http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The hardening of arteries is a hallmark of atherosclerosis, an often deadly disease in which plaques, excessive connective tissue, and other changes build up inside vessel walls and squeeze off the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Now, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have described the molecular and cellular pathway that leads to this hardening of the arteries—and zeroed in on a particularly destructive protein called Dkk1. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-hardening-arteries.html Cardiology Thu, 16 May 2013 16:22:23 EST news287940137 Many of the genes regulating the inflammation and immune response of the body are also associated with low HDL-cholesterol levels in the circulation, tells the recent study conducted at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The research also discovered that the quality of HDL particle can vary considerably. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-hdl-cholesterolnot-quantity-quality.html Cardiology Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:54:56 EST news286530889 Scientific collaborators from Yale School of Medicine and University College London (UCL) have uncovered the molecular pathway by which new arteries may form after heart attacks, strokes and other acute illnesses bypassing arteries that are blocked. Their study appears in the April 29 issue of Developmental Cell. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-arteries-bypassing-blocked.html Medical research Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:01 EST news286452715 Pain is an undeniable focal point for patients with sickle cell disease but it's not the best focus for drug development, says one of the dying breed of physicians specializing in the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-anti-sickling-therapies-focus-sickle-cell.html Medical research Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:29:43 EST news285427777 Hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, is the primary cause of heart disease. It is caused by calcium accumulation in the blood vessels, which leads to arteries becoming narrow and stiff, obstructing blood flow and leading to heart complications. Although many risk factors for atherosclerosis have been identified, the cause is not known and there is currently no way to reverse it once it sets in. In a new study published 9th April in the open access journal PLOS Biology, researchers have characterized the cells responsible for driving this calcium build-up in vessel walls. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-calcium-accumulation-blood-vessels-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:00:03 EST news284745248 (Medical Xpress)—When the heart works too hard, the brain may be to blame, says new Cornell research that is changing how scientists look at high blood pressure (hypertension). The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November, traces hypertension to a newfound cellular source in the brain and shows that treatments targeting this area can reverse the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-hypertension-source-brain.html Medical research Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:38:58 EST news275042323 Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shed light on the activity of a protein pair found in cells that form the walls of blood vessels in the brain and retina, experiments that could lead to therapeutic control of the blood-brain barrier and of blood vessel growth in the eye. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-blood-vessel-proteins-blood-brain-barrier.html Medical research Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:00:26 EST news274005083 (Medical Xpress)—In a new study published in the scientific journal Circulation, scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital show that an enzyme called arginase might have a key part to play in the development of cardiovascular disease in patients who already have type II diabetes. According to the team, arginase prevents the formation of protective nitrogen oxide in the blood vessels, and treatments that inhibit this enzyme reduce the risk of angina in diabetics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-enzyme-angina-diabetics.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Nov 2012 06:55:41 EST news273221566 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have shed new light on blood pressure regulation with the discovery of an unexpected mechanism by which hemoglobin controls the delivery of nitric oxide. The findings may point to a new therapeutic target for treating high blood pressure and may have far-reaching implications for many organ systems and illnesses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-discovery-nitric-oxide-delivery-mechanism.html Medical research Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:12:06 EST news272103092 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at King's College London have uncovered a protein required by cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body, highlighting it as a potential target for future treatments to prevent secondary cancers (metastases). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-protein-metastasis-cancer-cells.html Cancer Wed, 14 Nov 2012 07:23:08 EST news272100179 (Medical Xpress)—An increase in antioxidant enzymes triggered by acupuncture appeared to play a role in reducing high blood pressure in hypertensive rats treated with the ancient Chinese therapy, a study by researchers at the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy and Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-animal-model-molecular-mechanisms-blood-pressure-lowering.html Health Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:58:38 EST news271069110 Using new computer models of blood flow in the vicinity of cerebral aneurysms (dilated sections of blood vessels in the brain), it is now possible to calculate every detail of the patient-specific situation. This has resulted in powerful new techniques for predicting a further weakening or even rupture of the blood vessel's wall, and for effective intervention. Julia Mikhal was awarded a PhD on this topic by the University of Twente. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-aneurysms-patient-specific-valuable-asset-medical.html Medical research Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:14:53 EST news271062876 Individuals with kidney failure often develop heart problems, but it's not clear why. A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) provides evidence that their kidneys' inability to excrete waste products in the urine, which leads to build-up of these products in the blood, may damage the sugary lining of blood vessels and lead to heart troubles. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-blood-vessel-lining-account-kidney.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:00:03 EST news269791159 Researchers at the University of Helsinki believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in the growth of new blood vessels. If researchers learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells could offer new opportunities for developing therapeutics to treat diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study reporting the discovery of these stem cells is published in the open access journal PLOS Biology on October 16. