Research on heart attacks and their treatment. Covers care for older patients, cardiac rehabilitation, rapid testing, and updated diagnostic definitions.
Two genetic mutations on a single gene have been found to interact and lower the risk of heart attacks in people who carry both variants. The study suggests that clinicians should test individuals with reduced activity of DBH and norepinephrine to determine if they benefit from beta blockers.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Sciences University successfully tested a peptide developed by Case Western Reserve neurosciences professor Jerry Silver, PhD, which showed 100% success in animal models, regenerating nerves into heart attack scar tissue and preventing arrhythmia.
A recent study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that the adjusted risk ratio for heart attacks among HIV-positive patients decreased from an 80% increased risk in 1996 to no increased risk in 2010-2011. The improved care and treatments led by Kaiser Permanente's early awareness of cardiovascular disease risks have result...
Researchers at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering have developed a new colloidal gold test strip that demonstrates high detection sensitivity for cardiac troponin I (cTn-I) detection. The new strip uses microplasma-generated gold nanoparticles, attracting more antibodies and resulting in significantly higher detection sensitivity.
A new study found that long-term exposure to terrorism threat increases resting heart rates and mortality risk in Israelis. The study, conducted on 17,300 healthy subjects, reveals a link between fear of terror and elevated heart rates.
A new study found that most heart attack patients do not receive sexual counseling from their healthcare provider, with only 12% of women and 19% of men reporting such advice. The researchers recommend that healthcare providers raise the issue of resuming sexual activity with their patients, as it is an important aspect of overall health.
Researchers identified rare APOA5 gene mutations linked to high triglycerides and increased heart attack risk. The study found that these mutations also raise LDL receptor mutation prevalence, underscoring the role of triglyceride metabolism in early-onset heart attacks.
A study found that racial and ethnic disparities in acute care narrowed significantly as hospitals improved quality, with nine major disparities mostly disappearing by the end of 2010. Hospitals serving minorities made faster improvements and delivered more equal care to white and minority patients over time.
Researchers at Imperial College London discovered a possible way to identify which patients should avoid using COX-2 inhibitors, a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), due to increased heart attack risk. The study found that COX-2 inhibitors raise levels of ADMA, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Research suggests that patients with erectile dysfunction who follow a Mediterranean diet have less vascular and cardiac damage, reducing their risk of heart attack and stroke. A lower Med-Diet Score correlated with worse vascular and heart function, including increased intima-media thickness and aortic stiffness.
Physician-researcher Sumeet Chugh receives $2.36 million grant to develop prevention strategies for sudden cardiac arrest. The study focuses on patients aged 35-59 years old and aims to identify risk factors, including sex hormones and genetics.
A new trans-satellite wireless 12-lead ECG has been shown to significantly reduce treatment time for people with severe heart attacks. The study found that patients who received a wireless ECG had a hospital arrival to angioplasty time of 53 minutes, compared to 104 minutes for those who did not receive the test.
A Vanderbilt University study found a nationwide decline of 30% in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients between 2006-2011. This decrease may lead to reduced experience among emergency doctors, potentially affecting the timeliness and quality of care for time-sensitive heart attacks.
A new study analyzes individual results and population-level data to clear the paradox of faster heart attack treatment times. The findings show that treating more complex patients with emergency angioplasty and stents appears to be why mortality hasn't decreased with reduced door-to-balloon time.
A new study by researchers from the University of Sheffield confirms that treating heart attack patients with ticagrelor reduces the risk of stents blocking with blood clots, which can be fatal. The study found that this pioneering drug could halve the risks of stent blockage compared to previous standard treatment clopidogrel.
Researchers found no significant reduction in cardiovascular events, but a lower incidence of nonfatal heart attack and transient ischemic attack. Aspirin increased the risk of extracranial hemorrhage requiring hospitalization.
A new study by Mount Sinai Heart and CNIC in Spain reveals two waves of heart muscle inflammation after a heart attack, contradicting previous consensus. The researchers discovered the first wave occurs immediately after the attack and subsides, followed by a second wave that arises a week later.
A new study by Intermountain Medical Center found that routine heart imaging screenings for diabetic patients at high risk of heart disease did not prevent heart attacks, hospitalization, or cardiac death. High-quality diabetes management remains the most effective way to avoid these events.
A randomized trial of 900 patients with diabetes found no benefit from routine CT angiography screening for coronary artery disease (CAD) in reducing mortality, heart attacks, or hospitalizations. The study suggests that guideline-directed medical therapy for hypertension and hyperlipidemia is effective in asymptomatic patients with di...
