Munich, Germany – Drug eluting stents (DES) are used less often in women treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease than men treated with PCI for the same condition, according to research presented today, August 25, at the ESC Congress 2012. The findings from a country-wide Germany registry were presented by Dr Martin Russ. Coronary artery disease is still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Europe and worldwide. During treatment with PCI, cardiologists can use bare metal stents (BMS) or the newer DES. While they do not ...

"It is well known that passive smoking is harmful for cardiovascular health, but the mechanism has not yet been discovered," said Dr Kaya. "We investigated the effects of passive smoking on the levels of three parameters – mean platelet volume (MPV), carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and lactate - in an effort to further understand this mechanism. We also looked at the correlation between the three parameters." Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a well established indicator of platelet activation that is increased in acute thrombotic events. It is suspected that carbon monoxide (CO) ...

Munich, Germany – Spinal cord stimulation improves heart function and could become a novel treatment option for heart failure, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012 today, August 25, by Professor Hung-Fat Tse from Hong Kong. Heart failure is a progressive weakening of the heart muscle. It is a chronic condition that occurs when the heart cannot pump blood to meet the body's needs. When heart failure is present, not enough blood is circulating, which may cause fatigue. Further, fluid accumulation in the abdomen and legs and congestion in the lungs is ...

Munich, Germany – Copeptin predicts prognosis in patients with heart failure, according to research presented at the ESC Congress today, August 25, by Professor Stefan Störk from Germany. Increased levels of copeptin were associated with increased frequencies of typical co-morbidities of heart failure, increased severity of heart failure, and increased risk of all-cause death. "Knowledge on the prognosis of patients with a chronic condition enables the physician to tailor the speed and intensity of treatment options to the individual patient," said Professor Störk. ...

Munich, Germany – People who have a cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise are three times more likely to survive than those who have a cardiac arrest that is not exercise related, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012 today, August 26. The findings from the Amsterdam Resuscitation Study (ARREST) were presented by Dr Arend Mosterd from the Netherlands. "Although physical activity is the best way to promote cardiovascular health, exercise can also trigger an acute cardiac event leading to death," said Dr Mosterd. "These dramatic and often high ...

Munich, Germany – A novel blood test that predicts sudden death risk in heart failure patients is set to help physicians decide which patients would benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The findings were presented at the ESC Congress 2012 today, August 26, by Professor Samuel Dudley from Chicago, IL, US. Approximately 5 million patients in the US have heart failure, a condition where the heart is unable to pump blood adequately, and nearly 550,000 people are diagnosed annually. Heart failure is the single most common cause of admission to hospitals ...

Munich, Germany – Cardiovascular screening with ECG in young athletes is a cost effective way of diagnosing cardiac abnormalities, at just 138 Swiss Francs (about €115) per athlete. The findings were presented today, August 26, at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Andrea Menafoglio from Switzerland. Sport is beneficial for health in most people. But for the small minority of the population who has cardiovascular abnormalities, sport can cause harm and very rarely – in one to three per 100,000 athletes per year – it can lead to sudden cardiac death. "The cardiac arrest of ...

Munich, Germany – Electrical storm (ES) is a potent risk factor for mortality and morbidity, according to research presented today, August 26, at the ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Federico Guerra from Italy. Data was also presented on which patients are prone to developing ES and how effective current treatments are. Sustained ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF), are often seen as serious and devastating events, given their ability to lead to cardiac arrest and death if not treated promptly. Dr Guerra said: "The cluster ...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Kevin Speer has a "new paradigm" for describing how the world's oceans circulate — and with it he may help reshape science's understanding of the processes by which wind, water, sunlight and other factors interact and influence the planet's climate. A Florida State University professor of oceanography with a passion for teaching, Speer and a colleague recently published a significant paper in the respected journal Nature Geoscience. Working with John Marshall, an oceanography professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Speer reviewed ...

Scientists have known for decades that cancer cells use more glucose than healthy cells, feeding the growth of some types of tumors. Now, a team that includes researchers from the National Institutes of Health's new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has identified compounds that delay the formation of tumors in mice, by targeting a key enzyme that governs how cancer cells use glucose and its metabolites. The study, published August 26 in the advance online publication of Nature Chemical Biology, was led by researchers from the Koch Institute ...

New model of muscular dystrophy provides insight into disease development Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important ...

Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important to have an animal model that accurately reflects the course of the disease ...

Politics and genetics have traditionally been considered non-overlapping fields, but over the past decade it has become clear that genes can influence political behavior, according to a review published online August 27th in Trends in Genetics. This paradigm shift has led to novel insights into why people vary in their political preferences and could have important implications for public policy. "We're seeing an awakening in the social sciences, and the wall that divided politics and genetics is really starting to fall apart," says review author Peter Hatemi of the ...

