Tag: heart disease

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids Added to Milk Without Affecting Taste

    Food scientists at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg discovered they could add beneficial omega-3 fatty acids to milk in quantities that promote heart health, without affecting the milk’s taste or shelf life. The team led by Virginia Tech professor Susan Duncan (pictured left) published their findings in this month’s issue of the Journal of Dairy Science;…

  • VC, University Partner on Medical Device Start-Up Company

    George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and venture capital company Allied Minds Inc. in Boston, formed LuxCath LLC, a new company that makes a device for increasing the speed and safety of surgery for irregular heartbeat. LuxCath’s technology is based on research by faculty at George Washington’s medical school and engineering department. LuxCath is developing…

  • More Americans Get Blood Pressure Under Control by 2010

    A larger percentage of Americans with hypertension had their blood pressure under control by the end of 2010 than in 2001, a gain attributed to higher use of multiple drugs to treat the condition. The findings from the study conducted by National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and…

  • Clinical Trial Under Way Testing Stem Cell Heart Treatment

    Cytori Therapeutics, a biotechnology company in San Diego, reports the first patient received treatment in its clinical trial using stem cells derived from body fat to treat severe heart failure. The patient was treated in September at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation in Minneapolis, one of six sites for the trial, and completed a seven-day…

  • Student Start-Up Company Develops Stroke Rehab App for iPad

    Students at four universities in Canada developed an iPad application and started a company to help stroke survivors perform rehabilitation exercises at home. StrokeLink, the name of the company and the app, was part of the 2012 Next 36 program, a Canadian entrepreneurial accelerator for start-ups founded by undergraduates. The StrokeLink app offers stroke patients…

  • University to Build Toxic Gas Sensor for Firefighters

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a portable sensor that alerts firefighters to the presence of toxic gases in burning buildings. The $1 million award will support the work of researchers in WPI’s Fire Protection Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments. The project…

  • Simulations Helping Design Cardiac Pump Improvements

    Engineers at University of California in San Diego are devising computer simulations of a widely used pediatric heart pump to reduce the risk of blood clots to patients using the device. Mechanical/aerospace engineer Alison Marsden (pictured left) and structural engineer Yuri Bazilevs are leading teams of colleagues from their respective disciplines to better understand a…

  • Trial to Test Cardiac Potential of Anti-Inflammatory Drug

    A clinical trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston will test the ability of a common anti-inflammatory drug to reduce rates of heart disease in high-risk patients. The trial is funded by grants from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of National Institutes of Health. Over 2 million people in the United…

  • Medical Monitor Device Start-Up Raises $7M in Venture Funds

    Retia Medical, a medical device company in East Lansing, Michigan, raised $7 million in series A funds, the first round of financing after initial start-up. The Pritzker/Vlock family office, a private equity company investing in biotech, industrial and medical equipment, and technology businesses led the round. Retia Medical develops monitors for high-risk patients, starting with…

  • NIH Grant to Fund Translational Research on Blood Clotting

    National Institutes of Health will fund a translational research center at University of Utah in Salt Lake City to study the cellular and molecular causes of blood clots. Andew Weyrich, a professor medicine at Utah, will lead the five-year, $16 million effort. The new Translational Research Center in Thrombosis aims to find new diagnostic, preventative,…