Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Heart Disease News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/heart-disease/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171690.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171690.php Sleep apnea is common in individuals who receive a kidney transplant and is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Researchers found that kidney transplant patients are just as likely to have this sleep disorder as dialyzed kidney disease patients who are on the transplant waiting list. Heart Disease Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171727.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171727.php Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI) (Nasdaq:CSII), announces the first patient enrollment in its prospective, randomized CALCIUM 360° clinical trial, part of the company's 360° Clinical Series. The CALCIUM 360° study will evaluate the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) behind and below the knee using CSI's Diamondback 360® PAD System, a minimally invasive catheter for treating PAD anywhere in the leg. The first procedure was performed successfully by Dr. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171609.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171609.php nContact Surgical, Inc. ("nContact"), a leader in the investigation of devices for minimally-invasive treatment for heart conditions, announced that data from a poster was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando. The study demonstrated that the convergent approach, which combines surgical and electrophysiological expertise, appears to be a good strategy to achieve short term success in patients with long standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Heart Disease Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171586.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171586.php Patients who received telephone-delivered collaborative care for treatment of depression after coronary artery bypass graft surgery reported greater improvement in measures of quality of life, physical functioning and mood than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference. Heart Disease Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171590.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171590.php Clinical Data, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDA) announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its initial Phase III trial of Stedivaze™, a potential best-in-class vasodilator for use in cardiac stress testing. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Stedivaze (apadenoson) for use as a pharmacologic stress agent in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), a method for detecting defects in the blood supply to the heart. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171595.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171595.php A multidisciplinary team of clinical and basic science researchers in the Vascular Biology Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has discovered a possible molecular signature of coronary artery disease in bone marrow stem cells. The dramatic findings were presented on November 16 at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Orlando. Coronary artery disease remains the number one killer in the United States and much of the Western world. Heart Disease Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171569.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171569.php Cambridge Heart, Inc. (OTCBB-CAMH), announced that results of the PREVENT-SCD trial, presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida, reinforce the value of the Microvolt T-wave Alternans (MTWA) test in identifying patients at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171564.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171564.php PanGenex Corporation (Pink Sheets: PGCX) ("PanGenex" or "the Company") announced that due to promising pre-clinical results from its clinical trial at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South (http://www.cardio.com/site1.php), the Company will extend its trial to two additional sites. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171453.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171453.php AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) announced the results of the phase II studies, ONSET/OFFSET and RESPOND for ticagrelor (BRILINTA(TM)) at the annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Orlando, FL,(1,2) with ONSET/OFFSET study results being simultaneously published in the medical journal Circulation.(3) The ONSET/OFFSET data showed that treatment with ticagrelor (BRILINTA(TM)) achieved a more rapid onset of antiplatelet effect (41% IPA vs. Heart Disease Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171460.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171460.php Researchers from the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University have found that the overexpression of a sodium/calcium exchanger, without changes in other ion transport pathways commonly observed in heart failure, does not by itself lead to contraction abnormalities in the heart. They presented the data from the study at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla. Led by Joseph Cheung, M.D., Ph.D. Heart Disease Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171435.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171435.php An analysis of quality of cardiac care following the public release of data on measures of care at hospitals in Ontario, Canada, did not result in significant systemwide improvement in hospitals' performance on most quality of care indicators, according to a study to be published in the December 2 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171447.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171447.php Aldagen, Inc. announced that results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of ALD-201, a cell therapy being developed as a treatment for ischemic heart failure, were presented at AHA. In the study, ALD-201 was found to be well-tolerated and to improve myocardial perfusion. The data were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009 by Emerson C. Heart Disease Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171467.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171467.php A new study published this week found that the proportion of American adults with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol fell by around one third between 1999 and 2006, but concluded that too many are still not being screened or treated for the condition. Cholesterol Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171412.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171412.php Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NasdaqCM:PSTI) (DAX:PJT) announced that safety and potential efficacy parameters were demonstrated by the three month follow up data from the first patient ever to receive its placenta derived cell therapy product, PLX-PAD. The patient is participating in a Phase I dose-escalating clinical trial in Europe with PLX-PAD, the company's leading product candidate for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end-stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171423.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171423.php Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Single-ventricle defects are a collection of cardiac malformations that impair the heart's ability to pump blood. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171397.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171397.php A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good "night's" sleep. Add frequent overtime to that schedule, and an officer may be climbing into bed as the sun comes up, setting the stage for short and unrestful slumber. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health (vol. 64, No. Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171399.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171399.php The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells. Heart Disease Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171381.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171381.php ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARYX), a biopharmaceutical company, announced that a review of the results of the Phase 2b clinical trial, PASCAL, testing the efficacy and safety of ARYx's compound for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, budiodarone, was presented today at the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida. Heart Disease Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171359.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171359.php OmniComm Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: OMCM), one of the fastest growing companies in the EDC marketplace, announced today that a leader in the medical device industry has selected OmniComm's TrialMaster EDC solution for the data capture of a Phase IV cardiovascular study. The 24-month, 7-site study will enroll 100 subjects. "We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with this device company," remarked Stephen Johnson, COO of OmniComm Systems. Medical Devices / Diagnostics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171374.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171374.php A new generation of implanted devices that help a failing heart function properly is significantly more effective than the previous version, making these new devices an appropriate permanent therapy for many of the more than 5 million Americans who suffer from heart failure. A research team led by a University of Louisville cardiac surgeon published data to support these conclusions in the November 17, 2009 Online First edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171305.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171305.php The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in adult Americans over the past 20 years has undermined public health success at reducing risk for heart disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009. In a new study, researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988-2006, representing 8,264 adult men and women, 20 to 85 years old. Heart Disease Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171348.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171348.php The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) on Monday outlined plans "to invest tens of millions of dollars in heart and lung disease studies in a battle against a global epidemic of chronic disease," over five years, Reuters reports. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171361.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171361.php Educating family members of heart failure (HF) patients about the health benefits of consuming a low-salt diet and providing skills for support and communication can effectively reduce HF patients' sodium consumption, according to an interdisciplinary study led by Emory University cardiovascular nursing researcher Sandra Dunbar, RN, DSN, FAAN, FAHA. Dunbar presented key findings of this study at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171363.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171363.php Many patients with diabetes should forego angioplasties for heart disease and just take medicine instead, according to a new National Institutes of Health study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researcher Mark Hlatky, MD. Previous research had shown that patients with type-2 diabetes and mild-to-moderate heart disease have no reduction in risk for heart attacks, strokes or death if they have an angioplasty compared with simply taking the right medications. Heart Disease Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171364.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171364.php Most heart failure patients who develop kidney failure in the hospital do not recover from it before going home and are at increased risk of either being re-hospitalized or dying within the year, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. The study's gloomy finding is the first time researchers linked long-term health outcomes with declining kidney function in patients hospitalized for heart failure. Cardiovascular / Cardiology