Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

New brain chemical test to predict heart attack yet appropriately used

A new brain chemical test that predicts which patients with heart attack symptoms are at higher risk of dying is paradoxically not being used in younger, healthier patients who could benefit the most from the prognostic information provided by this test

21 Mar 2006

Some patients may no longer need hypertensive medications after bariatric surgery

Severely obese patients may experience significant, long-term improvements in blood pressure as they lose substantial amounts of weight after gastric bypass surgery, thereby contributing to their overall health, according to a new University of Pittsburgh study, published in the March issue of the Archives of Surgery.

21 Mar 2006

Yale researchers shed new light on the mechanism of nerve cell growth

Researchers at Yale shed new light on the mechanism of nerve cell growth by identifying novel functions for a molecular "motor" protein, myosin-II, according to an article in Nature Cell Biology.

20 Mar 2006

Some soft drinks exceed governmental caffeine recommendations

Some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers, University of Florida researchers warn.

20 Mar 2006

Early treatment with pharmacological therapy may reduce hypertension

Patients experiencing high normal blood pressure (HNBP), a precursor to hypertension, may benefit from early treatment with pharmacological therapy, according to new research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 55th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2006

Diabetics benefit less from anti-hypertensive treatment to reduce enlarged heart

Standard blood-pressure-lowering treatment to reduce dangerously enlarged hearts is much less effective and less beneficial in diabetic vs. nondiabetic patients, a team led by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center researchers reports in this month's issue of Circulation.

20 Mar 2006

Carotid stenting beneficial for patients with disease but no symptoms

Results from the largest-ever multi-center U.S. registry on the efficacy of carotid stenting shows that the procedure is safe in patients who are at high risk for standard surgical therapy.

20 Mar 2006

Study to Rituximab's potential to preserve insulin production in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetics

A drug used to treat lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders may enable newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetics to save some of their pancreas function and thereby reduce their susceptibility to long-term complications.

20 Mar 2006

Hypertension reduced with early intervention

Treating pre-hypertension with medication and lifestyle modifications reduces the risk of patients progressing to hypertension, a new study involving researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has concluded.

19 Mar 2006

Using nicotine gum or patches while still smoking may help smokers quit

Smokers trying to kick the habit might stand a better chance of staying smoke-free if they begin using replacement nicotine patches or gum in the weeks before they quit cigarettes.

19 Mar 2006

New understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another

Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs.

19 Mar 2006

Vaccinated adults less likely to die from pneumonia

Adults hospitalized for pneumonia who have received the pneumococcal vaccine are at a lower risk of dying from the disease than those who haven't been vaccinated, according to an article in the April 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

19 Mar 2006

GlaxoSmithKline receives NDA for Coreg CR

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that the new drug application (NDA) for Coreg CR has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

17 Mar 2006

You're so vain, you probably think this "article" is about you!

Norwich Union Healthcare's 'Mr Vain' study, which surveyed over 500 men, suggests that a third of men hate their stomachs, 20% are unhappy with their legs and a quarter admit they have issues with their entire body.

17 Mar 2006

Regular exercise closes the fitness gap between young and old

Researchers found in a study comparing sedentary adults in their 60s and 70s with those in their 20s and 30s, that older men and women had to use much more oxygen to walk at the same speed as their younger counterparts.

17 Mar 2006

Forget the bathroom scales and get out the tape measure!

A new study has found that waist measurements are a better indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than body mass index (BMI).

16 Mar 2006

Warning on caffeine loaded sodas and sports drinks

According to researchers at the University of Florida (UF) some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are so loaded with caffeine they can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers.

16 Mar 2006

Cleaner air equates to a longer life

Researchers in the U.S. say reductions in fine particulate air pollution appears to have an affect on mortality.

16 Mar 2006

Older people are far more likely to successfully quit smoking

Older women appear to quit smoking and stay off cigarettes in higher numbers than men in their age group, and older men and women are more likely to quit if they have recently received a diagnosis of cancer, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

15 Mar 2006

New model is able to accurately predict survival for patients with heart failure

A new model developed at the University of Washington provides an accurate estimate of one-, two-, and three-year survival rates and average years of survival for patients with heart failure.

15 Mar 2006