Concurrent Imaging Of Metabolic And Electric Signals In The Heart

Cardiac rhythm disorders can result from disturbances in cardiac metabolism. These metabolic changes are tightly linked with specific cardiac electrophysiology (CEP) abnormalities, such as depressed excitability, impaired intra- and extracellular conductivities, wave propagation block, and alteration of conduction velocity, action potential amplitude, and duration.

High Risk For Heart Disease And Stroke In Obese Individuals Medicated To Control Blood Pressure And Cholesterol

Obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are less likely to reach recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts, according to new research presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr.

Teaching About The Risks Factors For Stroke

The theme of this year's World Stroke Day on 29th October is "What can I do?". As the World Stroke Organization says, everyone can do something: learn to recognise symptoms and take action, learn to recognise the risk factors and take action. With this theme in mind, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) emphasises that most of the risks for stroke are also the major risks for coronary heart disease - and thus the object of the ESC's far-reaching prevention programme.

The Medicines Company Announces Positive CHMP Opinion For Angiox(R) For Use In Heart Attack Patients Undergoing Emergency Heart Procedures

The Medicines Company (NASDAQ:MDCO) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has granted a positive opinion applicable to all Member States of the European Union/European Economic Area that will extend the use of Angiox (bivalirudin) to include patients with heart attacks (so-called ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)) undergoing emergency heart procedures called primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Heart Attacks Become More Common But Less Often Fatal In Women

Heart attacks appear to have become more common in middle-aged women over the past two decades, but all women and especially those younger than 55 have recently experienced a greater increase than men in their chances of survival following such a heart event, according to two reports in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine,one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Catheter Delivered Valve May Help People With Heart Defects Avoid Multiple Surgeries

Children born with certain heart defects have impaired blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery leading to the lungs, requiring implanted devices (known as right-ventricular outflow tract conduits) to maintain the flow. However, these conduits fail over time, and children typically face multiple open-heart operations during their lives to reopen the passage.

Capsule Endoscopy Safe For Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices

A study of patients with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers, implantable defibrillators or left ventricular assist devices found that performing capsule endoscopy in these patients is safe and that the devices in general do not interfere with images captured by the capsule. Capsule endoscopy is a diagnostic study of the small intestine by a miniature wireless camera swallowed by the patient.

Peripheral Artery Disease - Angina In The Legs? Time To Alert Patients And Physicians

Edmonton researchers recommend that people over age 40 be screened for peripheral artery disease (PAD), which puts people at high risk for serious medical complications including heart disease, stroke, and possible lower limb amputation. It contributes to thousands of deaths every year yet nobody knows for sure how many Canadians have PAD. "PAD is under diagnosed and under treated," Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr.

Yale Researchers Awarded Grant To Develop Treatment Of Williams Syndrome

Yale researchers have been awarded a $320,000 grant from The Kiev Foundation to study new ways to treat Williams Syndrome, a rare, thus far incurable chromosomal disorder that causes cardiovascular and connective tissue problems. Williams Syndrome (WS) occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births. It is caused by the deletion of genes on chromosome 7.

Even A Few Cigarettes A Day Reduces Artery Health In Young Adults

A new study from Canada suggests that even light smoking in otherwise healthy young people damages the arteries, reducing their bodies' ability to deal with physical stress such as exercise, running to catch a bus or climbing stairs.

NERI To Be Coordinating Center For NHLBI's New Bench To Bassinet Program, Which Will Support Excellence In Pediatric Heart Disease Research

New England Research Institutes, Inc. (NERI) announced today that it will be the Coordinating Center for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) new Bench to Bassinet Program.

Patient First In North Texas To Receive Newest-generation Heart Failure Device

UT Southwestern Medical Center patient Michael LeBlanc, 40, is the first in North Texas to receive the newest generation of a mechanical device designed to improve heart function. It will be his lifeline while he awaits a heart transplant. Called a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD), its purpose is to help a patient's weakened heart pump blood throughout the body. For Mr. LeBlanc, it will help his ailing heart continue to pump until the Irving resident receives a new heart.

