Congestive Heart Failure News and Research

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Congestive Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump blood the way it should. In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can't send blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems. "Heart failure" doesn't mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, it's a serious condition that requires medical care. Heart failure develops over time as the pumping of the heart grows weaker. It can affect the right side of the heart only or both the left and right sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.

Caltech researcher explores link between variable heart rate, health and fitness

Although the heart beats out a very familiar "lub-dub" pattern that speeds up or slows down as our activity increases or decreases, the pattern itself isn't as regular as you might think. In fact, the amount of time between heartbeats can vary even at a "constant" heart rate-and that variability, doctors have found, is a good thing.

23 Sep 2014

Medicare experiment shows initial promise

Accountable care organizations, an Affordable Care Act model that rewards providers who produce better quality at lower cost, are showing promise in Wisconsin and Iowa. Meanwhile, a top Medicare adviser outlines other needed changes.

22 Sep 2014

RT with concurrent chemotherapy post surgery is effective for treating endometrial cancer

Radiation therapy with concurrent paclitaxel chemotherapy following surgery is an effective treatment for patients with high-risk endometrial cancer, according to a study published in the September 1, 2014 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology ● Biology ● Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

10 Sep 2014

New iodine-based contrast material enhances CT images to safely use in most patients

According to new research performed at the Mayo Clinic, iodine-based contrast material injected intravenously to enhance computed tomography (CT) images can be safely used in most patients. The study appears online in the journal Radiology.

9 Sep 2014

Extracting Cardiac Leads: An Interview with Barry Norlander from Cook Medical

The pacemaker or ICD unit, which is the implanted box or generator i.e. the electrical component of the device that's implanted in the chest, usually lasts between seven to 10 years before the generator’s battery is depleted.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 2 Sep 2014

Viewpoints: Medicare no longer 'busting' the budget; a 'nightmare' trying to get coverage in D.C.

You're looking at the biggest story involving the federal budget and a crucial one for the future of the American economy. Every year for the last six years in a row, the Congressional Budget Office has reduced its estimate for how much the federal government will need to spend on Medicare in coming years.

29 Aug 2014

New wireless monitoring sensor helps doctors and patients manage heart failure problems

Unexpected trips to the hospital are inconvenient and worrisome for anyone, but for congestive heart failure sufferers, they can be all too frequent.

27 Aug 2014

Researchers identify predictors of early rehospitalization among patients with COPD

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have identified predictors of early rehospitalization among patients hospitalized for complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study was recently published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

13 Aug 2014

Phase 3 ASPIRE clinical trial meets primary endpoint of progression-free survival

Amgen and its subsidiary, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that a planned interim analysis demonstrated that the Phase 3 clinical trial ASPIRE (CArfilzomib, Lenalidomide, and DexamethaSone versus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for the treatment of PatIents with Relapsed Multiple MyEloma) met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS).

4 Aug 2014

Household income plays key role in avoidable hospital visits across New Jersey

The household income of its residents is the most important factor in whether a community has high or low rates of avoidable hospital visits - conditions that could be better managed in a doctor's office or other health care settings if treated at an early stage, according to a report released today by the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (CSHP).

31 Jul 2014

Cardioxyl reports positive results from CXL-1427 Phase I trial for treatment of ADHF

Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the positive results of a clinical trial demonstrating that CXL-1427, a novel potential treatment for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), was well tolerated in healthy volunteers.

28 Jul 2014

Phase 3 trial: NEXAVAR tablets fail to meet primary endpoint in HER2-negative breast cancer patients

Bayer HealthCare and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., an Amgen subsidiary, today announced that an investigational Phase 3 trial of NEXAVAR (sorafenib) tablets in patients with advanced breast cancer did not meet its primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival (PFS).

25 Jul 2014

PAH disease burden ‘significant’

Patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension have a substantial burden of disease, with more than half hospitalised during the first 3 years post-diagnosis, research shows.

15 Jul 2014

Mercy Memorial Hospital System signs LOI to join Promedica

Mercy Memorial Hospital System signed a letter of intent to join ProMedica, a not-for-profit, multi-hospital system based in Toledo, Ohio.

9 Jul 2014

UCB, Dermira enter into licensing agreement for development, commercialization of Cimzia

UCB, a global biopharmaceutical leader, and Dermira, Inc., a privately held US-based dermatology company, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and future commercialization of Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) in dermatology.

3 Jul 2014

Poll: 5 percent of 2013 uninsured now have coverage

The Gallup survey pegged the uninsured rate at 13 percent. Meanwhile, in exchange news, The Denver Post notes increased sign-ups, and Oregon works to retain workers for its troubled marketplace.

26 Jun 2014

Six essential screening tests all men should receive during lifetime

When it's comes men and health, the numbers don't stack up. Compared to women, men are 24 percent less likely than women to visit the doctor, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Yet, men are 28 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for congestive heart failure and 32 percent more likely to receive care for complication of diabetes.

17 Jun 2014

Risk factors for hospital readmissions identified in stroke patients

Hospital readmission, an important measure of quality care, costs the United States an estimated $17 billion each year. And according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about half of those readmissions could be avoided.

11 Jun 2014

iGetBetter selects Validic platform to access data from broad range of biometric devices

iGetBetter, Inc., a supplier of post-acute care transition solutions, and Validic, the healthcare industry's premier technology platform for accessing digital health data, announced today that iGetBetter has selected the Validic platform to access data from a broad range of available biometric devices as part of its care transition solution focused on reducing readmissions.

10 Jun 2014

PointRight releases PointRight Pro 30 to track and reduce rehospitalization rates

PointRight Inc., providing industry-standard analytics for healthcare providers and payers, announces the release of PointRight® Pro 30™, an upgraded version of its popular tools leveraging big data to track and reduce rehospitalization rates in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

5 Jun 2014