- British Heart Foundation Announces New Round Of Research Investment In Dundee
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced a new raft of research grants worth almost £900,000 to scientists across Scotland.
Among those winning awards are researchers from the University of Dundee. - Nurses Next Line Of Defense For Heart Patients When The Doctor Is Out
According to a landmark study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, heart failure (HF) patients who received routine follow-up by a nurse in addition to visits to a physician had fewer hospitalizations and functioned better than patients who received only usual care. The study appears in the August 15, 2006 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. - Abbott Enrolls First Patient In New Clinical Trial Of XIENCE(TM) V Drug Eluting Stent
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today enrollment of the first patient in its SPIRIT IV clinical trial for the continued evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the XIENCE(TM) V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease in a more complex patient population. - Swedish Medical Center In Seattle Enters Heart-Surgery Affiliation With Cleveland Clinic
Swedish Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic -- an international leader and the top-ranked heart center in America according to U.S. News and World Report -- today announced a clinical affiliation in cardiac surgery that will further enhance heart care offered by the Seattle medical center. This is the first affiliation Cleveland Clinic has established with another cardiac-surgery program on the West Coast. - Signalife, World Renown Professional Athletes, Partner For Wellness And Athletic Dominance
Signalife, Inc. ("Company"), (Amex: SGN) announced that it has initiated its cardiovascular wellness and athletic program. The first engagement will be the most demanding i.e. testing and utilization with worldwide track and field athletes as well as nationwide fitness facilities. Through this program the parties intend to explore protocols for the utilization of Signalife's revolutionary product. - Heart Failure Drugs May Be Beneficial For Patients With Hardening Of The Arteries
Drugs currently used to treat heart failure should be considered for all patients with hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet. The study suggests that ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors may reduce the number of serious circulatory problems, such as heart attack and stroke, in patients with atherosclerosis. - Boosting The ‘Good' Cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
When it comes to cholesterol, most of us worry about too much of the “bad” kind, low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It causes plaque to build up in and potentially block the arteries that supply your heart with blood. - New Tools To Help Pinpoint Treatments For Heart Failure Devised By Researchers
Scientists studying heart cells have devised a new way to visualize and quantify the rise and fall in the activity of a key enzyme linked to heart failure, offering them a window to the inner workings of heart cells that is expected to help in the development of more effective drugs to treat heart failure. - Antibody Binding To Heart Muscle Cells Disrupts The Beating Heart
Congenital heart block (CHB) is a condition in which the transfer of electrical nerve impulses that regulate the rhythmic pumping of heart muscle is altered. Although CHB is strongly associated with the transfer, via the placenta, from mother to fetus of antibodies to the ribonucleoproteins SSA/Ro and/or SSB/La, the precise role of these antibodies in CHB was not previously known. - Bayer Diagnostics Expands Availability Of High Sensitivity And High Precision Troponin Assay
Bayer HealthCare, Diagnostics Division, a member of the Bayer Group (NYSE: BAY), announced today the availability of its new Tnl-Ultra(TM) Troponin assay on ADVIA Centaur(R) CP Immunoassay system. The launch of the TnI-Ultra assay on ADVIA Centaur CP provides additional options for high sensitivity troponin testing on Bayer's immunoassay systems. ADVIA Centaur CP TnI-Ultra assay is an addition to ADVIA Centaur and ADVIA IMS TnI-Ultra assays released earlier this year. - CardioTech Signs Agreement With Principle Investigator For CardioPass(TM) European Clinical Trial
CardioTech International, Inc. (Amex: CTE), a developer and manufacturer of innovative medical devices, today reported that it has signed an agreement with a Principle Investigator for the European clinical trial of its CardioPass(TM) synthetic coronary artery bypass graft. - Making Heart Surgery Intervention Safer
Eureka project E 2654 Viacortis has developed new techniques to monitor the viability of heart tissue during heart surgery, so that cardiac surgeons have a real-time, comprehensive indication of how the heart is reacting. - New Explanation For The Cause Of Atherosclerosis: The Acidity Theory
Recent findings were reported by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego, linking mechanical forces with structural and biochemical changes in blood vessel cells that could explain why atherosclerotic lesions form preferentially at branches of coronary arteries. The study from Roland Kaunas and colleagues was published online in Cellular Signalling on February 28, 2006 and will appear in the journal's October 2006 issue. - Micell Technologies And Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Expand Research Collaboration
Micell Technologies announced an expansion of its license agreement for using supercritical fluids for creating medical device surface modifications with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory, managed by Battelle. Under the expansion of the agreement, research will focus on additional applications of the award winning e-RESS technology for creating drug-eluting coatings for cardiovascular stents. - CVD Patients Should Be Tested For Chronic Kidney Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients and those at risk for CVD should consider getting blood and urine tests that can detect chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a new American Heart Association Science Advisory. - High Blood Pressure Induces Low Fat Metabolism In Heart Muscle
"The heart is the single most energy-consuming organ per weight in the body," says Lisa de las Fuentes, M.D.
