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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.