April 29, 2007, 4:15 PM CT

Love Your Heart

A must read for women who want to show their hearts some love, "The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women" is an invaluable and easy-to-use resource every woman should read from cover to cover. A full-color, 122-page booklet from The Heart Truth campaign, it is packed with the latest information on preventing and controlling the risk factors for heart disease - the No.1 killer of women.

"The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women" a publication of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, contains new information on women and heart disease and offers practical suggestions for reducing the risk of heart-related problems. The handbook also describes the warning signs of heart attack and how to get help quickly.

"It is important for women to keep track of the latest research on heart health," says Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., director of NHLBI. "The 20th anniversary edition of 'The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women' has packaged the most up-to-date information on heart health in one easy-to-use guide".

Since nearly one in four American women dies from heart disease, it is critical to know that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking or being overweight are all major risk factors. The handbook is filled with good advice on reducing those risk factors, including new tips on following a nutritious eating plan, tailoring a physical activity program to particular goals, and getting the whole family involved in heart healthy living......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

April 24, 2007, 10:24 PM CT

Treatment of Damaging Protein Plaques

When protein plaque builds up in the blood, it can result in serious diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, a class of drugs under investigation for the therapy of one cause of plaque build-up, also exhibit negative side effects.

Scientists in the International Institute of Nano and Molecular Medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia are studying the possible use of carboranes, which are clusters of boron and carbon atoms, to prevent such side effects. These boron-rich clusters are substituted for carbon-based benzene rings usually found in pharmaceuticals of all types, including COX inhibitors, which give unwanted side effects.

COX activity is seen in common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. However, prolonged use of COX inhibitors can result in a variety of negative side effects, such as possible digestive and liver problems. Some COX inhibitors have recently been pulled from the market due to an increased risk of heart complications.

The protein transythyretin acts as a shuttle to transport thyroxine, a hormone, throughout the body. As the least important of the three blood proteins that carry thyroxine, transthyretin also has a tendency to fall apart and form tough, insoluble plaques, sometimes causing injury to delicate tissues. Certain people are genetically more likely to have the proteins fall apart, increasing the risks. Investigators have observed that in laboratory experiments, certain COX inhibitors help stabilize the structure of transthyretin protein, and therefore prevent harmful plaque formation......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

April 23, 2007, 10:33 PM CT

Are higher doses of cholesterol drugs worth the extra money?

When it comes to cholesterol-lowering drugs, more is better. At least, thats what heart doctors and heart patients have been hearing in recent years. And as a result, more patients are taking higher doses of drugs called statins leading to lower heart and stroke risk, but higher prescription drug costs and more frequent side effects.

Now, a new study looks at whether those higher doses, and higher costs, are really going to pay off for some patients. For those with a recent heart attack or what doctors call acute coronary syndrome, the answer is yes, the scientists say.

But the picture is less clear for those patients with known heart blockages who have stable symptoms. For them, the usual dose of their statin may provide adequate heart-protecting benefit, and the higher cost of high-dose statins may provide only marginal benefit at much greater cost, particularly if they use generic statins.

The study, from a team at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, is published online in the journal Circulation, and will be in the May 8 print issue of the journal. Its based on a sophisticated computer analysis of data from thousands of patients.

The team finds that patients with a recent history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) either a heart attack or hospital stay for chest pain get so much benefit from higher doses of statins (over four additional quality-adjusted months of life) that the extra cost of the increased dose is worthwhile, even if the difference is a few dollars a day......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

April 19, 2007, 7:22 PM CT

Fewer heart patients need antibiotics

Based on a review of new and existing scientific evidence, most dental patients with heart disease do not need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis (IE), a rare, but life-threatening heart infection.

As per revised guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) with input from the American Dental Association (ADA), antibiotics are now only recommended for patients at greatest risk of negative outcomes from IE including those with artificial heart valves or certain congenital heart conditions, heart transplant recipients who develop cardiac valve problems, recipients of an artificial patch to repair a congenital heart defect within the past six months and patients with a history of IE.

The AHAs latest guidelines were published in its scientific journal, Circulation, in April. The Guidelines apply to a range of medical and dental procedures. The ADA is publishing those portions of the new guidelines relevant to dentistry on its Web site (www.ada.org/goto/endocarditis ) today and in the recent issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).

For decades, the AHA recommended that patients with certain heart conditions take antibiotics shortly before dental therapy. This was done with the belief that antibiotics would prevent IE, previously referred to as bacterial endocarditis. IE is an infection of the hearts inner lining or valves, which results when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. Bacteria are normally found in various sites of the body including on the skin and in the mouth......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

April 15, 2007, 9:46 PM CT

Blame the brain for high blood pressure

The controversial idea that one cause of hypertension lies within the brain, and not the heart or blood vessels, has been put forward by researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, and is published this week in the journal Hypertension.

Dr. Hidefumi Waki, working in a research group led by Professor Julian Paton, has found a novel role for the protein, JAM-1 (junctional adhesion molecule-1), which is located in the walls of blood vessels in the brain.

JAM-1 traps white blood cells called leukocytes which, once trapped, can cause inflammation and may obstruct blood flow, resulting in poor oxygen supply to the brain. This has led to the idea that hypertension high blood pressure is an inflammatory vascular disease of the brain.

One in three people in the UK are likely to develop hypertension, and with 600 million people affected world wide, it is of pandemic proportions. The alarming statistic that nearly 60 per cent of patients remain hypertensive, even though they are taking drugs to alleviate the condition, emphasises the urgency of looking for new mechanisms by which the body controls blood pressure, and finding new therapeutic targets to drive fresh drug development.

