Feature Channels: Cardiovascular Health

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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.

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The patient in the heart failure clinic had all the symptoms of digitalis toxicity from taking too much of the heart medicine digoxin. However, his dose was right and no one was sure what the problem was.

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In trying to understand the role of prostaglandins "“ a family of fatty compounds key to the cardiovascular system "“ in blood pressure maintenance, researchers discovered that mice that lack the receptor for one type of prostaglandin have lower blood pressure and less atherosclerosis than their non-mutant brethren.

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JAMA editorial by UMDNJ cardiologist says implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) should be implanted by board-certified electrophysiologists. The editorial comments on study results appearing in the new edition of JAMA.

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In addition to highlighting the latest clinical research, this year's meeting will provide insights into anticipated updates to hypertension treatment guidelines and data exploring health disparities and proposed solutions. Contact Press Room Mangers to register or receive embargoed materials.

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Patients with coronary artery disease -- blockages of the vessels that feed the heart -- can be treated in a number of ways. With their doctor, they decide on the best course of action: surgery, stent placement or medication. Sometimes, a combination of these is the best approach.

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Elective repair for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is on the rise, yet total AAA- related deaths continue to decline since the introduction of endovascular repair (EVAR), according to an ongoing, long-term research report from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

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A little more than a year after University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists showed they could turn skin cells back into stem cells, they have pulsating proof that these "induced" stem cells can indeed form the specialized cells that make up heart muscle.

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In a new study from The Netherlands, published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, researchers have found that intermittent claudication (cramping or pain caused by decreased blood flow to the lower leg muscles) can be reduced through community supervised exercise therapy programs in regional physiotherapeutic practices.

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Drs. Cam Patterson and Paula Miller, both UNC Health Care cardiologists, tackle a taboo subject: Is it OK for a couple to resume their sex life after one of them has had a heart attack? And if so, what do they need to be aware of?

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Carotid endarterectomy yields better short-term results than carotid artery stenting in patients with carotid artery disease, according to a 30-day outcomes report from the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Registry for Carotid Procedures, published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery®, by the Society for Vascular Surgery.

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People with even minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness, according to a study from the Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine in the UK.

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Some of the problems left after a stroke "“ such as paralysis on one side of the body, or difficulty with swallowing "“ are easy to see and address. But stroke survivors may be left with damage to their brain that makes it hard for them to interpret the environment around them. This 'hidden disability' requires targeted diagnostic and treatment strategies.

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Six months ago, Alice County was dying from congestive heart failure. Her weak heart was barely pumping blood, she was listless, had no appetite and had dropped 50 pounds in less than a year, and was so short of breath that she slept sitting up. Doctors were afraid that she wouldn't live until a donor heart could be found, and even if she did, they feared she couldn't survive the arduous surgery. But thanks to a livesaving VAD and ultimately a heart transplant, this story has a happy ending.

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Rising unemployment rates, the worst Wall Street crises since the end of World War II, record home foreclosures. There is plenty of stress to go around. What effect is stress having on our health and what can we do about it?

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Advances in the scientific battle against the nation's most persistent killer, cardiovascular disease, are the focus of the University of Kentucky Cardiovascular Research Day Friday, Oct. 24, at the Lexington Convention Center, 430 West Vine St., Lexington.

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Heart health isn't the only reason to pay attention to cholesterol levels: Research has shown that cholesterol plays an important role in prostate health as well. September has been designated both National Prostate Health Month and National Cholesterol Education Month, and the American Urological Association (AUA) and the AUA Foundation are urging men to decrease their risk of developing prostate cancer by managing their cholesterol.

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National health groups today commended the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee for approving crucial legislation aimed at fighting heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in women, their No. 1 killer.

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Thousands of patients with high blood pressure could benefit from changing their drug treatment regimen to reduce their risk of cardiac death.

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In a large clinical trial involving patients with coronary artery disease, use of B vitamins was not effective for preventing death or cardiovascular events, according to a study published in the August 20 issue of JAMA.

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Cholesterol, both good and bad, gets plenty of attention when the subject is reducing the risk of heart disease. Yet triglycerides, a form of fat that circulates in the blood, merit similar attention, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

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Seven years after Joaquin Lucio's kidneys shut down, he had a heart attack and was taken to a Los Angeles area hospital where doctors performed an angioplasty to clear his coronary arteries. He also was suffering from idiopathic congestive heart failure "“ a condition in which the heart becomes weak and enlarged "“ and a special pacemaker was implanted to provide support.

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Improving patient care by "personalizing" the practice of medicine often results from studying specific drugs and their impact on genetic biomarkers.

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According to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts. The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training.

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On June 16, 2008, Barbara Ganschow of Palatine, IL, became the first person in the world to be successfully treated with a new device designed to make it safer and easier for heart specialists to create a hole in the cardiac atrial septum. The hole, created by the NRGTM Transseptal Needle, allows cardiac catheters to cross from the right side of the heart to the left side.

