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

The ACCESS-EU study

Effect of MitraClip therapy on mitral regurgitation: Clinical and functional improvement for majority of patients at one-year in prospective observational study

2012-08-27
(Press-News.org) Munich, Germany –The percutaneous catheter-based treatment of mitral regurgitation with the MitraClip system improves symptoms and cardiac function at one-year, according to results of a prospective observational study presented here today at ESC Congress 2012.

ACCESS-EUROPE (ACCESS-EU) was a multicentre study of the MitraClip system in a commercial setting in 567 patients enrolled at 14 European sites, the largest group of patients evaluated to date. The results were presented by the study's co-principal investigator Professor Wolfgang Schillinger of the Universitätsmedizin Göttingen in Germany.

"ACCESS-EU provides further confirmation of clinical and functional benefits of the MitraClip system in a real-world setting at one year," said Professor Schillinger. "The results are consistent with those from controlled clinical trials, although patients in ACCESS-EU were older and sicker."

Patients enrolled in ACCESS-EU were elderly (mean age 74 ±10 years) with significant baseline co-morbidities, including coronary artery disease in 63% and moderate to severe renal disease in 42%. At baseline, 85% were in NYHA Functional Class III/IV, and 53% had left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%. Seventy-seven percent had functional mitral regurgitation, and many patients were considered at high risk for mitral valve surgery, with an average logistic EuroSCORE of 23 ±18%.

At one year 82% of patients treated with the MitraClip system were free from death, 79% free from mitral regurgitation grade above 2+, and 94% free from mitral valve surgery. Following treatment, the majority of patients showed significant clinical improvements, with 72% now classified in NYHA Class I/II. In addition, results reflected an improved functional capacity, with a median improvement of 60.5 meters for six-minute walk distance. Improvements in quality of life were also recorded, as shown in a median improvement of 14.0 points between baseline and one-year scores on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

"Where the benefits of surgery do not outweigh the surgical risks, the MitraClip treatment is an important alternative for patients with mitral regurgitation," said Professor Schillinger.

As background to the study he added that mitral valve regurgitation is the most commonly diagnosed type of valvular insufficiency, affecting more than one in ten people over the age of 75 – approximately 4 million people in Europe alone. Significant mitral regurgitation is a debilitating condition in which the heart's ability to function continues to deteriorate over time and may lead to heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, or death. The condition has traditionally been managed with medications, which can temporarily relieve symptoms but do not address the underlying cause of the condition, or with open-heart surgery. Approximately 50% of patients are considered high risk for complications from surgery because of advanced age, significant ventricular dysfunction, or other serious co-morbidities and are denied surgery.

The MitraClip system includes a catheter-based device that is delivered to the heart through the femoral vein. The system is designed to reduce significant mitral regurgitation by clipping together the leaflets of the mitral valve.

### Notes to editors

Please note that the author's photo and CV as well as the spokesperson's CV can be found here

About the European Society of Cardiology www.escardio.org The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 75,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

About ESC Congress 2012 The ESC Congress is currently the world's premier conference on the science, management and prevention of cardiovascular disease. ESC Congress 2012 takes place 25-29 August at the Messe München in Munich. The scientific programme is available at: http://spo.escardio.org/Welcome.aspx?eevtid=54 More information is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org. END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The ORIGIN-GRACE study

2012-08-27
Munich, Germany – A sub-study of the Outcome Reduction with an Initial Glargine Intervention (ORIGIN) trial, designed to investigate the effect of insulin glargine and omega-3 fatty acids on atherosclerosis progression, has found that, compared to standard care, only insulin glargine (a long-acting insulin) had a "modest" statistically non-significant reducing effect on the primary outcome of rate of change in maximum carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) at 12 carotid sites. However, while insulin glargine did significantly reduce the secondary outcomes of the study ...

pH-sensitive liposomal cisplatin improves peritoneal carcinomatosis treatment without side-effects

2012-08-27
Scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Federal University of Minas Gerais, led by Dr. Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho and Dr. Mônica Cristina de Oliveira, have developed and characterized a circulating and pH-sensitive liposome containing cisplatin (SpHL-CDDP) aiming to promote the release of cisplatin near the tumor as well as decreasing toxicity. The development of analog drugs and new formulations are current strategies for increasing the effectiveness and safety of cisplatin as an anti-peritoneal carcinomatosis drug. The results, which appear in the August 2012 issue ...

Lack of sleep found to be a new risk factor for aggressive breast cancers

2012-08-27
Lack of sleep is linked to more aggressive breast cancers, according to new findings published in the August issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment by physician-scientists from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. Led by Cheryl Thompson, PhD, the study is the first-of-its-kind to show an association between insufficient sleep and biologically more aggressive tumors as well as likelihood of cancer recurrence. The research team analyzed medical records and survey ...