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-blood-vessel-generating-cell-therapeutic-potential.html Medical research Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:00:16 EST news269624133 In a preliminary clinical trial, investigators at Johns Hopkins have shown that even partially-matched bone marrow transplants can eliminate sickle cell disease in some patients, ridding them of painful and debilitating symptoms, and the need for a lifetime of pain medications and blood transfusions. The researchers say the use of such marrow could potentially help make bone marrow transplants accessible to a majority of sickle cell patients who need them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-half-match-bone-marrow-transplants-sickle.html Medical research Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:11:45 EST news267379886 Compounds in cocoa may help to reduce blood pressure, according to a new systematic review in The Cochrane Library. The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-cocoa-compounds-blood-pressure.html Health Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:00:04 EST news264166490 (Medical Xpress) -- When a patient undergoes a cardiac catheterization procedure such as a balloon angioplasty, there's a slight risk of a stroke or other neurological complications. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-cardiac-catheterizations-small-neurological-complications.html Cardiology Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:40:32 EST news263205608 One of the top suspects behind killer vascular diseases is the victim of mistaken identity, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, who used genetic tracing to help hunt down the real culprit. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-real-culprit-hardened-arteries-stem.html Medical research Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:52:32 EST news258205943 Acute inflammatory diseases, such as sepsis, as well as chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes and arthritis, develop as a result of sustained inflammation of the blood vessel wall. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered that a microRNA (small, non-coding RNA molecule) called miR-181b can reduce the inflammatory response that is responsible for such diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-boost-microrna-sepsis-inflammatory-diseases.html Inflammatory disorders Thu, 24 May 2012 12:01:08 EST news257076641 Clogging of pipes leading to the heart is the planet's number one killer. Surgeons can act as medical plumbers to repair some blockages, but we don't fully understand how this living organ deteriorates or repairs itself over time. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-cells-blood-vessel-tightly-regions.html Medical research Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:51:37 EST news254670683 Niacin, or vitamin B3, is the one approved drug that elevates "good" cholesterol (high density lipoprotein, HDL) while depressing "bad" cholesterol (low density lipoprotein , LDL), and has thereby attracted much attention from patients and physicians. Niacin keeps fat from breaking down, and so obstructs the availability of LDL building blocks. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-cautions-drugs-block-niacin-flush.html Medical research Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:16:06 EST news253185340 The white blood cells that fight disease and help our bodies heal are directed to sites of infection or injury by 'exit signs' – chemical signals that tell them where to pass through the blood vessel walls and into the underlying tissue. New research at the Weizmann Institute, which appeared in Nature Immunology online, shows how the cells lining blood vessel walls may act as 'selectors' by hiding the signals where only certain 'educated' white blood cells will find them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-hide-and-seek-signals.html Medical research Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:35:46 EST news243164130 Varicose veins, sometimes referred to as "varices" in medical jargon, are usually just a cosmetic problem if they occur as spider veins. In their advanced stage, however, they pose a real health threat. In people with this widespread disorder, the blood is no longer transported to the heart unhindered but instead pools in the veins of the leg. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-protein-varicose-veins.html Medical research Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:30:01 EST news239622952 The female hormone estrogen is known to offer protection for the heart, but obesity may be taking away that edge in adolescent girls. New research from the University of California at Merced finds that although obesity does not help teens of either gender, it has a greater impact on girls' blood pressure than it does on boys'. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-gender-differences-blood-pressure-early.html Health Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:18:49 EST news237813501 Environmental toxicants such as dioxins, PCBs, and pesticides can pose a risk for cardiovascular disease. For the first time a link has been demonstrated between atherosclerosis and levels of long-lived organic environmental toxicants in the blood. The study, carried out by researchers at Uppsala University, is being published online this week in ahead of print in the prestigious journal Environmental Health Perspectives. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-link-shown-environmental-toxicants-atherosclerosis.html Health Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:03:20 EST news237556982 The sex hormone oestrogen could help protect women from cardiovascular disease by keeping the body's immune system in check, new research from Queen Mary, University of London has revealed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-estrogen-women-cardiovascular-disease.html Cardiology Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EST news232302641 Scientists now understand more about why being exposed to nicotine while you were a fetus will increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as an adult. "We have found distinct links between cigarette smoking or even using nicotine patches or gum and the long-term harm for the child," says Dr. DaLiao Xiao, a scientist who works at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-maternal-nicotine-cardiovascular-disease-life.html Health Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:43:21 EST news230438586 German scientists have found a way of treating pulmonary arterial hypertension. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-lungs-pressure.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 05 May 2011 10:51:09 EST news223811411 Women who develop cerebral aneurysms are less likely to have taken the oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy, suggesting taking oestrogen could have a protective effect, reveals research published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-contraceptive-pill-hrt-cerebral-aneurysm.html Neuroscience Thu, 05 May 2011 04:31:29 EST news223788443 Chronic inhalation of polluted air appears to activate a protein that triggers the release of white blood cells, setting off events that lead to widespread inflammation, according to new research in an animal model. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-polluted-air-disease-widespread-inflammation.html Medical research Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:00:01 EST news221999602