Feature Channels: Heart Disease

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Data presented today from the randomized COAPT trial, which have the potential to significantly change current clinical practice, found that patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) who remained symptomatic despite maximally tolerated medical therapy demonstrated reduced rates of hospitalizations and death, as well as improved quality-of-life and functional capacity after being treated with the transcatheter MitraClip device.

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The first randomized study to compare general versus local anesthesia during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with intermediate to high surgical risk found local anesthesia to be both safe and effective. In addition, the study found that a current generation balloon-expandable valve had similar outcomes to a current generation self-expanding one.

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A multicenter clinical trial has found that a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter mitral valve repair significantly reduced hospitalizations and mortality for heart failure patients with moderate-to-severe or severe functional mitral regurgitation.

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This first randomized clinical study of a polymer-coated zotarolimus-eluting stent (Resolute Onyx) that utilizes a novel thin-strutted metallic platform allowing for better x-ray visibility was shown to be non-inferior to an ultrathin-strutted bioresorbable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stent (Orsiro) that uses a cobalt-chromium strut platform.

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The first large, randomized trial comparing a novel polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stent to the latest-generation permanent polymer drug-eluting stent found that the polymer-free stent was clinically safe and effective.

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Study shows there is a genetic predisposition to early-onset AFib in blacks and Latinos that is greater than what is observed in whites.

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A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows disparities between the care given to black and white patients seeking treatment for a type of heart attack called NSTEMI (Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction).

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Attention has focused on how NSAIDs may cause dysfunction of the immune system. Researchers now have found that sub-acute pretreatment with the NSAID carprofen before experimental heart attack in mice impaired resolution of acute inflammation following cardiac injury.

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MyoKardia, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, today announced the launch of the MyoSeeds™ Research Grants Program, a new initiative to support original, independent research in the biology and underlying mechanisms of cardiomyopathies and precision heart disease treatment with the goal of improving the lives of patients.

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Separated entry and exit doors for calcium keep energy production smooth in the powerhouses of heart cells.

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Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received a three-year, $1,118,556 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to investigate a new imaging approach for diagnosing peripheral arterial disease, a common and potentially serious circulatory problem. More than 200 million people worldwide suffer from the condition.

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A new study finds that patients who underwent TAVR had a significantly shorter length of stay and were significantly less likely to be transferred to a skilling nursing facility compared to patients who underwent SAVR.

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In a proof of concept study, scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have successfully performed 3D personalized virtual simulations of the heart to accurately identify where cardiac specialists should electrically destroy cardiac tissue to stop potentially fatal irregular and rapid heartbeats in patients with scarring in the heart. The retrospective analysis of 21 patients and prospective study of five patients with ventricular tachycardia, the researchers say, demonstrate that 3D simulation-guided procedures are worthy of expanded clinical trials.

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The University of Chicago Medicine and Almoosa Specialist Hospital, a private hospital in the Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia offering comprehensive medical care, have signed a collaboration agreement.

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Epidemiological studies have established a strong correlation between inhaling ultrafine particles from incomplete combustion and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Still, relatively little is known about the mechanisms behind how air particulates affect human health. New work with carbon nanodots seeks to provide the first model of how ultrafine carbon-based particles interact with the lung tissues. Researchers created a 3D lung cell model system to investigate how carbon-based combustion byproducts behave as they interact with human epithelial tissue. They discuss their work in Biointerphases.

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In mouse experiments, scientists have shown a way to hit an immunological “reset button” that ends inappropriately sustained inflammation. This reset reverses the pathologic enlargement and pumping failure of the heart, and it suggests a therapeutic approach to treating human heart failure.

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The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program at the University of Maryland Heart & Vascular Center (UMHVC) has been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA) – one of about 30 Centers of Excellence nationwide and the only HCMA-recognized center in Maryland.

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In addition to reducing overall heart failure by 25 percent, increased physical activity benefited two heart failure subtypes defined by cardiac function: reduced ejection fraction, which typically has a worse prognosis, and preserved ejection fraction, which is more common in older adults, especially women and racial-ethnic minorities.

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A study led by researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC) at UHN suggests that the model used by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) significantly underestimates mortality in specialized heart surgery centres. The findings show that CIHI's model does not capture all of the medical problems that patients at high risk for surgery have.

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The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced the press conference schedule for late-breaking trials and late-breaking clinical science that will be presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2018 scientific symposium. TCT, the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, will take place September 21-25 in San Diego, California.

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Having atrial fibrillation (AFib) can increase your risk for stroke and heart failure. It’s vital to know your risk and get help before it strikes.