Recent evidence and new treatments for colonic diverticulitis that may help clinicians manage and treat the disease are summarized in a review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Diverticular disease, in which sac-like protrusions form in the wall of the colon, is common in developed countries, although it is increasing throughout the world, likely because of lifestyle changes. In people with the disease, about 25% will develop symptoms, which include abdominal pain and changed bowel habits, often leading to a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. The widespread ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study suggests that nicotinamide, more commonly known as vitamin B3, may be able to combat some of the antibiotic-resistance staph infections that are increasingly common around the world, have killed thousands and can pose a significant threat to public health. The research found that high doses of this vitamin increased by 1,000 times the ability of immune cells to kill staph bacteria. The work was done both in laboratory animals and with human blood. The findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by researchers ...

A recent study in the Journal of General Physiology brings new insights to an area of ion channel regulation: whether voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels can be regulated by physiological changes to PIP2. Potassium channels, microscopic pores that allow potassium ions to cross cell membranes, are crucial to such diverse processes as conduction of the nerve impulse, regulation of the heartbeat, and the secretion of hormones such as insulin. PIP2, a minor phospholipid component of cell membranes, regulates the activity of various proteins in the cell membrane, and ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Successive, vigorous bouts of leg compressions following a stroke appear to trigger natural protective mechanisms that reduce damage, researchers report. Compressing then releasing the leg for several five-minute intervals used in conjunction with the clot-buster tPA, essentially doubles efficacy, said Dr. David Hess, a stroke specialist who chairs the Medical College of Georgia Department of Neurology at Georgia Health Sciences University. "This is potentially a very cheap, usable and safe – other than the temporary discomfort – therapy for stroke," ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with therapy resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Mr Klaas Franzen from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein. The findings suggest that renal denervation regenerates blood vessels and could reduce cardiovascular events. Malignant arterial hypertension was historically treated with surgical thoracolumbar splanchnicectomy, a type of sympathectomy treatment that was introduced in 1938. "A significant reduction ...

DURHAM, N.C. – The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists at Duke University Medical Center have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses. The finding, published in the August issue of the journal Current Nutrition & Food Science, explains how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development. "This study is the first we know of that ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation leads to significant and sustained blood pressure reduction for up to 18 months in patients with treatment resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The new clinical data from the Symplicity HTN-2 randomized clinical trial were presented by principal investigator Dr Murray Esler at the scientific session, associate director of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute of Melbourne, Australia and by Prof Böhm for the ESC Press Conference. Treatment resistant hypertension is blood pressure ...

Munich, Germany – August 26 2012: Renal sympathetic denervation improves anxiety, depression, quality of life and stress in patients with resistant hypertension, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Dr Denise Fischer from Saarland University Hospital. Arterial hypertension is often associated with several psychological comorbidities, such as anxiety and panic disorders, leading to impaired quality of life. Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) is a novel treatment option for patients with resistant hypertension and has been shown to reduce ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation successfully treats patients with resistant hypertension in real world patient populations, according to a study presented at ESC Congress 2012. The findings were presented by Dr Darren Mylotte from France. Transcatheter renal denervation represents a novel therapy for treating patients with treatment resistant hypertension, a condition which greatly increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. "The Symplicity Hypertension I and II studies have suggested that this procedure significantly lowers blood pressure ...

August 27, 2012 -- In one of the most comprehensive peer-reviewed discussions on cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutics, a Special Focus in the journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics provides a critical view on cancer vaccines and a discussion on best approaches for the future. From firsthand accounts of principal investigators involved in numerous failed cancer vaccine programs, including Oncophage® and MVAX®, to commentary from world experts in cancer vaccine development, authors in the Special Focus recount the mistakes of the past and provide an critical lens ...

Munich, Germany – August 27 2012: Renal denervation leads to better outcomes than standard drug treatment in patients with advanced heart failure, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. The results of the Olomouc I pilot study were presented by Dr Miloš Táborský from the University Hospital Olomouc. Renal denervation does not involve any pharmacological treatment. It is a multiple application of radiofrequency energy using a thin catheter via the femoral artery and a long-term "denervation" of the sympathetic nerves around the renal arteries. "This is done ...

Some of the body's own genetic material, known as small interfering RNA (siRNA), can be packaged then unleashed as a precise and persistent technology to guide cell behavior, researchers at Case Western Reserve University report in the current issue of the journal, Acta Biomaterialia. The research group, led by Eben Alsberg, associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedic Surgery, have been pursuing experiments that seek to catalyze stem cells to grow into, for example, bone and cartilage cells, instead of fat, smooth muscle and other cell ...