http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/heart-septal-defects-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 05:11:45 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-believe-that-attention-key-to-recovery-in-stroke-101706-1.htm Attention may have an important effect on the successful recovery from a stroke, feel researchers. People with a curious condition that causes them to apply make-up on only one side of their face, or ignore food on half of their plate, are playing a new role in understanding stroke recovery. Researchers from the University of Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) have found the condition, a subset of the stroke called "unilateral spatial neglect' (USN), tends to have the worst recovery outcomes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-believe-that-attention-key-to-recovery-in-stroke-101706-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/infusion-of-enzyme-in-scar-tissue-following-chronic-stroke-may-make-patients-stronger-101690-1.htm Patients could recover quicker if the scar tissue that develops following a stroke is modified by infusion of an enzyme, a new study conducted by researchers at Buck Institute for Research on Aging reveals. The need for therapeutics for chronic stroke is compelling. There are 750,000 new strokes per year in the U.S., a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Aside from physical and occupational therapy, treatments for the six million patients in the U.S. who suffer from chronic stroke are ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/infusion-of-enzyme-in-scar-tissue-following-chronic-stroke-may-make-patients-stronger-101690-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-open-heart-surgery-and-kidney-disease-patients-101517-1.htm A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the iJournal of the American Society of Nephrology/i (JASN) says that one type of open heart surgery is likely safer than the other for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Open heart, or coronary artery bypass, surgery can be done two ways: on-pump or off-pump, depending on whether the patient is put on a heart-lung machine. Off-pump surgery allows a surgeon to perform a bypass without stopping the heart. This may help cut down on kidney injuries ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-open-heart-surgery-and-kidney-disease-patients-101517-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/esc-issues-new-heart-failure-guidelines-on-devices-drugs-and-diagnosis-101497-1.htm The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has issued new recommendations on devices, drugs and diagnosis in heart failure which was launched at the Heart Failure Congress 2012. The Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2012 were developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC. The Congress is the HFA's main annual meeting. An analysis of the most up to date clinical evidence ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/esc-issues-new-heart-failure-guidelines-on-devices-drugs-and-diagnosis-101497-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-elaborates-on-how-to-minimize-stroke-damage-101409-1.htm Loyola University Medical Center researchers report that factors as varied as blood sugar, body temperature and position in bed can affect patient outcomes after a stroke. In a review article in the journal IMedLink Neurology, /Ifirst author Murray Flaster, MD, PhD and colleagues summarize the latest research on caring for ischemic stroke patients. (Most strokes are ischemic, meaning they are caused by blood clots.) "The period immediately following an acute ischemic stroke is a time of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-elaborates-on-how-to-minimize-stroke-damage-101409-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/guidance-for-when-to-use-cardiac-catheterization-to-look-for-heart-problems-101333-1.htm Research has shown that cardiac catheterization is performed extensively in the United States each year and may often be the best method to diagnose heart problems. This is an invasive diagnostic procedure that allows doctors to see the vessels and arteries leading to the heart and its chambers. Still, the procedure is costly and may pose risks to certain patients, so determining when the benefits of performing the procedure outweigh the risks is essential. A new report issued today by the American ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/guidance-for-when-to-use-cardiac-catheterization-to-look-for-heart-problems-101333-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/clot-busters-safe-for-stroke-patients-taking-warfarin-101178-1.htm A research has found that it's safe to treat acute ischemic stroke patients who take warfarin with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). "Although it's the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat acute ischemic stroke, tPA is underused among patients on home warfarin therapy mainly because of the fear that it will cause bleeding," said Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D., the study's lead author and a research fellow at Duke Clinical Research Institute, in Durham, N....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/clot-busters-safe-for-stroke-patients-taking-warfarin-101178-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/better-outcomes-for-high-volume-stroke-centers-study-101160-1.htm Treatment is faster and better outcomes are seen at stroke centres dealing with a high volume of patients, finds study published in the iJournal of NeuroInterventional Surgery/i. The authors base their findings on 442 patients treated with endovascular therapy-clot busting treatment provided inside the brain via a catheter without the need for surgery-at nine specialist (tertiary) stroke centres between September 2009 and July 2011. All the patients, whose average age was 66, arrived ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/better-outcomes-for-high-volume-stroke-centers-study-101160-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/speed-of-drawing-lines-to-connect-numbers-may-help-assess-if-first-stroke-would-be-fatal-101146-1.htm The speed with which one draws a series of lines connecting numbers in an ascending order could be enough to test whether the first stroke could prove fatal among older men. More than 1,000 men aged between 57 and 75 years took part in the study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. The researchers followed them up after 14 years and concluded that those who were in the bottom third of the time score were three times more likely to die after their first stroke compared to those in the top third....