Improved survival rates for mitral valve heart surgery patients

[Karen N. Peart] Patients with mitral regurgitation, a type of valvular heart disease common in the elderly, are living longer after surgery, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 11 May 2012 10:39

Key factors linked to lower death rates among patients with heart attacks

[Karen N. Peart] Reviewing heart attack cases during monthly meetings with emergency medical services and maintaining a positive working environment are two of the relatively inexpensive strategies that can reduce mortality rates among patients with heart attacks, Yale researchers report in a study published in the May issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. 2 May 2012 11:47

Early administration of GIK solution lessens severity of heart attacks

[Helen Dodson] USA: A national study under the direction of a Yale physician, involving Yale-New Haven Hospital and New Haven-area paramedics and EMTs, has shown that patients suffering heart attack symptoms who receive early administration of a glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) solution suffer less-severe heart attacks and fewer cardiac arrests or deaths. 3 Apr 2012 08:44

Red meat boosts risk of dying young: study

WASHINGTON, USA: Eating a portion of processed red meat daily can boost a person's risk of dying young by up to 20%, said a long-running US study of more than 120,000 people released on Monday, 12 March 2012. 13 Mar 2012 12:46

'Sex safe for most heart patients'

Good news: sex is safe for most heart patients. 23 Jan 2012 16:39

Home monitoring may help manage and reduce costs for heart failure

[Rachel Champeau] New findings indicate that hospitalisation in the event of heart failure might not always be required if the necessary monitoring of a patient takes place in the home and the patient's condition is constantly assessed. 3 Jan 2012 13:27

Eating fish boosts heart health in young women

WASHINGTON, USA: Women of childbearing age can reduce their risk of heart problems by regularly eating fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, said a Danish study out on Monday, 5 December. 6 Dec 2011 16:49

Most hospitals miss critical window for heart attack transfer patients

[Karen N. Peart] USA: Most heart attack patients transferred between hospitals for the emergency artery-opening procedure called angioplasty are not transported as quickly as they should be, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the first national study of "door-in door-out" time for transfer patients. 30 Nov 2011 14:14

Scientists identify area that could sever communication between brain and heart in disease

A team of neuroscientists and anaesthetists, who have been using pioneering techniques to study how the brain regulates the heart, has identified a crucial part of the nervous system whose malfunction may account for an increased risk of death from heart failure. The findings, published online (ahead of print) in the Journal of Physiology, could lead to more targeted therapies to help reduce serious illness and death in cardiovascular disease. 28 Nov 2011 13:30

How do you mend a broken heart?

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A study involving University of Sydney cardiac researchers has shown the loss of a loved one can really break your heart. 28 Nov 2011 13:00

Adcock still awaiting response from DoH on DPP issue

[Ray Faure] Pharmaceutical group Adcock Ingram has had no response yet to its request to the Department of Health to expedite its appeal committee process of the Medicines Control Council into the review of products containing the analgesic Dextropropoxyphene (DPP), the group's CEO Dr Jonathan Louw, confirmed on Tuesday. 25 Nov 2011 12:59

Yale researchers find genetic link between heart disease and brain aneurysms

[Bill Hathaway] Yale School of Medicine researchers have discovered that a variant of a gene linked to heart disease also increases the risk of deadly aneurysms of blood vessels in the brain. The discovery of this link raises hopes for new treatments for intracranial aneurysms, which affect more than a half million people worldwide annually. 22 Nov 2011 13:24

Non-communicable diseases: Africa must 'spend a lot more'

BERLIN, GERMANY: According to scidev.net, Olive Shisana, CEO of the South African Human Sciences Research Council, said at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany that infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, are expected to decline while non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, will increase in Africa over the coming decades. 4 Nov 2011 11:47

Insomnia linked to higher heart attack risk

WASHINGTON, USA: As if you didn't have enough to worry about during those sleepless nights, a Norwegian study out Monday suggests that people with insomnia face a 27% to 45% higher risk of heart attack. 28 Oct 2011 09:15