Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Discovery of groundbreaking technique for body to accept gene therapy

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNY) have developed a groundbreaking technique to sneak therapeutic genes past the body's defenses, possibly clearing one of the largest hurdles to realizing the potentials of medically altering a patient's DNA.

5 Dec 2008

New clinical tool to identify those at highest risk for having undetected hyperglycemia

A third of Americans with diabetes do not know that they have it, and many more who have prediabetic conditions are unaware that they are at risk.

5 Dec 2008

Breakthrough in sickle cell disease and thalassemia research

Researchers have identified a gene that directly affects the production of a form of hemoglobin that is instrumental in modifying the severity of the inherited blood disorders sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

5 Dec 2008

Happiness really does rub off

Happiness really does rub off-a person's happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected, finds research published on bmj.com.

5 Dec 2008

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis linked to heart attacks

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are three times as likely to experience severe coronary events - including heart attacks - than people without the disease, according to a recent study that analyzed the risk of cardiovascular disease in nearly 1,000 patients with IPF and more than 3,500 matched controls.

5 Dec 2008

Fatty liver disease and body shape

For years, pear-shaped people who carry weight in the thighs and backside have been told they are at lower risk for high blood pressure and heart disease than apple-shaped people who carry fat in the abdomen.

5 Dec 2008

Novel angled gantry approach reduces breast radiation exposure

A novel angled gantry approach to coronary CT angiography reduced radiation exposure to the breast by more than 50%, according to Thomas Jefferson University researchers.

5 Dec 2008

Moderate alcohol intake boosts amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells.

5 Dec 2008

Treatment with irbesartan fails to improve common form of heart failure

A medication used for high blood pressure does not improve a common form of heart failure, according to new results from a large, international study.

4 Dec 2008

ACE inhibitor calcium channel blocker combo drug shown to reduces heart attacks

While doctors are urged to start with a diuretic-based strategy to control patients' high blood pressure, an international blood pressure study shows a different single-pill drug combination is more effective at preventing heart-related events such as heart attacks and strokes.

3 Dec 2008

Light exposure therapy, dark sunglasses help night-shift workers

A new study finds the use of light exposure therapy, dark sunglasses and a strict sleep schedule can help night-shift workers create a "compromise circadian phase position," which may result in increased performance and alertness during night shifts while still allowing adequate nighttime sleep on days off.

3 Dec 2008

Natural killer T cells play important role in Lyme disease

A research team led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and Albany Medical College has illuminated the important role of natural killer (NK) T cells in Lyme disease, demonstrating that the once little understood white blood cells are central to clearing the bacterial infection and reducing the intensity and duration of arthritis associated with Lyme disease.

3 Dec 2008

Childhood obesity may change thyroid

In addition to its strong associations with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, pediatric obesity may induce alterations in thyroid function and structure, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

3 Dec 2008

New guidelines for neuropathy

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology find a combination of blood tests and other specialized assessments appear to be the most helpful tests for finding the cause of neuropathy.

3 Dec 2008

Alpha-catenin protein provokes healthy cell bonding

In human relationships, a certain "spark" often governs whether we prefer one person more than another, and critical first impressions can occur within seconds. A team lead by Johns Hopkins researchers has found that cell-to-cell "friendships" operate in much the same way and that dysfunctional bonding is linked to the spread of cancer.

3 Dec 2008

Study to look at nutrition, ageing and health in Bangladeshi women

The Bangladeshi population is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups within the UK, and are amongst the most socially disadvantaged. A grant of over £500,000 hopes to reduce existing health inequalities and promote healthy, active ageing among Bangladeshi women.

3 Dec 2008

New evidence shows that the heart beats to its own drummer

They've uncovered some of the molecular circuitry within the cardiovascular system itself that controls the daily rise and fall of blood pressure and heart rate. The findings might also explain why commonly used diabetes drugs come with cardiovascular benefits, according to the researchers.

3 Dec 2008

Use of rapid response team in hospital not linked with reduction in cardio arrests or deaths

Although there is an effort to implement rapid response teams in hospitals throughout the country, new research suggests that they do not result in a reduced rate of cardiopulmonary arrests or deaths, according to a study in the December 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Dec 2008

Two alcoholic drinks per day not linked with higher risk of atrial fibrillation for women

Women who have up to two alcoholic drinks per day do not appear to be at increased risk of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat), but drinking more than that amount is associated with a higher risk, according to a study in the December 3 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 Dec 2008

Thrombosis patients face greater risks than previously believed

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT), the formation of blood clots in the lower limbs, is the third-most common vascular disease in North America after heart attack and stroke, and is a frequent complication in hospitalized patients.

3 Dec 2008