Top US Cardiologist Honoured For Healing Damaged Hearts

Dr. Eduardo Marbán, a pioneering American cardiologist, will receive the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH) Distinguished Lecture and Prize Award. In June 2009, Dr. Marbán and his team at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles completed the world's first procedure in which a patient's own heart tissue was used to grow stem cells.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches New Biomarker Test In Europe To Rapidly Diagnose Heart Attack

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, announced the availability in Europe of its new Copeptin assay, which helps medical personnel quickly and accurately diagnose acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack. Copeptin, developed by recently acquired B.R.A.H.M.S.

Melody(R) Transcatheter Valve Demonstrates Encouraging Results In Study On Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

Clinical trial results published in this week's Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) describe six-month outcomes for patients using the Melody® Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT). The valve is implanted through a catheter procedure instead of open-heart surgery in patients with congenital heart disease affecting the function of their pulmonary valve. The first-of-its kind device is currently under review by the U.S.

Rennes University Hospital Begins SynCardia Certification Training For The Total Artificial Heart

On Oct. 26 & 27, the surgical team from Rennes University Hospital, led by Dr. Erwan Flecher and Prof. Jean-Philippe Verhoye, completed the first phase of certification training for the SynCardia temporary CardioWestâ„¢ Total Artificial Heart in Paris.

Onset Medical Performs First Human Use Of The SoloPath⢠Endovascular Access Catheter To Deliver Percutaneous Aortic Heart Valve

Onset Medical Corporation announced the first human usage of its SoloPathTM Endovascular Access Catheter in a case performed by Eberhard Grube MD, Chief, Department of Cardiology/Angiology, Helios Heart Center, Siegburg in Germany. The primary clinical applications for the SoloPath family of Endovascular Access Catheters are to provide quicker and safer access of larger therapeutic devices through the femoral and iliac arteries of the leg into the larger aortic artery.

Gladstone Scientists Receive $10 Million To Identify Genetic Cause Of Congenital Heart Disease

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) will receive $10 million over the next 6 years to find the genetic causes of congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease affects 1 percent of all children and often leads to death or long-term illness. The team of investigators, led by Benoit Bruneau, PhD, will focus on the gene networks that underlie the disease and the regulatory factors that turn on and off genes related to congenital heart defects (CHDs).

New CVD Guidelines And Position Papers

Several new guidelines and position papers offering the most up to date information to ensure that clinicians practice evidence-based medicine were released at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 this week.

Heart Patients Running The Red Light On Traffic Restrictions

More than half of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) don't get any counselling on their ability to drive after angioplasty - and this could be putting lives in danger, Dr. Ravi Bajaj told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Increased Blood Pressure In Inuit Due To Salt Intake

A move from a traditional diet to the sodium-laden Western diet is fuelling a spike in the blood pressure of the Inuit in Canada's North, Dr. Marie-Ludivine Chateau-Degat told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Ezetimibe Makes Atorvastatin More Efficient In Lowering Lipids In Men And Women Age 65 And Older

Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin significantly boosted the attainment of lipid targets as specified by both Canadian and European guidelines in elderly patients aged 65 and older and the combination produced superior results than simply increasing the dose of atorvastatin alone, Dr. Christian Constance told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

For Some Of Canada's Teens Puberty Is A Gateway To Heart Disease

A seven-year ongoing study examining over 20,000 Canadian grade 9 students shows most already have at least one major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, Dr. Brian McCrindle told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "This study is further evidence of an accelerating decline in the heart health of Canada's teens," says Dr. McCrindle, a cardiologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Quality Improvement Program Increases Hospitals' Adherence To Evidenced-Based Care, Reduces Gender-, Age-Related Disparities

Participation in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® quality improvement program significantly improves hospitals' adherence to evidence-based therapies and reduces gender- and age-related disparities in the care of coronary artery disease patients, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

Screening For Cardiovascular Diseases Difficult, But Necessary

Cardiovascular diseases are difficult to screen for, but the practice of doing so is critical to ensure safe athletic participation. This fact is emphasized by the recent deaths of three individuals in the Detroit Marathon on October 18th, 2009. The new study published in the November/December issue of Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach discusses the issues of cardiovascular screening.

