Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Tart cherries cut heart/diabetes risk factors

Tart cherries - frequently sold dried, frozen or in juice - may have more than just good taste and bright red color going for them, according to new animal research from the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.

7 Apr 2008

Rare genetic variants have big impact on blood pressure

Yale University researchers report in the journal Nature Genetics that they have discovered that rare genetic variants can be associated with a dramatically lower risk of developing high blood pressure in the general population.

7 Apr 2008

T-cadherin affects blood vessel growth in breast cancer, hormone from fat cells may play a role

Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) may have found a new option for targeted breast cancer therapy by showing the link between a certain protein and the formation and development of blood vessels that feed breast tumors.

7 Apr 2008

Rare mutations in salt handling genes protect against hypertension

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have found that rare mutations in three genes contribute to blood pressure variation in the general population.

7 Apr 2008

Cholesterol in Parkinson's disease

In 2006, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers published a study that found people with low levels of LDL cholesterol are more likely to have Parkinson's disease than people with high LDL levels.

7 Apr 2008

NYU dental professor discovers biological clock linking tooth growth to other metabolic processes

This clock, or biological rhythm, controls many metabolic functions and is based on the circadian rhythm, which is a roughly 24-hour cycle that is important in determining sleeping and feeding patterns, cell regeneration, and other biological processes in mammals.

7 Apr 2008

Cancer treatment from a common avian virus under study

Researchers on the Blacksburg and College Park, Maryland campuses of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine have been awarded a major new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support innovative work that seeks to develop a treatment for cancer from a common avian virus.

7 Apr 2008

Periodontitis and human papillomavirus combined increase risk for tongue cancer

Persons with periodontitis who also are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) are at increased risk of developing tongue cancer, new research conducted at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine has shown.

7 Apr 2008

For children with heart disease, a risk of attention and behavior problems

Schoolchildren who required surgery as infants for congenital heart disease (CHD) run a significant risk of having problems with inattention and hyperactivity, and often require remedial services in school.

7 Apr 2008

Apples confirmed as 'super fruits' for health

According to a new health report Grandma was quite right when she said an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

7 Apr 2008

1/3 of risk for dementia attributable to small vessel disease, autopsy study shows

Alzheimer's disease may be what most people fear as they grow older, but autopsy data from a long-range study of 3,400 men and women in the Seattle region found that the brains of a third of those who had become demented before death showed evidence of small vessel damage: the type of small, cumulative injury that can come from hypertension or diabetes.

7 Apr 2008

Doctors are warning that climate change is already affecting people's health

Doctors in Australia are warning that by 2020 there will be a growing number of illnesses related to climate change.

7 Apr 2008

Sexual dissatisfaction in postmenopausal women not linked to cardiovascular disease

Although sexual dysfunction in some men is predictive of cardiovascular disease, this association has never been examined in women.

4 Apr 2008

Discovery of new genetic links to psoriasis

In the first comprehensive study of the genetic basis of psoriasis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered seven new sites of common DNA variation that increase the risk of the troublesome skin condition.

4 Apr 2008

Rare genetic syndrome may hold key to cure for heat stroke

A genetic disorder that can cause a fatal rise in body temperature in some patients undergoing general anesthesia may hold the key to a cure for heat stroke, according to research published in the April 4 edition of the journal Cell.

4 Apr 2008

Pregnant mothers' diet linked to baby's obesity

Pregnant and lactating rats fed on a diet of hydrogenated fat during pregnancy and lactation had babies who were fatter than rats fed a normal diet, according to research published in Lipids in Health and Disease.

4 Apr 2008

Healthcare providers who discuss intimate piercings earn patients' trust

On April 2, 2008, UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest celebrated the opening of an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) designed for the 24-hour specialized care of premature infants and newborns with complications.

4 Apr 2008

Life after coronary bypass surgery

For many years, assumptions have lingered that Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Grafting (CABG) produces measurable cognitive impairment, either because of the surgery or use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

4 Apr 2008

Binge drinkers responsible for most alcohol-impaired driving on U.S. roads

New findings show that most AI driving is due to binge drinkers rather than heavy or alcohol-dependent drinkers. Researchers say effective strategies must address both excessive drinking as well as impaired driving.

4 Apr 2008

Aripiprazole has potential for treating alcohol dependence

Aripiprazole is currently approved to treat bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia. A new study has found that it significantly and dose-dependently increases the sedative effects of alcohol and, to a lesser degree, decreases the euphoric effects of alcohol. Future research will need to examine the beneficial versus the side effects of aripiprazole for treatment of alcohol dependence.

4 Apr 2008