News • Microscopy
New microscopy method maps lipids without labels
A new microscopy method reads lipids' natural spectral fingerprints using mid-infrared light and ultrasound – no fluorescent labels needed, less stress for living cells.
Search for: "high cholesterol" - 127 articles found
News • Cardiovascular care
The hidden heart health risks (that don't start in the heart)
Diabetes and kidney disease are among the biggest — and most overlooked — drivers of heart disease. A new survey shows many people don't even know the connection exists.
News • Anthracycline cardiotoxicity
Common chemo drug increases risk of heart damage, study finds
A widely used chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatments can cause heart damage, new research shows. This could be used to adapt treatment regimens - especially in patients with high blood pressure.
Article • Personalised medicine
Gene-editing technologies: from lab to patient
Gene-editing technologies show great promise for medical treatments and research, with the potential to cure thousands of genetic diseases. At the 2025 World Medical Innovation Forum in Boston, leading experts explored the possibilities and challenges of these rapidly advancing tools. The case of Baby KJ Muldoon – an infant treated with a personalised CRISPR therapy developed in just seven…
News • Machine learning analysis
‘Two-for-one’ screening uses mammograms to predict heart disease in women
Using AI to help detect one of the leading killers of women worldwide: A new machine learning model can successfully predict heart disease risk in women by analysing mammograms.
News • Breathing device reduces risk of death
Study highlights benefits of CPAP in people with type 2 diabetes and OSA
People with both type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnoea have a higher risk of death, but treatment with CPAP may reduce that risk by around 26%, a new study finds.
News • Long-term risk assessment
MRI to identify cardiovascular disease ten years in advance
People at risk of cardiovascular disease could be identified a decade before they have a heart attack or stroke, a new University of Dundee study has discovered.
News • Carotid artery stenosis
After stroke: new approach favors medication over surgery
A risky carotid artery operation may no longer be necessary for patients who suffer a stroke due to carotid artery narrowing, research suggests. Instead, medication-only treatment may also be viable.
News • Lifestyle-related disease prevention
Soccer: an underrated champion of global health
Soccer is not only a fun and popular sport, but can also help prevent many lifestyle-related conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, several cancers, and mental health challenges.
News • Cardiac event marker
Coronary artery calcium score: useful regardless of age
A large new study of more than 40,000 patients finds that a zero coronary artery calcium score continues to be an accurate indicator of a low risk for a coronary heart event even as a person ages.
News • Research on MRD in tongue cancer
Understanding chemotherapy resistance in oral cancers using organoids
Tongue cancer cells can become resistant to chemotherapy under certain circumstances. Investigating these mechanisms, researchers shed light on promising avenues toward new treatments for this cancer.
News • Insights into bile production
Liver discovery could lead to better CVD treatments
A new discovery about how the liver flushes cholesterol from the body could lead to more effective treatments for cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death worldwide.
News • Damage in vascular organoids
Lab-grown diabetic vessels give new insights
Using vascular organoids derived from stem cells, researchers gain new insights into how diabetes damages blood vessels. This could lead to to the development of new treatments.
News • Infrared thermography analysis
AI predicts coronary artery disease from facial thermal imaging
A combination of facial thermal imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately predict the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), new research finds.
News • Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI)
Study finds artery stiffness indicative of cardiovascular risk
The stiffer the arteries, the greater the cardiovascular risk, according to a new study. The researchers suggest using this as a predictive tool, and emphasise the utility of a specific clinical tool.
News • Late effects of amblyopia
‘Lazy eye’ in children increases risk of serious disease in adulthood
Adults who had amblyopia (lazy eye) in childhood are more likely to experience hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome as an adult, as well as a higher heart attack risk, finds a new study.
Article • UK research project
"Our Future Health": Shifting from curative to preventive care
As a result from better living standards and medical advances, population longevity increases – a development which, paradoxically, current healthcare systems are ill-prepared for, Sir John Bell points out. The UK’s Our Future Health programme, which he chairs, exemplifies the paradigm shift to a prevention-centered healthcare approach.
News • Study on NHS DPP
Diabetes prevention: UK programme may have global impact
A nationwide programme to reduce the risk of developing diabetes in the United Kingdom is proven beyond reasonable doubt to work, a new study reveals.
Article • Technology overview and outlook
AI in healthcare: Significant potential – and serious obstacles
Sure, AI still has a long way go. But maybe one day in the not-so-distant future, AI will provide us with information about our current state of health, such as the number of red blood cells, cholesterol levels, fat percentage, and how many seconds last night's beer will shorten our life expectancy.
