Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

ClinGen expert panel disputes nine genes linked to long QT syndrome

Geneticists and heart specialists around the world had previously reported 17 genes to cause long QT syndrome, a little-known inherited heart condition. However, the Clinical Genome Resource's expert panel has critically reevaluated the scientific evidence for all 17 reported genes, disputing nine of the genes and revealing only three of the genes to be definitively associated with the most common form of the disease.

27 Jan 2020

Study traces the molecular roots of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The heart's ability to beat normally over a lifetime is predicated on the synchronized work of proteins embedded in the cells of the heart muscle.

27 Jan 2020

Antioxidants may mitigate the damaging effects of pollution on human health

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) refers to air pollution caused by traffic activity. A diet high in antioxidants such as the Mediterranean diet may help to alleviate some of the health issues called by TRAP.

27 Jan 2020

Robotic heart to replace human transplants on the horizon

Scientists are working to end the need for human heart transplants by 2028. A team of researchers in the UK, Cambridge, and the Netherlands are developing a robot heart that can pump blood through the circulatory network but is soft and pliable. The first working model should be ready for implantation into animals within the next 3 years, and into humans within the next 8 years.

26 Jan 2020

Snake stem cells create real venom to use as medicine

Poisonous snakes kill more than 90,000 people each year across the globe, with about 1.2 million to 5.5 million snake bites occur annually. Despite the venomous bite, scientists have limited knowledge of the snake’s venom, complicating efforts to develop treatments. A new study has found that snake venom gland cells can be cultured in the lab as adult-stem-cell-based organoids, producing real venom, which can be used to develop treatments.

26 Jan 2020

Surgeon General urges people to stop smoking

Smoking has been proven to be bad for health, causing a string of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, lung illness, and cancer. In the 2020 Surgeon General report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on tobacco, people are discouraged from smoking to live a healthier life but are also advised not to resort to vaping.

26 Jan 2020

First glioblastoma patient treated with genetically modified poliovirus at UH

University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center treated its first patient in a new clinical trial to validate the groundbreaking effects of the poliovirus on glioblastoma, a deadly Grade IV cancer of the brain.

24 Jan 2020

A single number aids biomedical data scientists in finding deadly cancer cells

Biomedical data scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the number of genes a cell uses to make RNA is a reliable indicator of how developed the cell is, a finding that could make it easier to target cancer-causing genes.

24 Jan 2020

New soft, stretchable battery could power wearable technologies

Electronics are showing up everywhere: on our laps, in pockets and purses and, increasingly, snuggled up against our skin or sewed into our clothing.

24 Jan 2020

New stigma-reduction intervention benefits obese individuals who struggle with poor self-image

People with obesity are often treated with less respect than other people, discriminated against, and socially devalued because of their weight.

24 Jan 2020

Study sheds light on how norepinephrine release influences the fear-memory formation

Researchers at RIKEN Center for Brain Science have visualized the dynamic processes involving norepinephrine that influence different types of fear-memory formation in a living mouse model.

24 Jan 2020

Study reveals new "crosstalk" between intestinal microbes and developing thymic cells

Newborns face unique immunological challenges immediately after birth. As they depart a relatively sterile fetal environment, they are abruptly exposed to a multitude of foreign antigens, the major burden of which is in the form of the microbiota newly colonizing the gastrointestinal tract.

24 Jan 2020

3D capillary system offers a new approach to investigate obstruction of microvessels

Engineered human capillaries are providing an astounding view of how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels.

23 Jan 2020

Implementation of combined pediatric observation unit improves patient outcomes, satisfaction

It's a quandary facing many busy emergency departments across the country: how to treat young patients who require emergency care and a brief stay while reserving limited inpatient beds for the most acute cases.

23 Jan 2020

Long-term air pollution makes rhinitis symptoms worse

A new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that people exposed to polluted air out of doors show more severe symptoms of rhinitis, a very common condition also called a cold. This is due to an inflammation of the nasal mucosa.

23 Jan 2020

New method could help doctors avoid ineffective or unnecessarily risky treatments

In a usual management setting, after a person has had a heart attack or stroke, algorithmic risk models are used to calculate the risk of death for the patient. These algorithms or models utilize various factors such as age of the patient, gender, previous history, family history, ethnicity etc.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists uncover genetic information of what keeps us healthy

Genetics plays a role in the overall health and well-being of humans. Genes provide instructions for making proteins, which help determine the structure and function of each cell in the body. Aside from determining the characteristics inherited, genes have been linked to many diseases. Scientists have determined the genetic information of health.

23 Jan 2020

Landmark study identifies 102 genes associated with autism risk

In the largest genetic sequencing study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, researchers have identified 102 genes associated with risk for autism. The study also shows significant progress towards teasing apart the genes associated with ASD from those associated with intellectual disability and developmental delay, conditions which often overlap.

23 Jan 2020

New Distinguished Scholar Award aims to mitigate gender gaps in medical research

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - an international leader in medical and scientific training, biomedical research, and patient care - today announced the recipients of the first-of-its-kind Distinguished Scholar Award, a new annual grant sponsored by the Office of Gender Equity in Science and Medicine. The awards aim to mitigate gender gaps in medical research by supporting researchers with additional project resources while they serve as family caretakers.

23 Jan 2020

Researchers solve long-standing mystery linked to contraction of heart cells

We've all felt the effects of an adrenaline rush. Faced with danger, real or perceived, the heart beats faster, breathing quickens and muscles tighten as the body prepares to fight a threat or flee from it.

23 Jan 2020