Feature Channels: Cardiovascular Health

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29-May-2013 4:30 PM EDT
Evidence Mounts That Four Lifestyle Changes Will Protect Your Heart and Significantly Reduce Your Risk of Death
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A large, multi-center study led by Johns Hopkins researchers has found a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking.

28-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Cholesterol Sets Off Chaotic Blood Vessel Growth
UC San Diego Health

A study at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine identified a protein that is responsible for regulating blood vessel growth by mediating the efficient removal of cholesterol from the cells. Unregulated development of blood vessels can feed the growth of tumors.

17-May-2013 7:00 AM EDT
Heart Healthy Lifestyle May Cut Kidney Disease Patients’ Risk of Kidney Failure
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

• Compared with kidney disease patients who had zero or one heart healthy lifestyle component in the ideal range, those with two, three, and four ideal factors had progressively lower risks for kidney failure over four years. • No kidney disease patients with five to seven ideal factors developed kidney failure. • Patients’ risk of dying during the study followed a similar trend

Released: 23-May-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle Can Lower Kidney Failure Risk
University of Alabama at Birmingham

New research from the UAB School of Public Health shows that patients with chronic kidney disease may improve their health by making lifestyle behavior changes.

Released: 23-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Death Rates Decline for Advanced Heart Failure Patients, but Outcomes are Still not Ideal
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers examining outcomes for advanced heart-failure patients over the past two decades have found that, coinciding with the increased availability and use of new therapies, overall mortality has decreased and sudden cardiac death, caused by the rapid onset of severe abnormal heart rhythms, has declined. However, the team found that even today, with these significant improvements, one-third of patients don’t survive more than three years after being diagnosed with advanced disease.

21-May-2013 9:00 AM EDT
Mild Hypothyroidism Raises Mortality Risk among Heart Failure Patients
Endocrine Society

Patients with underlying heart failure are more likely to experience adverse outcomes from mild hypothyroidism, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

16-May-2013 3:50 PM EDT
Antidepressant Reduces Stress-Induced Heart Condition
Duke Health

A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

13-May-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Study Finds Air Pollution and Noise Pollution Increase Cardiovascular Risk
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Both fine-particle air pollution and noise pollution may increase a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to German researchers who have conducted a large population study, in which both factors were considered simultaneously.

Released: 17-May-2013 8:05 AM EDT
Meta-Analysis Suggests Newer Diabetes Medications Have Additional Cardiovascular Benefits
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

A newer class of medications used to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics may also improve cardiovascular health, researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reported.

Released: 16-May-2013 4:00 PM EDT
Researchers Identify Target to Prevent Hardening of Arteries
Sanford Burnham Prebys

The gene Dkk1 encodes a protein that plays a key role in increasing the population of connective-tissue cells during wound repair, but prolonged Dkk1 signaling in cells lining blood vessels can lead to fibrosis and a stiffening of artery walls.

Released: 15-May-2013 4:40 PM EDT
Jekyll Into Hyde: Breathing Auto Emissions Turns HDL Cholesterol From 'Good' to 'Bad"
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Academic researchers have found that breathing motor vehicle emissions triggers a change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, altering its cardiovascular protective qualities so that it actually contributes to clogged arteries. The finding, shown in mice, reveals how car emissions activate the early cell and tissue damage called oxidation that causes inflammation leading to hardening of the arteries and HDL cholesterol may play a key role.

Released: 15-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Four Genes Identified That Influence Levels of 'Bad' Cholesterol
Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio have identified four genes in baboons that influence levels of “bad” cholesterol. This discovery could lead to the development of new drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Released: 15-May-2013 5:00 AM EDT
Physically -Demanding Jobs Shift Cardiac Rehab Focus
Baylor Scott and White Health

The general training program used by most cardiac rehabs follows national guidelines but these programs often do not meet the various physical requirements of specific workplaces.

14-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
What Impacts Whether African Americans Call 9-1-1 Immediately for Stroke Symptoms?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Strokes rates are high among African Americans, but concerns about medical cost, ambulance response time and unfamiliarity with the need for prompt hospital care impacted whether they called 9-1-1 immediately.

Released: 14-May-2013 9:45 AM EDT
University of Maryland Medical Center Launches Genetic-Testing Program for Cardiac Stent Patients
University of Maryland Medical Center

As part of a new personalized medicine initiative, the University of Maryland Medical Center is offering genetic testing to help doctors determine which medication a patient should take after a stenting procedure in order to prevent blood clots that could lead to serious – and potentially fatal – heart attacks and strokes.

Released: 14-May-2013 9:05 AM EDT
Zinc: The Goldilocks Metal for Bioabsorbable Stents?
Michigan Technological University

Some materials dissolve too quickly, before cardiac arteries can fully heal, and some hang around forever. Zinc, however, may be just right.

10-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Mutation Causing Wrong-Way Plumbing Explains One Type of Blue-Baby Syndrome
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, one type of “blue baby” syndrome, is a potentially deadly congenital disorder that occurs when pulmonary veins don’t connect normally to the left atrium of the heart. TAPVC babies are born cyanotic from lack of oxygen. Semaphorin 3d guides the development of endothelial cells and is crucial for normal development of pulmonary veins. Mutations in Sema3d cause embryonic blood vessels to hook up in the wrong way.