Under some conditions this energy-hungry organ is prone to defects in its energy metabolism that contribute to heart disease, according to research published in a recent issue of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology by de las Fuentes and colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. - FoxHollow Technologies To Participate In Canaccord Adams Summer Seminar
FoxHollow Technologies (Nasdaq: FOXH), which manufactures and markets the SilverHawk(TM) Plaque Excision System, a minimally invasive device for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD), is scheduled to participate in the 26th Annual Canaccord Adams Summer Seminar on Wednesday, August 9, 2006, in Boston, Massachusetts. - Important Notice To All Bjork-Shiley Convexo-Concave Heart Valve Implantees
Because of a risk of strut fracture that could result in death or serious injury, all Bjork-Shiley Convexo-Concave Heart Valves (BSCC) were removed from the market by the manufacturer. Approximately 86,000 of these heart valves were implanted in patients worldwide. Under a class action settlement agreement in the Bowling, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., et al. heart valve litigation, financial benefits are still available to certain patients implanted with the BSCC heart valve. - Older Age A Risk Factor For Brain Hemorrhage In Patients Both On & Off Common Blood Thinner Therapy
Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain whether or not they are using a common blood thinning therapy, according to a new study. - TandemHeart(R) PTVA(R) System From CardiacAssist Used In Nation's Top-Ranked Hospitals
The TandemHeart(R) PTVA(R) System from CardiacAssist, the world's only extracorporeal 5.0 lpm circulatory support system, is used in 17 of the top 20 heart and heart surgery hospitals in the U.S. and 11 of the nation's top 14 hospitals overall, based on 2006 rankings recently released by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital ranking is included in the magazine's 17th annual guide to America's best hospitals. - How Young Is Your Heart? World Heart Day, Sunday September 24th 2006
A calorie restricted, nutritionally balanced diet has been associated with slowing the ageing process of the heart - which is why this year's World Heart Day campaign asks: “How Young is Your Heart?” - Stress Imaging Tests Predict Prognosis Of Heart Disease In Obese Persons
Researchers identified an accurate method that may detect whether obese individuals have a low, intermediate or high risk of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, notes a report in the August issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. - When Should Cardiac Arrest Patients Be Resuscitated Outside Hospital?
Canadian researchers have devised guidelines aimed at helping EMTs (emergency medical technicians) decide when to halt resuscitation procedures for cardiac arrest patients outside hospital. - Robotic Surgery Techniques Used In Cardiac Cell Therapy Research By U Of MN
Researchers at the University of Minnesota were successful in using robotic surgery to deliver stem cell treatment to damaged heart tissue in pigs. - Revised ACC/AHA/ESC Guidelines On Atrial Fibrillation Recommend New Approach: Stroke Risk
Risk factors for stroke should be used to determine whether anti-clotting therapy is given to people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to revised Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation released today by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. - American College Of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society Of Cardiology Scientific
Risk factors for stroke should be used to determine whether anti-clotting therapy is given to people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to revised Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation released today by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. - Tufts Researchers Find That Omega-3's Can Reduce Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
A comprehensive review of published clinical studies by research associates at Tufts-New England Medical Center has found that increased consumption of DHA* and EPA** (omega-3's), "reduces the rates of all-cause mortality, cardiac and sudden death, and possibly stroke." - The Combined Impact Of Obesity, Diabetes, And Cardiovascular Disease Is The World's Biggest
Leading clinicians, medical organizations, and the 2006 Cardiometabolic Health Congress will convene to discuss and debate state-of-the-art therapies to prevent type 2 diabetes and reduce cardiovascular risk in the growing number of patients at increased cardiometabolic risk. The congress will take place October 19-21, 2006 at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston, M.A. and will attract practicing endocrinology, cardiology and primary care clinicians throughout North America. - Research Into Early Detection Of Life-Threatening Embolisms Using MRI
Dr. Jonathan Weinsaft of Weill Medical College of Cornell University has been awarded a Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Grant, one of only 11 bestowed this year. The $400,000 award will support research into new imaging techniques to detect heart blood clots in patients recovering from heart attacks. - Doctors Remove Clots With A Corkscrew
Dr. Pierre Gobin and Dr. Dana Leifer are studying whether MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), in an emergency setting, can help determine if ischemic stroke patients would benefit from intervention with a device known as the MERCI Retriever. The MERCI Retriever is a tiny corkscrew-like device that can be threaded through the circulatory system and into an artery near the surface of the brain to ensnare and remove a clot.
