Some high blood pressure medicines may help protect older adults from declines in memory and other cognitive function, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, reported today at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Seattle.
A naturally occurring molecule in the body appears to control whether certain medications, such as beta adrenergic receptor agonists used in acute heart failure or in inhalers for asthma, lose their effectiveness over time.
Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have identified a piece of the DNA sequence that boosts a person’s susceptibility to heart disease by up to 40 per cent regardless of other established risks such as cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. The discovery could help identify people at high future risk for heart disease, enabling early preventive therapies, including lifestyle changes and medication to reduce their risk. This finding may also lead to a better understanding of the biological pathways that lead to heart attacks.
People with a brother or sister who have had a stroke are almost twice as likely as the average American to suffer a stroke themselves, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology?s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 ? May 5, 2007.
Statin drugs, known primarily for their ability to lower cholesterol, also may reduce the overactive sympathetic nervous system response that contributes to the worsening of heart failure and increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, two University of Missouri-Columbia researchers have found. Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.
Although the American Society for Nutrition?s popular ?controversy session? at Experimental Biology 2007 focuses on the health effects of coffee drinking, panel chair Dr. James Coughlin, a toxicology/safety consultant at Coughlin & Associates, says that recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.
A new study examining the overall and gender-related effects of laparoscopic gastric banding surgery (LGBS) on insulin resistance, body composition, and metabolic risk markers six months after surgery has found significant improvements in insulin resistance. The improvements occurred despite continuing obesity.
Incorporating macadamia nuts into a heart healthy diet can reduce cardiovascular disease risks according to Penn State researchers.
Family-oriented psychosocial interventions seem to be beneficial in improving the mental and physical well-being of both patients with chronic illness and their family members, but the results aren?t as robust as researchers had hoped.
Increasing intake of antioxidant-rich cherries may help lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, suggests a new study presented today at the Experimental Biology annual meeting.