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/speed-of-drawing-lines-to-connect-numbers-may-help-assess-if-first-stroke-would-be-fatal-101146-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/standard-heart-failure-treatment-not-influenced-by-racial-considerations-101142-1.htm A study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has suggested that a traditional treatment for heart failure appears to be equally protective in preventing death or hospitalization among African-American patients as compared to white patients. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are standard heart failure treatments. However, they have been shown to be less effective for lowering blood pressure in African Americans when compared to white patients, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/standard-heart-failure-treatment-not-influenced-by-racial-considerations-101142-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/older-female-atrial-fibrillation-patients-at-higher-stroke-risk-101113-1.htm Elderly women with irregular heart beat (atrial fibrillation) are at higher risk for stroke than men, says study published in JAMA. "Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, accounting for approximately one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbances. It has been estimated that 2.2 million people in the United States and 4.5 million in the European Union have paroxysmal or persistent AF. Patients with AF have a 5-fold increase in the risk of stroke ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/older-female-atrial-fibrillation-patients-at-higher-stroke-risk-101113-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/alternative-offered-to-folks-with-a-fib-who-cant-take-blood-thinners-to-reduce-stroke-101070-1.htm People with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) who are incapable of taking blood thinners now have an alternative to lessen their risk of stroke, which is five times more usual in people with the rhythm disorder. The non-surgical procedure works by tying off the left atrial appendage (LAA), the source of most blood clots leading to stroke in patients with A-fib. Northwestern Medicine (Regd) heart rhythm specialists from the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute were the first to perform this procedure in Illinois. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alternative-offered-to-folks-with-a-fib-who-cant-take-blood-thinners-to-reduce-stroke-101070-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exercise-slows-muscle-loss-in-heart-failure-patients-101024-1.htm Exercise slows muscle breakdown, increases strength in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, says study. The benefits for heart failure patients are similar to those for anyone who exercises: there's less muscle-wasting, and their bodies become conditioned to handle more exercise.Age of the patients didn't matter, either, researchers found. "Many physicians - and insurance companies - still believe that cardiac rehabilitation does not really help in old age. This study clearly falsifies this belief," said Stephan Gielen, M....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exercise-slows-muscle-loss-in-heart-failure-patients-101024-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-aspirin-works-as-well-as-blood-thinner-drugs-in-heart-patients-100823-1.htm A major international study said on Wednesday aspirin works as well as the blood thinner warfarin, or Coumadin, in most patients with heart failure when it comes to preventing death, stroke or brain hemorrhage. The findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine came from a landmark clinical trial that lasted 10 years and tracked 2,305 patients in 11 countries. The combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage was 7.47 percent per year for patients taking warfarin, and 7....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-aspirin-works-as-well-as-blood-thinner-drugs-in-heart-patients-100823-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/toll-free-helpline-for-stroke-victims-100803-1.htm Delhi hospital launches toll-free helpline for strokes. A statement from the hospital chain said its helpline number 1800-200-3060 can be accessed from both mobiles and landlines in Delhi and the NCR. "The goal is to get the stroke victim to a hospital as quickly as possible to confirm the diagnosis because every minute is important. FEHI has a dedicated expert team 24*7 - a neurologist, a neuro-surgeon, emergency room, critical care, a cardiologist and radiologist - to provide ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/toll-free-helpline-for-stroke-victims-100803-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/simple-device-to-help-save-babies-with-congenital-heart-defects-100793-1.htm A simple and cheap device that is used to monitor blood oxygen can help newborn babies with tragic heart flaw, say researchers. Congenital heart flaws account for between three and 7.5 percent of all infant deaths, but surgery greatly improves the chances of survival, especially if the problem is detected at the earliest stages. Doctors led by Shakila Thangaratinam of Queen Mary University of London looked at published research into pulse oximetry, in which a small monitor is placed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/simple-device-to-help-save-babies-with-congenital-heart-defects-100793-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has found that new nerve cells can be generated among mice with strokes by using a compound that replicates a