The Medicines Company Announces Positive CHMP Opinion For Angiox(R) For Use In Heart Attack Patients Undergoing Emergency Heart Procedures

The Medicines Company (NASDAQ:MDCO) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has granted a positive opinion applicable to all Member States of the European Union/European Economic Area that will extend the use of Angiox (bivalirudin) to include patients with heart attacks (so-called ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)) undergoing emergency heart procedures called primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches New Biomarker Test In Europe To Rapidly Diagnose Heart Attack

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, announced the availability in Europe of its new Copeptin assay, which helps medical personnel quickly and accurately diagnose acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack. Copeptin, developed by recently acquired B.R.A.H.M.S.

Teaching About The Risks Factors For Stroke

The theme of this year's World Stroke Day on 29th October is "What can I do?". As the World Stroke Organization says, everyone can do something: learn to recognise symptoms and take action, learn to recognise the risk factors and take action. With this theme in mind, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) emphasises that most of the risks for stroke are also the major risks for coronary heart disease - and thus the object of the ESC's far-reaching prevention programme.

Quality Improvement Program Increases Hospitals' Adherence To Evidenced-Based Care, Reduces Gender-, Age-Related Disparities

Participation in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® quality improvement program significantly improves hospitals' adherence to evidence-based therapies and reduces gender- and age-related disparities in the care of coronary artery disease patients, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

Heart Attacks Become More Common But Less Often Fatal In Women

Heart attacks appear to have become more common in middle-aged women over the past two decades, but all women and especially those younger than 55 have recently experienced a greater increase than men in their chances of survival following such a heart event, according to two reports in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine,one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Even A Few Cigarettes A Day Reduces Artery Health In Young Adults

A new study from Canada suggests that even light smoking in otherwise healthy young people damages the arteries, reducing their bodies' ability to deal with physical stress such as exercise, running to catch a bus or climbing stairs.

Peripheral Artery Disease - Angina In The Legs? Time To Alert Patients And Physicians

Edmonton researchers recommend that people over age 40 be screened for peripheral artery disease (PAD), which puts people at high risk for serious medical complications including heart disease, stroke, and possible lower limb amputation. It contributes to thousands of deaths every year yet nobody knows for sure how many Canadians have PAD. "PAD is under diagnosed and under treated," Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr.

Concurrent Imaging Of Metabolic And Electric Signals In The Heart

Cardiac rhythm disorders can result from disturbances in cardiac metabolism. These metabolic changes are tightly linked with specific cardiac electrophysiology (CEP) abnormalities, such as depressed excitability, impaired intra- and extracellular conductivities, wave propagation block, and alteration of conduction velocity, action potential amplitude, and duration.

High Risk For Heart Disease And Stroke In Obese Individuals Medicated To Control Blood Pressure And Cholesterol

Obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are less likely to reach recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts, according to new research presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr.

Catheter Delivered Valve May Help People With Heart Defects Avoid Multiple Surgeries

Children born with certain heart defects have impaired blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery leading to the lungs, requiring implanted devices (known as right-ventricular outflow tract conduits) to maintain the flow. However, these conduits fail over time, and children typically face multiple open-heart operations during their lives to reopen the passage.

Capsule Endoscopy Safe For Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices

A study of patients with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers, implantable defibrillators or left ventricular assist devices found that performing capsule endoscopy in these patients is safe and that the devices in general do not interfere with images captured by the capsule. Capsule endoscopy is a diagnostic study of the small intestine by a miniature wireless camera swallowed by the patient.

Yale Researchers Awarded Grant To Develop Treatment Of Williams Syndrome

Yale researchers have been awarded a $320,000 grant from The Kiev Foundation to study new ways to treat Williams Syndrome, a rare, thus far incurable chromosomal disorder that causes cardiovascular and connective tissue problems. Williams Syndrome (WS) occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births. It is caused by the deletion of genes on chromosome 7.