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Craig A. Thompson, MD, MMSc , whose seminal, pioneering achievements are now a standard of care for re-vascularization of totally blocked coronary arteries, has been named director of cardiac catheterization laboratories at NYU Langone Health System .

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Professor of Psychology Melinda Green is greatly expanding her research on eating disorders with the notification that she’s been awarded a grant for nearly $400,000 from the National Institute of Mental Health.

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The latest research, features and announcements in healthcare in the Healthcare News Source

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The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded Wake Forest School of Medicine researchers a five-year grant worth more than $18 million to study the connections between heart health and brain health among participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

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Biomedical Engineering Professor Rita Alevriadou has spent most of her career, which spans two decades, on cardiovascular disease. Her current research on the effects of blood flow on our artery walls recently earned a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Results of a clinical trial led by MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute using transcatheter aortic valve replacement provided a “strong signal” that it is safe for patients with low surgical risk, potentially helping to open the way for broader use of the minimally invasive procedure, also known as TAVR.

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The novel program in Advanced Congenital Cardiac Therapies (ACCT) allows for patients to be evaluated for heart transplantations and ventricular assist devices (VAD).

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Middle-aged and older women who exercise moderately to vigorously, three times a week for at least 30 minutes, were able to significantly reduce cardiac risk factors in just six months.

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A study led by Columbia University cardiologist Mathew Maurer showed that tafamidis reduces deaths from a type of heart failure called transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. The drug could be one of the first effective treatments for the disease.

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Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found evidence that may disrupt conventional understanding about how electrical activity travels in the heart — a discovery that potentially can lead to new insight into medical problems such as heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

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Patients with cardiovascular disease who develop major internal bleeding are much more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, a large international clinical trial has found. Patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding are 18 times more likely to be diagnosed with GI tract cancer, and those who major genitourinary (GU) tract bleeding are 80-fold more likely to be diagnosed with GU cancer, than patients without internal GI or GU bleeding, respectively.

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Study by Rutgers Physician Finds Medicaid Eligibility Expansion May Have Contributed to Decrease

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States that expanded eligibility for their Medicaid program in 2014 when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, saw fewer uninsured patients among major cardiac-related hospitalizations in the first year compared with states that did not expand the program.

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People are falling into a trap of greater inactivity during middle age, according to new research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), which calls for its findings to be considered in future national physical activity guidelines.

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The hearts of newborn piglets can almost completely heal themselves after experimental heart attacks, the first time this ability to regrow heart muscle has been shown in large mammals. This regenerative capacity disappears by day three after birth, researchers report in the journal Circulation.

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Seattle Children’s today announced the opening of its newest regional clinic, Seattle Children’s North Clinic, which will provide convenient access to pediatric specialty care services for families in north King, Snohomish, Whatcom and Skagit counties. The 37,000-square-foot clinic is located on Providence Regional Medical Center Everett’s Colby Campus at 1815 13th St.

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UC San Diego Health and its medical and surgical specialties have again been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 2018-19.

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The Children’s Hospital of Michigan is pleased to announce the appointment of John Dentel, MD, as the Staff Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon.

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Cedars-Sinai Medical Center been recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2018–19” as one of the 10 best hospitals in the nation. The medical center ranked No. 8 in a select group of 20 Honor Roll hospitals and also had 12 medical specialties ranked nationally in the magazine’s latest hospitals rankings released Tuesday.

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U.S. News & World Report’s 2018–2019 Best Hospitals rankings place Keck Medicine of USC hospitals among the top 50 nationwide in nine specialties, the top three in Los Angeles and the top seven in California.

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed a powerful method for characterizing the broad patterns of genetic contributions to traits and diseases.

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Tracking just seven factors of heart attack patients when they are first admitted to the hospital can help flag those most at risk for 30-day readmission, researchers from UT Southwestern found.

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The study’s findings lay the framework for applying deep learning and computer vision techniques to radiological imaging.

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New research shows that for the vast majority of individuals, sodium consumption does not increase health risks except for those who eat more than five grams a day, the equivalent of 2.5 teaspoons of salt. The research, published in The Lancet, is by scientists of the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, along with their research colleagues from 21 countries.

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You might want to think before you go out drinking again tonight. Research by Mariann Piano, senior associate dean of research at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, has found that young adults who frequently binge drink were more likely to have specific cardiovascular risk factors such as higher blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar at a younger age than non-binge drinkers.

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Estrogen may protect against heart failure-related depression by preventing the production of inflammation-causing chemicals in the brain. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

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The Myositis Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Mary McGowan as Executive Director.