Biologists used induced plenipotent stem cell technology to discover a destructive cellular process in progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging. Patients die in their teens of heart disease or stroke. Researchers discovered that progerin, a toxic protein, causes smooth muscle cells in patients' arteries to self-destruct. The finding speeds testing of progeria treatments and could...
A diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, such as olive oil and lettuce, can protect you from hypertension, suggests a new study. The findings help to explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach,...
In patients with congestive heart failure, obesity and a larger waist size have paradoxically been associated with a better prognosis in the prior investigations. This effect, known as the obesity paradox phenomenon, is now being demonstrated in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension. "In our study of more than a thousand patients with significant pulmonary hypertension, we found that a higher...
One of the first studies to analyze the effectiveness of screening survivors of childhood cancer for early signs of impending congestive heart failure finds improved health outcomes but suggests that less frequent screening than currently recommended may yield similar clinical benefit. The researchers utilized a simulation-based model to estimate the long-term benefits associated with routine screening....
Hospital visits for the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation are escalating, increasing the burden on our healthcare system. An 11-year study shows that hospitalizations for the condition jumped by 23 percent and costs rose by 24 percent. The rise in atrial fibrillation's accompanying risk factors might account in part for the rise in hospitalizations. ...
Home telemonitoring is equally effective in ICD and CRT-D patients, a trial has shown. The study's conclusion: "The take home message for clinicians is that if you have a patient with advanced heart failure and an ejection fraction less than 35% who is on optimal medical therapy, consider implantation of an ICD or CRT-D that is capable of home telemonitoring. Patients on both types of devices will...
A novel device implanted under the skin like a pacemaker successfully treats central sleep apnea (CSA) in heart failure patients, according to research. The implantable system improves sleep and heart function with no mask required. Patients using the device tell us they haven't slept so well in years. They have more energy and can do their normal daily activities without falling asleep. They also...
Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have identified a heart-specific form of a protein, BIN1, responsible for sculpting tiny folds in pockets that are present on the surface of heart......
Young adults who smoked water pipes in hookah bars had elevated levels of nicotine, cotinine, tobacco-related cancer-causing agents, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in their urine, and this may......
Heart failure hospitalisation more than doubles during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flares, according to a study of more than 5 million Danish people....
A statin drug commonly used to lower cholesterol is not effective in reducing the number and severity of flare ups from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the results of a large multicenter clinical trial. The study rigorously tested the hypothesis that statin drugs may be beneficial to persons with COPD because of the drugs' purported anti-inflammatory effect. ...
The same bacteria that cause gum disease also promotes heart disease -- a discovery that could change the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the North America. Gum disease affects 46 percent of the U.S. population and is caused by bacteria that grow on the teeth under the gums. Although doctors know that patients with gum disease are at higher...
As if increased risks of high blood pressure, respiratory infections, lung cancer and even depression weren’t enough, researchers say patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have another complication to worry about: heart failure. “The co-existence of COPD and heart failure, which share common symptoms, may pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges,” said the study's corresponding...
Patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease may benefit from pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE), even if the patients don’t have severe pulmonary hypertension, according to researchers. During PTE, surgeons put a patient on a heart-lung machine, cool the body to reduce its need for oxygen and then turn the machine off for up to 20 minutes so they can remove clots and scar tissue from...
A heart-specific form of a protein, BIN1, responsible for sculpting tiny folds in pockets that are present on the surface of heart muscle cells, has been identified by researchers. The study provides the first direct evidence of a previously theoretical “fuzzy space” or “slow diffusion zone” that protects against irregular heartbeats by maintaining an ideal concentration of electrochemical molecules....
Clinicians have been urged to consider using spironolactone in their patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) after a post-hoc analysis of the TOPCAT trial showed benefit in patients from the Americas. TOPCAT randomized 3445 patients with HFPEF to receive spironolactone, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, at a dose of 15-45mg per day or placebo on top of usual care....
Heart failure hospitalization more than doubles during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flares, according to a study of more than 5 million people. “We found that patients with new-onset IBD had a 37% increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure during a mean follow-up of 6.4 years compared to the healthy population. But the risk more than doubled during periods of IBD activity,” a researcher...
Hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases increased during the Greek financial crisis, according to two studies from Athens. The researchers retrospectively analyzed all admissions to the cardiology department of a hospital in Athens during two time periods. The first time period, 2003 to 2007, was defined as the pre-crisis period, while 2008 to 2012 was the crisis period. ...
Researchers from Japan have found that sleeping pills may increase risk of hospital readmission and cardiovascular-related death from patients with diastolic heart failure....
Cardiologists have discovered biomarkers that can be used to develop a screening test to detect Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a life-threatening disorder that is the primary cause of mortality in pregnant women in developing countries. The results can lead to the immediate treatment of PPCM in new mothers and a significant reduction in mortality. ...