Professor Paton said: We are looking at the possibility of treating those patients that fail to respond to conventional treatment for high blood pressure with drugs that reduce blood vessel inflammation and increase blood flow within the brain. The future challenge will be to understand the type of inflammation within the vessels in the brain, so that we know what drug to use, and how to target them. JAM-1 could provide us with new clues as to how to deal with this disease......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

March 27, 2007, 9:50 PM CT

Gene Test After Heart Transplant

New research suggests a genomic test may provide detailed information on how well a transplanted heart is performing. The gene expression profiling (GEP) test, known as the Allomap® test, is currently used to detect the absence of heart transplant rejection instead of routine invasive heart muscle biopsies, but has now been shown to correlate with oxygen saturation levels, the pressure in the heart before pumping, and the electrical properties of the transplanted heart. These measures are crucial to understanding how well the transplanted heart is functioning.

The research will be presented on Tues., March 27, at the American College of Cardiology's 56th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans by Martin Cadeiras, M.D., postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Mario Deng, M.D., director of cardiac transplantation research and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and heart specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The presentation is based on preliminary data on 80 patients who received the GEP test. Physicians hope to confirm these results in future studies.

"Understanding how the GEP score differentiates heart transplant function may provide a valuable tool to help tailor therapies to meet the specific needs of each heart transplant patient," said Dr. Deng......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

March 27, 2007, 9:40 PM CT

Heart Attack Patients and Stem Cell Therapy

Heart attack patients who received an new intravenous adult stem cell treatment, Provacel-, experienced a lower number of adverse events, such as cardiac arrhythmias, and had significant improvements in heart, lung and global function in comparison to those who received a placebo, as per six-month Phase I study data presented at the American College of Cardiology's Innovation in Intervention: i2Summit in New Orleans on March 25.

Rush was one of 10 premier cardiac centers across the country that participated in the 53-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Among other findings, patients receiving Provacel were 75 percent less likely to experience an arrhythmic adverse event in comparison to those receiving placebo (9 % vs. 37%, p=0.025) and significantly more patients who received Provacel experienced improvement in their overall condition at six months as in comparison to those receiving placebo (42% vs. 11%, p=0.027).

Provacel is a preparation of adult stem cells pre-formulated for intravenous delivery by the drug's manufacture, Osiris Therapeutics. Patients were administered an infusion of either Provacel or placebo within 10 days of having a heart attack and are being followed for 2 years. To prevent bias, neither the patient nor the doctor knows who received the stem cell therapy and who received placebo......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

March 25, 2007, 8:50 PM CT

Lifestyle Choices And Heart Risks

Genetics and family history play a large role in a persons risk for heart disease, but factors in diet, lifestyle and the environment are also thought to influence susceptibility to the disease. Many studies presented today at the American College of Cardiologys 56th Annual Scientific Session look at how health-related behaviors can influence a persons risk for cardiovascular disease. ACC.07 is the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, bringing together heart specialists and cardiovascular specialists to further breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine.

"Because scientific advances are pushing forward at such an incredible pace, our insight into the mechanism and progression of cardiovascular disease is growing exponentially," said Robert S. Rosenson, M.D., of University of Michigan, Preventive Cardiology, in Ann Arbor, Mich. "The research presented here today further demonstrates how scientists are beginning to understand the links between cardiovascular diseases and lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking, geographic location, diet and weight, and other related factors".

Effects of Sustained Ingestion of Cocoa on Endothelial Function in Adults with BMI between 25-35 kg/m2: A Randomized, Single Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial (Presentation Number: 1026-34)......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

March 25, 2007, 8:41 PM CT

Second generation drug-eluting stent

While research shows that drug-eluting stents effectively reduce restenosis and revascularization in comparison to bare-metal stents, questions and controversy surrounding the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents continue to dominate discussions and headlines. A study presented today at the American College of Cardiologys Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit surveys the safety and efficacy of the second generation XienceV Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System (EES), in comparison to the current gold standard paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES), to determine if it offers similar or enhanced outcomes. Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit is an annual meeting for practicing cardiovascular interventionalists sponsored by the American College of Cardiology in partnership with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

Eventhough XienceV EES has demonstrated favorable results in pilot studies, the SPIRIT-III trial is the first large trial to study the system directly against the leading drug-eluting stent. The trial was conducted at 65 United States sites and enrolled 1,002 patients with coronary lesions in up to two coronary arteries. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to stent implantation with either XienceV or PES. Patient outcomes were reviewed using angiography (use of X-rays to study the blood vessels) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS use of a tiny ultrasound probe inserted into the coronary arteries to measure plaque)......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source

March 25, 2007, 7:42 PM CT

Crestor could halt early atherosclerosis

An international study using ultrasound technology has observed that the most potent cholesterol-lowering drug is also effective at halting early changes in the blood vessels that can lead to atherosclerosis.

"Rosuvastatin arrested the progression of thickened carotid arteries in comparison to a placebo," said John R. Crouse, M.D., lead researcher and a professor of endocrinology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "The findings show that the benefits of cholesterol management on arteries can be extended to low-risk patients".

Results from the study were reported today at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans and were published on-line by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research involved people with moderately elevated cholesterol levels who didn't qualify for therapy under national guidelines.

Participants all had minimal thickening of their carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain, and were considered at low risk for having a heart attack or dying from a heart-related event based on their age and other risk factors.

Over a two-year period, the treatment lowered low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, by 49 percent and increased high density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol, by 8 percent. Triglycerides were reduced by 16 percent and the progression of artery thickness was halted......... Posted by: April      Read more         Source