Health News

Poorer, rural counties have lower CPR training rates

Date: Nov-19-2013
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training appears to be lower in more rural counties, those with higher proportions of black and Hispanic residents and lower household incomes, and in the South, Midwest and West, according to a study by Monique L. Anderson, M.D., of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, N.C. and colleagues. Prompt bystander CPR improves the likelihood of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OCHA), and there are large regional variations in survival after them, according to the study background.

Beta-blockers before noncardiac surgery appear associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular events

Date: Nov-19-2013
Giving beta-blocker medication to patients with heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery appears to be associated with a lower risk of death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) 30 days after surgery in patients with heart failure (HF) or a recent myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack), according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Studies on the use of breast MRI

Date: Nov-19-2013
Study finds use of breast MRI in women increasingThe overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. While breast MRI is being used increasingly, its sensitivity leads to higher false-positive rates and it is also more expensive.

AHA presentations: Clinical studies show stem cell line is effective

Date: Nov-19-2013
Building on a trailblazing body of work in stem cell research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, an interdisciplinary team led by Joshua M. Hare, M.D., Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, revealed the results of two pioneering studies in cardiac stem cell therapy during oral presentations at the American Heart Association national convention held in Dallas, November 18 and 19. Both studies build on Hare's scientific and clinical research in the field of cardiac stem cell therapy.

Drug may enhance the effectiveness of bone marrow transplants for select pediatric leukemia patients

Date: Nov-19-2013
Combining the drug gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) with conventional chemotherapy may improve the outcome of bone marrow transplantation for some children battling high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The results appear in the current edition of the journal Cancer.For young AML patients with suitable bone marrow donors, transplantation offers the best chance of a cure. Being free of even low levels of detectable cancer cells prior to transplantation is associated with better patient survival.

Link between congenital heart defects and environmental toxins defects

Date: Nov-19-2013
Children's congenital heart defects may be associated with their mothers' exposure to specific mixtures of environmental toxins during pregnancy, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Congenital heart defects occur when the heart or blood vessels near the heart don't develop normally before birth. Defects may be caused by chromosomal abnormalities, but the cause is unknown in most cases.Researchers examined patterns of congenital heart defects incidence and presence of environmental toxicants in Alberta, Canada.

Bumetanide shows early promise in treating seizures

Date: Nov-19-2013
A study in the journal Nature Medicine suggests a potential new treatment for the seizures that often plague children with genetic metabolic disorders and individuals undergoing liver failure. The discovery hinges on a new understanding of the complex molecular chain reaction that occurs when the brain is exposed to too much ammonia.The study shows that elevated levels of ammonia in the blood overwhelm the brain's defenses, ultimately causing nerve cells to become overexcited.

Main genes responsible for asthma attacks in children identified

Date: Nov-19-2013
An international team spearheaded by researchers from the University of Copenhagen has identified the genes that put some children at particularly high risk of serious asthma attacks, including one not previously suspected of being implicated in the disease. In the long term, these new findings are expected to help improve treatment options for the disease, which represents a high cost for families and society alike.Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease in children and also the most common reason for Danish children being admitted to hospital.

Predicting heart disease risk for type-2 diabetic patients via body mass index

Date: Nov-19-2013
Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, in collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health, have discovered a simple way to further predict a diabetic patient's risk for heart disease: by measuring their body mass index or BMI.The Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute study is part of a larger study called faCTor-64, which is a landmark, randomized trial designed to determine if using CT scans to screen for heart disease in diabetic patients who don't have heart disease symptoms can help save lives.

Major cause of pregnancy-related deaths in California is heart disease

Date: Nov-19-2013
Heart disease is the leading cause of women's pregnancy-related deaths in California - but nearly one-third could be prevented, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Maternal death rates have been increasing in California and the United States since the mid-1990s, according to statistics from the California Department of Public Health."Women who give birth are usually young and in good health," said Afshan B. Hameed, M.D.