People of normal weight with belly fat at highest death risk, Mayo Clinic study

2012-08-27
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- People who are of normal weight but have fat concentrated in their bellies have a higher death risk than those who are obese, according to Mayo Clinic research presented today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich. Those studied who had a normal body mass index but central obesity -- a high waist-to-hip ratio -- had the highest cardiovascular death risk and the highest death risk from all causes, the analysis found. "We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution ...

Healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of hypertension by two thirds

2012-08-27
Munich, Germany – Healthy behaviours regarding alcohol, physical activity, vegetable intake and body weight reduce the risk of hypertension by two thirds, according to research presented at the ESC Congress today. The findings were presented by Professor Pekka Jousilahti from National Institute for Health and Welfare. According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is the leading cause of mortality in the world, contributing annually to over 7 million deaths (about 15% of all deaths). Therefore, prevention of hypertension is essential to improving health and ...

Team of researchers finds a link between cold European winters and solar activity

2012-08-27
Scientists have long suspected that the Sun's 11-year cycle influences climate of certain regions on Earth. Yet records of average, seasonal temperatures do not date back far enough to confirm any patterns. Now, armed with a unique proxy, an international team of researchers show that unusually cold winters in Central Europe are related to low solar activity - when sunspot numbers are minimal. The freezing of Germany's largest river, the Rhine, is the key. Although the Earth's surface overall continues to warm, the new analysis has revealed a correlation between periods ...

Energy drinks improve heart function

2012-08-27
Munich, Germany – Consuming energy drinks can exert acute positive benefits on myocardial performance, according to research presented today at the ESC Congress by Dr Matteo Cameli from University of Siena. "In recent years the energy drink market has exploded, with more people than ever before turning to these products as quick 'pick me ups', whether to stay awake during all night study vigils or gain the edge in sport," said Dr Cameli. "With energy drinks containing both caffeine and taurine concerns have been raised of adverse effects on the heart. While caffeine increases ...

Psoriasis patients at high risk of diabetes

2012-08-27
Munich, Germany – Patients with psoriasis are at high risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented at the press conference by Dr Ole Ahlehoff from Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Denmark and at the scientific session by Usman KHALID. Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 125 million people worldwide. A new study of the entire Danish population confirms previous reports of increased risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with psoriasis and shows that ...

Normal weight individuals with belly fat at highest CVD risk

2012-08-27
Munich, Germany – Normal weight individuals who carry weight concentrated in their belly have a higher death risk than obese individuals, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results were presented by Dr Karine Sahakyan from the Mayo Clinic. "We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with a normal weight," said Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, senior author on the study and a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "This ...

Limiting TV time -- Effective strategy for preventing weight gain in children

2012-08-27
Philadelphia, PA, August 27, 2012 – Reducing television viewing may be an effective strategy to prevent excess weight gain among adolescents, according to a new study released in the September/October 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Findings were based on a one-year community-based randomized trial that enrolled 153 adults and 72 adolescents from the same households. During that year, researchers from the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health Obesity Prevention Center conducted six face-to-face group meetings, sent monthly newsletters, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck. UW engineers have figured out why

New research shows how immigration status can become a death sentence during public health crisis

University of Toronto Engineering researchers develop safer alternative non-stick coating

Good vibrations: Scientists use imaging technology to visualize heat

More ecological diversity means better nutritional resources in Fiji’s agroforests

New global study shows freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates

Scientists create an artificial cell capable of navigating its environment using chemistry alone

A little salt is good for battery health

Deep-sea fish confirmed as a significant source of ocean carbonate

How to keep kids with eating disorders home after hospital stay? Therapy

Sex differences affect efficacy of opioid overdose treatment

Aligning AI with Human Values and Well-Being

Engineering the next generation of experimental physics

The scuba diving industry is funding marine ecosystem conservation and employing locals

BATMAN brings TCR therapy out of the shadows

Surrogates more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness, study finds

Columbia Engineering researchers turn dairy byproduct into tissue repair gel

Global estimates of lives and life-years saved by COVID-19 vaccination during 2020-2024

Potential trade-offs of proposed cuts to the NIH

New research simulates cancer cell behavior

COVID, over 2.5 million deaths prevented worldwide thanks to vaccines. One life saved for every 5,400 doses administered

Scuba diving generates up to $20 billion annually

Scientists advance efforts to create ‘virtual cell lab’ as testing ground for future research with live cells

How DNA packaging controls the “genome’s guardian”

Simplified models, deeper insights: Coarse-grained models unlock new potential for ionic liquid simulations

Gorillas’ personal circumstances shape their aggression towards groupmates

Which signalling pathways in the cell lead to possible therapies for Parkinson's disease

Identifying landslide threats using hydrological predictors

First graders who use more educational media spend more time reading

Exploring the meaning in life through phenomenology and philosophy

[Press-News.org] The ACCESS-EU study
Effect of MitraClip therapy on mitral regurgitation: Clinical and functional improvement for majority of patients at one-year in prospective observational study