Feature Channels: Cardiovascular Health

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New research finds that there is an inverse association between the level of supine (lying face up) systolic blood pressure measured on admission to an intensive care unit for acute chest pain and risk of death at one year, with those patients having high systolic blood pressure having a better prognosis after a year, according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA.

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Patients who suffer from plaque-related narrowing of a carotid artery but are not good candidates for open surgery may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of a minimally invasive procedure designed to open carotid arteries the way angioplasty and stenting clear arteries of the heart.

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Individuals between 30 and 80 years of age, who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or non-severe stroke within the past 30 days, and who cannot be treated surgically, may be eligible to participate in a Phase III clinical trial of a minimally invasive stenting procedure at the Cedars-Sinai Neurovascular Center.

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A study questions the effectiveness of routine aspirin therapy in preventing heart disease, while another suggests that LVADs may aid in weight loss for obese patients awaiting a heart transplant.

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Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years. A new study shows, for the first time, a direct relation between loneliness and larger increases in blood pressure four years later—a link that is independent of age and other factors that could cause blood pressure to rise.

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An experimental thyroid drug reduces cholesterol without the troublesome side effects experienced by some people on statins, according to a study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. An international team of investigators at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, the Karolinska University Hospital and Institute, and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research tested a substance called Eprotirome in patients with high cholesterol.

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People whose “bad” cholesterol and risk of future heart disease stay too high despite cholesterol-lowering statin therapy can safely lower it by adding a drug that mimics the action of thyroid hormone. In a report published in the Mar. 11, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Johns Hopkins and Swedish researchers say an experimental drug called eprotirome lowered cholesterol up to 32 percent in those already on statins, an effect equal to that expected from doubling the statin drug doses, without harmful side effects.

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New Saint Louis University research found that beta blockers are underused in heart failure patients who receive an implantable cardiac device, suggesting a reliance on technology rather than conventional drug therapy.

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The first edition of James Toole’s Cerebrovascular Disorders, published in 1967, was the first modern stroke textbook. Now, more than 40 years later and through five editions, a new edition has been released for both specialists and residents.

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Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that patients admitted to hospice care who have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are rarely having their ICDs deactivated and are receiving electrical shocks from these devices near the end of life.

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New data reported at a scientific meeting from the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial (CREST) finds the overall safety and efficacy of the two procedures essentially the same. But in those age 69 and younger, the stenting works better than the surgery, says the chair of biostatistics at UAB and other researchers, and the surgery seems to work better in those age 70 and higher.

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The CREST trial that compared traditional surgery with less-invasive stenting to clear dangerously clogged carotid arteries in the neck is being called "seminal and robust."

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A large nationwide study that includes neurologists from Mayo Clinic has found that blacks are substantially less likely than whites to know that they have atrial fibrillation or to use warfarin, the most common treatment for the condition. Atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm, significantly increases risk of stroke. Warfarin is known to reduce that risk.

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For dialysis patients, high scores on a new fatigue rating scale predict an increased risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular events, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

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A study by Indiana U. prof Marieke Van Puymbroeck found that a modified version of cardiac rehab helped reduce risk factors for stroke after Transient Ischemic Attacks, or "mini strokes." No post-TIA rehab exists to help prevent future strokes.

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When stroke strikes, choking off blood supply to the brain, every minute counts: Nearly 2 million neurons die each minute a stroke is left untreated, making it a race to recognize symptoms so that lifesaving “clot-busting” drugs can be administered. Forty-five percent of Americans – 135 million people -- are more than an hour away from primary stroke centers, the facilities that are best equipped to care for them if they are stricken by the condition, according to new research led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

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Creation of a genetic risk score comprised of multiple genetic markers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) was not associated with significant improvement in CVD risk prediction in a study that included more than 19,000 women, according to a study in the February 17 issue of JAMA.

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Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have reported new reasons for choosing “heart-healthy” oats at the grocery store.

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Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC), in collaboration with international partners in Spain and Switzerland and colleagues in California, have found that exposure to air pollution accelerates the thickening of artery walls that leads to cardiovascular disease.

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Know the signs of a heart attack, or better yet, what you can do to avoid one. Includes data from The Patient Poll.

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Parents of young children with asthma often recognize signs that their child is about to have an asthma attack but delay home treatment until the attack occurs, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

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Migraine sufferers are twice as likely to have heart attacks as people without migraine, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

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New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) says low potassium levels produce an increased risk of death or hospitalization in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In findings reported in January in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association, the researchers say that even a mild decrease in serum potassium level increased the risk of death in this patient group.