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Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have manipulated cell activity that occurs during the interruption of blood flow to strongly protect heart tissue in animal studies. The finding has the potential to become an emergency treatment for heart attack patients, particularly since already existing drugs might be pressed into service to produce the protective effects.

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What type of intervention, if any, should cardiologists offer their patients who have a heart abnormality called myocardial bridging and symptoms of heart problems? A research team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch and RWTH Aachen University in Germany has developed a new classification system that may help guide decision-making.

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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been used as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents for several decades, but these agents may have significant gastro-intestinal adverse effects. Selective cyclooxygenase (COX-2) inhibitors, or "coxibs," were developed in the early 1990s as a response to the Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and selective cyclooxygenase. (COX-2) inhibitors, or "coxibs," are used for a number of disease conditions for relief of pain and inflammation.

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Surgeons attempting complex cardiac repairs while the heart is still beating need images that show depth "“ especially when operating on children and newborns. Cardiac surgeons at Children's Hospital Boston are finding promise in a technology borrowed from the gaming industry: flickering glasses that provide stereoscopic vision.

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Heart disease is the nation's number one killer for women. But, the well-known heart attack symptoms "“ acute pain, tightness, burning and a dull ache in the chest "“ describe what men typically experience during an attack. For many women the signs of a heart attack are completely different and can go unrecognized. Women tend to ignore signs of heart attack, thus increasing the likelihood of tragic consequences. With heightened attention to the facts about symptoms and treatments, much of this can be prevented.

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Fixing hearts from the inside out -- In a series of "firsts" and "mosts," the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute has established a leadership role in innovative and experimental techniques that are performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory instead of an operating room. Several conditions that once required open-heart surgery are now being corrected during intricate, procedures that deliver therapeutic devices to the heart non-surgically -- through blood vessels.

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Fixing hearts from the inside out -- On Nov. 26, 2007, doctors at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute performed the first "transcatheter" minimally invasive replacement of an aortic heart valve in the western United States, using the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter aortic heart valve developed by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Cedars-Sinai is one of 16 centers participating in a pivotal clinical trial (the PARTNER trial) of the device, and is the only site currently recruiting on the West Coast.

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Fixing Hearts from the Inside Out - Doctors at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute were among the first in California to offer an experimental therapy for atrial fibrillation using the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System. This system is designed to form a mechanical barrier that seals off the entrance to the appendage and prevents clots from forming. It is threaded to the heart through blood vessels, starting at the groin.

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Preventive health services offer the potential to both reduce costs and vastly improve overall health and well being, but these benefits generally are overlooked by policymakers. Dr. Daniel Jones, president of the American Heart Association, argues that prevention is an affordable investment that makes sense, and the issue deserves to be debated as a key component of the 2008 presidential election.

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The high-profile death of Tim Russert is raising awareness that stress tests may not be the best way to find potentially fatal heart disease. Dr. Mushabbar Syed at the University of Kentucky says an option to more accurately identify a patient's risk is a coronary calcium scan performed via commuted tomography (CT) imaging, which the university is helping to implement at rural hospitals.

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Carla Sparrow was facing the challenge of being just 19 years old and pregnant when her doctor noticed something was not quite right with her heart. She could not have imagined what lay ahead--a common childhood illness had damaged her heart, leading to heart failure, the emergency birth of her son at just 29 weeks gestation, open heart surgery, and eventually a complete heart transplant.

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Early detection of cardiovascular disease will not eliminate heart attacks, but it can help people adopt lifestyle changes and introduce medical intervention that may reduce both the number and severity of serious cardiovascular events according to health expert, Debbie Williams.

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Cardiologist Dr. Gerald Berenson of Tulane University advocates preventing heart disease early by teaching children healthy lifestyles.

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Dr. Timothy S. Harlan, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, provides delicious recipes and sound nutritional advice as "Dr. Gourmet" on his nutrition website at www.drgourmet.com.

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The P.A.D. Coalition has released new patient resources in Spanish on P.A.D. which are available free for health care professionals and the general public.

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USC has some of the nation's leaders in research, care and prevention of heart disease.

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Many preschoolers are classified as sedentary when it comes to physical activity. A UMass Amherst researcher is giving preschoolers 30 minutes of structured, outdoor exercise at school to determine if this will impact their weight and health, protecting them from heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

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Regular Internet "visits" with health care professionals can help lower risk of cardiovascular disease, finds recent research out of Temple University.

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In an effort to ensure safety and optimal care following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced today the development of guidance to help hospitals and physicians determine the appropriate length of stay following the procedure.

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Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood Jr. of East Carolina University successfully performed his 400th robot-assisted mitral valve repair Friday, June 20, 2008. The surgeon has performed more of these surgeries than anyone else.