies to keep it going," the hospital may not survive this period of general "economic malaise." The hospital serves many low-income and uninsured patients in addition to middle-income patients. A rehabilitation center operated by a city-run hospital appears to be eyeing its location for an expansion as hospital officials consider restructuring and linking up with partners (Hartocollis, 2/25).

27 Feb 2010

Chronic stroke impairment: Intensive, repetitive rehabilitation exercises may benefit arms, legs and cognitive function

High-intensity, repetitive rehabilitation exercises can help stroke survivors significantly improve functioning in their paralyzed arm and in their quality of life — even years after their disabling event, according to late-breaking science results presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

Health Policy Research Roundup: Length of hospital stays, analyses of Obama's reform proposals

Archives Of Internal Medicine: Hospital Cost Of Care, Quality Of Care, And Readmission Rates - This study compares patients treated for pneumonia and congestive heart failure (CHF) and finds that high-cost hospitals don't always deliver better care. The researchers, who based their analysis on the data from 3,146 hospitals in the 2004 to 2006 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR), report that "risk-adjusted costs of care for CHF and pneumonia varied widely between hospitals, although hospital cost-of-care patterns seemed stable over time and correlated across conditions."

27 Feb 2010

Dabigatran as effective as warfarin in preventing subsequent strokes among atrial fibrillation patients

The drug dabigatran was as effective as the currently recommended drug – warfarin – in preventing a subsequent stroke among people with atrial fibrillation and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack – and it did so with less bleeding according to late-breaking science presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

Prevention of recurrent strokes: Antiplatelet drug cilostazol effective and safer than aspirin

The antiplatelet drug cilostazol — used in the United States to treat leg pain associated with peripheral vascular disease — was more effective and safer than aspirin at preventing recurrent strokes in a Japanese trial presented as late-breaking science at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.

27 Feb 2010

Medical innovation and research: A real boon for American patients to live longer, healthier

An article in the Suislaw News recently highlighted the fact that medical innovation and research are enabling many people to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

26 Feb 2010

Carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke

Carotid artery stenting, a less invasive alternative to surgery on the carotid artery (carotid endarterectomy), is equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke as carotid endarterectomy, according to a major new study presented today at the 2010 International Stroke Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

26 Feb 2010

Partisanship peaks at health summit, Democrats likely to go it alone

Thursday's bipartisan health summit ended with the partisan rift intact, increasing the possibility that President Barack Obama will try to unify Democrats to pass legislation without GOP support.

26 Feb 2010

$Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment$

Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment

As many as half of all women and a quarter of men over the age of 50 can expect to sustain a fractured bone related to osteoporosis or low bone density. To enhance prevention and treatment of these fragility fractures, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has implemented an innovative program called Own the Bone™ developed by the American Orthopaedic Association.

26 Feb 2010

Prevention of heart attacks: Resveratrol appears to exhibit broader action than aspirin

With the realization that half of the people experiencing a sudden mortal heart attack were taking aspirin on the day of their demise, and the fact that higher-than-recommended doses of aspirin are needed to prevent blood clot formation in coronary arteries, coupled with an announcement that the red wine molecule resveratrol (rez-vair-ah-trawl) may protect from sudden mortal heart attack in a superior fashion to aspirin, suggests re-evaluation of cardiology's current instruction regarding prevention of heart attacks, says Nate Lebowitz MD, cardiologist with the Advanced Cardiology Institute in Ft. Lee, New Jersey.

26 Feb 2010

Over 16% of pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes

Two to three times more pregnant women may soon be diagnosed and treated for gestational diabetes, based on new measurements for determining risky blood sugar levels for the mother and her unborn baby, according to a study that was coordinated by investigators at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

26 Feb 2010

Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Of the 2.3M inmates, only 1.5M meet DSM IV medical criteria for substance abuse: CASA

Aetna.com: Most visited health insurance website

Blacks less likely to know they have atrial fibrillation or about use of warfarin

Minimally-invasive procedure as effective as gold standard for treating carotid artery blockages: Study

Widespread cases of flu plunge from 49 to zero

Stroke incidence and treatment: Racial and geographic disparities

For people who carry common gene variants, smoking increases risk of aneurysm

Overall incidence of stroke, heart attack and death similar in carotid endarterectomy and stenting procedures

CREST stroke prevention trial: Seminal and robust

Hospital Roundup: Recession takes toll on NY hospital, investigation of heart surgeries in Maryland and California's soaring fees

Chronic stroke impairment: Intensive, repetitive rehabilitation exercises may benefit arms, legs and cognitive function

Health Policy Research Roundup: Length of hospital stays, analyses of Obama's reform proposals

Dabigatran as effective as warfarin in preventing subsequent strokes among atrial fibrillation patients

Prevention of recurrent strokes: Antiplatelet drug cilostazol effective and safer than aspirin

Medical innovation and research: A real boon for American patients to live longer, healthier

Carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke

Partisanship peaks at health summit, Democrats likely to go it alone

Fragility fractures: 'Own the Bone' program for enhancing prevention and treatment

Prevention of heart attacks: Resveratrol appears to exhibit broader action than aspirin

Over 16% of pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes

Unlocking drug amorphization: Continuous, solvent-free twin screw granulation

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Unlocking drug amorphization: Continuous, solvent-free twin screw granulation

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

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