Feature Channels: Cardiovascular Health

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Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a key protein that promotes the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans and mice. This groundbreaking discovery has implications for future drug therapies that may extend the life of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and prevent the need for lung transplantation, currently the only cure for this debilitating disease.

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A study that includes twins finds that the risk of hip fracture was significantly increased following a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with analysis also suggesting a genetic predisposition to the development of CVD and fractures, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

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Treating hypertension in adults 60 years old and older can help them live longer, healthier lives, according to an updated review.

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A new study recently published online by the American Heart Journal shows that more than half of all randomized clinical trials, or RCTs, for cardiovascular disease are not reporting vital information about the study populations race or ethnicity. NYU School of Medicine researchers found that out of the 156 cardiovascular disease RCTs analyzed, only 35% of trials reported any information on race or ethnicity between 1970 and 2006. From 2000 to 2006, 46% of trials included that information.

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An updated Cochrane review finds that stroke patients who participate in a post-stroke walking program walk faster, longer and more independently than non-exercisers.

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A new review shows that diuretics — inexpensive drugs often recommended as a first-line treatment for high blood pressure — are also effective when added as a second agent to other blood-pressure lowering drugs.

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How far you can reach beyond your toes from a sitting position may be an indicator of how stiff your arteries are. Because arterial stiffness often precedes cardiovascular disease, the results suggest that this could be a quick measure of a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke.

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The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) received a $1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote the health of women who suffer from, or are in danger of suffering from, venous thromboembolism (VTE).

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Maximizing the proportion of time spent performing chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) substantially improves survival in patients who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting, according to a multicenter clinical study that included UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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Even though the incidence of atrial fibrillation is higher in men than women, a review of past studies and medical literature completed by cardiac experts at Rush University Medical Center shows that women are more likely than men to experience symptomatic attacks, a higher frequency of recurrences, and significantly higher heart rates during atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk of stroke.

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In a small “proof of principle” study, stroke researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Illinois have found that a simple, one-minute eye movement exam performed at the bedside worked better than an MRI to distinguish new strokes from other less serious disorders in patients complaining of dizziness, nausea and spinning sensations.

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African Americans have a significantly higher risk of developing potentially deadly DVT and PE compared with other ethnic populations in the U.S. The Office of Minority Health urges “Know Your Risk and Help Prevent Blood Clots.”

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AHRQ has released "Staying Active and Healthy with Blood Thinners," a new 10-minute video to help educate patients about how to use anticoagulant drugs, commonly called blood thinners, safely. The video is available in both English and Spanish.

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The world’s largest quality of life study of chronic angina patients has revealed that almost one in three experience frequent chest pain, which affects their daily life.

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In 1958, a team comprised of a groundbreaking engineer -- Dean Franklin -- in concert with two exceptional physicians -- Drs. Robert Rushmer and Robert Van Citters – was laying the foundation for what would eventually become a radical new approach to health care: the noninvasive imaging and treatment of the heart.

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Many people think twice before adding a dash of salt to their food, but don’t realize that the majority of dietary sodium comes from packaged foods and eating out, according to a new study.

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Cardiac resynchronization can delay the progression of heart failure, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The treatment reduced the risk of serious heart failure events by 41 percent.

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Black patients with high blood pressure experience poorer communication with their doctors than white patients do, a study led by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher has found.

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QRS duration (QRSd) is one of several measures of heart function recorded during a routine electrocardiogram (ECG). It is a composite of waves showing the length of time it takes for an electrical signal to get all the way through the pumping chambers of the heart. Prolonged QRSd is a sign of an abnormal electrical system of the heart and is often found when the heart isn't pumping efficiently.

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A new study from NYU School of Medicine found that women may have a slightly higher risk of death than men in the thirty days following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but that these differences appear to be attributable to factors such as severity and type of ACS. The study, published in the August 26, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found however that overall there was no significant difference in mortality observed between the sexes after a heart attack. The large observational study pooled 136,247 ACS patients from 11 independent, international randomized clinical trials between 1993 and 2006.

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Minorities have poorer results and higher rates of unnecessary surgery from a common procedure used to remove plaque from inside the carotid artery, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center doctor who is lead author of the study in the journal Stroke.

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Even as low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets have proven successful at helping individuals to rapidly lose weight, little is known about the diets' long-term effects on vascular health. Now a study by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests the popular diet regimen may have an adverse effect on the body's restorative capacity.

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New findings from nutrition researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest that it's not whether body fat is stored in the belly that affects metabolic risk factors for diabetes, high blood triglycerides and cardiovascular disease, but whether it collects in the liver.

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For those who suffer from fainting spells, the mysterious episodes can be quite scary. Far too often, fainting is chalked up to stress or other mental health issues. However, medical experts at Rush University Medical Center say that reoccurring fainting spells, also known as syncope, could be an important symptom that can point to a more serious, underlying cardiovascular condition.

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The University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center will sponsor its Heart of the Hunter Health Fair Aug. 22-23 at Cabela's outdoor superstore in Dundee, Mich. Free checks for cardiovascular risk, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels will be available.

