Researchers have discovered that nitric oxide is a powerful regulator of a molecule that plays a critical role in the development and function of the nervous system. The finding could someday play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States.
Scientists are investigating the cause and effects of Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome. This team is hot on the trail of understanding how a multi-gene syndrome, one of the causes for SCA, operates inside the body. Once they figure out how the disorder operates and describe its molecular system in detail, they hope to develop a drug or therapy to stop this condition before it strikes.
African-Americans age 65 and younger are more than twice as likely to have a stroke compared with Caucasians in any region, and people who have a stroke are more likely to die in the South than elsewhere, according to researchers.
Researchers are the first to fully characterize a special type of stem cell, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that exist in circulating blood, to see if they can behave as endothelial cells in the body when cultured on a bioengineered surface. The results show promise for a new generation of tissue-engineered vascular grafts which could improve the success rate of surgery for peripheral arterial disease.
Having a shingles infection that affects the eyes may increase the risk of stroke, according to new research.
A significant number of people with heart disease will benefit from less invasive transcatheter heart valve replacements in future, finds a review of updated practices.
A new method of growing arteries could lead to a “biological bypass” — or a noninvasive way to treat coronary artery disease.
A full house isn’t always a good thing, according to a new study that links high hospital occupancy to higher death rates for patients. High occupancy periods are a challenging time when more things can go wrong, authors say. Researchers evaluated records at 39 Michigan hospitals to study a set of factors that can affect hospital deaths. The large scale study can provide lessons for hospitals across the country.
Researchers are releasing results of a study this week that they say will help refocus the search for new drug targets aimed at preventing or reversing the devastating tissue inflammation that results after heart attack and stroke.
Only half of all patients at high risk of heart disease are given correct targets for lowering their cholesterol levels according to a study of 25,250 patients. The study investigated how primary care doctors assessed their patients’ risk factors and other health problems when deciding on cholesterol-lowering targets, and although the research focused on German doctors and their patients, the authors believe that it reflects a similar picture in the rest of Europe.
Measurements of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) more accurately identify persons at risk for clinical outcomes than the commonly used measurement of fasting glucose, according to a new study. HbA1c levels accurately predict future diabetes, and they better predict stroke, heart disease and all-cause mortality as well.
Removal of the ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) while performing a hysterectomy is common practice to prevent the subsequent development of ovarian cancer. This prophylactic procedure is performed in 55% of all U.S. women having a hysterectomy, or approximately 300,000 times each year. A new article suggests that this procedure may do more harm than good.
A professor of biochemistry who was researching protein kinase C gamma in the lens of the human eye found her work taking a fascinating turn when she discovered a correlation between the protein Coonexin46 and hypoxia — a deficiency of oxygen which kills normal tissue cells. The researcher believes the findings will lead to serious advancements in treating retinoblastoma, a cancer that forms in the tissue of the retina.
A new study finds that obese children as young as 3 years old have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that in adults is considered an early warning sign for possible future heart disease.
Patients already taking warfarin who develop an acute stroke appear more likely to experience a brain hemorrhage following treatment with an intravenous clot-dissolving medication, even if their blood clotting function appears normal, according to a new study.
People whose “bad” cholesterol and risk of future heart disease stay too high despite cholesterol-lowering statin therapy can safely lower it by adding a drug that mimics the action of thyroid hormone.
A clinical research trial of a new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke has passed an important safety stage, according to the neurologist who led the effort.
Current drugs used to treat heart failure and irregular heartbeat have limited effectiveness and have side effects. New basic science findings suggest a way that treatments could potentially be refined so that they work better and target only key heart-related mechanisms.
Women in the UK who have ever used the oral contraceptive pill are less likely to die from any cause, including all cancers and heart disease, compared with never users, according to new research.
Cardiovascular death is the most common cause of mortality among Type 2 diabetics and claims the lives of millions each year, with many diabetics experiencing their first “symptom” as a heart attack or sudden death. Understanding that diabetics are at high risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and that many with the disease are asymptomatic, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc…
The collection of symptoms that is the metabolic syndrome – insulin resistance, high cholesterol, fatty liver, and a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke – are all related to obesity, but, according to a review in the March 9th issue of the Cell Press publication Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, not in the way you probably think they are…
The use of a physician-pharmacist collaborative care plan to manage lipid control in patients with high cholesterol does not have significant clinical impact, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The role of community pharmacists is expanding worldwide…
A new method of growing arteries could lead to a “biological bypass” – or a non-invasive way to treat coronary artery disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report with their colleagues in the April issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. Coronary arteries can become blocked with plaque, leading to a decrease in the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart…
The DASH diet, combined with exercise and calorie restriction, improved mental functioning by 30 percent in overweight adults with high blood pressure compared to those who didn’t diet or exercise, researchers reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association…
