Scientists have shown that people who exercise for even a few hours each week can enlarge their hearts. This is a normal and beneficial response to exercise, but until now has only been recognised in athletes. The researchers say that doctors should now consider an individual’s activity level before diagnosing common heart conditions.
Warfarin prescribed to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation may not adequately control blood clotting over the long-term, even when patients have been historically stable on the drug, according to a study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Eliminating racial disparities in the outcomes of programs to control blood pressure can be accomplished with a few one-on-one coaching sessions delivered by health professionals —but not if the program requires people to get to a clinic, according to results of a new Johns Hopkins Medicine study. The finding, described in the current issue of the Ethnicity & Disease journal, adds to mounting evidence that health and wellness programs work best when medical practitioners go out to people in their communities.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has provided $299,954 in funding to the research team led by Penn State's Hui Yang for research focused on improving health care delivery to patients who have had cardiac surgery.
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—a common cause of female infertility—may be able to improve their metabolic and cardiovascular health by consuming soy isoflavones, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Using cardiac CT scans, researchers found an association between higher inflammatory biomarkers and a significantly higher prevalence of coronary artery disease in men infected with HIV
Patients who suffer heart attacks, or flare-ups of congestive heart failure, can be cared for in a variety of hospital locations. But a new study suggests that they’ll fare worse in hospitals that rely heavily on their intensive care units to care for patients like them.
Hidden dental root tip infections are very common: as many as one in four Finns suffers from at least one. Such infections are usually detected by chance from X-rays.
In an attempt to correct defects in the energy generation that contribute to poor pump function among heart failure patients, researchers examined whether the diabetes drug liraglutide, could improve the condition of patients with advanced heart failure. Despite improvements in blood sugar control, the therapy did not improve the clinical stability or pumping action of the heart in patients with advanced heart failure. A team of researchers led by Kenneth B. Margulies, MD, a professor of Medicine and research director for Heart Failure and Transplantation, and Thomas Cappola, MD, ScM, chief of the division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, detailed findings from the Functional Impact of GLP-1 for Heart Failure Treatment (FIGHT) study in a paper published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Data from this study was initially presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2015 in
The high levels of caffeine in energy drinks may lead to cardiac complications, suggests a case report in the July/August Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Ranked No. 1 in San Diego, UC San Diego Health and its hospitals have been recognized among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2016-17.
Patients suffering from deadly heart attacks can be spared more extensive heart damage when emergency responders and hospitals work together to standardize their treatment processes, according to a study published August 1 in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).
Marilyn Cotter recently needed a stress test following a bout of chest tightness. Unable to withstand exercise because of foot problems, Cotter, a 68-year-old grandmother from Delhi Township, wasn’t a candidate for a normal stress test that uses a treadmill. Instead, her physicians at University of Cincinnati Medical Center used a space-age option: an anti-gravity treadmill.
Researchers at The University of Nottingham have been involved in one of the largest international studies of congenital heart disease, which has discovered gene mutations linked to three new rare congenital heart disorders (CHD).
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Which antiplatelet medication is best after a coronary stent? The Tailored Antiplatelet Therapy to Lessen Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (TAILOR-PCI) Study examines whether prescribing heart medication based on a patient’s CYP2C19 genotype will help prevent heart attack, stroke, unstable angina, and cardiovascular death in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), commonly called angioplasty.
A new study by researchers at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that lifestyle modification programs modeled on diabetes prevention programs (DPP) trials not only achieved weight reduction, but also additional metabolic benefits -specifically, reductions in blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. The researchers compiled data from 44 published studies with nearly 9,000 adults participating in DPP conducted in US communities, clinics, and through online media.
MINNEAPOLIS – An updated recommendation from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) states that catheter-based closure should not be routinely recommended for people who have had a stroke and also have a heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a channel between the top two chambers in the heart. The practice advisory, which updates a previous AAN guideline, is published in the July 27, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A number of states – including Massachusetts and New York – mandate public reporting of mortality outcomes following certain cardiac procedures. While such reporting was originally intended to increase transparency and improve quality of care, a new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the University of Washington has shown that public reporting may in fact disincentivize physicians from offering potentially lifesaving treatment to patients who are at the greatest risk of mortality and poor outcomes. However, reforms to public reporting policies can mitigate these undesired effects, the authors report in a paper published online today in JAMA Cardiology.