Patient First In North Texas To Receive Newest-generation Heart Failure Device

UT Southwestern Medical Center patient Michael LeBlanc, 40, is the first in North Texas to receive the newest generation of a mechanical device designed to improve heart function. It will be his lifeline while he awaits a heart transplant. Called a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD), its purpose is to help a patient's weakened heart pump blood throughout the body. For Mr. LeBlanc, it will help his ailing heart continue to pump until the Irving resident receives a new heart.

NERI To Be Coordinating Center For NHLBI's New Bench To Bassinet Program, Which Will Support Excellence In Pediatric Heart Disease Research

New England Research Institutes, Inc. (NERI) announced today that it will be the Coordinating Center for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) new Bench to Bassinet Program.

Top US Cardiologist Honoured For Healing Damaged Hearts

Dr. Eduardo Marbán, a pioneering American cardiologist, will receive the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH) Distinguished Lecture and Prize Award. In June 2009, Dr. Marbán and his team at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles completed the world's first procedure in which a patient's own heart tissue was used to grow stem cells.

Melody(R) Transcatheter Valve Demonstrates Encouraging Results In Study On Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

Clinical trial results published in this week's Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) describe six-month outcomes for patients using the Melody® Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT). The valve is implanted through a catheter procedure instead of open-heart surgery in patients with congenital heart disease affecting the function of their pulmonary valve. The first-of-its kind device is currently under review by the U.S.

Rennes University Hospital Begins SynCardia Certification Training For The Total Artificial Heart

On Oct. 26 & 27, the surgical team from Rennes University Hospital, led by Dr. Erwan Flecher and Prof. Jean-Philippe Verhoye, completed the first phase of certification training for the SynCardia temporary CardioWestâ„¢ Total Artificial Heart in Paris.

Onset Medical Performs First Human Use Of The SoloPath⢠Endovascular Access Catheter To Deliver Percutaneous Aortic Heart Valve

Onset Medical Corporation announced the first human usage of its SoloPathTM Endovascular Access Catheter in a case performed by Eberhard Grube MD, Chief, Department of Cardiology/Angiology, Helios Heart Center, Siegburg in Germany. The primary clinical applications for the SoloPath family of Endovascular Access Catheters are to provide quicker and safer access of larger therapeutic devices through the femoral and iliac arteries of the leg into the larger aortic artery.

Gladstone Scientists Receive $10 Million To Identify Genetic Cause Of Congenital Heart Disease

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) will receive $10 million over the next 6 years to find the genetic causes of congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease affects 1 percent of all children and often leads to death or long-term illness. The team of investigators, led by Benoit Bruneau, PhD, will focus on the gene networks that underlie the disease and the regulatory factors that turn on and off genes related to congenital heart defects (CHDs).

New CVD Guidelines And Position Papers

Several new guidelines and position papers offering the most up to date information to ensure that clinicians practice evidence-based medicine were released at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 this week.

Heart Patients Running The Red Light On Traffic Restrictions

More than half of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) don't get any counselling on their ability to drive after angioplasty - and this could be putting lives in danger, Dr. Ravi Bajaj told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Increased Blood Pressure In Inuit Due To Salt Intake

A move from a traditional diet to the sodium-laden Western diet is fuelling a spike in the blood pressure of the Inuit in Canada's North, Dr. Marie-Ludivine Chateau-Degat told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Ezetimibe Makes Atorvastatin More Efficient In Lowering Lipids In Men And Women Age 65 And Older

Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin significantly boosted the attainment of lipid targets as specified by both Canadian and European guidelines in elderly patients aged 65 and older and the combination produced superior results than simply increasing the dose of atorvastatin alone, Dr. Christian Constance told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

For Some Of Canada's Teens Puberty Is A Gateway To Heart Disease

A seven-year ongoing study examining over 20,000 Canadian grade 9 students shows most already have at least one major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, Dr. Brian McCrindle told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "This study is further evidence of an accelerating decline in the heart health of Canada's teens," says Dr. McCrindle, a cardiologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Screening For Cardiovascular Diseases Difficult, But Necessary

Cardiovascular diseases are difficult to screen for, but the practice of doing so is critical to ensure safe athletic participation. This fact is emphasized by the recent deaths of three individuals in the Detroit Marathon on October 18th, 2009. The new study published in the November/December issue of Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach discusses the issues of cardiovascular screening.