Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Discovery of multiple genes linked to systemic lupus erythematosus

A landmark genetic study has identified multiple genes linked to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, a debilitating autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 1.4 million Americans.

21 Jan 2008

Bindeez toy beads still available in the UK, warn doctors

Toy beads that were internationally recalled last year, after concerns that they may be coated with a dangerous chemical, are still being advertised on toy shop websites for purchase in the UK, warn doctors in this week's BMJ.

21 Jan 2008

National study will look at German-made heart pump for children needing heart transplants

Texas Children's Hospital has been named the national lead center for a 12-hospital, 36-month clinical trial of the German-manufactured pediatric heart pump called Berlin Heart EXCOR® Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD).

21 Jan 2008

Immune modulation therapy can help heal patients with heart failure

Modifying the immune system of a patient with heart failure reduces the patient's risk of death and the need for hospitalization, according to research published in The Lancet.

21 Jan 2008

Military radar could help stroke patients

University of Leicester researchers are pioneering use of military radar signal processing methods to help victims of stroke - the third most common cause of death in the UK.

21 Jan 2008

Aspirin resistance and heart attack - stroke risk

Being resistant to aspirin makes patients four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or even die from a pre-existing heart condition, according to a study published on bmj.com.

21 Jan 2008

Common variations in human DNA signal lupus risk

Scientists have pinpointed a set of common variations in human DNA that signal a higher risk for lupus in women who carry them.

21 Jan 2008

Disability living allowance falls short for ethnic minorities

A study carried out by researchers at the Peninsula Medical School and the Institute of Child Health (UCL) has revealed that families from an ethnic, non-English speaking background with a child with Down's syndrome do worse from the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) system than families facing the same issues who come from a white, English-speaking background.

21 Jan 2008

Matters of the mind can affect matters of the heart

A new study by McGill University and Université de Montréal researchers has found that major anxiety and/or depression, can double a coronary artery disease patient's chances of repeated heart ailments.

21 Jan 2008

Sleep plays a critical role in the brain's ability to learn

Most people know it from experience: After so many hours of being awake, your brain feels unable to absorb any more-and several hours of sleep will refresh it.

21 Jan 2008

U.S. health authorities warn about OTC cough and cold remedies for the under 2's

Health authorities in the United States are again warning about the dangers of giving children over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines.

20 Jan 2008

Europe should adopt WHO recommendations for particulate matter cuts

Europe must adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) standard on fine particulate matter pollution if it is to significantly curb needless premature deaths, concludes research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

18 Jan 2008

Discovery opens door to 'personalized' asthma therapy

In the last few years, "personalized medicine" using genetic or other molecular biology-based diagnostic tests to customize treatment for a particular patient has emerged as a powerful new tool for health care.

18 Jan 2008

Altering brain's lipid metabolism reduces Alzheimer's plaques in mice

Increasing levels of a protein that helps the brain use cholesterol may slow the development of Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain, according to researchers studying a mouse model of the disease at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

18 Jan 2008

Smallest particles from vehicle emissions may promote hardening of the arteries

Patients prone to heart disease may one day be told by physicians to avoid not only fatty foods and smoking but air pollution too.

18 Jan 2008

Type 1 diabetes triggered by lazy T-cells

A research team led by Dr. Ciriaco A. Piccirillo of McGill University's Department of Microbiology and Immunology has discovered that in some individuals, the specialized immunoregulatory T-cells that regulate the body's autoimmune reactions may lose their effectiveness and become "lazy" over time, leading to the onset of type 1 diabetes.

16 Jan 2008

Stereotaxis announces FDA approval of magnetic irrigated catheter

Stereotaxis, Inc. has announced that the Company has been advised that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its partnered magnetic irrigated catheter for use in mapping and ablation in the United States.

16 Jan 2008

Shift work may increase the risk of enforced early retirement among women

The findings are based on just under 8000 male and female employees, who were part of a large health and work study (Danish Work Environment Cohort Study), which began in 1990, and data from the national welfare register.

16 Jan 2008

Scientists study the link between children's nutrition and adult diseases

Researchers from the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Granada , in collaboration with another 38 universities and companies from 16 European countries, will study the effects of children's nutrition on the onset of cardiovascular problems, diabetes, obesity, allergies, weak bones, neuromotor functioning and children's behavioural aspects.

16 Jan 2008

Pedometer-based walking programs help with weight loss

People who participate in a pedometer-based walking program can be expected to lose a modest amount of weight even without changing their diet, with more weight loss the longer they stick with the program, according to a University of Michigan Health System analysis of nine studies.

16 Jan 2008