3-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Study Evaluates Effect of Increasing Detection Intervals in ICDs
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Programming an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with a long-detection interval compared with a standard-detection interval resulted in a reduction in anti-tachycardia pacing episodes, ICD shocks delivered, and inappropriate shocks, according to a study in the May 8 issue of JAMA.

Released: 2-May-2013 10:00 AM EDT
Study Uncovers Mechanism for How Grapes Reduce Heart FailureAssociated with Hypertension
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A study appearing in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry demonstrates that grapes are able to reduce heart failure associated with hypertension by increasing the activity of several genes responsible for antioxidant defense in the heart tissue.

26-Apr-2013 9:05 AM EDT
Secondhand Smoke Presents Greater Threat to Teen Girls than Boys
Endocrine Society

When teenage girls are exposed to secondhand smoke at home, they tend to have lower levels of the “good” form of cholesterol that reduces heart disease risk, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Released: 30-Apr-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Researchers Pinpoint Upper Safe Limit of Vitamin D Blood Levels
Endocrine Society

Researchers claim to have calculated for the first time, the upper safe limit of vitamin D levels, above which the associated risk for cardiovascular events or death raises significantly, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Released: 25-Apr-2013 4:00 PM EDT
New Study Confirms Link between Weight Loss and Blood Pressure for Individuals with Specific Genetic Polymorphisms
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Your genetic makeup can help determine how well your body will respond to weight loss efforts aimed at controlling high blood pressure, a new study confirms. The multi-institutional study, led by researchers at The Cardiovascular Institute, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, may help clarify how hypertension develops and progresses in certain individuals and also identify people for whom weight loss programs are most likely to help reduce blood pressure.

24-Apr-2013 10:00 AM EDT
Missing Link in Parkinson’s Disease Found, Discovery Also Has Implications for Heart Failure
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have described a missing link in understanding how damage to the body’s cellular power plants leads to Parkinson’s disease and, perhaps surprisingly, to some forms of heart failure.

Released: 25-Apr-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Mayo Clinic Creates Institution-Wide Electronic Prolonged QT Interval Warning System
Mayo Clinic

Using a one-of-a-kind computer-aided program, Mayo Clinic has developed and implemented a Mayo-wide electronic warning system to identify patients at risk of QT-related deaths from an abnormality in the heart’s electrical system. The system informs all physicians, regardless of their specialty or QT awareness, if their patient’s ECG activated the QT alarm. In addition, the researchers discovered that the death rate of patients whose 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) activated the QT alert was nearly four times greater than all other patients who had an ECG. The findings are published in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Released: 24-Apr-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Air Pollution Linked to Hardening of the Arteries
University of Michigan

Long-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to heart attacks and strokes by speeding up atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries," according to a University of Michigan public health researcher and colleagues from across the U.S.

22-Apr-2013 6:00 AM EDT
Quit Smoking? Vitamin E May Give Extra Boost to Heart Health
Ohio State University

Taking a specific form of a vitamin E supplement can accelerate the health benefits that occur when people quit smoking, new research suggests.

Released: 22-Apr-2013 7:30 AM EDT
Grape Intake May Protect Against Metabolic Syndrome-Related Organ Damage
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Consuming grapes may help protect against organ damage associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome, according to research presented this week at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston.

15-Apr-2013 3:10 PM EDT
Hair Analysis Reveals Elevated Stress Hormone Levels Raise Cardiovascular Risk
Endocrine Society

Hair strands contain valuable information about senior citizens’ stress levels that can be used to determine an individual’s cardiovascular disease risk, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Released: 17-Apr-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Inpatients Who Have STEMI Heart Attacks More Likely to Die Than Outpatients
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A new study by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers finds that patients who suffer a STEMI heart attack while hospitalized are 10 times more likely to die than patients who suffer a STEMI outside the hospital.

11-Apr-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Routine EKG Finding Could Signal Serious Heart Problem
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

A common test that records the heart’s electrical activity could predict potentially serious cardiovascular illness, according to a UC San Francisco-led study.

15-Apr-2013 1:45 PM EDT
New Study Finds No Evidence That Digoxin Increases Mortality
University of Alabama at Birmingham

New finding in European Heart Journal contradicts recent study in the same publication; suggests evidence is lacking that digoxin increases mortality as a treatment for atrial fibrillation.

11-Apr-2013 10:00 AM EDT
Study Identifies New Gene Variations Associated With Heart Rate
Mount Sinai Health System

Findings pinpoint 14 genetic targets in humans that may provide insight for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Released: 10-Apr-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Researchers Find New Way to Clear Cholesterol From the Blood
University of Michigan

Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol that could be an alternative or complementary therapy to statins.