key activity of a protein present in the brain which could lead to faster recovery of athletic abilities. These results are promising, because the compound wasn't administered to the animals until a full three days after they had suffered strokes, said the study's senior author, Marion Buckwalter, MD, PhD, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/stopping-anti-clotting-drugs-elevate-stroke-risk-100592-1.htm Stopping anti-clotting medications in some patients with irregular heartbeats may raise the risk of stroke or blood clotting within a month, finds a new research. Patients with certain types of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, take these drugs to reduce the risks of clots that could lead to a stroke. Sometimes they are instructed to stop taking the medication temporarily before surgery or permanently because of side effects. "No matter what drug they are on, patients who need ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/stopping-anti-clotting-drugs-elevate-stroke-risk-100592-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/obstructive-sleep-apnea-increases-risk-of-fatal-stroke-100572-1.htm Middle aged people suffering from even mild obstructive sleep apnea have a greater risk of experiencing a stroke that can be fatal. The serious nature of the problem was captured in a landmark study which found that middle-age and older men with even mild levels of OSA were in danger of increased risk of stroke and death. While a link between OSA and stroke is clear, OSA''s effect on the cerebral (brain) vessels is not. In an effort to shed light on this relationship, researchers in Texas have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/obstructive-sleep-apnea-increases-risk-of-fatal-stroke-100572-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-soda-drinkers-of-higher-stroke-risk-100342-1.htm Regular consumption of diet and regular soda raises stroke risk in drinkers, according to researchers. On the contrary, consuming caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee has been found to reduce the risk. The study - recently published in the iAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition/i - is the first to examine soda's effect on stroke risk. Previous research has linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-soda-drinkers-of-higher-stroke-risk-100342-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/low-fat-dairy-foods-slash-stroke-risk-100307-1.htm Consuming dairy foods that are low in fat may reduce one's risk of developing stroke, claims a new study. In a Swedish study, among 74,961 adults 45 to 83 years old, those who ate low-fat dairy foods had a 12 percent lower risk of stroke and a 13 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than those who ate high-fat dairy foods. Participants were free of heart disease, stroke and cancer at the start of the study. All completed a 96-item food and beverage questionnaire to determine dietary habits....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/low-fat-dairy-foods-slash-stroke-risk-100307-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-suggests-screening-protocol-for-blunt-cerebrovascular-injury-that-may-help-prevent-stroke-100280-1.htm Early detection of blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) after trauma may prevent potentially life-threatening stroke, new research suggests. The results of the research study were presented at the 80th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Miami. The study submission, which has received the Synthes Resident Craniofacial Award, investigates the usefulness of a consensus-based BCVI screening protocol with computed tomographic angiography (CTA) at a level-one trauma center....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-suggests-screening-protocol-for-blunt-cerebrovascular-injury-that-may-help-prevent-stroke-100280-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/testosterone-supplements-benefit-heart-failure-patients-100227-1.htm Testosterone supplements by injections, patch or gel help heart failure patients breathe better and exercise more, reveals research published in iCirculation Heart Failure/i. Based on the analysis of these studies, those who received supplemental testosterone scored 50 percent better in a six-minute walking test than those receiving placebo. Also, in two of the studies, the severity of heart failure as measured by the New York Heart Association classification system improved one to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/testosterone-supplements-benefit-heart-failure-patients-100227-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/high-bp-drug-does-not-raise-death-risk-in-heart-failure-patients-100053-1.htm A study has found that use of anti-hypertensive drug, losartan, does not increase the death risk in heart failure patients. Although observational studies have suggested that losartan may be associated with an increased risk of death among patients with heart failure compared with other medications in the same class of drugs (angiotensin II receptor blockers [ARBs]), an analysis that included nearly 6,500 patients found that overall, use of losartan was not associated with increased all-cause ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/high-bp-drug-does-not-raise-death-risk-in-heart-failure-patients-100053-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/higher-chances-of-stroke-risk-if-sibling-had-stroke-99997-1.htm You could be at least 60 percent more likely to have a stroke, if your brother or sister had a stroke, states research reported in the American Heart Association journal ICirculation: Cardiovascular Genetics/I. The findings come from the first large study to examine the combined influence of age, gender and sibling history on stroke risk. The study focused on ischemic strokes, which are caused by blood vessel blockage that cuts off blood flow to part of the brain. Ischemic strokes are by ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/higher-chances-of-stroke-risk-if-sibling-had-stroke-99997-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/keyed-predictors-for-re-hospitalisation-with-post-acute-stroke-patients-99991-1.htm