Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Bypass surgery more likely than angioplasty to relieve coronary artery disease pain

Patients with mid-range coronary artery disease are more likely to get relief from painful angina and less likely to have repeat procedures if they get bypass surgery rather than balloon angioplasty with or without a stent, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

17 Oct 2007

Little difference in risk rates for angioplasty, bypass procedures

Patients with heart disease who undergo coronary angioplasty have an equivalent risk of death and heart attack as patients who undergo coronary bypass surgery, according to Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

17 Oct 2007

Severely mentally ill at high risk for cardiovascular disease

A psychiatrist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that although mortality from cardiovascular disease has declined in the United States over the past several decades, patients with severe psychiatric illness are not enjoying the benefits of that progress.

17 Oct 2007

Scientists reassess heart disease causes

Almost 3,000 Northern Ireland people are to take part in a Queen's study analysing their risks of developing heart disease in the future.

17 Oct 2007

Parenting interventions for the prevention of unintentional injuries in childhood

Teaching parenting skills could be an effective way to reduce childhood injuries, a new review of studies suggests, especially for disadvantaged families.

17 Oct 2007

Mental disorders are disorders of the brain

Depression, anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, dementia and Parkinson's disease are just a few examples of "disorders of the brain".

17 Oct 2007

Garlic boosts hydrogen sulfide to relax arteries

Eating garlic is one of the best ways to lower high blood pressure and protect yourself from cardiovascular disease.

17 Oct 2007

Findings could lead to new therapy for spinal cord injury

Research led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has identified a target with potential as an effective new therapy for chronic spasticity and rigidity, a painful condition that often results from spinal cord injury.

17 Oct 2007

Dietary advice for reducing cardiovascular risk

Diet is an important part of coronary heart disease prevention, and a new review of studies finds that dietary advice leads to modest improvement in risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, especially in people at higher risk.

17 Oct 2007

CryoCath files patent infringement lawsuit

CryoCath Technologies Inc., the global leader in cardiac arrhythmia products to treat cardiovascular disease, today announced it filed against CryoCor, Inc. a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

17 Oct 2007

Carnegie Mellon, Pitt team use wrist-mounted instrument to measure psychosocial stress

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, led by Pitt Psychology Professor Thomas Kamarck, are studying the effectiveness of a wrist-mounted instrument for measuring psychosocial stress exposure during the course of daily life.

17 Oct 2007

Anti-fibrinolytics reduce blood loss during cardiac surgery

The amount of blood loss that occurs during major complex surgery is limited by the body's ability to form blood clots.

17 Oct 2007

Nanna naps prevent heart attacks

British researchers have discovered that a "nanna nap" or siesta in the afternoon can help lower the blood pressure and possibly ward off heart attacks.

17 Oct 2007

Combo of exercise plus calorie cuts best for maintaining weight loss

According to a review of dozens of clinical trials, cutting down on calories and exercising are the best ways of shaking off that extra weight over the long-term.

17 Oct 2007

Usage of complementary and alternative medicine therapies high among those with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

A high proportion of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) report previous or current use, and interest in future use, of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, according to a study published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).

16 Oct 2007

Risk of death following bariatric surgery

Approximately 1 percent of Pennsylvania residents who underwent bariatric surgery between 1995 and 2004 died within one year of the surgery and nearly 6 percent died within five years, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Surgery, a theme issue on bariatric surgery.

16 Oct 2007

Modafinil effective treatment for excessive sleepiness

A study published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM) finds that modafinil is well-tolerated in the treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with disorders of sleep and wakefulness such as shift work sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and narcolepsy, and does not affect cardiovascular or sleep parameters.

16 Oct 2007

Blood levels of progesterone may impact blood vessel function

Blood levels of progesterone, a major female sex hormone, may play an important role in modifying vascular function in postmenopausal women, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

16 Oct 2007

People overestimate sleep times

Self-reports of total sleep times, both habitually and on the morning after a polysomnogram (PSG), or a sleep test, tend to be higher than objectively measured sleep times, according to a study published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).

16 Oct 2007

Nighttime acid reflux and sleep

According to results of a survey presented at the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, nighttime acid reflux, along with some of the less typical manifestations or symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is associated with significant sleep impairment.

16 Oct 2007