Heart News and Research

RSS

Cephalosporins three times more effective than penicillin

Pediatricians treating a child who has strep throat should reconsider the role of penicillin given that a newer class of antibiotics called cephalosporins are three times more effective, according to a study being published in the April issue of Pediatrics. The findings will spark widespread debate, because they contradict long-established guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association,and World Health Organization.

5 Apr 2004

Implantable defibrillator cuts heart attack risk of sudden death by 31%

Researchers at Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill., and the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y., found that the previously demonstrated survival benefit of ICDs following a heart attack can last up to 15 years.

5 Apr 2004

BRITONS risk dying prematurely from cancer due to ignorance

An NOP survey, released today by Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, reveals that only three per cent of those surveyed know that people who are overweight are more likely to develop cancer than people of normal weight, while 70 per cent are aware of the link with heart disease.

5 Apr 2004

Yohimbe Tree Bark Hold Promise for Revolutionizing Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

New findings at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to accelerate recovery from anxiety disorders suffered by millions of Americans.

4 Apr 2004

New Study Links Passive Smoke to Heart Attacks

A study published in today's British Medical Journal suggests that banning smoking in a community can result in an almost immediate drop-off in the number of heart attacks in that community. The study, which was originally presented at the 52nd Annual College of Cardiology Scientific Session in 2003, examined the number of people in Helena, Mont., who were admitted to the hospital for a heart attack before, during and after a local ordinance banned smoking in public and workplaces.

3 Apr 2004

New center enables genetic treatments and advances

A new state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to helping produce modified cells for treatment of cancer and other diseases recently opened at the Siteman Cancer Center.

1 Apr 2004

How rat's genetic blueprint stacks up against those of mice and humans

An international research team, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced it has completed a high-quality, draft sequence of the genome of the laboratory rat, and has used that data to explore how the rat's genetic blueprint stacks up against those of mice and humans.

31 Mar 2004

Heart disease can be reduced substantially by regularly treating existing gum infections

Reinforcing the relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease, oral biologists from the University at Buffalo have shown that levels of two inflammatory proteins known to raise the risk of heart disease can be reduced substantially by regularly treating existing gum infections.

31 Mar 2004

Aspirin surgery on neck arteries can prevent complications

Popping an aspirin the night before you are due to have surgery on neck arteries could help prevent a dangerous complication, a team of researchers at the University of Leicester has discovered.

30 Mar 2004

Emerging technologies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine analysis

Pathbreaking developments in tissue engineering and regenerative therapies are facilitating the design and growth of new organs in labs using biopolymer scaffolds and matrices. Analysis of potential markets for tissue engineering reveals that basic problems such as vascularity must be solved before such implants can gain acceptance as standard treatment methods.

30 Mar 2004

Trial of new drug that may halt progression of Type I Diabetes

The results of a long-term clinical trial on a new drug designed to inhibit the progression of type I diabetes was announced at the International Diabetes Society meeting in Cambridge, England, March 29. The findings of the 18-month long clinical trial confirm the drug's efficacy in improving a diabetic's ability to produce insulin.

30 Mar 2004

Antarctic fish may aid cardiac research

A species of fish that lives in Antarctic waters may hold clues to climate change and lead to advances in heart medicine. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are investigating the behaviour and physiology of the little-known 'Antarctic Cod' that has survived in Antarctica's extreme environment for around 30 million years.

30 Mar 2004

First large-scale clinical trial of chelation therapy, a controversial treatment for heart disease

NYU Medical Center has begun enrolling patients in the first large-scale clinical trial of chelation therapy, a controversial treatment for heart disease widely practiced by complementary and alternative medicine physicians. The new, government-funded nationwide study will determine whether the therapy benefits people with coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

30 Mar 2004

Cardiac sympathetic denervation the heart’s control from the sympathetic nervous system

Surgery to cut part of the nerves to the heart can reduce the risk of fainting or sudden death in young people with a heart rhythm disorder called long QT syndrome (LQTS), researchers reported in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

29 Mar 2004

Listening to music can ease osteoarthritis pain

US research has shown listening to music for 20 minutes a day can reduce perceived pain levels among older people suffering from chronic osteoarthritis.

29 Mar 2004

Almost half of all medicines globally are used irrationally according to WHO

Almost half of all medicines globally are used irrationally. This, say medicines experts at the World Health Organization (WHO), can have severe consequences: adverse drug reactions, drug resistance, protracted illness and even death. In addition, the financial cost incurred by individuals and governments due to irrational use is unnecessary and often extremely high, particularly in developing countries where patients often pay for medicines out of pocket.

29 Mar 2004

BHF anti-smoking adverts hit nerve with general public

An incredible 94% of smokers surveyed said they recognised at least one element of the 'Give Up Before You Clog Up' campaign, with the 'dripping fat cigarette' TV advert sticking in the memories of 90% of those surveyed. The survey was conducted by leading research agency, Hall and Partners, who say the statistics beat any other advertising campaign they have worked on.

29 Mar 2004

Texan child receives world's first scaled-down heart pump or child ventricular assist device

A six-year-old Texas Children's Hospital patient is the first pediatric patient in the world to receive a MicroMed/DeBakey® child ventricular assist device (VAD), recently approved by the FDA for use in children. The new, scaled-down heart pump improves blood flow for patients awaiting heart transplants.

27 Mar 2004

Anti-ageing formula recalled due to excessive vitamin D3

Aloe Commodities International, Inc., Carrollton, Texas, is recalling 1600 bottles of Solutions IE Ageless Formula II, Lot numbers P2207 and P2221 because they contain a significantly higher-than-labeled level of vitamin D3. (Approximately 188,640 International Units (IU) are present in each serving size of 6 capsules instead of the intended level of 400 IU). The product is distributed by Solutions International, Inc., Orem, UT.

27 Mar 2004

St. John’s wort may interfere with cancer-fighting drug’s ability to prevent relapse in leukemia patients

St. John’s wort, an herb thought to be a safe, natural remedy for mild depression, may interfere with a powerful cancer-fighting drug’s ability to prevent relapse in leukemia patients, a University of Florida pharmacy researcher will report March 27 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

26 Mar 2004