Stroke patients getting in-patient rehabilitation are more likely to get readmitted in a hospital within three months if they are performing poorly, express signs of depression and lack social support state researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston. Hospital readmission for older adults within 30 days of discharge costs Medicare roughly (Dollor) 18 billion annually. Among the first of such research to explore the risk of re-hospitalization among this patient segment, the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/keyed-predictors-for-re-hospitalisation-with-post-acute-stroke-patients-99991-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/surgical-management-on-neuro-outcomes-bears-little-impact-on-kids-born-with-grave-heart-defect-99938-1.htm In an enormous multicenter clinical trial of kids undergoing early-stage surgery for single-ventricle heart defects, differences in intraoperative management did not radically affect neurodevelopmental outcomes at 14 months of age. Instead, the strongest influences were innate patient characteristics and general medical morbidity during the child's first year of life. Children born with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome (HLHS) and related single-ventricle defects have long been known to be vulnerable ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/surgical-management-on-neuro-outcomes-bears-little-impact-on-kids-born-with-grave-heart-defect-99938-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/diabetic-heart-failure-patients-benefit-from-higher-glucose-levels-study-99918-1.htm Heart failure patients with diabetes having higher blood glucose levels help improve survival rates, finds study. Currently published online in the iAmerican Journal of Cardiology/i, UCLA researchers compared levels of a marker used to track glucose levels called glycosylated hemoglobin in advanced heart failure patients with and without diabetes. The marker is gauged through a simple blood test. The study assessed the relationship between levels of the marker and mortality outcomes....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/diabetic-heart-failure-patients-benefit-from-higher-glucose-levels-study-99918-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/treatment-of-heart-failure-with-bone-marrow-cells-probed-by-study-99396-1.htm Using patient's bone marrow cells to treat chronic ischemic heart failure did not result in progress on most measures of heart function, states study appearing in IJAMA/I. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific sessions. Cell therapy has emerged as an innovative approach for treating patients with advanced ischemic heart disease, including those with heart failure. "In patients with ischemic heart ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/treatment-of-heart-failure-with-bone-marrow-cells-probed-by-study-99396-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/warfarin-linked-to-low-risk-of-stroke-99393-1.htm Warfarin is related to low rate of stroke or central-nervous system embolism in atrial fibrillation patients, according to study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Novel (new) antithrombotic medications (which interfere with blood clots) have been developed as alternatives to warfarin and clinical trials have suggested that some are superior, easier to administer and lack interaction with other medications and food, the authors write in their study background. However, the use ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/warfarin-linked-to-low-risk-of-stroke-99393-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-target-for-stimulating-recovery-from-stroke-identified-99153-1.htm Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified drug target for stimulating recovery from stroke even days after the event, reveals study. Importantly, these beneficial effects grew over the course of a full week post-stroke, suggesting that, in the future, treatments such as drugs designed to reproduce the effects in humans might work even if given as much as several days after a stroke occurs. The only currently available stroke treatment - tissue plasminogen activator, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-target-for-stimulating-recovery-from-stroke-identified-99153-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-e-supplements-do-not-reduce-womens-heart-failure-risk-99102-1.htm Vitamin E supplements do not impact women's heart failure, neither increasing nor decreasing heart failure risk among women, according to a study in ICirculation: Heart Failure,/I an American Heart Association journal. The study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of vitamin E to prevent the development of heart failure. Researchers studied nearly 40,000 women in the Women's Health Study who took 600 International Units of vitamin E or placebo every other day. The women were age 45 or older and healthy at the study's start....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-e-supplements-do-not-reduce-womens-heart-failure-risk-99102-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/orthostatic-hypotension-linked-to-heart-failure-risk-study-99064-1.htm Sudden blood pressure drop with position change is associated with a higher risk of developing heart failure, shows research published in Hypertension. The link between orthostatic hypotension and heart failure was stronger in people 45-55 years old compared to those 56-64, researchers said. High blood pressure, which was present in over half of people who developed heart failure, may be partially responsible for the association.Over an average 17.5 years of follow-up, researchers looked ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/orthostatic-hypotension-linked-to-heart-failure-risk-study-99064-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/drinking-may-help-cut-stroke-risk-in-women-98976-1.htm Drinking alcohol in small amounts may reduce stroke risk in women, a new study finds. For the research a total of 83,578 female participants of the Nurses' Health Study, who were