Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

MetLife unveils its enhanced web-based resource for oral health care

Understanding how to maintain or improve oral health just got easier. MetLife, the largest commercial dental carrier, which administers dental benefits for over 21 million people, today unveiled its enhanced consumer resource, the MetLife Oral Health Library.

24 Sep 2009

Guarding Hearts Alliance to protect quality care for patients suffering from heart disease

Organizations representing the vast majority of cardiologists around the country have joined forces today to preserve and protect the highest quality cardiac care available in America. Guarding Hearts Alliance is advocating to protect patient access to cardiac care in whatever Medicare changes or health care reform legislation is enacted.

24 Sep 2009

SPIRIT IV trial data demonstrates superior efficacy of XIENCE V stent system

Late-breaking data from the SPIRIT IV trial demonstrated that Abbott's market-leading XIENCE V(R) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System achieved superiority in the key safety and efficacy measures of target lesion failure (TLF) and target lesion revascularization (TLR) compared to the TAXUS(R) Express2(TM) Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System (TAXUS) at one year.

24 Sep 2009

NIH awards $2.5 million grant to University of Utah cardiologist

A pioneering model that a University of Utah cardiologist proposes as a cause of heart disease is the kind of creative thinking the National Institutes of Health (NIH) likes to see-and reward with one of its most prestigious honors, a $2.5 million 2009 Pioneer Award.

24 Sep 2009

Cook Medical launches next-generation IVC filter delivery system for treating pulmonary embolism

Physicians can now navigate even the most tortuous anatomy with greater speed and safety with the next-generation inferior vena cava (IVC) filter delivery system introduced today by Cook Medical at TCT 2009. The release of the NavAlign™ delivery system marks the 20th anniversary of Cook’s first IVC filter and further advances the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition caused by blood clots in the lungs that affects thousands of Americans annually.

24 Sep 2009

Acetaminophen can prevent age-related problems

Recent studies conducted by Dr. Eric Blough and his colleagues at Marshall University have shown that use of the common pain reliever acetaminophen may help prevent age-associated muscle loss and other conditions.

24 Sep 2009

IOM study to examine premarket notification program for medical devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the premarket notification program used to review and clear certain medical devices marketed in the United States.

24 Sep 2009

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

It seems a poor reflection on one of the richest countries in the world that we are so stingy, so callous and so xenophobic. At least we've not reached the point of turning away cases of immediate need — victims of car accidents or heart attacks or others who need emergency care (Cynthia Tucker, 9/22).

24 Sep 2009

MACH II clinical trial results revealed

Abiomed Inc., a leading provider of breakthrough heart support technologies, today announced new clinical data from Academic Medical Center’s (AMC) three-year follow-up results from patients in the Impella 2.5 arm of the MACH II trial, revealing improved left ventricular function, cardiac output and quality of life.

24 Sep 2009

AmeriCares commits to donate medicines and medical supplies to health care organizations

AmeriCares this week pledged to expand its medical assistance across the United States at the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. AmeriCares U.S. Medical Assistance Program, announced by President & CEO Curt Welling, is a two-year commitment to improve community health by donating medicines and medical supplies to health care organizations serving the uninsured and underinsured throughout the country.

24 Sep 2009

Z-Medica launches the QuikClot Interventional hemostatic bandage for use during catheterization procedures

Z-Medica Corporation, a medical device company developing innovative hemostatic agents, today announced the availability of the QuikClot® Interventional™ hemostatic bandage, on display at booth #1338 at the 21st annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

From Medica Corporation 24 Sep 2009

Cambridge Heart's modified Alternans technology to identify myocardial ischemia

Cambridge Heart, Inc. announced today that it intends to pursue research and development efforts on a new application derived from its core Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) technology.

24 Sep 2009

Research study links high-fructose diet to increased blood pressure in men

A high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men, while a drug used to treat gout seems to protect against the blood pressure increase, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

24 Sep 2009

Analyzing the Baucus bill: Individual mandate, tax provisions

One of the biggest points of contention in Senate Finance Committee's consideration of Max Baucus' health bill is the "individual mandate" requirement.

24 Sep 2009

Philips and Bruker sign MOU to develop new imaging technology

At the 2009 World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC) in Montreal, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) and Bruker BioSpin, a division of Bruker Corporation, today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) scanners, a new imaging technology, for the preclinical market.

From Philips Healthcare 23 Sep 2009

Pluristem commences dosing in Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of critical limb ischemia

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NasdaqCM: PSTI; DAX: PJT) today announced the dosing of the first patient in the U.S. with its placenta-derived stem cell product, PLX-PAD, the Company’s leading candidate, in a Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end-stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

23 Sep 2009

Phase 2 trial results of Bayer's Nexavar in combination with capecitabine announced

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX) today announced the full results from their first collaborative group-sponsored randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial showing that Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets in combination with the oral chemotherapeutic agent, capecitabine, significantly extended progression-free survival in patients with advanced breast cancer.

23 Sep 2009

Next Generation CV-3D workstation and software package for Infinix-i X-ray systems

To improve the ability of physicians to provide superior patient care during interventional procedures, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has introduced its Next Generation CV-3DTM workstation and software package available on the InfinixTM-i X-ray product line.

23 Sep 2009

New TAXUS Liberté Stent demonstrates superior results for treating long lesions

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI, TSX: ANP) today announced that its corporate partner, Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX), has released comprehensive data from the TAXUS ATLAS clinical program, a series of global, prospective, single-arm trials evaluating the TAXUS(R) Liberté(R) Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent System in a variety of lesions and patient groups. Three-year results from the TAXUS ATLAS Small Vessel and Long Lesion Trials continue to show significant advantages for the newer TAXUS Liberté Stent when compared to the first-generation TAXUS(R) Express(R) Stent.

23 Sep 2009

Agilent Technologies and Applied Biosystems to co-market SureSelect system

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) and Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE), today introduced the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System, which is optimized for the SOLiD™ System, a next-generation advanced genomic analysis sequencing platform.

23 Sep 2009