When human heart muscle cells derived from embryonic stem cells are implanted into a rat after a heart attack, they can help rebuild the animal’s heart muscle and improve function of the organ, scientists report in the September issue of Nature Biotechnology.
A report in New Scientist looks at research linking noise pollution to premature death and illness. Ellen Mason, Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says:
In response to an article published in the Lancet on 24 August, called Acute myocardial infarction and diabetes, which suggests that heart attack victims are at increased risk of diabetes, Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says:
It?s yet another example of how a good thing can go bad: Researchers have found evidence in laboratory studies that ?good? cholesterol, renowned for its ability to protect against heart disease, can undergo detrimental changes in protein composition that make it ?bad? for the heart.
A coalition of physicians representing a wide range of medical specialties has issued a call to action to improve the treatment of stroke. The group, which includes nationally recognized leaders in neurology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, vascular surgery and cardiology, was drawn together by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions to address one of the most pressing medical needs in this country — the rapid treatment of stroke using catheter-based techniques.
A study led by a team of researchers at Oregon Health & Science University has demonstrated for the first time that molecular imaging with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and targeted microbubbles is effective in detecting at a very early stage inflammatory processes that lead to atherosclerosis.
In response to an article in The Lancet about risks associated with high blood pressure, British Heart Foundation Cardiac Nurse Judy O?Sullivan said:
High blood pressure (hypertension) is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and the frequent use of drugs known as NSAIDs, for example to treat individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, can cause hypertension.
Individuals with diabetes and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) such as a heart attack or unstable angina have an increased risk of death at 30 days and one year after ACS, compared with ACS patients without diabetes, according to a study in the August 15 issue of JAMA.
Most of us rely on the bathroom scale to tell us when middle-aged spread is getting out of hand. It might be better to keep a tape measure at the ready. New research shows that adding several inches to the waist?even if body weight still falls within a normal range?markedly increases the risk of unhealthy plaque build-up in the arteries of the heart and the rest of the body.