The largest randomised study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment. Results from the HPS2-THRIVE study (Heart Protection Study 2 – Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events), including the […]
Category: Cardiology
Exposure to air pollution is associated with increased deaths after heart attacks
Air pollution contributes to an increased number of deaths among patients who have been admitted to hospital with heart attacks, according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The largest study yet to investigate the links between fine air-borne particulate matter (PM) and patient survival after hospital admission for acute coronary […]
Lung cancer patients live longer if they use beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy
Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer survive longer if they are taking beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy, according to a study of 722 patients published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, USA) reviewed the progress and outcomes of patients who had received radiotherapy as […]
Digoxin increases deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation
Digoxin, a drug that has been used worldwide for centuries to treat heart disease, is associated with a significant increase in deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to results from a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. Digoxin is extracted from the foxglove plant (digitalis) and it helps the heart […]
Relatives of people who die suddenly from heart problems have greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Relatives of young people who have died suddenly from a heart-related problem are at greatly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The authors of the study say these findings have two major implications; firstly, they strongly support the fact that autopsies should always […]
Results from world’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease reveals important differences between countries and heart conditions
Results from the world’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease have shown that most women with heart disease can go through pregnancy and delivery safely, so long as they are adequately evaluated, counselled and receive high quality care. However, this is not always the case: women and babies in developing countries are more likely […]
“Fitness and fatness”: not all obese people have the same prognosis. Second study sheds light on the ‘obesity paradox’
People can be obese but metabolically healthy and fit, with no greater risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer than normal weight people, according to the largest study ever to have investigated this, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The findings show there is a subset of obese […]
Spouses of people suffering a heart attack need care for increased risk of depression and suicide
Spouses of people who suffer a sudden heart attack (an acute myocardial infarction) have an increased risk of depression, anxiety, or suicide after the event, even if their partner survives, according to new research published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. They suffer more than spouses of people who die from, or survive, other […]
Scientists turn patients’ skin cells into heart muscle cells to repair their damaged hearts: first report
For the first time scientists have succeeded in taking skin cells from heart failure patients and reprogramming them to transform into healthy, new heart muscle cells that are capable of integrating with existing heart tissue. The research, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1], opens up the prospect of treating heart failure […]
Alcohol in moderation reduces deaths in men who have survived a heart attack
Men who are moderate drinkers and who have survived a first heart attack have a lower risk of death from heart disease or any other cause than non-drinkers, according to the results of a study of nearly 2000 men in the USA. The latest findings from the US Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a prospective study […]