Preventing Or Reversing Inflammation After Heart Attack, Stroke May Require 2-Pronged Approach
Researchers at Albany Medical College are releasing results of a study this week that they say will help refocus the search for new drug targets aimed at preventing or reversing the devastating tissue inflammation that results after heart attack and stroke. In the March 5 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, lead author Alejandro P. Adam and his colleagues at the college's Center for Cardiovascular Science are reporting that vascular cells' ability to properly regulate fluid movement is not necessarily affected solely by the activity of an enzyme that for years has been in the crosshairs of scientists and pharmaceutical developers. "Learning the mechanisms of inflammation is a key step in the development of new and better therapies to improve the outcome of widespread pathologies, such as stroke, heart attack, septic shock and pulmonary edema, " said Adam, a postdoctoral fellow at the cardiovascular center.
Researchers Announce Start Of Largest Study On Prevention And Treatment Of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism VTE
The largest randomised study to investigate the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) has recruited the first of its 7500 patients, researchers announced last week during the 54th Congress for Thrombosis and Haemostasis (Nuremberg, Germany). The phase III trial HOKUSAI VTE will evaluate the efficacy and safety of edoxaban, a direct oral factor Xa inhibitor, in the treatment and prevention of recurrent thromboembolic events in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) being recruited at 450 clinical centres in 40 countries across the world. "One in ten of all hospital deaths are due to pulmonary embolism and 1% of all hospital admissions die from PE, " warned Professor Henri Bounameaux, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Angiology and Haemostasis at the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, speaking at a briefing on the trial organised by Daiichi Sankyo Europe, the company that is developing edoxaban.
Cluster Of 'Critical' Follow-Up Evaluations May Improve Outlook For Hospitalized HF Patients
Heart failure is by far the most prevalent chronic cardiac condition. Around 30 million people in Europe have heart failure and its incidence is still increasing: more cases are being identified, more people are living to an old age, and more are surviving a heart attack but with damage to the heart muscle. As a result, heart failure represents one of the most common reasons for hospital admission today. However, one of its many challenges is that, following admission, there remains a high likelihood that many patients will be readmitted or die within one year. Indeed, a new report published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology, notes mortality rates as high as 10 per cent and rehospitalisation rates of 30 per cent after discharge among heart failure (HF) patients admitted to hospital.
Children Who Have Cardiac Arrests Outside Of A Hospital: Survival Can Improve When Bystanders Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation CPR
A study published Online First reports that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by bystanders increases the likelihood of survival for children who have cardiac arrests outside of a hospital. In addition, CPR that includes chest compressions with rescue breathing is more important for non-cardiac causes of cardiac arrest, such as drowning, than chest compressions alone. The study is the work of Dr Taku Iwami, Kyoto University Health Service, Kyoto, Japan, and colleagues. CPR has been shown to improve survival rates. The American Heart Association recommends CPR by bystanders with chest compression only for adults who have cardiac arrests outside of a hospital.
Toshiba Announces Cardiac Software Upgrades For The Aquilion One And Aquilion Premium
Responding to the cardiac CT market's need for superior image quality with lower radiation doses, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., has unveiled new cardiac software enhancements available now for the Aquilion® ONE and Aquilion Premium CT systems. The new cardiac CT software package is designed to reduce radiation exposure while maintaining outstanding image quality. The new software upgrades will improve cardiac CT imaging in the following ways: - New ONE Beat Prospective Reconstruction shortens the interval window and reduces radiation exposure time. This enhancement alone reduces radiation dose by 21 percent over the previous software, as the more efficient imaging lowers the radiation exposure to the patient.
Sudden Cardiac Death In Young Athletes May Be Prevented By Adding ECG To Health Exams
Each year, two in every 100, 000 young athletes succumb to sudden cardiac death, fueling a debate over what constitutes a comprehensive health screening prior to sports participation. A new study by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Heart Center found the addition of electrocardiogram (ECG) testing to the standard medical history and physical examination for young athletes may better identify key cardiovascular abnormalities responsible for sports-related sudden death. In their report in the March 2 Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers concluded that ECG improves the overall sensitivity of cardiovascular prescreenings but is also associated with a significant rate of false positive results.
La Pitie Hospital Performs Its 200th Implant Of The World's Only Approved Total Artificial Heart
On Feb. 18, SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart, announced that Groupe hospitalier de la Pitià -Salpà trière (La Pitià ) in Paris has performed 200 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, more than any other hospital in the world. "The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart would not be the clinical success it is today without La PitiÃ, " said Dr. Jack Copeland, world-renowned Total Artificial Heart pioneer and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz. "For decades, La Pitià has been a leader in the field of cardiac surgery, performing Europe's first heart transplant in 1968 and Europe's first Total Artificial Heart implant in 1986.
High-Risk Cardiovascular Patients Undertreated In General Practice, Australia
Patients who are at high risk of a cardiovascular event are substantially undertreated, according to the authors of a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Emma Heeley, Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute for International Health, and her co-authors conducted a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of 322 GPs, who were asked to collect data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and their management in 15-20 consecutive patients aged 55 years and over. Their study found low uptake of absolute risk-based care in general practice, with just 63 per cent of GPs reporting using CVD risk calculators. There were also substantial differences between patients' CVD risks as perceived by GPs and when calculated using Framingham risk equations and different guideline adjustments, leading GPs to underestimate their patients' absolute risks.
Surveys Reveal High Frequency Of Prodromal Symptoms Prior To Acute Hereditary Angioedema Attacks
Patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) experience prodromal or early warning symptoms before nearly three-quarters of their HAE attacks, according to survey findings presented at the 2010 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. According to researchers, this high frequency suggests that prodromal symptoms may reliably indicate when to initiate treatment to help prevent an acute HAE attack. To identify the prodromal symptoms patients experienced before an HAE attack, two separate surveys were conducted. A prospective survey, administered to patients enrolled in an open-label study of human pasteurized C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate, surveyed patients about their prodromal symptoms at the time they were seeking treatment for an HAE attack.
For Clogged Carotid Arteries Stents Shown To Be As Good As Surgery
Loyola University Medical Center is among the hospitals that enrolled patients in a landmark trial that compared traditional surgery with less-invasive stenting to clear dangerously clogged carotid arteries. The study found that the safety and efficacy of both procedures are roughly equal. The nine-year Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial is known as CREST. The trial, conducted throughout the United States and Canada, is one of the largest randomized stroke prevention trials ever. "Our multidisciplinary team enrolled patients in both arms of this seminal and robust trial, " said Dr. Jose Biller, one of the principal investigators at Loyola.