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Cardiologists and heart imaging specialists at 15 medical centers in eight countries, and led by researchers at Johns Hopkins, have enrolled the first dozen patients in a year-long investigation to learn whether the subtle squeezing of blood flow through the inner layers of the heart is better than traditional SPECT nuclear imaging tests and other diagnostic radiology procedures for accurately tracking the earliest signs of coronary artery clogs.

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Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, according to a landmark study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

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How exercise affects heart health.

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New, Less-Invasive Diagnostic for Cardiovascular Disease: Catheterization through the wrist, rather than the femoral artery. Fewer risks. Less Bleeding.

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American Heart Month in February is the perfect time to initiate lifestyle changes that can help lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, the world’s largest killers. Fitness expert Karin Richards provides simple lifestyle changes that can keep your heart healthy.

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I am 52 years old with no history of heart disease. I survived a heart attack and had six stents placed in my heart at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. People would say, myself included, that this couldn't be true because I was active, fit and tried to set a good example for those around me.

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Chronic stress following Hurricane Katrina contributed to a three-fold increase in heart attacks in New Orleans more than two years after levee breaches flooded most of the city, according to researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine.

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As we approach February and Heart Health enters the minds of consumers and news outlets, please consider GW experts for commentary on issues including cardiovascular disease, prevention, interventional cardiology and heart attack treatment, renal disease, hypertension, irregular heartbeats, and information on transradial cardiac catheterization.

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The sporting world lost two young athletes this month to sudden cardiac death. Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, and Southern Indiana center Jeron Lewis, 21, both had enlarged hearts at the time of their death.

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Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a promising x-ray free technique to treat a common heart disorder called atrial fibrillation – a breakthrough that could all but eliminate potentially dangerous radiation exposure to patients and their medical providers.

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Blocking the function of an enzyme in the brain with a specific kind of vitamin E can prevent nerve cells from dying after a stroke, new research suggests.

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A team of Johns Hopkins and other researchers have found in animal experiments that an antidepressant developed over 40 years ago can blunt and even reverse the muscle enlargement and weakened pumping function associated with heart failure.

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Pre-market approval by the FDA of cardiovascular devices is often based on studies that lack adequate strength or may have been prone to bias, according to a study in the December 23/30 issue of JAMA. The researchers found that of nearly 80 high-risk devices, the majority received approval based on data from a single study.

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University of Iowa researchers have shown that a protein channel helps nerve sensors in blood vessels keep blood pressure in check. Without the protein channel, known as ASIC2, the sensors are unable to send the brain the signals it needs to properly control blood pressure.

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Routinely used to treat patients for heart attack or high blood pressure, beta blockers are known for their role in helping to protect the heart. A new study in the January issue of the journal Anesthesiology looks at the effects of beta blockers on surgical outcomes, revealing that the cardioprotective effects of the medication could be compromised by acute surgical anemia.

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Studies reveal that deaths from heart disease peak in December and January, with spikes on Christmas and New Year's Day. The goal is to diagnose them as quickly as possible.

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Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many also take a low-dose aspirin daily to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yet they may be getting little protection, because Celebrex keeps the aspirin from doing its job, a new study suggests.

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Women with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who report taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, and death compared to women not taking these medications.

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In 1999, researchers analyzed 12 years of Los Angeles County death certificates and found that heart attack deaths rise in the balmy Los Angeles winter and peak on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Cardiologist Robert Kloner discusses his research.

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Obese patients who lost a moderate amount of weight by eating less and exercising more improved their cardiovascular health, says a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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New research shows a long-term benefit in screening people for CRP, a marker for inflammation, even if they have normal levels of bad cholesterol, because of increased long-term risk for heart attack, stroke and death.

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In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, researchers find that better cardiovascular health among teenage boys correlates to higher scores on a range of intelligence tests – and more education and income later in life.

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The chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has not improved since the 1950s, according to research by the University of Michigan Health System. Only 7.6 percent of victims survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

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Women who have gestational glucose intolerance (a condition less severe than gestational diabetes) exhibit multiple cardiovascular risk factors as early as three months after birth, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

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According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), youth with type 1 diabetes have now been found to have abnormal insulin resistance. Having abnormal insulin resistance appears to negatively affect heart, blood vessel and exercise function in this population.

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People can survive cardiac arrest if they receive only chest compressions during attempts to revive them. But they cannot survive without access to oxygen sometime during the resuscitation effort, research suggests.

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Does stress increase blood pressure? This simple question has been the focus of intense research for many years. Now new research has for the first time established a link between a novel gene, phosducin, and the blood pressure response to stress in mice as well as humans. The studies were directed by scientists at the University of Freiburg and Muenster in Germany, and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, in collaboration with other institutions in Europe and Canada.