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January 21, 2010
Salt reduction could save 92,000 U.S. lives a year
BOSTON (Reuters Life!) - Shaving 3 grams off the daily salt intake of Americans could prevent up to 66,000 strokes, 99,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths in the United States, while saving $24 billion in health costs per year, researchers reported on Wednesday.
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December 15, 2009
Implanted device has benefits in heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Implanted heart defibrillators may help elderly heart failure patients live longer, a study released today suggests.
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December 10, 2009
Common heart rhythm problem on the rise in the US
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About 3 million Americans suffer from the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and that number is likely to double by 2035, new research shows.
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December 9, 2009
Child cancer survivors have higher heart risk
LONDON (Reuters) - Children and young people who survive cancer have a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease as young adults because of the cancer treatment they received, researchers said Wednesday.
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December 3, 2009
Heart care in rural hospitals matches urban ones
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People treated for heart problems at rural hospitals fare about as well as those getting care at urban medical centers, a study of U.S. hospitals suggests.
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November 30, 2009
Spain and Britain use fewer heart devices
LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's use of implantable heart rhythm devices has doubled in the past five years but some countries - notably Spain and Britain - lag well behind, suggesting patients there aren't getting treatment recommended by a major cardiology group.
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November 18, 2009
Hospital report cards get mixed marks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Public "report cards" on how well hospitals are caring for patients may spur some centers to make positive changes, but the extent to which report cards can improve healthcare remains unclear, researchers reported Wednesday.
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November 11, 2009
Heart failure patients often land back in hospital
CHICAGO (Reuters) - One in four heart failure patients on Medicare winds up back in the hospital a month after being discharged, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a finding that illustrates the need for financial incentives to keep them healthy.
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November 10, 2009
Doctor visits get longer, but care quality "poor"
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It may come as a surprise to many patients, but a new study shows that primary care visits have actually gotten a little longer since the late 1990s.
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November 5, 2009
Experimental vaccine cures pre-cancer vulvar growths
BOSTON (Reuters) - An experimental vaccine cured nearly half of women with pre-cancerous growths on their genitals, producing major improvement in nearly four out of five, researchers in the Netherlands reported on Wednesday.
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October 28, 2009
No link seen between coffee and heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to findings from an earlier study, new research suggests that coffee lovers do not face an increased risk of heart failure.
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October 15, 2009
Fish may not protect against heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may be good for you, but it seems to offer little protection against heart failure, a new study suggests.
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October 12, 2009
Aging heart can be prevented in mice
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists in Japan said they have uncovered evidence, based on mouse studies, that shows it may be possible to delay or prevent heart failure in humans.
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October 9, 2009
Elizabeth Taylor says heart surgery was successful
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Elizabeth Taylor said on Thursday that her heart surgery went off "perfectly," saying that "it's like having a brand new ticker."
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October 6, 2009
Elizabeth Taylor in hospital for heart surgery
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Elizabeth Taylor said on Tuesday she was going into a hospital for heart surgery and asked for prayers.
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September 14, 2009
Defibrillators may not save women, study finds
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Despite their widespread use, implantable defibrillators to protect against deadly heart rhythms do not prevent deaths in women with advanced heart failure, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
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September 4, 2009
Good heart care possible at non-ranked hospitals
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - You don't have to go to a top ranked hospital in the US to get good heart care.
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August 26, 2009
Hormone drugs dangerous for some prostate patients
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hormone-based drugs that help treat aggressive prostate cancer may be dangerous for some men with heart disease, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
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August 19, 2009
Glaxo's Avandia riskier than Takeda drug: study
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's diabetes drug Avandia is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death among older patients compared with Takeda 's Actos, according to Canadian research.
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August 13, 2009
Abnormal heart rhythm more common in white elders
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Aging white adults appear to have a greater risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation than their black peers, new research suggests.
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August 10, 2009
First wireless pacemaker in US gives patient new freedom
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - After relying on a pacemaker for 20 years, Carol Kasyjanski has become the first American recipient of a wireless pacemaker that allows her doctor to monitor her health from afar - over the Internet.
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July 28, 2009
US stops sildenafil (Viagra) trial in sickle cell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. National Institutes of Health said on Tuesday it had stopped a trial of the drug sildenafil, saying it caused serious medical problems in sickle cell patients.
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July 22, 2009
Healthy diet and lifestyle cuts heart failure risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sticking with a healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce the risks of high blood pressure and heart failure, in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the body with oxygen and nutrients, according to the findings of two studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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July 17, 2009
Some blood pressure drugs may protect the brain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Blood pressure-lowering drugs called ACE inhibitors that penetrate the blood-brain barrier cut the risk of dementia, new research suggests.
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July 17, 2009
Metabolic syndrome in heart failure patients deadly
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that the risk of dying from heart failure is increased in people who also have the metabolic syndrome.
