Thursday, 16 April, 2009 06:06 Written by admin
Scientists have found important genetic differences that significantly raise the risk of stroke, and they are found in millions of people.
The study is the first to identify common genetic variants influencing stroke risk in the United States and may lead to better treatments, they reported on Wednesday.
While other stroke-related genes have been discovered, none involved such a wide portion of the population, said Eric Boerwinkle of The University of Texas Health Science Center.
Sunday, 09 November, 2008 17:48 Written by admin
People who get their annual flu shot may reap an extra benefit: a reduction in their risk of developing a blood clot.
The benefit appeared stronger in those under the age of 52, according to research that was presented Sunday at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific sessions, in New Orleans.
The findings, the first to demonstrate such an effect, may help explain why the flu shot lessens the risk of cardiovascular events in people with coronary artery disease, but the real current value of the data may lie in it convincing more people to get their annual shot.
Thursday, 25 September, 2008 21:24 Written by admin
In patients with coronary artery disease, angioplasty isn’t a cost-effective treatment, according to a U.S. study that assessed the costs of hospitalization and medication among 2,287 patients treated between 1999 and 2004.
The researchers analyzed data from the COURAGE trial and concluded that angioplasty may add $10,000 to treatment costs “without significant gain in life years or quality-adjusted life years.”
Some of the patients received balloon angioplasty (percutaneous coronary intervention — PCI) plus optimal medical therapy, while others received optimal medical therapy alone. The study found that 4.6 years after treatment, there was no difference in the two groups’ rates of death or heart attack, but patients who received PCI did have an improved quality of life.
Friday, 12 September, 2008 11:35 Written by admin
A newly developed molecule holds the promise of reducing the damage done by heart attacks and a number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, researchers report.
Oh, it might cure hangovers, too, but the scientists working on it prefer to downplay that aspect of their research.
The molecule is called Alda-1, although its chemical name is “quite a bit more complicated,” said Thomas D. Hurley, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University, who is working with researchers at Stanford University on the project. It has been given that name, because it activates an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), best known until now for its role in the processing of alcohol.