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"Silent" strokes, which are strokes that don't result in any noticeable symptoms but cause brain damage, are common in people over 60, and especially in those with high blood pressure, according to a study published in the July 28, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Cardiovascular disease is increasing in adults under 50 and those of lower socioeconomic status, despite recent trends which show that cardiovascular disease is declining in Canada overall, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. Untreated cardiovascular disease can lead to heart failure, coronary artery disease and death, and is the most common cause of hospitalization in North America.

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While both males and females are at risk for stroke, males have a particular sensitivity. Data show that male stroke victims outnumber females by about two to one. Women are likewise at risk for stroke and, as they age, their outcomes are often worse than their male counterpart's. A renowned expert in stroke and sex differences talks about how one disease affects the two genders.

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Different types of work site exercise programs have multiple benefits, including reduced neck and shoulder pain for employees who do all-around exercise and lowered heart disease and stroke risk factors for those who do strength training, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

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Pig heart valves used to replace defective aortic valves in human patients failed much earlier and more often than expected, says a report from cardiac surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This is the first report to demonstrate this potential problem, the researchers say.

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New research indicates that a finding on a routine electrocardiogram that signals a disorder of the electrical conducting system in one part of the heart and previously believed to be benign is associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation, the implantation of a pacemaker or death, according to a study in the June 24 issue of JAMA.

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Long-term estrogen use does not protect male-to-female transsexuals from death due to cardiovascular disease but does not appear to raise their overall death rate, a new study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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The Lancet has published a meta-analysis of the six large-scale randomized clinical trials of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among over 95,000 apparently healthy men and women worldwide. Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., the first Sir Richard Doll Research Professor at FAU is a member of an international writing group that co-authored the meta-analysis.

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A simple, inexpensive diagnostic test, the six minute walk test, can reliably predict risk of death or re-hospitalization in African-American patients with heart failure, according to a cardiology researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.

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Persons with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a lower risk of all-cause death and coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease compared to persons with lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, according to an analysis of previous studies appearing in the May 20 issue of JAMA.

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Recycling your pacemaker? In U-M surveys, reported Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Society's Annual Scientific Sessions, patients and funeral directors say they'd be willing to donate pacemakers to patients who needed them. The U-M Cardiovascular Center is laying the groundwork to distribute used pacemakers to heart disease patients across the globe.

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A new study, published in the May 11 Archives of Internal Medicine, shows that women with chest pain but without coronary artery disease are at an elevated risk for cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke.

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A diet designed to prevent and treat high blood pressure also may be associated with a lower risk of heart failure among women, according to a report in the May 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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The responses of older adults who are asked whether they had a stroke frequently do not agree with diagnoses obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, along with an international team of collaborators, have identified common genetic changes associated with blood pressure and hypertension. The study, reporting online next week in Nature Genetics, breaks new ground in understanding blood pressure regulation and may lead to advances in hypertension therapy.

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First study to assess the correlation between left ventricular hypertrophy and staging of ambulatory blood pressure in children and adolescents was unveiled today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009). Data showed that ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring and staging can more accurately predict a child's risk for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a precursor to cardiovascular disease (CVD), than current diagnostic methods using casual blood pressure measurements.

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Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) provide more clarity about the development of hypertension in children and gender disparities. These data suggest that the relationship between low birth weight and hypertension becomes stronger as individuals become older, particularly in white males as opposed to females or blacks. In addition, a separate analysis revealed that variations in blood pressure (BP) measurements in children are related to the development of hypertension in adulthood, especially in blacks.

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Two studies presented today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) underscore the importance of addressing racial disparities in treatment provided by community-based practices (CBP) and suggest more intensive practical studies are needed. Data shows that despite receiving treatment, African-Americans more likely to have several uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors.

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Results presented today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) reveal that hypertension is still disproportionally prevalent in African-American women living in Boston's inner city neighborhoods, despite recent improvements in diagnostic and treatment options. Study authors conclude that a mobile health screening method is effective in identifying and educating undiagnosed or poorly controlled hypertension populations with limited access to preventative healthcare and call for an increase in community-based interventions to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Data from the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial presented today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) show that low blood pressure levels may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. These data supplement previous findings from the TNT trial of atorvastatin showing aggressive LDL cholesterol-lowering reduced cardiovascular events.

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Results presented from the HORIZONS-AMI trial, a prospective, open-label, multicenter, controlled study, enrolled 3,602 heart attack patients at 123 centers in 11 countries, 3,006 of whom were randomized to paclitaxel-eluting stents versus otherwise identical bare metal stents.

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New meta-analyses presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) summarize results of all clinical trials to determine optimal treatment strategies for stroke and heart disease prevention. Data summarize the optimal initial antihypertensive treatment to reduce two of the most common and deadly cardiovascular events related to blood pressure ─ stroke and coronary heart disease.

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Geisinger cardiologist Kimberly Skelding is one of 17 doctors in the country who is implanting the Watchman LAA device in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) as part of a nationwide clinical trial.

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Prior to its annual meeting, ASH will sponsor the Health Fair Pavilion at the San Francisco Cinco de Mayo festival being held at Mission Dolores Park on Saturday, May 2, and provide free comprehensive blood pressure and cholesterol screenings and complimentary health management products.