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July 16, 2009
US reviewing possible heart risks with asthma drug
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are reviewing a possible link between Roche and Novartis AG's asthma drug Xolair and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, health officials said on Thursday.
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July 14, 2009
UK girl recovers fully after donor heart removed
LONDON (Reuters) - A British girl who was given an extra heart as a toddler has become the world's first heart transplant patient to make a full recovery after having her donor organ removed and function restored to her original heart.
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July 1, 2009
Heart disease increases with psoriatic arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with psoriatic arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to findings published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
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June 23, 2009
Heart disease deaths down significantly in Canada
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Canada's death rate from cardiovascular disease dropped by nearly one third over a decade, in large part due to improved heart attack survival, a new study finds.
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June 23, 2009
Boston Sci device hits goal in heart failure trial
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp said on Tuesday that a large clinical trial showed early intervention with implantable devices called cardiac resynchronization therapy can slow the progression of heart failure.
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June 22, 2009
Sleep disordered breathing can lead to arrhythmias
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moderate-to-severe sleep disordered breathing raises the risk of clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias in men age 65 and older, with or without heart disease, investigators report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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June 17, 2009
Health emergencies spike as air pollution worsens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Visits to the emergency department (ED) for heart- and lung-related illnesses climb as air gets dirtier, a new analysis of data from seven Canadian cities shows.
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June 11, 2009
Frequent vigorous exercise raises heart risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that as the frequency of vigorous exercise increases, so does the risk of atrial fibrillation.
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June 10, 2009
Anemia linked to death in heart failure patients
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Anemia is associated with an increased risk of death and hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure, according to a report in the journal Congestive Heart Failure.
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June 8, 2009
Roche diabetes drug to start late stage trial
ZURICH (Reuters) - A diabetes drug from Switzerland's Roche Holding AG showed promising results in a mid-stage trial and will be developed further, the company said on Monday.
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June 3, 2009
Seeing video firms up end-of-life care decisions
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pictures beat words, at least when it comes to making advance care decisions. Older people who see a video of a person with advanced dementia, rather than hearing a verbal description, are more likely to say they would choose "comfort care" over life-extending treatment if they themselves developed dementia, new research shows.
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June 1, 2009
Herceptin improves stomach cancer survival: study
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Herceptin, the breast cancer drug developed by Genentech, reduces the risk of death for certain stomach cancer patients by 26 percent compared with chemotherapy alone, according to new research.
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May 14, 2009
Hormone tied to death in men with heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Blood levels of estradiol, a potent form of estrogen, that are too high or too low are linked to an increased risk of death in men with heart failure, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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May 14, 2009
Heart disease risk persists in Hodgkin's survivors
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Survivors of Hodgkin's disease are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, a Swedish study confirms. The risk is particularly high for patients treated for Hodgkin's disease before the age of 40 years and with a family history of heart disease.
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May 11, 2009
The "DASH" diet lowers risk of heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adhering to the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) reduces the rate of heart failure in middle-aged and elderly women, according to the findings from a large study.
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May 6, 2009
Opioids recommended for elderly with chronic pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It may be better for elderly people with chronic pain to take opioid painkillers such as codeine rather than familiar over-the-counter products such as ibuprofen, according to guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS).
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May 5, 2009
Obesity, arthritis dog women in later years
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Disabilities related to obesity and arthritis decrease women's quality of life during their senior years, according to research presented Saturday at the American Geriatrics Society's annual meeting in Chicago.
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April 22, 2009
Marine fatty acids may cut rates of heart failure
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating fatty fish no more than once a week, and an intake of about 0.3 grams per day of marine omega-3 fatty acids, appear to reduce the risk of heart failure in middle-aged and elderly Swedish men.
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April 21, 2009
Need a heart defibrillator? Call a specialist
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heart patients who get a defibrillator from doctors who specialize in the heart's electrical system fare better than those whose devices are implanted by other types of doctors, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
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April 16, 2009
Big men more susceptible to abnormal heart rhythm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men who were big during their 20s face an increased risk of suffering from an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
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April 14, 2009
Depression in heart patients ups heart failure risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients who develop coronary artery disease and are subsequently diagnosed with depression have an increased risk of heart failure, even if they are taking antidepressant medication, according to findings from the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study.
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April 9, 2009
Poorer kids fare worse with heart transplants
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children from a deprived background who have to have a heart transplant do less well than more privileged kids, a Boston group has found.
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April 7, 2009
Large waist may boost heart failure risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Both body mass index (BMI) and waist size influence a person's risk of being hospitalized with heart failure or dying of the condition, new research shows.
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April 7, 2009
Age cutoffs for colon cancer screening debated
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Decisions about the advisability of colorectal cancer screening should give more attention to life expectancy and less attention to age, according to a new report.
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April 3, 2009
Gilead blood pressure drug works in phase 3 study
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat patients whose high blood pressure is not controlled by other medicines met both the primary goals of a late-stage study, sending its shares 5 percent higher.