Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Twin studies identify genes that influence human health in unexpected ways

Daniel O'Connor, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has studied about 265 twin pairs over the past few years, which has led him to some surprising discoveries.

18 Apr 2007

Treatment costs fall and quality improves when patients use self-treatment tools

Encouraging patients to become involved in providing their own care can reduce the cost and improve the quality of long-term medical treatment, say researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in PLoS Medicine this week.

18 Apr 2007

New study to assess bariatric surgery in extremely overweight teens

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched an observational study to evaluate the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery in adolescents.

18 Apr 2007

Nanoparticle delivery system delivers cancer-suppressing gene in M. D. Anderson trial

A cancer-suppressing gene has been successfully delivered into the tumors of stage 4 lung cancer patients via an intravenously administered lipid nanoparticle in a phase I clinical trial at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

18 Apr 2007

Aspirin, cancer and lung inflamation

Two new studies by researchers at the at the Mayo Clinic have found that taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on a regular basis may offer some protection against cancer.

18 Apr 2007

Studies highlight role of inflammation in cancer

Can reducing inflammation keep cancer at bay? Two novel studies presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that examine use of common anti-inflammatory agents suggest this might be the case.

18 Apr 2007

Irish smoking ban effective at clearing the air

A national workplace ban on smoking in Ireland resulted in an 83 percent reduction in air pollution in pubs, an 80 percent decrease in airborne carcinogens for patrons and staff, and an improvement in the respiratory health of bar workers, according to a one-year follow-up study.

17 Apr 2007

Study identifies high-risk patient populations for MRSA carriage

A Rhode Island Hospital study presented at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) annual meeting found that patients in long-term elder care and HIV-infected outpatients appear to be high-risk groups for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a common cause for health care associated infections.

17 Apr 2007

Coronary artery risk development in young adults

Having above optimal levels of risk factors for heart disease between the ages of 18 and 30 can mean a two to three times greater risk of later developing coronary calcium, a strong predictor of heart disease, according to results of a new study from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

17 Apr 2007

Genzyme completes study on Sevelamer Carbonate in patients with chronic kidney disease

Genzyme has announced that a recently completed study of Renvela (sevelamer carbonate) achieved its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in serum phosphorus for hyperphosphatemic patients with chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis.

17 Apr 2007

Expression Genetics completes phase I trial of lead drug candidate, EGEN-001

Expression Genetics, Inc., has announced the completion of a Phase I clinical study evaluating the Company's lead drug candidate, EGEN-001.

17 Apr 2007

Effect of alcohol and aspirin consumption in traumatic brain injury patients

An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States incur a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year and 60,000 people die annually from these injuries.

17 Apr 2007

Potential treatments for mouth ulcers

The drug pentoxifylline appears to have limited benefit in the first-line treatment of mouth ulcers due to recurrent apthous stomatitis, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology.

17 Apr 2007

Mellowing with age helps you live longer!

While mellowing with age has often been thought to have positive effects, a Purdue University researcher has shown that doing so could also help you live longer.

17 Apr 2007

Significant rise in childhood obesity

Four-year-old girls are six times more likely to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30 than they were 20 years ago and ten-year-olds are five times more likely, according to research published in the April issue of Acta Paediatrica.

17 Apr 2007

New findings on insomnia

Those persons who are labeled a 'night owl' report more pathological symptoms related to insomnia, despite many having the opportunity to compensate for their nocturnal sleeplessness by extending their time in bed and being able to gain more total sleep time, according to a study published in the April 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).

16 Apr 2007

deCODE launches novel DNA-based reference laboratory test for assessing inherited risk of type 2 diabetes

deCODE genetics has announced the launch of deCODE T2, a novel DNA-based reference laboratory test for the first common and well-validated genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D).

16 Apr 2007

High blood pressure could be a brain problem

Scientists in Britain say the cause of high blood pressure may lie within the brain, rather than with problems relating to the heart, kidneys or blood vessels.

16 Apr 2007

Night owls do it tougher than other insomniacs

According to a new study night owls, those who stay up late with insomnia and then sleep longer in the mornings, have more psychological symptoms than morning insomniacs and need different treatment, even though they get more sleep.

16 Apr 2007

Potential of nanotechnology in medicine

Scientists are working now to create novel nanostructures that serve as new kinds of drugs for treating cancer, Parkinson's and cardiovascular disease; to engineer nanomaterials for use as artificial tissues that would replace diseased kidneys and livers, and even repair nerve damage; and to integrate nanodevices with the nervous system to create implants that restore vision and hearing, and build new prosthetic limbs.

15 Apr 2007