( - Improved Gene Therapy Method For Hereditary Heart Conditions Tested By UF Scientists
A new way of delivering corrective genes with a single injection into a vein holds promise for long-lasting treatments of hereditary diseases of the heart, University of Florida researchers report. - Pigeons Provide Clue To Solving Common Problem In Heart Patients
Through studying pigeons with genetic heart disease, researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered a clue about why some patients' heart vessels are prone to close back up after angioplasty. - Momenta Pharmaceuticals Files Investigational New Drug Application For Novel Anticoagulant
Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNTA), a biotechnology company specializing in the characterization and engineering of complex drugs, announced today that it has submitted an electronic Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin a Phase I human clinical study of M118, the Company's lead novel development candidate. M118 is an anticoagulant designed specifically to treat acute coronary syndromes (ACS). - Nanotechnology Enables Low-dose Treatment Of Atherosclerotic Plaques
In laboratory tests, one very low dose of a drug was enough to show an effect on notoriously tenacious artery-clogging plaques. What kind of drug is that potent? - New Wireless-Enabled Devices Extending The Reach Of Cardiovascular Care
As new-generation cardiac devices and monitoring products converge with wireless networks, medical professionals are acquiring the capability to monitor key patient parameters and implanted device data in near-real time. These new communication-enabled devices function like On-Stars for humans, sending data on a timed or exception basis. - Sports Legend Terry Francona Urges Americans To Understand The Signs, Symptoms And Risk Factors
Boston Red Sox manager, Terry Francona, spent his entire life devoted to baseball. In 2004, leading his team to the victory championship was a dream come true in more ways than one. After suffering from a pulmonary embolism (PE), a complication of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), Terry is lucky to be alive. Today, he is devoting his time to another dream: reducing the risk of DVT. - WorldHeart Announces Five Years Of Novacor LVAS Support In A US Recipient
World Heart Corporation (Nasdaq: WHRT, TSX: WHT) (WorldHeart), a global technology leader in mechanical circulatory support systems, announced today that a US patient entered his sixth year of continuous support on his original Novacor(R) Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS). - Carotid Artery Stenting Deemed Safe Treatment Option For Elderly In Recent Study
Carotid artery stenting can be performed safely in patients 80 years or older, according to study results released for the first time today at the 3rd Annual American Society of Interventional & Therapeutic Neuroradiology (ASITN) Course & Workshops in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. - Carotid Stenting Reduces Symptoms Of Depression
Inserting a stent to open a narrowed carotid artery has been found to reduce symptoms of depression that may be associated with carotid stenosis, according to a study in the August issue of Radiology. - Digitalis Safe In Patients With Common Form Of Heart Failure, Study Shows
Despite a widely held belief that the heart drug digitalis shouldn't be given to patients with diastolic heart failure, a new analysis shows it is relatively safe. - Study Suggests CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent More Cost-Effective Than The Taxus Stent
The CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent is more cost-effective than the Taxus Stent for treating patients at high risk of artery re-blockage, according to a German study published in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study found that use of the CYPHER(R) Stent was associated with similar in-hospital costs but significantly lower total costs at 9 to 12 months compared to Taxus. - Boston Globe Examines Concerns Over Heart Disease Guidelines Published In Paid Supplement To Medical
The Boston Globe on Tuesday examined controversy over heart disease detection guidelines published recently in a paid supplement to the American Journal of Cardiology. The guidelines recommend that all men ages 45 to 75 and women ages 55 to 75 receive screenings -- as well as follow-up tests years later -- to detect calcium deposits in blood vessels and measure blood flow to the brain. The recommendations, if followed nationwide, would affect 50 million people and cost more than $25 billion. - Study Examines Usefulness Of Cardiac CT Scan For Detecting Blockages In Coronary Arteries
Use of the 16-row multidetector computed tomography (CT) scan to detect narrowing of coronary arteries may result in a high number of cases in which the diagnosis cannot be determined, limiting the clinical usefulness of the test, according to a study in the July 26 issue of JAMA. However, the heart CT test may be useful in excluding coronary disease in selected patients. - Grueling Four-day Race Becomes Stanford Lab For Cardiac Experiments
