PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Patients counseled on genetic heart disease risk feel they have more control over fate

Abstract 20188 (Hall A2, Core 2)

2014-11-18
(Press-News.org) Adults counseled on their genetic risk of coronary heart disease believe they have more control over their fate, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.

Researchers examined the impact of disclosing risk of 10-year heart disease with or without genetic risk information to 207 patients (48 percent male, average age 58) participating in Myocardial Infarction GENES (MI-GENES), a randomized controlled study.

The study's key elements included a risk score based on established risk factors and a genetic risk score based on 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms; risk disclosure by a genetic counselor in a 30-minute session; and two questionnaires about patient satisfaction - perceived personal control and genetic counseling satisfaction.

Researchers found that patients who received the genetic risk information had a higher perceived personal control value compared to those who didn't (8.85 vs. 8.54). Patients who received genetic risk information also reported a higher genetic counseling satisfaction (9.08 vs. 8.3).

"We have shown that disclosure of genetic risk led to increased perceived personal control and counseling satisfaction, which are associated with the increased likelihood of adopting healthier behaviors that may reduce coronary heart disease risk," said Christopher L. Robinson, lead author of the study. MI-GENES Study information (PDF)

INFORMATION:

Christopher L. Robinson, M.D. candidate at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

Additional Resources: Available multimedia resources (photos/videos/graphics) are available on the right column of the release link http://newsroom.heart.org/news/tuesday-news-tips-2775518?preview=0eb38c126a7e5f75deed47b4d56c2b14 For more news from AHA's Scientific Sessions, follow us on Twitter @HeartNews #AHA14

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

For Media Inquiries:

AHA News Media in Dallas: (214) 706-1173

AHA News Media Office, Nov. 15-19,

at the McCormick Place Convention Center: (312) 949-3400

For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and strokeassociation.org

Life is why we fund scientific breakthroughs that save and improve lives.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Healthy diet linked to decreased blood-pressure measurements

2014-11-18
A heart-healthy diet is related to decreased blood pressure measurements, researchers said in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014. Elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for the development of heart and blood vessel disease. It is known that following U.S. dietary guidelines can decrease the risk for heart and blood vessel disease, their effects on specific blood pressure measurements were unclear. In this study, researchers found that blood pressure measurements were higher among study participants who did not follow ...

Social media strategy may increase public awareness about donor heart needs

2014-11-18
Using social media to deliver both emotional and concise medical content as well as the need for heart transplants and organs resulted in a higher engagement with members, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014." "Social media has not been used extensively in the healthcare industry, and if we can effectively bridge the gap between health education and medicine using social networks and peer influence, we can potentially have many beneficial applications to the healthcare system," said Mohammad Soroya, lead author ...

Youths with a family history of substance use disorders have less efficient forebrain

2014-11-18
Youths with a family history of alcohol and other drug use disorders have a greater risk of developing substance-use disorders (SUDs) themselves than their peers with no such family histories. A new study examines forebrain activity in youths with and without a family history of SUDs. Findings indicate that youths with a family history have forebrain regions that function less efficiently. Researchers and clinicians know that youths with a family history of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) have a greater risk of developing substance-use disorders (SUDs) ...

Chronic alcohol intake can damage white matter pathways across the entire brain

2014-11-18
Chronic misuse of alcohol results in measurable damage to the brain. A new study uses high-resolution structural magnetic resonance (MR) scans to compare the brains of individuals with a history of alcoholism versus those of healthy light drinkers. The abstinent alcoholics showed pronounced reductions in frontal and superior white matter tracts. Chronic misuse of alcohol results in measurable damage to the brain. Chronic drinking may be particularly damaging to the integrity of frontal white matter tracts, which can interfere with cognitive and inhibitory control ...

Childhood adversity hinders genetic protection against problem drinking in white men

2014-11-18
An alcohol metabolizing gene called ADH1B is strongly linked to risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The His allele (genetic variant) at ADHD1B-rs1229984 is considered protective against AUDs. Experiencing adverse events during childhood, such as physical or sexual abuse or witnessing violence, is a well-documented risk factor for alcohol problems. A study of the effects of both the ADH1B gene and childhood adversity has found that under conditions of childhood adversity, the ADH1B His allele does not exert its protective effects against problem drinking in European-American ...

