Science and Enterprise

Tag: heart disease

  • Trial to Test Value of Genetic Tests for Heart Disease

    The Stanford University Medical Center in California has begun a clinical trial to determine if giving patients genetic information about their risk of coronary artery disease will help motivate them to reduce that risk by changing their behavior. The study, just underway, is expected to be completed in December 2012. The trial will test the…

  • Cardiac Device Infections Linked to Higher Costs, Mortality

    A team of academic and industry researchers have found an association between infections from cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and increases in mortality and hospital care costs. The findings from this study appear online in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine (paid subscription required). The researchers, led by Muhammad Sohail, from the Mayo Clinic College…

  • Trials Show Potential Benefits of Remote ICD Monitoring

    Two clinical trials in France suggest that remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) — which use electrical pulses to control irregular heartbeats — is a safe alternative to regular doctors’ office visits. Results of the trials were presented at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology now underway in Paris. ECOST trial Salem…

  • Trial Finds New Drug Better Than Common Blood Thinner

    A clinical trial found that apixaban, an anticoagulant drug made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, does better in preventing stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation, compared to the common drug warfarin.  The results were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology in Paris, and published online in the New England Journal…

  • Clinical Trial Shows Drug Improves Heart Muscle Functions

    A clinical trial conducted by University of Hull in the U.K. shows the drug omecamtiv mercabil improves the heart’s ability to pump blood in heart failure patients. The findings by Hull cardiology professor John Cleland and colleagues appear in the 20 August issue of the journal The Lancet (paid subscription required). Omecamtiv mercabil is one…

  • FDA Approves Blood Thinning Drug for Heart Disease

    The Food and Drug Administration approved the blood-thinning drug Brilinta (ticagrelor) to reduce cardiovascular death and heart attack in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Brilinta is a product of AstraZeneca in Wilmington, Delaware. Brilinta helps prevent the formation of new blood clots, thus maintaining blood flow in the body to help reduce the risk…

  • Researchers Develop Low-Energy Cardiac Defibrillation

    Scientists from Germany, France, and the U.S. have developed a new process to regulate dangerous fluctuations in heart rhythms with far less energy and pain than current methods. The team’s findings appear in the current issue of the journal Nature (paid subscription required). The regular human heartbeat is controlled by the heart’s electrical system. An…

  • Chemical Particles in Diesel Fumes Pose Cardiac Risk

    Researchers at University of Edinburgh in the U.K. and colleagues in the Netherlands and Sweden have found that ultrafine particles from the burning of diesel fuel can increase the chances of blood clots forming in arteries, leading to a heart attack or stroke. Their findings appear in the current issue of the European Heart Journal.…

  • Adult Stem Cells Help Cardiac Function in Angina Patients

    A clinical trial by researchers at Baxter International in Deerfield, Illinois and Northwestern University medical school in Chicago found injections of individuals’ own stem cells reduced angina episodes and improved exercise tolerance time in patients with chronic, severe angina who did not respond to other treatments. The results of the research appear online in the…

  • NIH Study to Research Health Effects of BP Oil Spill

    A network of researchers funded by NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) will evaluate potential harmful effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on reproduction and birth outcomes, the cardiorespiratory system, and behavior and mental health. University and community participants will study the level of potentially harmful contaminants in air, water, and seafood, and…