Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

New test detects the presence of biogenic amines

Researchers in California are reporting development of a fast, inexpensive test suitable for home use that could help millions of people avoid those 'out of the blue' headaches that may follow consumption of certain red wines, cheese, chocolate, and other aged or fermented foods.

2 Oct 2007

Mini-strokes linked to uric acid levels

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that high-normal uric acid (UA) levels may cause barely detectable mini strokes that potentially contribute to mental decline in aging adults.

2 Oct 2007

Scientists study folding of the brain's cortex

Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are finding common ground between the shaping of the brain and the heart during embryonic development.

2 Oct 2007

Depression, aging, and proteins made by a virus may all play role in heart disease

Researchers here have linked an increase in two immune system proteins essential for inflammation to a latent viral infection and proposed a chain of events that might accelerate cardiovascular disease.

2 Oct 2007

Types of sleep and risk of mortality

The first study to assess the stability of three aspects of sleep behavior in relation to long-term mortality finds an increased risk of mortality in short sleep, long sleep and frequent use of medications, according to a study published in the October 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Oct 2007

New guidelines for treating low-back pain

The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Pain Society (APS) today released joint guidelines on diagnosing and treating low back pain.

2 Oct 2007

Best weight-loss plans for heart health

Over the past three decades, the rising obesity epidemic has been accompanied by a proliferation of weight-loss plans. However, as a new study by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) reveals, these weight-loss plans vary significantly in their ability to positively affect heart health.

1 Oct 2007

Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone increase risk of congestive heart failure but not the risk of cardiovascular death

Patients with type 2 diabetes* or prediabetes* are more likely to develop congestive heart failure (CHF) when given rosiglitazone or pioglitazone, as compared with controls. However these drugs did not increase the risk of cardiovascular death (CVD) for these patients.

1 Oct 2007

Reversal of blood flow to the brain may help protect against stroke during carotid stenting

Surgeons at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston have begun a new trial that will seek to protect patients from stroke by reversing blood flow in the brain during carotid stenting.

1 Oct 2007

Inhaled ozone impairs the body's first line of defense

As policy makers debate what levels of ozone in the air are safe for humans to breathe, studies in mice are revealing that the inhaled pollutant impairs the body's first line of defense, making it more susceptible to subsequent foreign invaders, such as bacteria.

1 Oct 2007

Hearts are experts at self-preservation

Bristol researchers have identified a heart protection mechanism in mice that surgeons and cardiologists may be able to exploit to improve treatments for patients in future.

1 Oct 2007

Non-invasive imaging test could help prevent heart attacks

Kathy Brown says she always thought that heart disease was for those who smoked cigarettes, drank, ate a lot of red meat, and who were overweight.

1 Oct 2007

Majority of Europeans with hepatitis C remain undiagnosed

A report by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN highlights the significant inconsistencies that exist in hepatitis C (HCV) diagnosis and treatment across Europe and beyond. In recognition of World Hepatitis Awareness Day, patient groups around the globe are united in their call for action.

1 Oct 2007

Ostructive sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure

Researchers in Brazil have found that treating patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) dramatically reduces early indications of atherosclerosis in just months, linking OSA directly to the hardening or narrowing of the arteries.

29 Sep 2007

Study shows beneficial effect of walking on the reduction in risk of bone marrow lesions in the knee

The world's most common joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability among adults over the age of 50.

29 Sep 2007

About half of California adults diagnosed with high blood pressure take blood pressure-lowering drugs

About half of California adults diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, do not take medication to lower it, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association's 61st Annual Fall Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research.

29 Sep 2007

Meditation for rheumatoid arthritis

A revered contemplative practice for centuries, meditation has recently inspired research into its therapeutic value for everything from anxiety disorders to heart attack prevention.

29 Sep 2007

Study finds FDA warning against antinausea drug droperidol unnecessary

A Mayo Clinic review of patients' responses to a drug used to control nausea and vomiting during anesthesia for general surgery questions a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning against the drug's use.

29 Sep 2007

Infectious Diseases Society of America strongly supports the STAAR Act

With extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, life-threatening drug-resistant respiratory and skin infections, and other "bad bugs" routinely making headlines, infectious diseases physicians are applauding Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Rep. Michael Ferguson (R-NJ) for introducing H.R. 3697, the Strategies To Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act.

29 Sep 2007

Simple tool improves communication between doctors and patients

A UCSF research team has developed a simple tool that can improve the effectiveness of communication between doctors and patients about prescribed medications and result in dramatic improvements in health and safety.

29 Sep 2007