Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Study identifies gene variants associated with early-onset myocardial infarction

The largest study ever completed of genetic factors associated with heart attacks has identified nine genetic regions - three not previously described - that appear to increase the risk for early-onset myocardial infarction.

8 Feb 2009

How electronic medical records can be used to test drug efficacy

For years controversy has surrounded whether electronic medical records (EMR) would lead to increased patient safety, cut medical errors, and reduce healthcare costs.

8 Feb 2009

Heart failure linked to memory problems

Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) have problems with memory and other aspects of cognitive functioning, reports a new study published by Elsevier, in the February issue of Journal of Cardiac Failure.

8 Feb 2009

FDA approves first ablation catheters for the treatment of atrial fibrillatio

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ablation catheters for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (uncoordinated contractions of the upper heart chambers), one of the most common types of arrhythmias-or abnormal heart rhythms--affecting more than two million Americans.

8 Feb 2009

Emphysema linked to accelerated aging protein

A University of Iowa study is apparently the first to make a connection between a rare, hereditary premature aging disease and cell damage that comes from smoking.

8 Feb 2009

Research to explore why lupus therapies work for some, not others

The results should shed light not only on the mechanisms behind the disease, but more broadly on the workings of our immune system, especially how our bodies churn out and "train" key combat-ready immune cells, called B-cells.

8 Feb 2009

Salt and the City is a killer and we're awash with it!

A new Australian survey on fast foods has revealed that some manufacturers are delivering an astonishing amount of salt in some of their products.

8 Feb 2009

Consumers warned about over-the-counter pharmacy diets

Pharmacies across Australia are offering a range of over-the-counter diet plans designed to encourage people to invest in weight loss programs.

8 Feb 2009

Vitamin D linked to better muscle power

Young female athletes could have yet another reason to grab a glass of vitamin D-rich milk.

5 Feb 2009

Researchers discover "master gene" behind blood vessel development

In a first of its kind discovery, University of Minnesota researchers have identified the "master gene" behind blood vessel development.

5 Feb 2009

Study tests salsalate anti-inflammatory for poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

Researchers in 20 medical centers across the country are enrolling adults with type 2 diabetes who have poorly controlled blood glucose to participate in a clinical study, Targeting Inflammation with Salsalate in Type 2 Diabetes (TINSAL-T2D).

5 Feb 2009

Research looks at smokeless tobacco products

Each year, two thirds of smokers in the US say they want to quit smoking but less than 3% of those who try to quit are successful.

5 Feb 2009

Guidance for evaluating menopause-like condition in girls and young women

A comprehensive plan to help health care professionals diagnose and treat primary ovarian insufficiency-a menopause-like condition affecting girls and young women that may occur years before normal menopause is expected-has been developed by a scientist at the National Institutes of Health.

5 Feb 2009

Dry beans reduce risk of mammary cancer

As the world seeks new ways to prevent and treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, more research continues to be conducted on the benefits of certain foods in reducing people's risk of contracting these ailments.

5 Feb 2009

What's the most common long-term complication of diabetes?

What's the most common long-term complication of diabetes? Problems with the heart and blood vessels, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

5 Feb 2009

Breast cancer risk rapidly declines after women stop taking postmenopausal combined hormone therapy

Women who stopped taking the postmenopausal hormone combination of estrogen plus progestin experienced a marked decline in breast cancer risk which was unrelated to mammography utilization change, according to a study from the Women's Health Initiative led by a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) investigator that was published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

5 Feb 2009

Cultured cells from the bone marrow can heal nerves in diabetes model

Transplanting cells that replenish blood vessels can also restore nerve function in an animal model of diabetic neuropathy, Emory researchers have found.

5 Feb 2009

Major research effort to improve quality of care for heart patients

People suffering from angina or heart attacks are set to benefit from a major investigation by the University of Bristol into their quality of care.

5 Feb 2009

What's the ideal relationship between the drug industry, health professionals and patients?

The relationship between the drug industry, academia, healthcare professionals, and patients is widely believed to be at an all time low.

3 Feb 2009

Exposure to second-hand smoke and alcohol significantly raises the risk of liver disease

The finding adds to mounting evidence that tobacco smoke and alcohol are worse for health as a combination, beyond the individual exposure risks, said Shannon Bailey, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UAB Department of Environmental Health Sciences and a co-lead author on the study.

3 Feb 2009