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that injections of cardiac stem cells may help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially leading to improved heart function and exercise capacity. The study involved laboratory mice infused with cardiac stem cells, which showed marked improvement in hea...
Researchers used big data analysis to identify crizotinib, a cancer drug, as a possible candidate for a new stent coating. The medication helped prevent stent disease and protected the endothelium without affecting blood vessel lining in mice.
A new study published in JAMA found that hospitalized patients with STEMI heart attacks are more likely to die than those who had the same type of heart attack outside the hospital. The study analyzed data from over 62,000 patients and found that these patients were older, female, and less likely to receive routine treatments for STEMI.
Patients who develop heart attacks in hospitals for non-acute conditions have a 3.5-fold higher mortality rate compared to those with outpatient-onset STEMI. Inpatient-onset STEMI patients are also less likely to be discharged home and undergo necessary treatments, leading to longer hospital stays and higher costs.
Research at Mayo Clinic reveals that patients with active asthma are at a twofold risk of having a heart attack. Patients with inactive asthma were not found to be at an increased risk, highlighting the need for better control of asthma symptoms and medication use.
A recent study by Duke University researchers found that over half of STEMI heart attack patients had one or both of their other arteries obstructed, leading to worse outcomes. The study suggests that opening all blocked arteries may become a standard procedure.
Research studies presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014 found that people with active asthma are more likely to experience a heart attack. Participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) who required daily medications for asthma were 60% more likely to have a cardiovascular event.
The DAPT Study found that continuing dual antiplatelet therapy for at least 30 months significantly reduced the risk of stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular events. This benefit was observed across all stent types and patient characteristics, with a notable reduction in heart attack risk.
Researchers at Sentient Science and University at Buffalo develop wearable technology to measure stress, fatigue, and resilience. The system sends personalized alerts to prevent heart attacks and physical injuries.
A new study found that survivors of heart attacks and strokes experience a rapid decline in physical abilities over time, leading to increased disability and depressive symptoms. The study suggests that these survivors should be screened for functional disability long after discharge from the hospital.
A new study published in PLOS ONE suggests that a dose of iodide can significantly reduce the damage caused by reperfusion injury after a heart attack. The study found that intravenous infusions of sodium iodide reduced myocardial infarction damage by up to 75 percent in mice, and oral iodide showed similar protective effects.
A study of nearly 38,000 patients found that those diagnosed with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) had a significantly increased risk of heart attack or death one year after diagnosis. Patients with nonobstructive CAD had an associated risk of MI that was 2-to 4.5-fold greater than among those with no apparent CAD.
A recent study highlights the dangers of women delaying medical attention for heart symptoms, citing a higher likelihood of severe or advanced stage treatment options being limited. Women often attribute symptoms to other possibilities and exhibit an optimistic bias, waiting longer to seek care than men.
A clinical study found that high levels of TMAO, a chemical byproduct of intestinal bacteria digestion, are linked to an increased risk of heart failure and poor long-term prognosis. Patients with low TMAO levels had a lower mortality rate despite advanced heart failure symptoms.
A new study by researchers at Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute suggests that lifestyle choices, not just genetics, may contribute to the risk of heart attack. The study found that severe coronary artery disease can be inherited, but the presence of heart attacks in people with less severe disease was not clustered in families.
According to research presented at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2014, nearly one quarter of patients in the study were depressed and nearly a quarter had received treatment for depression. Women were more likely to develop anxiety and depression after a heart attack compared to men, with current smokers also showing higher levels of anxiety.
Researchers at UCLA have discovered that fibroblasts can transform into endothelial cells, which form blood vessels. This finding suggests a potential new strategy for improving heart repair after a heart attack.
Researchers at UNC School of Medicine have discovered a new way to generate more blood vessels following a heart attack by turning fibroblasts into endothelial cells. Increasing the level of p53 in scar-forming cells significantly reduces scarring and improves heart function after heart attack.
Researchers have found that post-heart-attack arrhythmias are triggered by a power grid-like failure inside cardiac cells, disrupting mitochondria and causing chaotic cell-to-cell signaling. This disruption can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias like fibrillation, but pretreatment with certain medications may help prevent them.
Sepsis affects more hospital patients than any other diagnosis, with half of all in-hospital deaths involving the condition. Researchers say a national system is needed to hold hospitals accountable for sepsis diagnosis and care, building on lessons from heart attack treatment.
Research reveals that young men and women who had a heart attack have poorer health and quality of life if they have limited social support, including friends, family, and emotional connections. This study provides new insights into the importance of social support for younger patients after a heart attack.
