Heart

Cardiologists Debate Study Comparing CT Scans, Angiograms

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:09:42 -0600

Some cardiologists are questioning the findings of a new study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine that compared the effectiveness of high-resolution CT scans at detecting blockages in patient arteries with conventional angiograms, the New York Times reports. Angiograms require the insertion of a catheter through a blood vessel in the groin, a procedure that carries risks of immediate complications, while CT scans are "faster and less invasive" but expose patients to higher doses of radiation, which could increase the risk of cancer, according to the New York Times.

Scientists Achieve Robust Repair Of Injured Heart Muscle

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:37:14 -0600

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have been able to effectively repair damaged heart muscle in an animal model using a novel population of stem cells they discovered that is derived from human skeletal muscle tissue.

The research team — led by Johnny Huard, PhD — transplanted stem cells purified from human muscle-derived blood vessels into the hearts of mice that had heart damage similar to that which would occur in people who had suffered a heart attack.

Cardiac Catheterization Trumps CT Scan For Detecting Heart Blockage

Kathleen Blanchard RN — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:30:45 -0600

CT scans are less invasive and carry less risk for patients who have symptoms of heart blockage. The test, though fairly accurate, are still not considered as diagnostic as cardiac catheterization, otherwise known as coronary angiography.

Heart Pumps: High Cost, High Mortality

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:19:42 -0600

Ventricular assist devices, or VADs -- surgically-placed mechanical pumps that can support failing hearts or buy time to transplant -- are associated with high hospital costs and high rates of early death among Medicare recipients, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

Gasping In Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims Signals Greater Survival Chance

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:18:33 -0600

People who breathe abnormally or gasp after collapsing from sudden cardiac arrest have a greater chance of surviving, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

South African Heart Failure Patients Younger, Female

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:17:57 -0600

Heart failure patients in Soweto, South Africa, are more likely to be middle-aged and female compared to patients in Western nations, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Results of The Heart of Soweto Study present a more complex picture of fighting the disease in urban Africa than researchers expected.

Estrogen Therapy Dangerous For Women At Heart Risk

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:40:27 -0600

Hormone therapy could accentuate certain pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should become the norm when considering estrogen replacement, new research suggests.

The research also showed that in women without existing atherosclerosis, hormone therapy use included some positive effects on lipids but also some negative effects related to heart health, said MaryFran Sowers, lead researcher and professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Aggressive Outpatient Heart Monitoring Needed

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:39:08 -0600

In nearly one third of all people who suffer from a stroke, the underlying cause of the injury is not readily evident to doctors. Atrial fibrillation (AF), or an irregular heartbeat, is believed to be a significant factor in many of these cases.

Stroke researchers at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh today are reporting in the journal Neurology that a new diagnostic approach that extends the monitoring of patients' hearts after hospital discharge greatly improved their ability to detect AF and treat it appropriately.

Rosuvastatin Reduces Heart Attack, Stroke, Total Mortality

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:40:53 -0600

Until now, there has been no proven method to detect and prevent the many heart attacks and strokes that occur in patients with normal or low cholesterol levels.

New Risk Assessment Tool Accurately Predicts Cardiovascular Risk

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:39:59 -0600

Using data collected from nearly 11,000 initially healthy American men, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have devised a Web-based formula that uses information on C-reactive protein and family history to more accurately predict risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death among men.