Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Smokers put loved ones at risk of heart attacks

Researchers at University College London and St George's, University of London measured recent exposure to tobacco smoke in non-smoking middle-aged men taking part in the British Regional Heart Study by measuring the levels of cotinine - a compound carried in the blood - at two time points 20 years apart.

15 Feb 2009

Cellular changes in the sleeping brain promote the formation of memories

If you ever argued with your mother when she told you to get some sleep after studying for an exam instead of pulling an all-nighter, you owe her an apology, because it turns out she's right.

15 Feb 2009

Noninvasive screening test may detect narrowing in intracranial stents

Great advances have been made in treating blockages in the arteries of the brain using angioplasty to widen the narrowed artery and a stent to hold the artery open.

15 Feb 2009

Candesartan cilexetil reduces proteinuria in kidney disease patients

Taking a much higher than recommended dose of the hypertension drug candesartan cilexetil effectively lowered the amount of protein excreted in the urine of patients with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( JASN ).

11 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics, study shows

Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes.

11 Feb 2009

Healthy people with high urinary protein levels have elevated kidney disease risk

Measuring the amount of protein lost in the urine can identify individuals at risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

11 Feb 2009

Lots of exercise may help prevent vision loss

There's another reason to dust off those running shoes. Vigorous exercise may help prevent vision loss, according to a pair of studies from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

10 Feb 2009

Program for kidney disease patients effective for reducing serum phosphorus levels

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who participated in an education program to limit their intake of phosphorus-containing food additives lowered their blood levels of the chemical, according to a study in the February 11 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

10 Feb 2009

Obesity during pregnancy associated with increased risk of birth defects

For women who are obese during pregnancy there is an associated increased risk of certain birth defects, such as spina bifida and neural tube defects, although the absolute increase in risk is likely to be small, according to an analysis of previous studies, reported in the February 11 issue of JAMA.

10 Feb 2009

New weapon in the battle against obesity

A new system proposed by Canadian and US obesity researchers may provide another weapon in the battle against obesity.

10 Feb 2009

Most coordinated care programs for Medicare beneficiaries do not show benefit

Only 2 of 15 Medicare programs designed to improve care and costs for patients with chronic illnesses resulted in reduced hospital admissions, and none of the programs generated net savings, according to a study in the February 11 issue of JAMA.

10 Feb 2009

Cytokines lead to neurological and cognitive abnormalities and changes in heart rhythm in patients with cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, taking 25,000 lives per year.

10 Feb 2009

Home pregnancy tests can lead to better prenatal care

The simple intervention of providing women who are having unprotected sex with a home pregnancy test could have a substantial impact on the health of potential newborns, according to a Michigan State University study.

10 Feb 2009

New heart valve inserted through small chest incision

When 91-year-old Irvin Lafferty was diagnosed with severe blockage of his heart valve-hardening that is formally known as aortic valve stenosis-open-heart surgery was out of the question.

10 Feb 2009

Experts say multivitamins have no impact on older women's risk of cancer or heart disease

A study by scientists in the United States has found that the long-term use of multivitamins have no impact on a postmenopausal woman's risk of cancer or heart disease.

10 Feb 2009

Drinking lots of soda raises risk for early kidney disease in women

Women who drink two or more cans of soda pop per day are nearly twice as likely to show early signs of kidney disease, a recent study has found.

9 Feb 2009

Unexplained chest pains

Each year, many people seek emergency treatment for unexplained chest pains.

9 Feb 2009

Researcher develops method to combat congenital heart disease in children

Congenital heart defects account for five times more deaths annually than all childhood cancers combined.

9 Feb 2009

When it comes to treating heart attacks, experience matters

New research shows that patients have a much better chance of survival when both their hospital and their physician have a strong track record in treating heart attack with angioplasty and stenting.

9 Feb 2009

Continuation of statin treatment associated with lower risk of death

Patients with high cholesterol levels who continually take statins appear to have a lower risk of death over four to five years, regardless of whether they already have diagnosed heart disease, according to a report in the February 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Feb 2009