Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Cardiovascular / Cardiology News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/cardiovascular/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114115.php Vietnam veterans who experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were twice as likely to die from heart disease as veterans without PTSD, a new Geisinger study finds. In a study published in the July issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, Geisinger Senior Investigator Joseph Boscarino, PhD, MPH examined the prevalence of heart disease, PTSD and other problems in more than 4,000 Vietnam veterans. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114073.php Regenerx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has completed enrollment and dosing of 40 healthy subjects for its Phase IA clinical trial testing RGN-352, an injectable formulation of Tβ4 for potential use in treating acute myocardial infarction patients (AMI or heart attack). The trial includes four groups of ten subjects each to assess the safety of escalating doses of RGN-352 injected into the blood stream. To date, there have been no significant drug-related adverse events. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114005.php Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol slows age-related deterioration and functional decline of mice on a standard diet, but does not increase longevity when started at middle age. This study, conducted and supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is a follow-up to 2006 findings that resveratrol improves health and longevity of overweight, aged mice. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113917.php Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a specific tumor suppressor that manages membrane traffic routes for cellular cleaning and recycling. The study will be published in the July issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology, and is now available online. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113898.php The mature heart is composed by different cell types, including contractile cardiac cells, vascular cells, smooth muscle cells as well as pacemaker cells. During embryonic development as well as during embryonic stem cell differentiation, the different cardiovascular cell types arise from the differentiation of multipotent cardiovascular progenitors. The mechanism that promotes multipotent cardiovascular progenitor specification from undifferentiated mesoderm cell remains largely unknown. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113856.php Sirtris, a GlaxoSmithKline company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, is included among a research team that reported in today's online edition of Cell Metabolism that mice treated at middle-age to the end-of-life with resveratrol showed an overall health improvement, including improved bone health, a reduction in cataracts and cardiovascular dysfunction, and improved balance and motor coordination. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113808.php Measuring calcium deposits in the heart's arteries can help predict overall death risk in American adults, even when they are elderly, according to a new study published in the July issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Matthew J. Budoff, M.D. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113756.php Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113750.php Acusphere, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACUS) announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for approval to market its lead product candidate, Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres for Injectable Suspension), has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Imagify is an ultrasound imaging agent for the detection of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113749.php Quickly ascending to a high altitude can challenge the healthiest people, but it can spell extra trouble for individuals with a heart problem, according to the July 2008 Harvard Heart Letter. How your heart will respond to the challenges of high altitude depends on how high you are going, what you plan to do there, the state of your heart, and your overall fitness. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113739.php Abbott announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the XIENCE(TM) V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease. XIENCE V is the only drug eluting stent to have demonstrated superiority over Boston Scientific's TAXUS(R) paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system in two randomized head-to-head clinical trials. XIENCE V will be launched in the United States immediately. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113709.php Hansen Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNSN), a developer of robotic technology for accurate 3D control of catheter movement during cardiac procedures, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance to market the CoHesion™ 3D Visualization Module for use in complex electrophysiology (EP) mapping procedures. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113702.php More evidence for the beneficial effect of green tea on risk factors for heart disease has emerged in a new study reported in the latest issue of European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.1 The study found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system; endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113692.php People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study. "There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years," said lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113672.php EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EPIX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics through the use of its proprietary and highly efficient in silico drug discovery platform, announced today that the New Drug Application (NDA) for its novel blood pool magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) agent, Vasovist (gadofosveset trisodium) was resubmitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 30, 2008. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113609.php A multicenter trial with up to five years of follow-up continues to support the mid- and long-term durability and safety of the Zenith endovascular graft used for aneurysm repair. "Our study showed that the risk of aneurysm-related death or rupture were exceptionally low, and complications of migration, limb occlusion and device integrity issues were uncommon," said Roy Greenberg, MD, director of endovascular research at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113608.php The impact of surgeons' annual aortic volume and other prognostic indicators have been revealed in early outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) repair in a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Details of the study have been published in the July issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery. Fourteen different surgeons performed consecutive open RAAA repairs on 170 patients between January 2001 and June 2007 at the Center. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113605.php Women may respond less favorably than men to cardiovascular disease (CV) drug-treatments for enlarged heart, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center physician-scientists. For the first time, researchers have uncovered that women derive a lesser benefit than men from two common high-blood-pressure-lowering drugs -- losartan and atenolol -- for the reduction of left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113675.php Yesterday, 1st July, New York City restaurants entered the final phase of the ban on artificial trans fats introduced a year ago. The City's restaurants must now clear trans fats rom their menus. Trans fats are made by hydrogenating plant oils to make them easier to use, for instance in baking, and to increase shelf life. They raise "bad" LDL and lower "good" HDL cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk for coronary heart disease. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113526.php The state Medical Examiner's Office cited cardiac arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, as the cause of sudden death of 19 year-old U.S. Naval Academy student Kristen Dickmann. Dickmann, a first year student and volleyball player at the academy, was studying to be a naval aviator. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113396.php Two newspapers on Sunday published articles on issues related to the use of CT heart scans and consulting payments to physicians from medical device companies. Summaries appear below. CT heart scans: The Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113422.php A cold slice of watermelon has long been a Fourth of July holiday staple. But according to recent studies, the juicy fruit may be better suited for Valentine's Day. That's because scientists say watermelon has ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body's blood vessels and may even increase libido. "The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body," said Dr. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113415.php The American Heart Association has set August for the premier of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, the fourth in a series of six new titles to be published under the banner of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The journals will be published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. David P. Faxon, M.D., has been named editor of the new journal. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113357.php deCODE genetics (Nasdaq: DCGN) announced positive topline results from its latest clinical pharmacology study of DG041, the company's first-in-class antagonist of the EP3 receptor for prostaglandin E2, developed as a next-generation oral anti-platelet therapy for preventing arterial thrombosis without increasing bleeding risk. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113356.php CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY), a biomaterials, medical device and tissue processing company, has announced that positive mid-term performance data on the CryoValve(R) SG decellularized pulmonary human heart valve were presented on June 28th at the 34th Annual Western Thoracic Surgical Association Meeting in Kona, Hawaii. The data, used earlier this year to support the marketing clearance for the valve, were presented by John W. Brown, M.D.