Released: 10-Apr-2013 9:55 AM EDT
Cardiopoietic ‘Smart’ Stem Cells Show Promise in Heart Failure Patients
Mayo Clinic

Translating a Mayo Clinic stem-cell discovery, an international team has demonstrated that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or “smart” stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure. This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions. Results of the clinical trial appear online of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Released: 29-Mar-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Tablet Computers Acceptable for Reading EEG Results, Mayo Clinic Study Says
Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic physicians in Arizona have shown that tablet computers can be used to analyze electroencephalogram or EEG results outside of the clinic or hospital. Their study findings were recently presented at the American Academy of Neurology conference in San Diego.

Released: 28-Mar-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Heart Failure Medications Highly Cost-Effective
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A UCLA study shows that heart failure medications recommended by national guidelines are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system.

Released: 26-Mar-2013 4:10 PM EDT
Acute Stroke Therapy Used Three Times More at Certified Primary Stroke Centers
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Certified Primary Stroke Centers are three times more likely to administer clot-busting treatment for strokes than non-certified centers, reports a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Released: 26-Mar-2013 1:35 PM EDT
Commonly Used Cholesterol Calculation Underestimates The Heart Disease Danger For Many
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In what promises to be an eye-opener for many doctors and patients who routinely depend on cholesterol testing, a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that the standard formula used for decades to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels is often inaccurate. Of most concern, the researchers say, is their finding that the widely used formula underestimates LDL where accuracy matters most — in the range considered desirable for high-risk patients. Results of the study are published in an online article, ahead of print, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Released: 19-Mar-2013 12:25 PM EDT
Researchers Create Tomatoes that Mimic Actions of Good Cholesterol
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have genetically engineered tomatoes to produce a peptide that mimics the actions of good cholesterol when consumed. In this early study, mice that were fed these tomatoes in freeze-dried, ground form had less inflammation and plaque build-up in their arteries.

Released: 18-Mar-2013 12:00 PM EDT
New Evaluation of the Heart Truth® Professional Education Materials Released
George Washington University

A new study in the March 2013 Women’s Health Issues evaluates the Heart Truth educational campaign on provider knowledge of heart disease as it affects women. The team of researchers studied the delivery of The Heart Truth® Professional Education Campaign across three states to diverse audiences of healthcare providers. All of the healthcare providers showed improved knowledge on women and heart disease after participating in the lectures.

Released: 14-Mar-2013 12:45 PM EDT
Outside the Box: UCLA Uses Brain Aneurysm Treatment to Stop Irregular Heart Rhythms
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

For the first time, a UCLA team has used a technique normally employed in treating brain aneurysms to treat severe, life-threatening irregular heart rhythms in two patients.

Released: 13-Mar-2013 5:00 AM EDT
Do Blood Thinners + Stroke Treatment = Danger?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Millions of Americans take drugs to reduce their risk of heart attacks caused by blood clots. A new study suggests that a fear of brain bleeding if these patients receive stroke therapy may be unfounded, at least for most patients taking common clot-preventing therapies.

Released: 11-Mar-2013 12:45 PM EDT
Young, Minority Women Most Likely To Visit OB/GYN As Primary Care Provider
Montefiore Health System

Data show need for OB/GYNs to play expanded role in educating, preventing heart disease for women in reproductive years.

Released: 10-Mar-2013 3:45 PM EDT
Novel Approach To Treating Children With Irregular Heart Beat
Montefiore Health System

Reduced costs, favorable outcomes with three-catheter ablation procedure in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.

4-Mar-2013 5:00 AM EST
A New Drug Reduces Heart Damage
Universite de Montreal

A single dose of an investigational anti-inflammatory drug called inclacumab considerably reduces damage to heart muscle during angioplasty (the opening of a blocked artery), according to a recent international clinical trial spearheaded by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the Research Centre at the Montreal Heart Institute, affiliated with the University of Montreal.

Released: 10-Mar-2013 12:00 PM EDT
New Research Shows that While Niacin Added to Statin Therapy Increases HDL Cholesterol Levels It Does Not Improve HDL Functionality
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

While two large clinical trials recently showed that adding niacin to statin therapy failed to improve clinical outcomes despite a significant increase in HDL-C levels, little is known about exactly why the increased HDL-C levels did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. Now, a small study from researchers the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that while niacin increased measured levels of HDL-C, it did not improve the functionality of HDL. This may provide an explanation for the failure of niacin to further reduce cardiovascular risk. The study results were reported today at the 62nd Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in San Francisco.

Released: 10-Mar-2013 11:45 AM EDT
Combination Therapy of CPAP and Weight Loss for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Effective for Lowering Blood Pressure in Obese Patients
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

New research from a multidisciplinary team at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that the combination of CPAP and weight loss for patients with OSA can help lower blood pressure better than either therapy alone. The study results were reported today at the 62nd Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in San Francisco.

Released: 6-Mar-2013 9:05 AM EST
BIDMC Scientist Receives Grant from Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation
Beth Israel Lahey Health

Award will support investigations of leading cause of sudden death in young people

Released: 5-Mar-2013 4:00 PM EST
MRI Saves Heart Muscle
Houston Methodist

Researchers use MRI to determine that thinned heart muscle can be saved and reversed with proper treatment.



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