Culture

In human coronary arteries, atherosclerotic plaques tend to spread downstream because of the changes in blood flow patterns the plaque causes, researchers have found.

This insight comes from a study of fluid dynamics in the arteries of people being treated for coronary artery disease. The results are being presented Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting in Orlando.

STANFORD, Calif. — A new, noninvasive diagnostic test for coronary artery disease is associated with a higher rate of subsequent invasive cardiac procedures and higher health-care spending. That's according to an observational study of Medicare recipients conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

CHICAGO – Among patients who experienced an ischemic stroke, systolic blood pressure levels of less than 120 mm Hg, or higher than 140 mm Hg, were associated with an increased risk of subsequent stroke, according to a study appearing in the November 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on cardiovascular disease. This issue is being released early online to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

New research reveals that patients with epilepsy who were treated for extended periods with older generation antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be at increased risk for developing atherosclerosis, a common disorder known as hardening of the arteries. According to the findings now available in Epilepsia, the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the vascular risk is significantly associated with the duration of AED monotherapy.

SALT LAKE CITY – Atrial Fibrillation patients who are prescribed the powerful blood thinner warfarin often take it with vitamins or supplements that can hamper its effectiveness, or skip doses completely, increasing their risk for stroke, according to new research.

The study, jointly conducted by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and registered dieticians from Utah State University, also suggests these same patients don't know much about this powerful blood thinner and why they need to take it as directed.

Patients who received a short course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) over the telephone from trained therapists reported that they felt "better" or "very much better" at the end of a six-month treatment period, and also three months after it ended.

The Arthritis Research UK-funded trial led by the University of Aberdeen working with the University of Manchester was the first-ever trial of telephone-delivered CBT for people with chronic widespread pain.

CHICAGO – Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in patients with recurrent inflammatory spinal cord disease, according to a study published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

CHICAGO – Telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy and an exercise program, both separately and combined, are associated with short-term positive outcomes for patients with chronic widespread pain, and may offer benefits for patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The odds of having heart failure appear to be higher in seniors with a low income — even among those with a college or higher education — according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

"As far as the risk of developing heart failure is concerned, lower education may not matter if a person is able to maintain a high income in later years," said Ali Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., senior researcher.

ORLANDO -- Mayo Clinic researchers have amassed additional evidence that secondhand smoke kills and smoke-free workplace laws save lives. The study will be presented to the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions on Monday in Orlando.

From Enron in the United States to Satyam in India, there are plenty of examples of corporate managers lying about their companies' earnings and ultimately hurting themselves and the businesses they work for.

Why do they do it?

Orlando –A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators at various institutions, presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, shows that a novel, non-invasive measurement of arterial wave reflections may be able to predict who is most at risk for heart failure. The authors presented data from an ancillary study of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Researchers and conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Guatemala Program, WCS's Bronx Zoo, the National Park Service of Guatemala, and other groups report a major conservation victory from Central America: a bumper crop of magnificent scarlet macaw fledglings that have now taken flight over the forests of Guatemala.

The solution to reforming American health care without losing its world-class status may be as simply as reducing cost rather than increasing coverage, meaning more people will be able to afford health care. One way to accomplish that is to curb runaway lawsuits against doctors, hospitals and insurance companies.

Natural health products and medicinal foods should be subject to the same regulations as pharmaceutical drugs to ensure safety and efficacy, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

While pharmaceutical drugs are subject to rigorous evaluation and must provide significant evidence of their therapeutic effects and that the benefits outweigh risks, natural health products in Canada are not. Many contain active pharmacological substances that can have potent effects and interactions which should have warnings.