Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Fabricated cancer study published in the Lancet

In a somewhat shocking revelation it has been disclosed that a Norwegian cancer expert made up fictitious patients for an article about treatment of oral cancer published in a leading medical journal.

16 Jan 2006

Diabetes gene found in 40% of population

Researchers in Iceland say they have identified a single genetic change which could predispose close to 40 percent of the population to type-2 diabetes.

16 Jan 2006

Inhaled corticosteroids most effective for persistent asthma in children

While both inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) have been proven to help control mild-to-moderate persistent asthma in school-age children, a new study shows ICS may be the more effective treatment.

11 Jan 2006

“Optimal” radiation therapy best bet for surviving breast cancer

Although radiation therapy following a mastectomy is known to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurring, the effect of radiation therapy on survival has long been controversial.

11 Jan 2006

Obesity in middle age raises heart disease and diabetes risk

Obesity in middle age - even without established cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels - greatly increases risk of hospitalization for and death from heart disease and diabetes in older age, according to a study in the Jan. 11 issue of the JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association.

10 Jan 2006

Heart patients don't stick to drug programs

A new report says that although people with coronary artery disease (CAD) are now more likely to use evidence-based therapies than they were a few years ago, there is still room for improvement.

10 Jan 2006

Erectile dysfunction may be sign of coming heart disease

Most wives would say their husbands are notoriously bad about avoiding the doctor’s office. Erectile dysfunction (ED) might be the only problem that prompts some men to go to a physician. According to a new study, it could be their best chance at finding out they have underlying cardiovascular disease.

10 Jan 2006

Fuel for Living - Government dishes up recipes for health

Almost a third (33 per cent) of 16-24 year olds admit they have passed off a ready meal as their own creation when they wanted to impress someone according to a Department of Health.

10 Jan 2006

Diet rich in veggies lowers blood pressure

Researchers say that a diet rich in vegetables rather than meat can help to reduce blood pressure, and the more plant protein consumed the better.

10 Jan 2006

Study finds short-term lifestyle changes improve health even without major weight loss

Obese and overweight individuals suffering metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes showed significant health improvements after only three weeks of diet and moderate exercise even though the participants remained overweight.

10 Jan 2006

More women need to know about folic acid's ability to prevent birth defects

Each year in Minnesota, more than 2,000 babies are born with birth defects. Many of those birth defects likely could have been prevented if the mother had taken enough folic acid.

10 Jan 2006

HHS awards $56.9 million to tackle health disparities

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced the awarding of $56.9 million by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD).

10 Jan 2006

Coronary artery disease patients consistently fail to take life saving drugs

Nearly half the coronary artery disease (CAD) patients in a seven-year study admitted they don’t consistently take beta blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs and other medications that could extend their lives, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Jan 2006

Administering stem cells to patients with myocardial infarction leads to a reduction of the size of the infarct

This week, doctors at the Catholic University of Leuven, connected with the University Hospital - Gasthuisberg, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), are publishing a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

9 Jan 2006

rhTSH combined with radiation therapy successfully destroys remaining thyroid tissue

A multicenter international study, including Johns Hopkins, has found that after surgery for thyroid cancer, giving genetically engineered human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) before radioiodine treatment avoids the previous need to stop thyroid replacement therapy and the miserable side effects that go with it.

9 Jan 2006

Fatigue in long-term breast carcinoma survivors

Up to one third of women treated for breast cancer report fatigue symptoms up to 10 years after diagnosis, according to a new study.

9 Jan 2006

Obesity increases risk of kidney failure seven fold

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have determined that there is a strong relationship between being obese and developing end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure.

8 Jan 2006

Low-fat, high-carb diet not associated with weight gain in postmenopausal women

In a clinical trial of over 48,000 post-menopausal women, a low-fat diet that includes increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is not associated with weight gain over an average of 7.5 years, according to a study in the January 4 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Jan 2006

Use of L-arginine following a heart attack provides no benefit

Use of the amino acid supplement L-arginine following a heart attack does not improve certain cardiac functions and measurements and may be associated with an increased risk of death, according to a study in the January 4 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Jan 2006

Quality of care for acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients with alcohol-related diagnoses

Older Americans with alcohol problems do not get worse treatment than their sober peers when they are hospitalized for a heart attack, according to new research on Medicare patients across the country.

6 Jan 2006