A new study finds that healthy lifestyle habits, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, can prevent four out of five coronary events in men. Researchers followed 20,721 Swedish men for 11 years and found that those with low-risk behaviors had significantly lower risk of heart attack.
University of Leeds researchers found that a single missed care step can lead to a 46% increased chance of death within a month of discharge and a 74% increased chance of dying within one year. The nine identified pathways of care include pre-hospital electrocardiogram, aspirin prescription, and cardiac rehabilitation referral.
Scientists at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute have discovered a connection between elevated PCSK9 levels and acute heart attacks in patients. Elevated PCSK9 levels were found in blood samples from patients who had experienced a heart attack, but not in those who had never had one or had recovered from a previous attack.
A new study found that early administration of ticagrelor, an anti-clot medication, in the ambulance may prevent stent thrombosis in heart attack patients. The ATLANTIC study showed a significant reduction in stent thrombosis at 24 and 30 hours in the ambulance treatment arm compared to the in-hospital treatment arm.
A new study found that complete revascularisation of all significantly blocked arteries leads to better outcomes in heart attack patients compared to only unblocking the culprit artery. Patients who underwent complete revascularisation had a lower risk of major adverse cardiac events, including death, recurrent MI, and heart failure.
The NOMI trial found that nitric oxide inhalation improved cardiac recovery, particularly in patients who had not previously received nitroglycerin. However, it did not reduce infarct size. The study suggests that further investigation is warranted for STEMI patients.
A new diagnostic technique using Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) measurement has shown that it can help avoid stents or surgery in over one-fifth of heart attack patients. The study found that patients with FFR values above 0.80 can be safely treated medically, without the need for coronary revascularisation surgery.
A European study found that experimental agent TRO40303 was ineffective in preventing tissue damage when impaired blood flow is corrected in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The study suggests that high-quality modern care may leave little room for improvement in STEMI treatment.
The FAME 2 trial found that FFR-guided drug-eluting stenting significantly reduced major adverse cardiac events compared to medical therapy in patients with stable coronary artery disease. The rate of death, MI, or urgent revascularisation was lower with PCI than MT.
The FOCUS Study found that patients taking a polypill had higher adherence rates compared to those receiving individual medications. The study identified factors contributing to non-adherence, including age, depression, and complexity of treatment.
A novel polypill with a fixed-dose combination of blood thinner, cholesterol-lowering drug, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor shows promise in increasing patient adherence to treatment following a myocardial infarction. The study found that patients were more likely to take their medication when given as a polypill compared t...
A new trial found that darapladib did not reduce the risk of major coronary events or cardiovascular death in patients with an acute coronary syndrome. The study's findings challenge the notion that inhibition of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 is a worthwhile approach for patients with coronary heart disease.
A clinical trial found that darapladib, a Lp-PLA2 inhibitor, did not reduce the risk of recurrent major coronary events after an acute coronary syndrome event. The study involved over 13,000 participants and followed them for two and a half years.
A new analysis reveals that cardiac clinic trial participants do not accurately represent the broader patient population. The study suggests using broader enrollment criteria and existing patient registries to improve clinical trial participation and generalizability.
A study analyzed data from a cardiovascular registry and found that clinical trial participants had lower risk profiles and more favorable prognoses compared to non-participants. The researchers noted that efforts to improve trial participation are needed to enhance the generalizability of results.
A study of over 5,000 US adults found that those who felt part of their community had a 22% reduced risk of heart attack. The researchers suggest that friendly neighborhoods may be an extension of social support networks, excluding antisocial behaviors.
Fenofibrate cuts cardiovascular disease risks by 30 per cent in women with type-2 diabetes, a five-year study reveals. The drug also reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or having a stroke by 30 per cent in women and 13 per cent in men.
Researchers found consistent improvements in the use of evidence-based treatments and medications, as well as an increase in quality improvement initiatives. Hospitalization rates dropped for all racial groups, with notable declines in heart attack, unstable angina, and ischemic stroke rates.
A study found that only 34% of men and 42% of women were told to take daily low-dose aspirin for heart attack prevention. The disconnect may be due to time constraints and uncertainty about therapy's benefits versus potential harms. Expanded primary care teams could help improve guideline adherence.
A UCLA-led analysis found that changes in treatment over the past decade have associated with higher survival rates for all patient groups, regardless of age or risk factors. The study tracked 6.5 million patients treated for heart attacks between 2002 and 2011 and found improved outcomes with earlier cardiac catheterization