Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Protein from tick saliva shows potential for myasthenia gravis treatment

Looking for a better treatment for the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, researchers have found that a protein in tick saliva shows promise in limiting the severity of the disease in an animal model in a study published in the Annals of Neurology.

29 Mar 2009

Physio-Control receives FDA 510(k) clearance for LIFEPAK monitor/defibrillator

Physio-Control, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., has announced it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the LIFEPAK 15 monitor/defibrillator within the United States.

29 Mar 2009

Transdermal delivery of estrogen therapy may show safety benefits as opposed to oral delivery

Transdermal delivery of estrogen therapy available by prescription "seems not to alter" the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clotting, in postmenopausal patients when compared to oral delivery, a new study suggests.

29 Mar 2009

Researcher links cholesterol crystals to cardiovascular attacks

For the first time ever, a Michigan State University researcher has shown cholesterol crystals can disrupt plaque in a patient's cardiovascular system, causing a heart attack or stroke.

29 Mar 2009

Study offers closer look at Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

"Broken heart syndrome" is still a mystery to many in the medical community, but new data from researchers at The Miriam Hospital may shed some light on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of this relatively rare, life-threatening condition.

29 Mar 2009

Retired NFL linemen have high incidence of sleep apnea

Sleep disordered breathing, also known as sleep apnea, is highly prevalent among retired National Football League (NFL) players, and particularly in linemen, according to Mayo Clinic research.

29 Mar 2009

New evidence supports use of catheter-based therapy to remove blood clots in stroke patients

Nearly 90 percent of the 700,000 strokes that affect U.S. patients each year are caused by a blockage of blood vessels supplying the brain, known as ischemic stroke.

29 Mar 2009

Updated heart failure guidelines focus on key research findings, clinical advances

Updated guidelines on the diagnosis and management of heart failure will help physicians incorporate the latest research findings into the treatment of patients with this complex and disabling disease.

29 Mar 2009

Simple, noninvasive finger sensor test predicts major cardiac events

Results of a Mayo Clinic study show that a simple, noninvasive finger sensor test is "highly predictive" of a major cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, for people who are considered at low or moderate risk, according to researchers.

26 Mar 2009

Polymer nanowires detect cancer biomarker

Investigators at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a simple and cost-effective method of building conducting polymer nanowires that can detect a wide range of levels of a cancer biomarker. This work, which was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, could serve as a model for portable cancer detection equipment suitable for use in a doctor's office.

26 Mar 2009

Facial flushing in East Asians who consume alcohol linked to esophageal cancer risks

About one-third of people of Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent have an enzyme deficiency that causes their face to flush when they drink alcohol, a trait that puts them at a higher risk for developing esophageal cancer, according to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, Reuters Health reports.

25 Mar 2009

Number of Alzheimer's cases growing annually, increasing costs, report finds

The number of U.S. residents with Alzheimer's disease is increasing annually, putting more pressure on the health care system, according to a report issued on Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association, USA Today reports (Brophy Marcus, USA Today, 3/24).

25 Mar 2009

Researchers decipher blood stem cell attachment, communication

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have deciphered a key sequence of events governing whether the stem cells that produce red and white blood cells remain anchored to the bone marrow, or migrate into the circulatory system.

25 Mar 2009

Rockefeller neuroscientist applies basic science to health care reform

A self-described "molecular sociologist" is extending his basic research to the national policy debate on health care reform. Bruce McEwen, head of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, led a panel of scientific experts last month at the Institute of Medicine's Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. The Institute is the most prominent independent medical advisory board in the country and will release a report from the conference in November, as Congress is likely to be considering major health care legislation.

25 Mar 2009

Sodas increase risk for coronary heart disease

Regular consumption of sugary beverages such as soda put women at a higher risk for coronary heart disease.

24 Mar 2009

Recently identified genetic heart disorder often deadly for young patients

A study that included young patients with a recently recognized rare type of cardiomyopathy (a disorder of the heart muscle) linked to a genetic mutation finds that progression of this disease may be rapid and often results in early death, according to a study in the March 25 issue of JAMA.

24 Mar 2009

Radius starts Ppase 2a trial of RAD1901 in menopausal hot flashes

Radius Health ("Radius") announced today that the first patient has been dosed in the company's proof-of-concept Phase 2a study of RAD1901, an investigational selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) undergoing clinical evaluation for treatment of vasomotor symptoms (menopausal hot flashes).

24 Mar 2009

Fit women much less likely to die from breast cancer

Physically fit women are less likely to die from breast cancer, according to a study by researchers at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health.

24 Mar 2009

Gilead commences phase II trial of Cicletanine for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Gilead Sciences, Inc. has announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase II clinical trial of cicletanine hydrochloride (cicletanine), an oral agent in development for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

24 Mar 2009

White House announces plans for Obama to nominate IHS Director

President Obama plans to nominate Yvette Roubideaux, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona's College of Medicine, as director of Indian Health Service, the White House announced on Monday along with several other appointments, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The nomination is expected to be made official by the Senate in coming weeks.

24 Mar 2009