Cardiology Category
Top NEWS Post 4-16-2009

- Molecule Prompts Damaged Heart Cells To Repair Themselves After A Heart Attack
A protein that the heart produces during its early development reactivates the embryonic coronary developmental program and initiates migration of heart cells and blood vessel growth after a heart attack, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. The molecule, Thymosin beta-4 (TB4), is expressed by embryos during the heart’s development and encourages migration of heart cells.
Top NEWS Post 3-6-2009

- Heightened Risk of Heart Disease Faced by ‘Pre-Diabetics’
Older adults who have impaired glucose tolerance but who are not considered diabetic are at elevated risk for heart disease and may benefit from preventive therapies, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by Jill P. Crandall, M.D.
Top NEWS Post 2-23-2009

- Fat Tissue Around Blood Vessels Inflamed By High Fat Diets, This Contributes To Heart Disease
A study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati shows that high-fat diets, even if consumed for a short amount of time, can inflame fat tissue surrounding blood vessels, possibly contributing to cardiovascular disease. These findings will be published in the Feb. 20 edition of the American Heart Association journal Circulation Research.
Top NEWS Post 1-26-2009

- Drug-Coated Stents Less Risky For Heart Bypass Patients, UT Southwestern Researchers Find
Coronary bypass surgery may carry less risk of serious complications if stents coated with a drug that suppresses cell growth are used in the procedure rather than bare-metal stents, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and colleagues have found.
High Blood Pressure: Over 50 Percent Of People With The Condition Are Unaware They Are Hypertensive
According to research carried out at the University of Warwick, over 50 percent of people diagnosed with hypertension (140/90) do not know they have it and many who do know they have it do not have it under control.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), about 73 million people in the U.S. age 20 and older have high blood pressure; of those people with high blood pressure 71.8 percent were aware of their condition. Of all people with high blood pressure, 61.4 were under treatment, but 64.9 percent did not have it under control while a mere 35.1 did have it controlled.
Top NEWS Post 11-13-2008

- Elevated Nonfasting Triglyceride Levels Linked With Higher Risk Of Stroke
Elevated nonfasting triglyceride levels, previously associated with an increased risk for heart attack, also appear to be associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA.
Top NEWS Post 10-29-2008

- Osteoporosis Drugs Increase Risk For Heart Problems
Atrial fibrillation can be serious or fatal in those people taking alendronate or zoledronic acid, two common medications to prevent or slow the occurrence of osteoporosis. The analysis showed that 2.5 to 3 percent of patients taking bisphosphonates experienced atrial fibrillation and 1 to 2 percent experienced serious AF, including hospitalization or death.
Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome, A Consensus Statement
Post-cardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) is characterized by brain injury, myocardial dysfunction, and systemic inflammation, often complicated by the unresolved pathophysiological process that caused the cardiac arrest.
Together these processes are associated with high mortality rates. A study of cardiac arrest resuscitation conducted in 2006 found that in hospital mortality was 67% among adults and 55% among children, despite all surviving the initial cardiac arrest.
Top NEWS Post 10-22-2008

- Heart Attack Patients Benefit From Quality of Care Indicators, Canada
There is a wide practice gap between optimal and actual care for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) in hospitals around the world. A 12 member panel was convened in 2007 to develop an updated set of quality indicators for acute M.I. Consensus was reached on 38 quality indicators: 17 that would be measurable using chart data and 21 that would be measured administratively. Of the 17 chart reviewed indicators, 13 address pharmacological and non-pharmacological care. In-hospital mortality was a key outcome measure. It was recommended that hospitals strive for a minimum target benchmark of 90% or greater on process-of-care indicators. Implementation of strategies by clinicians and hospitals to meet target benchmarks on these quality indicators could save the lives of many individuals with acute MIs.
Performance measures are not an end unto themselves, but a crucial step in improving the quality of patient care. These measures were developed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Team (CCORT) and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS). This study was published in the October, 2008 issue of CMAJ.

