Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Future of children's hospitals threatened in Britain

The crisis in the National Health Service in the UK deepened this week as four children's hospitals warned health ministers they will be forced to cut specialist services.

18 Apr 2006

Possible alternatives found for Vioxx and Celebrex

According to Canadian and American researchers they have identified one reason why drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx - once popular for the treatment of pain and inflammation - cause heart problems.

18 Apr 2006

Common gene variation associated with an increased risk for obesity

A pioneering statistical technique developed at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has helped identify a common gene variation associated with an increased risk for obesity.

18 Apr 2006

Researchers clarify the mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have clarified the mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems, in multiple animal models.

18 Apr 2006

Only 43 percent of older people with diabetes receive medicines that could protect their heart and kidneys

...despite the fact that virtually all of them could benefit from those drugs, a new University of Michigan study finds. And even among those with the most to gain from the medicines, the rate of use barely reaches 53 percent.

18 Apr 2006

Osteoporosis drug Raloxifene shown to be as effective as Tamoxifen in preventing invasive breast cancer

Initial results of the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, or STAR, show that the drug raloxifene, currently used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, works as well as tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women at increased risk of the disease.

18 Apr 2006

New test for heart disease

Building on years of research on the way that blood flows through the heart valves, researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Oregon Health Science University have devised a new index for cardiac health based on a simple ultrasound test.

18 Apr 2006

Study is the first to show that stature influences atrial fibrillation risk

Analysis of data from a registry of patients with left ventricular dysfunction indicates that height is an independent risk factor for an arrhythmia of the upper chambers of the heart, according to a new study in the April 18, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

17 Apr 2006

Almost half of elderly Beijing residents have metabolic syndrome

As more people in China adopt Western diets and lifestyles, many are developing a cluster of cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to a new study in the April 18, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

17 Apr 2006

Placental growth factor may help body repair heart attack damage

Heart attack patients produce higher levels of a natural substance in the body that plays a role in the growth of new blood vessels and this over-expression of placental growth factor (PlGF) may help reduce damage to the heart muscle

17 Apr 2006

Evista may be a better option than Tamoxifen for reducing breast cancer risk

According to drug company Lilly it's osteoporosis drug Evista is as effective as Tamoxifen in reducing the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women.

17 Apr 2006

Genetic testing helps diagnose Long QT syndrome

Long QT syndrome is an uncommon, and sometimes fatal, heart rhythm disorder that is often present from birth. It gets its name from the peculiar pattern of the electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) seen in people with the disease. It affects one in every 3,000 people in the United States.

16 Apr 2006

Excessive adiposity, calorie restriction, and aging

Can eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet extend human life? Preliminary research suggests it might, so researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are launching a long-term study to find out.

16 Apr 2006

Diabetes: Translating the chronic care model into the community

Educating people with diabetes in a primary-care setting with sustained, comprehensive intervention resulted in significant improvement in disease management and overall health, according to a study published in the current issue of Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

16 Apr 2006

Approval of integrated insulin pump and continuous glucose system a significant step towards artificial pancreas technology

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has said that the federal government's approval of an insulin pump that also provides real-time, continuous glucose monitoring is a significant step on the path to the development of an artificial pancreas, with the potential to significantly improve diabetes care and lower the risk of complications.

13 Apr 2006

How "good" are those fries? It depends where you live!

When you tuck into those nuggets and fries the amount of fat you are consuming could very well depend on where you live.

13 Apr 2006

Getting to the heart of cardiovascular diseases

A new collaboration covers the spectrum from molecules to therapies. Three research organisations have announced the merging of their expertise to fight cardiovascular diseases, which are among the most common health problems and causes of death in the world.

13 Apr 2006

Cholesterol-lowering drug might not promote healthy hearts

Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and Vitamin E, have been touted for their ability to protect against heart disease.

13 Apr 2006

Loneliness is a unique predictor of age-related differences in systolic blood pressure

Loneliness is a major risk factor in increasing blood pressure in older Americans, and could increase the risk of death from stroke and heart disease, new research at the University of Chicago shows.

13 Apr 2006

Angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors may reduce cardiovascular risk

Angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, medications commonly used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), may reduce cardiovascular risk and the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease, according to a new analysis of previously conducted clinical trials reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

13 Apr 2006