free of diagnosed cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline, were followed-up from 1980 to 2006. Data on self-reported alcohol consumption were assessed at baseline and updated approximately every 4 years, whereas stroke and potential confounder data were updated at baseline and biennially. Strokes were ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/drinking-may-help-cut-stroke-risk-in-women-98976-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/poor-oral-hygiene-elevates-endocarditis-risk-98953-1.htm Poor dental hygiene behaviors raise endocarditis risk in patients with congenital heart disease as they are less likely to floss, brush and visit the dentist than their peers. This was revealed in two studies supervisor by Professor Philip Moons, professor in nursing science at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and guest professor at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. "Patients with congenital heart disease are diagnosed and receive their initial treatment in childhood but this does ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/poor-oral-hygiene-elevates-endocarditis-risk-98953-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/treating-psoriasis-may-prevent-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-98940-1.htm A clinical study has found that a new treatment for psoriasis could significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and joints that affects up to 3% of the population. This disease is associated with a greater risk of heart attack (infarction) and stroke. The goal of this clinical study was to show that a treatment to reduce skin inflammation in psoriasis patients could be associated with a decrease in vascular inflammation....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/treating-psoriasis-may-prevent-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-98940-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/art-improves-quality-of-life-in-stroke-survivors-98906-1.htm Stroke survivors who like music, painting and threatre recovered better and could lead a quality of life than those who do not, according to a new research. Stroke is the third cause of death in the western world and the first cause of disability in adults. More and more older people are having strokes and undergoing recovery. "We know that every six seconds there is a person affected by stroke in the world," says lead author Dr Ercole Vellone, assistant professor in nursing science at the School ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/art-improves-quality-of-life-in-stroke-survivors-98906-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/patients-with-stroke-symptoms-are-still-not-calling-911-jama-study-98895-1.htm Despite the availability of effective stroke treatments, nationwide ambulance use by patients suffering from a stroke has not changed since the mid-1990s. In a study published in this week's IJournal of the American Medical Association/I (IJAMA/I), researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center found that the number of stroke victims transported via ambulance has remained relatively static over the years, highlighting the need for more education about stroke ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/patients-with-stroke-symptoms-are-still-not-calling-911-jama-study-98895-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/stroke-the-pharmacologic-management-98891-1.htm Stroke is defined as the rapid loss of brain functions due to disturbances in the blood supply to the brain. Due to lack of oxygen and glucose death of brain tissue occurs. It is also known as cerebrovascular accident. Stroke is a serious medical emergency resulting in permanent damage to the brain. The risk factors of stroke are diabetes, hypertension, old age, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol level, high alcohol intake, previous stroke history and family history....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/stroke-the-pharmacologic-management-98891-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/disparity-in-hospital-survival-of-hispanic-and-non-hispanic-heart-failure-patients-98841-1.htm Difference in survival between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients hospitalisation for heart failure based on their level of heart function, despite receiving equal care in hospitals researchers noted participating in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines (Regd) -Heart Failure quality improvement program. The study, published in the American Heart Association journal, ICirculation: Heart Failure/I, is the first in which researchers compare the care and outcomes of Hispanic ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/disparity-in-hospital-survival-of-hispanic-and-non-hispanic-heart-failure-patients-98841-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/men-more-at-risk-of-dying-from-heart-failure-than-women-98631-1.htm Women with chronic heart failure may live longer than their male counterparts, researchers have said. The large analysis of studies comprising data on more than 40,000 subjects represents the largest assessment of gender and mortality risk in heart failure, and provides evidence which many randomised trials have failed to do because they have been dominated by male patients. Heart failure is by far the single biggest reason for acute hospital admission. Its incidence is still increasing ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/men-more-at-risk-of-dying-from-heart-failure-than-women-98631-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-reduces-stroke-risk-in-women-98586-1.htm Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is linked to reduced stroke risk in women, claims study. Monik Jimenez ScD from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) examined data from 83,578 female participants in the Nurses' Health Study. They looked at data of women who had no evidence of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline and followed them for up to 26 years. Participants provided information on diet, including self-reported alcohol consumption, lifestyle factors and stroke events....