Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

World-first screening program for lifestyle diseases for workers in Victoria

Millions of Victorian workers will have the benefit of a world-first screening program for lifestyle diseases.

17 Mar 2008

Wine harder on the brain than beer

Scientists say wine damages the brain more than beer or spirits, because it particularly affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory and spatial awareness.

17 Mar 2008

Gene network disrupted by obesity

According to new research an entire network of genes in the body is disrupted by overeating and this not only causes obesity, but also diabetes and heart disease.

17 Mar 2008

Role for microRNAs in limb regeneration

In the March 15th issue of G&D, Dr. Kenneth Poss (Duke University Medical Center) and colleagues reveal that microRNA depletion is a necessary step in tissue regeneration - a discovery with interesting implications for their use in regenerative medicine.

17 Mar 2008

Better regulation is urgently needed for genetic tests

Better regulation is urgently needed for genetic tests, particularly those marketed directly to the public, argue researchers in this week's BMJ.

17 Mar 2008

Advair reduces asthma-related hospitalization and emergency department visits

Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) was associated with fewer asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits in pediatric patients when compared to the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) alone, and use of Advair by pediatric and adult patients through the summer was associated with fewer hospitalizations and ED visits in the fall.

17 Mar 2008

Minority, low-income diabetics least likely to monitor their blood glucose

Black and Hispanic adults with insulin-treated diabetes are less likely than whites to monitor their blood glucose, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association's 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

17 Mar 2008

MicroRNAs help zebrafish regenerate fins

Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center.

17 Mar 2008

Transcendental meditation controls high blood pressure

Transcendental Meditation is an effective treatment for controlling high blood pressure with the added benefit of bypassing possible side effects and hazards of anti-hypertension drugs, according to a new meta-analysis conducted at the University of Kentucky.

17 Mar 2008

Researchers at Mayo Clinic say ECG standards should be revised for elderly

Researchers at Mayo Clinic suggest that the established "normal" ranges for evaluating electrocardiograms for persons over 80 years old should be "revisited."

17 Mar 2008

Investigational drug Debio-025 tested for preventing muscle fiber death in muscular dystrophy

An investigational antiviral drug currently undergoing human trials in Europe for treating Hepatitis C infections may have potential to reduce muscle cell damage in Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophy (MD).

17 Mar 2008

deCODE obesity study sheds light on how genetic factors contribute to major public health problems

In a paper published online in the journal Nature, a team of deCODE scientists detail a major mechanism through which genetic factors contribute to major public health problems.

17 Mar 2008

Toddlers affected most by secondhand smoke exposure at home

Secondhand smoke in the home appears to induce markers for heart disease as early as the toddler years, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

14 Mar 2008

First clinical trial data of a fully bioabsorbable drug-eluting stent

Data published today in The Lancet from ABSORB, the world's first clinical trial of a fully bioabsorbable drug eluting stent for the treatment of coronary artery disease, demonstrated no stent thrombosis, no clinically driven target lesion revascularizations (re-treatment of a diseased lesion), and a low (3.3 percent) rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 30 patients out to one year.

14 Mar 2008

How diabetes drives atherosclerosis

Researchers have discovered how diabetes, by driving inflammation and slowing blood flow, dramatically accelerates atherosclerosis, according to research to be published in the March 14 edition of the journal Circulation Research. Experts once believed that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, developed when too much cholesterol clogged arteries with fatty deposits called plaques.

14 Mar 2008

Researchers make case for standardized analysis of cardiac imaging

For accuracy's sake, medical professionals should use the same software for comparing and analyzing diagnostic heart images taken from different time periods and laboratories, a team of researchers has concluded.

14 Mar 2008

Aspirin cuts asthma risk in women

A small dose of aspirin on alternate days can cut the risk of developing asthma among women, suggests a large study, published ahead of print in Thorax.

14 Mar 2008

Overweight or obese women can improve quality of life with 10 to 30 minutes of exercise

Sedentary, overweight or obese women can improve their quality of life by exercising as little as 10 to 30 minutes a day, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.

14 Mar 2008

Simple laboratory test predicts risk of kidney injury after surgery

A simple laboratory test may provide a new way for doctors to identify patients at risk of developing potentially severe acute kidney injury (AKI) after surgery up to three days before the problem would otherwise be detected, reports a pilot study in the May 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology .

14 Mar 2008