Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Scientists shed light on the relationship between hypertension and obesity

Some of the first information about how fat causes hypertension have been identified by researchers who say the findings should one day help identify which obese people - and maybe some thin ones too - are at risk for hypertension and which drugs would work best for them.

2 Sep 2009

Patients with PFO may have increased odds of postoperative strokes

Patients who have a heart defect known as patent foramen ovale incidentally discovered and repaired during surgery for a different condition may have an increased odds of postoperative stroke, along with no clear benefit on short-term outcomes or long-term survival, according to a study in the July 15 issue of JAMA.

2 Sep 2009

Las Vegas man's experience with health system shows best and worst of care

The New York Times reports on one man's struggle with the health care system: "In the debate about health care overhaul, there are countless stories of families saddled with hospital bills and unemployed workers who have lost their insurance.

2 Sep 2009

Researchers analyze the role of bioactive lipids in inflammatory diseases

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 46 million Americans have arthritis. Many of these people take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications that block production of certain molecules, known as bioactive lipids, to reduce pain and swelling. Yet, the role of these lipids is not yet understood completely, and medications may have adverse side effects.

2 Sep 2009

Polymyositis and dermatomyositis affected patients more prone to cardiovascular diseases

Patients suffering from two serious autoimmune disorders which cause muscular inflammation are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, says a group of Montreal researchers. Dr. Christian A. Pineau and his team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have linked muscular inflammation to increased cardiovascular risk for the first time.

2 Sep 2009

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations increased in patients treated with LIVALO

New data presented today showed that in patients treated with LIVALO (pitavastatin), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations increased, and nearly three-fourths of patients attained low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets, with results sustained over 52 weeks.

2 Sep 2009

Immediate catheterization not always better for ACS patients

For some patients with acute coronary syndromes, the strategy of immediate intervention at a medical center does not appear to result in differences in outcomes in comparison with an intervention performed the next working day, according to a study in the September 2 issue of JAMA.

1 Sep 2009

First AbioCor Total Replacement Heart recipient does not survive

Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD), has been informed by Mark Anderson, M.D., associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and chief of the section of cardiac surgery at both the medical school and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, that the first patient to receive the commercial AbioCor Total Replacement Heart, died on August 23, 2009, due to post-operative conditions unrelated to the device.

1 Sep 2009

Circulating endothelial cells play a fundamental role in the development of cancer in children

Endothelial progenitor cells may play a role in the start and progression of metastatic disease in children with cancer, according to study results published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

1 Sep 2009

Acute myocardial infarction: One of the leading causes of death in the Western world

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains one of the leading causes of death in the Western world, with prevalence predicted to increase dramatically in developing countries, especially India and China.

1 Sep 2009

Brisk walking avoids obesity

Men and women who walk or ride a bike to work appear more fit, and men are less likely to be overweight or obese and have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels, according to a report in the July 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

1 Sep 2009

Heart health of kidney disease patients not affected by dialysis treatment

Dialysis treatments do not affect the heart health of kidney disease patients who have had a heart attack, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Since cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in kidney disease patients, the findings are good news for individuals who need the treatments.

1 Sep 2009

Telemonitoring systems enable early detection of silent, asymptomatic arrhythmias in heart

An increasing number of heart failure patients are treated with a number of complex devices, i.e. cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Recently completed and ongoing clinical trials such as MADIT-CRT and EchoCRT provide evidence of a growing number of CRT patients, in need of individualised treatment.

1 Sep 2009

Weight-loss surgery prior to pregnancy results in lower prevalence of obesity in children

Adolescent and young children of obese mothers who underwent weight-loss surgery prior to pregnancy have been found to have a lower prevalence of obesity and significantly improved cardio-metabolic markers when compared to siblings born before the same obese mothers had weight-loss surgery. This new study has been accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

1 Sep 2009

Atrial fibrillation ablation - one of the fastest growing cardiology techniques

Atrial fibrillation ablation is one of the fastest growing techniques in cardiology and due to the very high number of patients that might be candidates to this procedure, a significant number of resources will have to be devoted to it to be able to treat them in the following years.

1 Sep 2009

First edition: Sept. 1, 2009

Today's headlines indicate that September speculation regarding health care reform is heating up.

1 Sep 2009

Alcohol consumption disrupts circadian rhythm in humans

Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters.

1 Sep 2009

New study reveals that moderate aerobic exercise improves insulin sensitivity in obese adolescents

A moderate aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, can improve insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese sedentary adolescents, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that permits glucose to enter cells to be used for energy or stored for future use by the body.

1 Sep 2009

Reperfusion therapy proves beneficial for patients with heart attacks

The wider use of reperfusion therapy in patients with heart attack (AMI) can save millions of lives in Europe. Effective reperfusion therapy in an AMI patient can cut the individual risk of dying by half.

1 Sep 2009

Endosense raises USD 36 million in Series B financing

Endosense, a medical technology company focused on improving the efficacy, safety and reproducibility of catheter ablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, has announced that it has received USD 36 million in Series B financing. Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) led the round, with additional participation from Neomed, Gimv, VI Partners (VI), Sectoral Asset Management, Ysios Capital Partners and Initiative Capital Romandie.

1 Sep 2009