Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

New drug lixivaptan reduces excess fluid build-up in patients with congestive heart failure

Researchers believe they may have identified a new agent to reduce the excess fluid build-up in patients with congestive heart failure, one that avoids the relative sodium-depleting effects of diuretics, now the most commonly used drugs for this purpose.

3 May 2006

Study highlights the benefits of a clinic that specializes in the needs of obese patients with metabolic syndrome

Obesity researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee found that a multidisciplinary clinical approach to caring for obese patients with metabolic syndrome could swiftly and significantly lower their risk for heart disease.

3 May 2006

Simple formula that will enable anesthesiologists to predict blood needs in heart surgery

Duke University Medical Center researchers have developed a simple formula that will enable anesthesiologists to predict, based on individual patient characteristics, how much blood to have on hand in the operating room prior to coronary artery bypass surgery.

3 May 2006

Lung function decline and outcomes in an adult population

Rapid lung function decline significantly increases the risk of death and hospitalization for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

3 May 2006

Lipoxin A4 regulates bronchial epithelial cell responses to acid injury

Doctors are gaining new leverage in the fight against lung injury caused by acid reflux. The paper by Bonnans et al., "Lipoxin A4 regulates bronchial epithelial cell responses to acid injury," appears in the April issue of The American Journal of Pathology and is accompanied by a commentary.

3 May 2006

The 30-year natural history of type 1 diabetes complications

...while cases of premature death and a few other complications have declined, rates of other serious diabetes-related disorders such as heart and eye disease have not improved over the past 25 to 30 years.

3 May 2006

Early myocardial enhancement defects (dark spots) on multidetector CT are valuable predictors of myocardial viability

...in patients who have suffered a heart attack, reported doctors from the departments of cardiology and radiology at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

3 May 2006

British healthier than Americans in middle-age

According to a large international study middle-aged Americans are not as healthy as their British cousins.

2 May 2006

Ability to complete quarter-mile walk a powerful predictor of health outcomes in elderly

Walking fitness makes a significant difference in predicting the likelihood of future disability in the elderly, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

2 May 2006

Kidney patients warned away from potassium

Many kidney failure patients are increasing their chance of nerve damage in their legs and feet by simply having too much potassium in their diet, according to research carried out by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (POWMRI) and the Prince of Wales Hospital.

2 May 2006

New drug to treat rare Pompe disease gets FDA approval

The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. has given approval for the first drug to treat a rare, debilitating muscle disease that can kill infants within a year.

1 May 2006

HCM detection rates doubled when genetic testing and imaging information are combined

Currently that genetic test correctly detects HCM only 40 percent of the time. But coupled with imaging information, the detection power of the test nearly doubles, to 79 percent, says Steve Ommen, M.D., director of Mayo's HCM Clinic and co-lead investigator of the Mayo Clinic research team.

28 Apr 2006

Transplanted stem cells hoped to be able to regenerate damaged heart muscle in first heart attack victims

Rush cardiologists are hoping that transplanted stem cells can regenerate damaged heart muscle in those who experience a first heart attack. The study involves an intravenous infusion of adult mesenchymal stem cells from healthy donor bone marrow that might possibly reverse damage to heart tissue.

28 Apr 2006

Study indicates how drug efficacy can be increased by manipulating the signalling mechanism

Researchers believe they have found a way to change the action of 60 percent of currently available medications, in some cases making them many times more effective, according to an article published in the April 21 edition of the journal Science. The discovery has the potential to improve treatments for diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and arthritis. The study describes a new way to manipulate perhaps the most important signaling mechanism in human cells: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

28 Apr 2006

Osteoporosis could be caused by factors other than declining estrogen levels

New evidence in the April 21, 2006 Cell challenges the long-standing notion that declining estrogen levels alone lead to osteoporosis after women go through menopause. The researchers rather found that high levels of pituitary-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) cause bone loss in mice. The pituitary is a master gland found at the base of the brain.

26 Apr 2006

Does secondhand smoke increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in children?

Whether exposure to secondhand smoke increases the chance that children with a family history of cardiovascular disease will develop the disease themselves is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

26 Apr 2006

Evidence explains relationship between television and poor diet in children

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Children's Hospital Boston found that kids who spend more time watching television also eat more of the calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods advertised on television. Previous studies had demonstrated that children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight, but this is the first time a research team has found evidence for a mechanism explaining that relationship.

26 Apr 2006

New drug may revolutionize how chronic iron overload is treated in chronic anemia patients

Those with severe chronic anemias need frequent blood transfusions to remain healthy, but such frequent transfusions can cause a potentially deadly buildup of iron in the body, leading to heart and liver failure. The traditional treatment to remove excess iron is so onerous that many patients choose to forgo it, putting their own lives at risk. The results of an international study on deferasirox, a new drug that may revolutionize the way chronic iron overload is treated, will be published in the May 1, 2006, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

26 Apr 2006

Blood pressure readings lower if patients are allowed to relax and be comfortable

According to a new study from a team of nurses headed by Melly Turner, R.N., systolic blood pressure can be an average of 14 points higher when taken immediately after arriving in the exam room and sitting on an examination table rather than sitting in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor. In fact, all study participants had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements when seated in a chair versus the exam table.

26 Apr 2006

Children of snorers, three times as likely to snore themselves

Children of parents who snore are three times more likely to snore themselves, according to a new study by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Furthermore, children who test positive for allergies are twice as likely to snore.

26 Apr 2006

Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

New drug lixivaptan reduces excess fluid build-up in patients with congestive heart failure

Study highlights the benefits of a clinic that specializes in the needs of obese patients with metabolic syndrome

Simple formula that will enable anesthesiologists to predict blood needs in heart surgery

Lung function decline and outcomes in an adult population

Lipoxin A4 regulates bronchial epithelial cell responses to acid injury

The 30-year natural history of type 1 diabetes complications

Early myocardial enhancement defects (dark spots) on multidetector CT are valuable predictors of myocardial viability

British healthier than Americans in middle-age

Ability to complete quarter-mile walk a powerful predictor of health outcomes in elderly

Kidney patients warned away from potassium

New drug to treat rare Pompe disease gets FDA approval

HCM detection rates doubled when genetic testing and imaging information are combined

Transplanted stem cells hoped to be able to regenerate damaged heart muscle in first heart attack victims

Study indicates how drug efficacy can be increased by manipulating the signalling mechanism

Osteoporosis could be caused by factors other than declining estrogen levels

Does secondhand smoke increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in children?

Evidence explains relationship between television and poor diet in children

New drug may revolutionize how chronic iron overload is treated in chronic anemia patients

Blood pressure readings lower if patients are allowed to relax and be comfortable

Children of snorers, three times as likely to snore themselves

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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