Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

The heart can heal itself

World Congress of Cardiology Report - Despite the dramatic advances in the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases that have occurred in the second half of the 20th century, heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of death in developed nations.

5 Sep 2006

Cardiovascular disease prevention program for Chile

World Congress of Cardiology Report - Fifty-five percent of the Chilean adult population is at risk of a cardiovascular event with a high rate of morbidity and mortality affecting mainly a productive population, between 35 and 74 years of age. This risk is 1.4 times greater for men.

5 Sep 2006

Test on viability of heart muscle identifies patients who will benefit from angioplasty after clot-lysing therapy for an acute heart attack

Emergency angioplasty (balloondilation of the coronary vessel) is the preferred treatment for patients with an acute heart attack. Because of its limited availability worldwide, the majority of patients who are admitted to the hospital with a heart-attack are treated with clot-lysing drugs (thrombolysis).

5 Sep 2006

Aspirin resistance: Fact or fable?

Coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the Western world. Aspirin is a fundamental part of the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease and is used by millions of patients worldwide.

5 Sep 2006

Preventing bleeding is key to the treatment of acute coronary syndromes

On Monday, September 4 and Tuesday, September 5 at the World Congress of Cardiology, Dr. Christopher Granger presented data stressing the importance of prevention of bleeding as a key objective in treatment of acute coronary syndromes.

5 Sep 2006

Simple bedside test may identify heart attack risk

The reason behind why patients who are on aspirin still have heart attacks is an important topic in cardiovascular disease.

5 Sep 2006

How effective is continued Plavix therapy in patients undergoing a repeat stent procedure?

Clopidogrel (Plavix) is used worldwide in millions of patients after placement of coronary artery stents. Sales of the drug exceed 5 billion US dollars.

5 Sep 2006

One of the largest Japanese cardiovascular trials confirms angiotensin receptor blockade protects people who have a wide range of cardiovascular diseases

The first controlled large-scale intervention trial of angiotensin receptor blockade in Japanese patients has confirmed that the cardiovascular protective effects of the drug valsartan is greater than to those seen with other therapies giving the same level of blood pressure control.

5 Sep 2006

Researchers find way to decrease risk of atherosclerosis that accompanies long-term use of protease inhibitors

Physiologists may have found a way to decrease the risk of hardening of the arteries that accompanies the long-term use of protease inhibitors, a class of drugs that has emerged as the most effective treatment against HIV and AIDS.

5 Sep 2006

More aggressive treatment with statins necessary to lower LDL cholesterol in patients with coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome

More aggressive treatment with statins is necessary to lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in patients with coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome, a syndrome composing of three cardiovascular risk factors according to an online article published today by The Lancet.

5 Sep 2006

Overweight toddlers will be obese 12 year olds

Researchers in the U.S. who conducted a collaborative study involving the National Institute for Health and a number of academic institutions, say they have found that children who are overweight as toddlers or pre-schoolers are more likely to be overweight or obese in early adolescence.

5 Sep 2006

Drug-coated stents increase the risk of blood clots

Heart experts attending the World Congress of Cardiology have expressed their concerns over the long-term safety record of drug-coated stents.

5 Sep 2006

Wild vegetables key to life-prolonging Mediterranean diet

Eating wild food plants, native to countries in Southern Europe, helps people living in the Mediterranean to live longer and to have better health according to new research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester today.

4 Sep 2006

Managing diabetes with nutmeg seeds

It may soon be possible to manage the serious condition of diabetes naturally using nutmeg seeds (Myristica fragrans) according to new research presented today at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

4 Sep 2006

New drug improves blood flow in diseased arteries

A new drug has been shown to improve blood flow in diseased arteries, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks, a Monash University study published today reveals.

4 Sep 2006

Individuals with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to psychological stress

Individuals with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to psychological stress compared to those who do not suffer from depression, according to a study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine.

4 Sep 2006

Bird flu: a new sampling campaign is planned in Africa

Asia, Europe, Africa... The bird flu epidemic has not needed a passport to cross borders, but has almost certainly required a vector.

4 Sep 2006

Improvements needed in China heart care

Inequitable and cost-inefficient allocation of scarce resources has been found to be a key problem in the management of heart attack and severe angina patients in China, according to the results of a study announced today at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona, Spain.

4 Sep 2006

U.S. Army to trial of Glypromate to reduce brain injury from cardiac arrest

Neuren Pharmaceuticals today announced that physicians from Madigan Army Medical Center (Madigan) in Tacoma, Washington, will conduct an investigator- initiated Phase 2 trial to determine the safety and efficacy of Glypromate in reducing brain injury caused by out of hospital cardiac arrest.

4 Sep 2006