Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

AstraZeneca's CRESTOR receives favorable vote from FDA Advisory Committee

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) today voted 12 yes, 4 no, and 1 abstention that AstraZeneca has established sufficient benefit to offset the observed risks to support the use of CRESTOR®

16 Dec 2009

Nitric oxide opens up new treatment option for septic shock

Scientists at VIB and Ghent University in Flanders, Belgium have found an unexpected ally for the treatment of septic shock, the major cause of death in intensive care units.

16 Dec 2009

Health information training dispels myths and promotes health awareness

Although growing numbers of people check their symptoms with "Dr. Google" or seek other medical advice online, many still lack the access and skills to take advantage of the Web's wealth of health information.

16 Dec 2009

Drug monitoring may provide alternative treatments for patients with severe H1N1

An international team of Canadian and Spanish scientists have found the first potential immunological clue of why some people develop severe pneumonia when infected by the pandemic H1N1 virus.

16 Dec 2009

Higher leptin levels associated with lower incidence of AD and dementia

Persons with higher levels of leptin, a protein hormone produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite, may have an associated reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a study in the December 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Dec 2009

CPA introduces 10 resolutions and rules to help people live healthy life

With rates of obesity and inactivity at alarming levels in Canada there has never been a more urgent time for our country's citizens to take control of their health. Members of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) are calling on Canadians and their families to make 2010 the year they make meaningful and long lasting changes to their physical care and fitness habits.

16 Dec 2009

Low plasma CETP activity associated with increased risk of heart disease, says study

Although seen as a potential heart disease therapy, raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels by inhibiting activity of a transfer protein may not be effective, a new study suggests.

16 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca, UVa announce collaboration in development of new treatments for CAD and PAD

AstraZeneca and the University of Virginia (UVa) in Charlottesville, today announced that they have entered into a strategic research collaboration to enhance development of new treatments primarily for coronary artery disease (CAD) with a secondary focus on peripheral vascular disease (PAD).

15 Dec 2009

Patent for novel method of cutting tissue materials for use in implantable devices issued

ATS Medical, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent number 7,594,974 regarding a novel method of cutting tissue materials for use in implantable devices.

15 Dec 2009

Senator Arlen Specter's amendment to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act applauded

More than twenty of our nation's premiere physician organizations applaud Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) for introducing an amendment to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590).

15 Dec 2009

Medicare power mobility remains a viable option for beneficiaries

Across America, seniors, together with their families and caregivers, are making difficult decisions about the future. Did that last emergency room visit after a fall mean it's time to consider nursing homes? How much longer can their loved one remain safely in their own home or apartment?

15 Dec 2009

Decline in reducing youth smoking and increase in smokeless tobacco use

The 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey released today by the National Institute of Drug Abuse shows that the nation continues to make gradual progress in reducing youth smoking, but declines have slowed significantly compared to the dramatic gains early in the decade. In especially troubling news, the survey also finds that smokeless tobacco use has increased among 10th and 12th graders in recent years, a period during which tobacco companies have introduced a slew of new smokeless tobacco products and significantly increased marketing for smokeless tobacco.

15 Dec 2009

Risks and benefits of CT scans

Doses of radiation from commonly performed computed tomography (CT) scans vary widely, appear higher than generally believed and may contribute to an estimated tens of thousands of future cancer cases, according to two reports in the December 14/28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Dec 2009

Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications linked to increased risk of cardiovascular events and death

Women with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who report taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, and death compared to women not taking these medications, according to researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

15 Dec 2009

Springer and BMES to publish 'Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology' journal

Springer and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) have founded a new journal Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology (CVET). CVET is a forum for research on all aspects of cardiovascular physiology and medical treatment.

15 Dec 2009

Findings suggest variations in accelerated aging disorders

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have provided the most extensive account to date of the unique observable characteristics seen in patients with an extremely rare premature aging syndrome.

15 Dec 2009

Enrolment for pivotal Phase II/III trial of C-Cure completed ahead of schedule

Cardio3 BioSciences, a leading Belgian biotechnology company specialising in cell-based therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today that it has completed, two months ahead of schedule, enrolment in the first stage of its pivotal Phase II/III trial of C-Cure, a unique stem cell therapy for heart failure.

15 Dec 2009

Intensive medical therapy may benefit patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup

Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) appears to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular events and reduced risk of microemboli (microscopic-sized blood clots) in the brain arteries, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Dec 2009

Alvogen establishes operations in Asia and opens an office in Shanghai

Alvogen, Inc. (Alvogen), the U.S.-based pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has established operations in Asia and has opened an office in Shanghai, China that will lead efforts to commercialize the company’s products in the country.

15 Dec 2009

RORalpha protein revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors

How do the brain cells called astrocytes ensure the protection of neurons? By studying the protagonists in the protection and satisfactory functioning of neurons, scientists at the Laboratoire Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs (CNRS/UPMC) have found a mechanism that clarifies the role of astrocytes.

15 Dec 2009