Health News

In-Hospital Mortality For Acute Heart Failure Similar For Men And Women But Treatment Favors Men

Date: Aug-28-2012
Women with acute heart failure have similar in-hospital mortality to men but are less treated in the real world, according to results from the global ALARM-HF registry presented at the ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented by Dr John T. Parissis from Greece. Acute heart failure (AHF) is a frequent clinical situation with high short- and long-term mortality as well as high hospitalization rates...

Research May Provide Tool To Study Cancer Metabolism

Date: Aug-28-2012
Scientists have known for decades that cancer cells use more glucose than healthy cells, feeding the growth of some types of tumors. Now, a team that includes researchers from the National Institutes of Health's new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has identified compounds that delay the formation of tumors in mice, by targeting a key enzyme that governs how cancer cells use glucose and its metabolites...

Obese Fertile Women At Increased Risk Of Atrial Fibrillation

Date: Aug-28-2012
Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Deniz Karasoy from Denmark. Atrial fibrillation and obesity are among the largest public health related challenges in the western world today. Atrial fibrillation is the commonest heart rhythm disorder and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity...

Discovery Of Promising New Drug Target For Treatment And Prevention Of Heart Failure

Date: Aug-28-2012
A promising new drug target for the treatment and prevention of heart failure has been discovered by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, NY, US. The study was presented at the ESC Congress 2012 by principal investigator Professor Roger J. Hajjar, MD. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5.8 million Americans suffer from heart failure and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. One in five people with heart failure die within one year of diagnosis...

Smoking Ban Offers The Most Benefit To Non-Smokers

Date: Aug-28-2012
After the smoking ban was introduced in Bremen, Germany, the rate of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) diminished by 26% in non-smokers but remained almost constant in active smokers, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress 2012. The results were presented by Dr Johannes Schmucker from Germany. Many European countries have passed anti-smoking legislation which bans smoking from restaurants, bars and public buildings...

Artery Damage Already Evident In Adolescent Smokers

Date: Aug-28-2012
Adolescent smokers have thicker artery walls indicative of early development of atherosclerosis, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress. The findings from the Sapaldia Youth Study were presented by Dr Julia Dratva from Switzerland. Early exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with various adverse health outcomes in children and adolescents, including low birth weight and impaired lung growth and function. Tobacco smoke is considered highly atherogenic in adults, but little is known about the impact of tobacco smoke exposure on cardiovascular health in adolescents...

Women Over 75 With Atrial Fibrillation At 20% Greater Risk Of Stroke

Date: Aug-28-2012
Female gender increases the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) aged 75 years by 20%, according to a study presented at the ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented by Anders Mikkelsen, from Denmark. The results suggest that female gender should not be included as an independent stroke/thromboembolism (TE) risk factor in guidelines or risk stratification schemes used in treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation...

3 Year Outcomes In Heart Failure Patients Improved By Heart Separation Device

Date: Aug-28-2012
A novel non-invasive device which separates healthy and damaged heart muscle and restores ventricle function improves 3 year outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented by Professor William T. Abraham at an ESC press conference and by Dr Marco Costa at an ESC Congress scientific session. Heart failure is a common, debilitating, and potentially deadly condition in which the heart is unable to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body...

Vitamin B3 May Help Kill Superbugs

Date: Aug-28-2012
Nicotinamide, commonly known as vitamin B3, may help the innate immune system kill antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria, the so-called "superbugs".  In lab work done with mice and human blood, researchers found high doses of the vitamin increased the ability of immune cells to kill the bacteria by 1,000 times. The discovery opens the door to a new arsenal of tools for dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, such as those caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus or MRSA, that have killed thousands of people around the world...

Novel Additive Boosts Effect Of Vaccines Against HIV And Flu In Mice

Date: Aug-28-2012
Oxford University scientists have discovered a compound that greatly boosts the effect of vaccines against viruses like flu, HIV and herpes in mice. An 'adjuvant' is a substance added to a vaccine to enhance the immune response and offer better protection against infection. The Oxford University team, along with Swedish and US colleagues, have shown that a type of polymer called polyethyleneimine (PEI) is a potent adjuvant for test vaccines against HIV, flu and herpes when given in mice...