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-reduces-stroke-risk-in-women-98586-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-protected-by-hypothermia-against-injury-in-stroke-98508-1.htm Blood clot in the brain causes Thromboembolic stroke, resulting in damage to the parts of the brain deprived of oxygen. Breaking up the clot with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) reduces the amount of damage, however, there is a very short time window when the value of the treatment outweighs the side effects. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal IExperimental (and) Translational Stroke Medicine/I shows that, during the first 24 hours after a stroke, mild hypothermia ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-protected-by-hypothermia-against-injury-in-stroke-98508-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-reveals-cost-effective-wonder-pill-saves-thousands-of-heart-failure-patients-98496-1.htm The wonder drug ivabradine costing just 1.40 pound a day dramatically slashed the number of deaths from heart failure, researchers have found. The pill which is now available to British patients, could save the lives of tens of thousands of sufferers from one of the most common heart conditions each year. It would also save the NHS millions by cutting hospital admissions by a quarter. One expert who has been involved in the drug's trials hailed it as "fantastic news for both patients and doctors," the Daily Express reported....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-reveals-cost-effective-wonder-pill-saves-thousands-of-heart-failure-patients-98496-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/redundant-and-pricey-neuroimaging-for-stroke-patients-ordered-by-physicians-study-98465-1.htm Perhaps needlessly expensive and redundant neuroimaging for stroke patients is contributing to mounting costs nationwide for stroke care, states University of Michigan research. The research, published in the IAnnals of Neurology,/I found that 95 percent of stroke patients who received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also had a computed tomography (CT) scan. "Compared to CT, MRI is a more accurate test for stroke," says James F. Burke, M.D., lead author of the study and a clinical ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/redundant-and-pricey-neuroimaging-for-stroke-patients-ordered-by-physicians-study-98465-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-of-stroke-risk-for-diabetics-98255-1.htm People who are suffering from diabetes for 10 years or more are thrice at risk for stroke, as diabetes tend to raise stroke risk by 3 percent each year, finds a study. "The findings emphasize the chronic nature of diabetes and the fact that it damages the blood vessels over time," said Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., the study's senior author and associate chairman of neurology for clinical research and training at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. The findings also have public health implications....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-of-stroke-risk-for-diabetics-98255-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/a-drug-that-promises-to-protect-the-brain-after-a-stroke-98230-1.htm Scientists have discovered an experimental drug which is capable of protecting the brain after a stroke. This drug has been in development for a few years. At this point, it has reached the most advanced stage of development among drugs created to reduce the brain's vulnerability to stroke damage (termed a "neuroprotectant"). Over 1000 attempts to develop such drugs by scientists worldwide have failed to be translated to a stage where they can be used in humans, leaving a major unmet need for stroke treatment....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/a-drug-that-promises-to-protect-the-brain-after-a-stroke-98230-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/older-women-eating-fried-food-face-greater-stroke-risk-98204-1.htm Older women who consume high amounts of fat that goes into fried foods and baked goods face a greater risk of stroke than women who eat lower fat diets, a US study suggested. However, aspirin use could cut those risks, said the researchers from University of North Carolina whose findings are published in the Annals of Neurology. The data came from the largest study to date of post-menopausal women and their eating habits, and included 87,025 women between the ages 50 and 79 who were generally in good health at the time of enrollment....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/older-women-eating-fried-food-face-greater-stroke-risk-98204-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/heart-failure-risk-factors-identified-98050-1.htm Airflow obstruction and reduced lung function are associated with increased heart failure risk, reveals study. Importantly, say the investigators, this association was even evident in never-smokers and was still evident after adjustment for smoking status and number of years smoking. This, they add, indicates "that our results are not primarily confounded by smoking". Heart failure is by far the single biggest reason for acute hospital admission. Around 30 million people in Europe have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/heart-failure-risk-factors-identified-98050-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-approach-to-predict-recurrent-stroke-unveiled-97971-1.htm A new research shows that CT (computerized tomography) scan can help doctors to predict if patients who have had suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke are at risk for another or more severe stroke. Currently, doctors can use a brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan to predict if a TIA patient is at high risk for a second stroke. Unfortunately however, MRI machines are not immediately available for most of Canada's population. In most centers, including rural hospitals, CT scans are readily available....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-approach-to-predict-recurrent-stroke-unveiled-97971-1.htm