Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Sharp declines in hospital death rates in 2004

Sharp declines in the hospital death rates of patients from heart attack and five other leading conditions meant that an estimated 136,000 who would have died had they been hospitalized a decade earlier survived their stays in 2004, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Oct 2007

Landmark stent trial to be presented at TCT 2007

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) will release results of its landmark research study, HORIZONS AMI (Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction) at the nineteenth annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in Washington, D.C.

16 Oct 2007

GERD can masquerade as persistent cough or even severe chest pain

Many people may not realize that symptoms such as chronic cough or chest pain can be caused by acid reflux into the esophagus, because they do not experience classic heartburn symptoms or acid regurgitation.

16 Oct 2007

Siestas and heart health

Where does the benefit lie in an afternoon nap? Is it in the nap itself--or in the anticipation of taking a snooze? Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that the time just before you fall asleep is where beneficial cardiovascular changes take place.

16 Oct 2007

Depression among patients with coronary artery disease

Depression has long had a popular link to cardiovascular disease and death. However, only during the last 15 years scientific evidence supporting this common wisdom has been available (Glassman et al., 2007a).

16 Oct 2007

Chemists turn carbon monoxide into potential cardiovascular therapy

During Carbon Monoxide Awareness week, EPSRC highlights how researchers are harnessing the gas for beneficial use.Despite its deadly reputation, the gas carbon monoxide (CO) could actually save lives and boost health in future as a result of leading-edge UK research.

16 Oct 2007

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality expands research on therapeutics program

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced the award of $41.6 million over the next 4 years for a new coordinating center and 10 research centers as part of its Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) program.

16 Oct 2007

Low-volume whole-blood sensors could transform cardiac testing

University of Ulster researchers have teamed up with scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay on a project to develop low-volume whole-blood sensors that could transform point-of-care cardiac testing.

15 Oct 2007

The importance of the endocannabinoid-system

Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely produced plant-based illicit drug worldwide and the illegal drug most frequently used in Europe.

15 Oct 2007

Important insights into blood vessel formation

Researchers have identified a molecular pathway that plays a critical role in the growth of blood vessels.

15 Oct 2007

Even low levels of weekly exercise can be beneficial

Even low levels of weekly exercise can drive down blood pressure and boost overall fitness according to new research for the University of Ulster.

15 Oct 2007

Central venous catheters may harm patients

Central venous catheters are commonly used to provide permanent hemodialysis for patients with serious kidney disease.

15 Oct 2007

Enzyme TPPII may contribute to obesity

The enzyme TPPII may contribute to obesity by stimulating the formation of fat cells, suggests a study in EMBO reports this week.

15 Oct 2007

Quick new method nails adenoviruses in 48 hours

New techniques have enabled scientists to carry one of the most comprehensive studies of adenoviruses ever performed in the United States.

15 Oct 2007

Statins cut heart attacks by more than a quarter

A study into the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs has found they reduce heart attacks by more than 25 per cent.

12 Oct 2007

Picking the right stress test for heart disease risk analysis

Stress tests are good front-line tests indicators of heart disease, but just how good depends on ordering the right one, researchers say.

12 Oct 2007

Transthyretin protein may accelerate atherosclerosis

Scientists report in the November 2007 issue of the Journal of Lipid Research that a protein called transthyretin (TTR) that is present in the blood may accelerate the development of atherosclerosis - a potentially fatal heart disease in which the arteries are progressively narrowed and hardened over time, reducing blood flow to the heart.

12 Oct 2007

RNA-binding protein key to understanding myotonic dystrophy type 1

Increased levels of a protein called CUGBP1 play an important role in the adult-onset form of muscular dystrophy called myotonic dystrophy type 1, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in the journal Molecular Cell.

12 Oct 2007

Red wines may defend against food-borne pathogens

Red wine is known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from common food-borne diseases.

12 Oct 2007

Penn awarded $2.1 million grant for cardiovascular research

Cardiac researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have received a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pioneer studies in cardiovascular disease management and participate in a novel collaboration network to develop and implement research in this critically important field.

12 Oct 2007