Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Video capsule endoscopy is safe for patients with heart devices

A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that video capsule endoscopy (CE), a procedure that uses wireless technology in diagnosing intestinal disease, is safe for patients with heart devices. Wireless electrical gadgets, such as cell phones, have been shown to interfere with implanted heart devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators. This risk has led medical experts to speculate that capsule endoscopy could similarly cause heart devices to fail.

27 Oct 2009

BMC surgeons use new EsophyX TIF for treatment of acid reflux or GERD

Boston Medical Center (BMC) surgeons are now offering patients an incisionless alternative to laparoscopic and traditional surgery for treatment of acid reflux or GERD.

27 Oct 2009

New data from efficacy study of CIMZIA in Crohn's disease patients presented

New data from an open-label extension study evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol) in moderate to severe Crohn's disease patients demonstrate that 82 percent of patients actively treated with CIMZIA - the only PEGylated anti-TNF-alpha (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - remained in long-term remission without dose escalation up to 3.5 years.

27 Oct 2009

Driving restrictions for heart patients after angioplasty

More than half of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) don't get any counselling on their ability to drive after angioplasty - and this could be putting lives in danger, Dr. Ravi Bajaj told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

27 Oct 2009

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying than the rest of the population

New Mayo Clinic research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett's esophagus, (http://www.mayoclinic.org/barretts-esophagus/) which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population. These findings were presented today at the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (http://www.acg.gi.org/) (ACG) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

27 Oct 2009

Ziehm NaviPort interface and BrainLAB Fluoro 3D surgical navigation software improves surgical procedures

Ziehm Imaging and BrainLAB have extended their cooperation to assist surgeons in the intra-operative guidance of pedicle screw and hardware placement during surgical trauma and spinal instrumentation procedures.

27 Oct 2009

Genetic mutations cause for SIDS and SUDS

Scientists and clinicians at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cardiogenetics have teamed up and found that genetic mutations leading to Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) could be causing electrical malfunctioning of the heart resulting in the mysterious deaths more commonly known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (SUDS) in people older than 12 months of age.

27 Oct 2009

Heart attacks in middle-aged women more common, says study

Heart attacks appear to have become more common in middle-aged women over the past two decades, but all women and especially those younger than 55 have recently experienced a greater increase than men in their chances of survival following such a heart event, according to two reports in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Oct 2009

Protein crucial for insulin regulation may play a role in diabetes

A cellular protein from a family involved in several human diseases is crucial for the proper production and release of insulin, new research has found, suggesting that the protein might play a role in diabetes.

27 Oct 2009

Changes in dopamine levels linked to infant learning patterns

When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions-such as learning when to leave the protective presence of their mother to start exploring the wider world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point.

27 Oct 2009

Diabetes decreases cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease

New research published in the October 27, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that those with both diseases actually have a slower rate of memory loss than people who had only Alzheimer's disease.

27 Oct 2009

Transcatheter valve may eliminate repeat surgeries in children with heart defects; multicenter study shows good outcomes

Children born with certain heart defects have impaired blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery leading to the lungs, requiring implanted devices (known as right-ventricular outflow tract conduits) to maintain the flow. However, these conduits fail over time, and children typically face multiple open-heart operations during their lives to reopen the passage.

27 Oct 2009

Report finds hundreds of billions of dollars of waste in U.S. healthcare system

The U.S. health care system wastes between $505 billion and $850 billion every year, according to a new report from Thomson Reuters, the parent company of the Reuters news service.

26 Oct 2009

Initiative from BankAtlantic and Tenet South Florida Hospitals to meet healthcare needs of local community

BankAtlantic, Florida’s Most Convenient Bank, announced today that it has partnered with Tenet South Florida Hospitals to provide outreach events designed to improve the health of the local community. The partnership involves branches and hospitals from Miami-Dade to Martin County, and includes events such as screenings and lectures.

26 Oct 2009

St. Rose Hospital Cardiologists implements CVIS from McKesson

St. Rose Hospital of Hayward, Calif., is accelerating report turnaround times and providing cardiologists with secure remote access to echocardiogram and EKG reports, thanks to a new cardiovascular information solution (CVIS) from McKesson.

26 Oct 2009

DVD series "Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes" released

NBC's "Biggest Loser" trainer Kim Lyons announces the newest addition to her fitness empire- 3 title DVD series Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes and online support forum; produced and distributed by Watch It Now Entertainment.

26 Oct 2009

Cardio Vascular Medical Device releases shareholders update

Cardio Vascular Medical Device Corp., a leading developer of advanced cardiovascular surgery technology, today released a brief shareholders update.

26 Oct 2009

Thermo Fisher Scientific announces the availability of its Copeptin assay in Europe

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the availability in Europe of its new Copeptin assay, which helps medical personnel quickly and accurately diagnose acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 26 Oct 2009

Axolotl launches Elysium Image Exchange

Axolotl Corp., the nationwide leader in health information exchange (HIE) solutions and services, today announced the immediate availability of Elysium Image Exchange, a state-of-the-art technology integrated with Axolotl’s Elysium® Exchange suite of products. Powered by Axolotl’s partner eHealth Global Technologies, Inc. (eHGT), Elysium Image Exchange enables the electronic sharing of diagnostic quality medical images between health care providers participating in an HIE.

26 Oct 2009

German based LIFEBRIDGE AG receives FDA clearance for mobile LIFEBRIDGE

German based LIFEBRIDGE AG has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a compact, lightweight, mobile heart-lung machine, a first for any manufacturer worldwide.

26 Oct 2009