http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Translating a Mayo Clinic stem-cell discovery, an international team has demonstrated that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or "smart" stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure. This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions. Results of the clinical trial appear online of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-cardiopoietic-smart-stem-cells-heart.html Cardiology Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:19:17 EST news284818748 Heart disease patients who have anxiety have twice the risk of dying from any cause compared to those without anxiety, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-anxiety-depression-heart-disease-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:08 EST news282927238 The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors and patients that a widely used antibiotic from Pfizer can cause rare but deadly heart rhythms in some patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-fda-heart-popular-antibiotic-zithromax.html Medications Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:46:37 EST news282329186 Interpol on Tuesday announced a deal with the world's top pharmaceutical companies to fight fake drugs which threaten the health of millions, especially in poor countries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-interpol-drug-firms-fake-medicines.html Medications Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:34:05 EST news282306837 The prescription drug eplerenone appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality and heart failure after a heart attack by more than one-third, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-drug-outcomes-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:02:46 EST news282301352 Heart patients who can't tolerate the side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs may have a new option, according to a new study by researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-alternative-cholesterol-lowering-drug-patients-tolerate.html Cardiology Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:04:50 EST news282225884 (HealthDay)—In the search for better medicines to safely help heart patients, clinical trials testing three new drugs appear to offer some promise. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-drugs-heart-patients-edge.html Cardiology Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:20:02 EST news282219442 (HealthDay)—There's mixed news from a much-anticipated clinical trial for people who've suffered a heart attack: While a study found that daily high doses of vitamins and minerals did nothing to improve patient outcomes, there was a hint that controversial "chelation" therapy might. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-mega-vitamins-wont-heart-chelation.html Cardiology Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:10:01 EST news282219418 Can the length of strands of DNA in patients with heart disease predict their life expectancy? Researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, who studied the DNA of more that 3,500 patients with heart disease, say yes it can. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-length-dna-strands-life.html Medical research Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:45:00 EST news282113073 Researchers using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) discovered that thinned non-contracting heart muscle caused by a heart attack can potentially improve in function and be reversed after cardiac bypass surgery. This was found to be true in a small number of patients who had limited scarring of the heart, as detected by MRI http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-mri-heart-muscle.html Cardiology Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:16:04 EST news281805352 (HealthDay)—Most heart patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) would prefer to switch off the device if they had an advanced illness, new research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-implanted-defibrillator-patients-device-ill.html Cardiology Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:50:02 EST news278763133 In what doctors Tuesday said was a medical first, an Argentine woman with a transplanted heart gave birth to a baby girl following an in vitro fertilization. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-argentine-woman-birth-heart-transplant.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:29:14 EST news278699344 A new study could provide the link that scientists have been looking for to confirm that reactivation of a latent herpes virus is a cause of some heart problems. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-viral-reactivation-link-stress-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:09:03 EST news278089734 Scientists in Japan have used ostrich blood vessels to create a viable bypass in pigs, raising hopes of easier and more effective artery transplants for heart patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-ostrich-arteries-bypass-japan-scientists.html Medical research Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:30:01 EST news274099356 Patients who practice respiratory physical therapy exercises before elective cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications later, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.  http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-evidence-respiratory-heart-surgery-pneumonia.html Cardiology Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:18:47 EST news272103521 (Medical Xpress)—Using tissue from pigs, scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have created a "scaffold" that preserves the infrastructure of natural blood vessels and supports human stem cells. The result a rebuilt heart that could be used as a post-heart attack implant. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-pig-tissue-scaffolding-hearts-rebuilt.html Medical research Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:10:01 EST news272012034 Heart failure patients with a condition called "heart block" derive significant benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), according to the results of the Block HF clinical trial, presented today at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012 meeting in Los Angeles. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-patients-heart-block-strong-benefit.html Cardiology Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:30:12 EST news271438171 The cause of heart attacks or strokes among some patients treated with anti-platelet drugs may be different than for patients who have undergone surgical procedures to restore blood flow, according to researchers at Duke Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-heart-patients-differently-anti-platelet-drugs.html Cardiology Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:03:07 EST news271342977 (HealthDay)—Taking too many medications at the same time could lead to repeated fainting episodes, a new study reveals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-fainting-tied-meds.html Medications Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:50:01 EST news271332427 A new ground-breaking technology was recently used at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) where two cardiologists, Dr. David Birnie and Dr. Pablo Nery, implanted a new innovative leadless defibrillator, the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD), to a 18 year-old patient. Under Health Canada's special access program, this was only the third time this new type of ICD had been implanted in Canada. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-defibrillator-alternative-heart.html Cardiology Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:00:02 EST news268408497 (HealthDay)—People over the age of 80 generally do well after aortic or mitral valve replacement surgery, especially if they are discharged home, according to a study published in the September issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-elderly-discharged-home-heart-valve.html Surgery Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:10:01 EST news265995807 (HealthDay)—In a review that compared two common heart drugs against each other, researchers found no difference between atenolol and metoprolol in terms of preventing stroke, heart attack or heart failure for patients with high blood pressure who were placed on the medications. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-common-blood-pressure-meds-fare.html Cardiology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:50:01 EST news265304032 Researchers at the University of Leicester have announced that the UK's first operation to tackle heart failure (HF) with a novel nerve-stimulating device will be performed today (Thursday August 23) at Glenfield Hospital. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-uk-tackle-heart-failure-nerve-stimulating.html Cardiology Thu, 23 Aug 2012 04:41:29 EST news264915604 For the millions of heart patients taking warfarin, an anticoagulant drug used to prevent dangerous blood clots, dosing is a time-consuming hassle. Too little won’t work; too much can be dangerous. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-easing-complex-medication-tools.html Other Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:19:06 EST news263722734 (Medical Xpress) -- A three-year study by researchers at the University of Stirling has found that reflexology to the upper half of the left foot (the heart reflex point) had an effect on the hearts of healthy volunteers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-reflexology-affects-hearts-non-cardiology-patients.html Cardiology Sun, 15 Jul 2012 17:26:19 EST news261591937 Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is the most common congenital heart defect, occurring in approximately one to two percent of the population. The condition is present when the aortic valve, the valve that connects the heart to the main artery that distributes blood to the body, contains two leaflets instead of three, which open and close to regulate blood flow. As a result, the valve does not function properly, which can cause strain on the heart over time and may lead to serious health complications. Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) has been at the forefront of BAV research and treatment for years and recently launched a comprehensive program that brings together a multidisciplinary team of specialists experienced in the diagnosis and medical and surgical management of patients with BAV. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-northwestern-comprehensive-patients-bicuspid-aortic.html Cardiology Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:47:21 EST news260534801 (HealthDay) -- A pharmacist-delivered intervention does not significantly improve the rate of clinically important medication errors following discharge among hospitalized heart patients, according to a study published in the July 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-pharmacist-intervention-medication-errors.html Medications Tue, 03 Jul 2012 04:27:36 EST news260508429 One in eight people who suffer a heart attack or other acute coronary event experience clinically significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a meta-analysis of 24 studies led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers. The study also shows that heart patients who suffer PTSD face twice the risk of having another cardiac event or of dying within one to three years, compared with those without PTSD. The findings were published today in the online edition of PLoS ONE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-heart-patients-post-traumatic-stress-disorder.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:00:14 EST news259418133 Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a single protein molecule may hold the key to turning cardiac stem cells into blood vessels or muscle tissue, a finding that may lead to better ways to treat heart attack patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-master-molecule-stem-cell-treatment.html Cardiology Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:35:50 EST news259424199 Medical scientist Howard Young's research has taken a dramatic, unexpected turn in the last few months, thanks to a serendipitous chain of events that could lead to a genetic test that can predict heart failure in certain people before it happens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-important-heart-health-faculty-member.html Medical research Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:28:08 EST news257779663