Paramecia need Newton for navigation

2014-11-18
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- For such humble creatures, single-celled paramecia have remarkable sensory systems. Give them a sharp jab on the nose, they back up and swim away. Jab them in the behind, they speed up their swimming to escape. But according to new research, when paramecia encounter flat surfaces, they're at the mercy of the laws of physics. The findings, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, come from some surprising results in research performed in recent years by James Valles, professor and chair of physics at Brown University, and ...

Ancient New Zealand 'Dawn Whale' identified by Otago researchers

Ancient New Zealand Dawn Whale identified by Otago researchers
2014-11-18
University of Otago palaeontologists are rewriting the history of New Zealand's ancient whales by describing a previously unknown genus of fossil baleen whales and two species within it. Otago Department of Geology PhD student Robert Boessenecker and his supervisor Professor Ewan Fordyce have named the new genus Tohoraata, which translates as 'Dawn Whale' in Māori. The two whales, which lived between 27-25 million years ago, were preserved in a rock formation near Duntroon in North Otago. At that time the continent of Zealandia was largely or completely under ...

Scientists get to the heart of fool's gold as a solar material

Scientists get to the heart of fools gold as a solar material
2014-11-18
MADISON, Wis. - As the installation of photovoltaic solar cells continues to accelerate, scientists are looking for inexpensive materials beyond the traditional silicon that can efficiently convert sunlight into electricity. Theoretically, iron pyrite -- a cheap compound that makes a common mineral known as fool's gold -- could do the job, but when it works at all, the conversion efficiency remains frustratingly low. Now, a University of Wisconsin-Madison research team explains why that is, in a discovery that suggests how improvements in this promising material could ...

Vanderbilt study finds nationwide decline in one type of serious heart attack

2014-11-18
The most emergent form of heart attacks is decreasing nationwide, but this declining incidence could affect emergency departments' quality and timeliness of care. This is the key finding of a Vanderbilt University study released today in the American Journal of Cardiology and presented at the national American Heart Association meeting in Chicago this week. Using data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the nation's largest database of information about emergency department visits, the researchers found that approximately 250,000 patients present in emergency ...

Why we need to fund newer blood-thinning agents to prevent strokes

2014-11-18
Philadelphia, PA, November 18, 2014 - Care gaps are emerging due to disharmony between healthcare reimbursement policies and evidence-based clinical guideline recommendations, cautions a group of Canadian physicians. Writing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, they use the example of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) to make a case for engaging with policy-makers to address the growing barriers to patients' access to optimal care. Stroke is a costly disease, imposing a significant human, societal, and economic burden. AF affects about one in eight people ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Empty-handed neurons might cause neurodegenerative diseases

Black women hospitalised in USA with blood infection resistant to last-resort antibiotic at increased risk of death

NEC Society Statement on the Watson vs. Mead Johnson Verdict

Lemur’s lament: When one vulnerable species stalks another

Surf clams off the coast of Virginia reappear – and rebound

Studying optimization for neuromorphic imaging and digital twins

ORNL researchers win Best Paper award for nickel-based alloy tailoring

New beta-decay measurements in mirror nuclei pin down the weak nuclear force

Study uncovers neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior in freely moving animals

Gene therapy is halting cancer. Can it work against brain tumors?

New copper-catalyzed C-H activation strategy from Scripps Research

New compound from blessed thistle promotes functional nerve regeneration

Auburn’s McCrary Institute, ORNL to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

New UNC-Chapel Hill study examines the increased adoption of they/them pronouns

Groundbreaking study reveals potential diagnostic marker for multiple sclerosis years before symptom onset

Annals of Internal Medicine presents breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2024

Scientists discover new way to extract cosmological information from galaxy surveys

Shoe technology reduces risk of diabetic foot ulcers

URI-led team finds direct evidence of ‘itinerant breeding’ in East Coast shorebird species

Wayne State researcher aims to improve coding peer review practices

Researchers develop a new way to safely boost immune cells to fight cancer

Compact quantum light processing

Toxic chemicals from microplastics can be absorbed through skin

New research defines specific genomic changes associated with the transmissibility of the monkeypox virus

Registration of biological pest control products exceeds that of agrochemicals in Brazil

How reflecting on gratitude received from family can make you a better leader

Wearable technology assesses surgeons’ posture during surgery

AATS and CRF® partner on New York Valves: The structural heart summit

Postpartum breast cancer and survival in women with germline BRCA pathogenic variants

Self-administered acupressure for probable knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and older adults

[Press-News.org] Patients counseled on genetic heart disease risk feel they have more control over fate
Abstract 20188 (Hall A2, Core 2)