Stanford cardiologist Euan Ashley wanted to study the hearts of endurance athletes, so he set up a mobile heart lab at the finishing line of the ultra-endurance race "Adrenalin Rush" in the Scottish Highlands and waited for the racers to come in. - Abbott Receives FDA Clearance For I-STAT(R) BNP Test To Diagnose Congestive Heart Failure
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its i-STAT(R) BNP cartridge, a new point of care diagnostic test used to quickly assess the level of BNP (brain naturietic peptide) in patients in emergency rooms, heart failure clinics and observation units, laboratories and other critical care settings. - OLYMPIA Phase I Registry Demonstrates Efficacy Of TAXUS(R) Liberte(TM) Stent System In Complex
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced preliminary six-month results from Phase I of its global OLYMPIA registry, supporting the safety and efficacy of the TAXUS(R) Liberte(TM) coronary stent system(1) in real-world patients. The results were announced at the SOLACI (Sociedad Latino Americana de Cardiologia Intervencionista) Congress in Porto Alegre, Brazil. - Long-term Ibuprofen Regimen After Brain Injury Worsens Cognition In Animal Study
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that chronic ibuprofen therapy given after brain injury worsens cognitive abilities. These findings - in a preliminary, animal-model study - have important implications for traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients who are often prescribed such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as ibuprofen for chronic pain. The findings appear online this month in Experimental Neurology. - Gene Mutation That Leads To "Broken Hearts" Found By UT Southwestern Researchers
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a group of fruit fly gene mutations responsible for "broken hearts" in the embryonic stages of development, a discovery that could help identify genes that cause human heart defects. - Heart Damage From Some Cancer Drugs Worsens Over The Years Study Indicates
It is well documented that some anti-cancer drugs can damage the heart, but a long-term follow-up of children and young adults who had doxorubicin [1] treatment for bone tumours suggests that the damage gets progressively worse as the years go on. - Some Spinal Cord Patients May Benefit From Aggressive Heart Pacing
Patients with recurring problems with the heart slowing or stopping after a neck injury damages their cervical spinal cord may need aggressive therapy to avoid further cardiovascular problems and even death, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. - Oral Rehydration Works As Well As Intravenous Rehydration For Diarrhoea
In wealthy countries it is fashionable to prefer intravenous therapy (IVT) over oral rehydration therapy (ORT). A Cochrane Review however, shows that ORT is just as effective as IVT. - Heart Has Enough Oxygen To Survive Hypothermia, CPR Crucial
Researchers from Norway may have ruled out insufficient oxygen supply to the heart as the critical variable in whether a mammal's heart survives while in a hypothermic state. - Blood Test Predicts Sickle Cell Disease Complication, Identifies Patients At High Risk Of Death
A team of scientists with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has found that a hormone detected in a simple blood test can identify patients with sickle cell disease who have developed a life-threatening complication called pulmonary hypertension. The team has also found that the same hormone is a clear predictor of death in adult sickle cell patients. - All Men With ED Should Be Monitored For Heart And Vascular Disease Say Researchers
An Italian study of men with erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease (CAD) has shown for the first time that the rates of dysfunction differ according to the type and severity of the disease. - Revealed: Inflammatory Processes In Arteriosclerosis
Revolutionary new results concerning substances that play major roles in the inflammatory response have been published in the American scientific journal PNAS in two articles from Karolinska Institutet. Inflammation is important in, for example, cardiovascular disease. The results open the way for the development of new drugs both for prevention and for treatment. - Women With Certain Types Of Migraines Have Higher Risk Of Heart Disease
Women who have migraines with visual problems have increased risk for heart disease, according to a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Long Island Newsday reports. - Migraines With Aura Associated With Increased Risk For Cardiovascular Disease
Women age 45 years or older who experience migraines with aura (associated neurologic symptoms such as temporary visual disturbances) are at a higher risk for heart attack, ischemic stroke, angina and death due to ischemic cardiovascular disease compared to women who do not report a migraine history, according to a study in the July 19 issue of JAMA. In contrast, migraine without aura, the most common form of migraine, was not associated with increased risk of any cardiovascular event.
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