Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Researchers shed new light on genetics of Parkinson's

A new study by Narendra et al. suggests that Parkin, the product of the Parkinson's disease-related gene Park2, prompts neuronal survival by clearing the cell of its damaged mitochondria.

24 Nov 2008

Ustekinumab receives positive opinion in Europe for treatment of plaque psoriasis

Janssen-Cilag announced today that ustekinumab, the first in a new class of biologics, has received a positive opinion for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis from the European Committee for Medical Products for Human Use (CHMP).

24 Nov 2008

Blood pressure readings taken at medical office do not appear to predict future heart risks

Continuously measuring blood pressure may help predict heart disease and related deaths among individuals with treatment-resistant hypertension, while blood pressure readings taken in a medical office do not appear to predict future heart risks, according to a report in November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Nov 2008

Gasping a good sign in sudden cardiac arrest

People who witness an individual collapse suddenly and unexpectedly should perform uninterrupted chest compressions even if the patient gasps or breathes in a funny way, research from the Resuscitation Research Group at The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center shows.

24 Nov 2008

Exercise helps manage anger in overweight children

Regular exercise seems to reduce anger expression in overweight but otherwise healthy children, researchers said.

24 Nov 2008

Risks associated with diabetes drug rosiglitazone may be higher than those with pioglitazone

Older adults who take the diabetes medication rosiglitazone appear to have a higher risk of death and heart failure than those taking the related medication pioglitazone, according to a report in the November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Nov 2008

Major discovery in the control of bad cholesterol

A study performed by the team of Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, Director of the Biochemical Neuroendocrinology Research Unit at the IRCM, shows for the very first time that the degradation by PCSK9 of the LDLR receptor, which is responsible for removing the bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) from the bloodstream, may be inhibited by a third protein, annexin A2.

24 Nov 2008

Pregnancy study finds strong association between two antidepressants and heart anomalies

Women who took the antidepressant fluoxetine during the first three months of pregnancy gave birth to four times as many babies with heart problems as women who did not and the levels were three times higher in women taking paroxetine.

24 Nov 2008

Ultrasound helps provide rapid treatment of DVT

Scientists in the United States have discovered that ultrasound waves help dissolve blood clots in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) faster than clot-busting drugs.

24 Nov 2008

Researchers discover how red wine may reduce Alzheimer's

Scientists call it the "French paradox" - a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease.

21 Nov 2008

New report shows the financial and social value of investing in medical research

A study commissioned by three leading scientific institutions has demonstrated substantial financial and social benefits from investment in medical research.

21 Nov 2008

Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer give clues to new therapies

Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level.

21 Nov 2008

Reminder, signs of a heart attack can be subtle

You know the drill: join the family for feasting on a high-fat, carbohydrate-filled meal followed by a generous slice of pumpkin pie

21 Nov 2008

Heart patients are often not treated in accordance with guidelines

Many patients with cardiovascular disease are not given adequate drug therapy.

21 Nov 2008

Helping diabetics through the holiday season

November ushers in American Diabetes Month - not only a time to be thankful for bustling basic and clinical research underway on the disease, but also the unofficial start of the holiday season.

20 Nov 2008

Water aerobics make it easier to give birth

A course of water aerobics classes has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor.

20 Nov 2008

Effective anti-tobacco public service announcements should either scare or disgust viewers

Now's the perfect time to increase anti-smoking campaigns - Nov. 20 is the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.

20 Nov 2008

Exposure to Dioxin linked to increased heart problems

Dioxins, environmental pollutants resulting from the production and combustion of chlorinated compounds, have been linked to an increase in ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates, as reported in a review article in the November 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

20 Nov 2008

Light drinking has certain health benefits, researchers look at why

While the physiological damage and social havoc created by alcohol abuse and dependency are well-known, it is also true that light-to-moderate drinking has certain health benefits.

20 Nov 2008

First study to look at health of centenarian offspring

A recent study appearing in the November issue of Journal of American Geriatrics Society revealed that centenarian offspring (children of parents who lived to be at least 97 years old) retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged cohort.

20 Nov 2008