Feature Channels: Cardiovascular Health

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An examination of the 2013 guidelines for determining statin eligibility, compared to guidelines from 2004, indicates that they are associated with greater accuracy and efficiency in identifying increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and presence of subclinical coronary artery disease, particularly in individuals at intermediate risk, according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA.

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Virginia Wadley, Ph.D., says until this new JAMA study, whether or not stroke survivors are at-risk over the long term was an unknown.

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According to a new series of studies out of NYU Langone Medical Center, two chemicals increasingly used during manufacturing to strengthen plastic wrap, soap, cosmetics, and processed food containers have been linked to a rise in risk of high blood pressure and diabetes in children and adolescents.

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It’s important to know about the causes of unrecognized, or silent, heart attacks and how to prevent them.

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Among patients with a first episode of pulmonary embolism (the obstruction of the pulmonary artery or a branch of it leading to the lungs by a blood clot) who received 6 months of anticoagulant treatment, an additional 18 months of treatment with warfarin reduced the risk of additional blood clots and major bleeding, however, the benefit was not maintained after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy, according to a study in the July 7 issue of JAMA.

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A stroke happens in an instant. And many who survive one report that their brain never works like it once did. But new research shows that these problems with memory and thinking ability keep getting worse for years afterward – and happen faster than normal brain aging.

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Other topics include repairing injured nerves, busted heart attack treatment, decorative brain molecules, and more...

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An estimated 65 percent of ischemic stroke survivors experience cognitive impairment and decline. However, little is known about the varying roles of cognitive risk and protective factors before, during and after stroke.

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Researchers have long had reason to hope that blocking the flow of calcium into the mitochondria of heart and brain cells could be one way to prevent damage caused by heart attacks and strokes. But in a study of mice engineered to lack a key calcium channel in their heart cells, Johns Hopkins scientists appear to have cast a shadow of doubt on that theory. A report on their study is published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Common extra heartbeats known as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) may be a modifiable risk factor for congestive heart failure (CHF) and death, according to researchers at UC San Francisco.

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Other topics include memories and protein, physics and gas mileage, agriculture and food safety, vaccine for Dengue, retinoblastoma proteins in cancer progression, and more.

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MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center was the first hospital in the Washington metropolitan region to implant the newly approved WATCHMAN™ Device. The new device is designed to prevent stroke in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation who are seeking an alternative to blood-thinning medication. Blood thinners are effective in reducing the risk of stroke for patients with A-fib, but many cannot tolerate these medications because of the risk of bleeding. The WATCHMAN device, which resembles a tiny umbrella, is used to close off a pouch on the left side of the heart, which is believed to be the source of the majority of stroke-causing blood clots.

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New devices called stent retrievers are enabling physicians to stop strokes in their tracks. For the first time, new guidelines from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recommend the treatment for certain stroke patients.

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While heart disease is the number one cause of death in both sexes, it poses special considerations in women—with risks often beginning in childhood and changing at different stages of life. Insights on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in women and girls throughout the life span are shared in a special symposium feature in the June issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences (AJMS). The official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI), AJMS is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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Other topics include neurology, obesity, statins, and the risks of wearing high heels.

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New research shows that cardiovascular disease conditions trigger pathways that protect the blood vessels. The response may be a new therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular disease. This research is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.

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In the first randomized trial to look at statin effects on behavior, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that aggressive behavior typically declined among men placed on statins (compared to placebo), but typically increased among women placed on statins.

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A 44-year-old woman has received a successful heart transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, thanks to an experimental Total Artificial Heart designed for smaller patients. The UCLA patient is the first person in California to receive the smaller Total Artificial Heart, and the first patient in the world with the device to be bridged to a successful heart transplant.

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UCLA doctors used a 3-D model of a patient’s heart to guide a tricky minimally-invasive valve replacement. UCLA patient Richard Whitaker was not a candidate for traditional surgery due his heart's unique anatomy and previous surgeries. Doctors practiced with the 3-D heart model before the actual procedure to make sure the valve would fit, which it did! Richard is now back to work after having the procedure and looking forward to planning a trip to Europe.

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A University of Michigan Health System study reveals enzyme CD39 is capable of clearing the atherosclerotic plaque that leads to so many heart attacks and strokes.