News • Multi-ancestry polygenic score
Dataset diversity improves heart disease risk prediction
By using genetic data on multiple traits from people of non-European ancestry, scientists have improved the accuracy of polygenic scores in predicting disease risk for all.
News • Overlooked by most doctors
Income and ethnicity identified as risk factors for cardiovascular disease
According to Dutch researchers, people with low income are up to 1.5 times more at risk of a heart attack or stroke than their wealthier compatriots. Ethnicity was also identified as a risk factor.
News • Myocardial infarction microscale model
"Heart attack on a chip" to find better therapy options
Researchers have developed a so-called “heart attack on a chip”, which could one day serve as a testbed to develop new heart drugs and even personalized medicines.
News • Study on meth, cannabis, cocaine and opiate use
Illicit drugs linked with atrial fibrillation
Methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates, and cannabis are associated with an increased likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation, a newly-published 11-year study shows.
News • mhealth
Smartphone-powered microchip for at-home diagnostic testing
Researchers developed a new microfluidic chip with broad applications for detecting viruses, pathogens, bacteria and other biomarkers in liquid samples.
News • CVD prevention
3D matrix ultrasound to identify cardiovascular injury
Scientists at the Spanish Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) have led the development of a new 3D ultrasound method that improves the assessment of cardiovascular risk in healthy individuals.
News • Sex differences
Cardiovascular risks may be worse for women’s cognition
New study results show that though men are more likely to have heart conditions, the impact on their memory and thinking skills is lower.
Article • Diabetes
Microneedles: Nano-sized, huge impact
Drug delivery, blood extraction, contrast agent injection – many procedures in modern medicine would be utterly impossible without needles. Despite the benefits, inserting pointy metal tubes into a patient also comes with several drawbacks. By downscaling the to micrometer-size, Japanese researchers open even more areas of application for needles, while bypassing some of the most important…
News • Life-saving treatment
First double-lung transplant after Covid-19 performed in Portugal
Doctors in Lisbon report on the case of a 61-year-old man who received a double lung transplant after his lungs were irreparably damaged by Covid-19.
News • Cardiology
Coronary artery disease: Machine learning predicts risk of death
A novel artificial intelligence score provides a more accurate forecast of the likelihood of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease dying within 10 years than established scores used by health professionals worldwide. The research was presented at EuroEcho 2021, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
Article • Point-of-care testing
Emerging technologies in POCT
Considerable advances in point-of-care testing (POCT) devices are emerging from lab-on-a-chip platforms, innovations in smartphone-based technology and wearable technology. Cloud-based deep learning systems herald a future revolution.
News • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
New predictive biomarkers for ALS identified
Some blood lipid biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease risk are also associated with a lower risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suggest the findings of a large epidemiology study. ALS is the commonest form of motor neuron disease - a progressive nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells responsible for voluntary movement such as walking and talking.
News • Second stroke prevention
After a stroke, AI can calculate risk of having another
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to give stroke patients a personalised and more accurate risk for suffering a recurrence, according to a new study presented at the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) Conference. Experts believe the study will help to identify the most important factors for preventing stroke recurrence and has the potential to help prevent many thousands of strokes a year…
News • Lasting impact
COVID-19 survivors have increased risk of death
A major study from the Washington University School of Medicine details numerous long-term effects of COVID-19, pointing to massive health burden.
News • Cardiology research
How hypertension leads to atherosclerosis
Research scientists at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital have investigated the mechanisms by which hypertension leads to arterial damage and atherosclerosis. The results may facilitate the development of new therapies. Hypertension is a prevalent condition affecting approximately one third of all adults. It is also the leading global cause of morbidity and mortality. The condition…
News • Promising agents
The effect of vitamins, steroids and potential antivirals on SARS-CoV-2
Evidence is emerging that vitamin D – and possibly vitamins K and A – might help combat Covid-19. A new study from the University of Bristol published in the journal of the German Chemical Society Angewandte Chemie has shown how they – and other antiviral drugs – might work. The research indicates that these dietary supplements and compounds could bind to the viral spike protein and so…
News • Women's health
Hypertension symptoms in women often mistaken for menopause
Pregnancy complications and early menopause increase women’s future risk of heart disease. Cardiologists, gynaecologists and endocrinologists recommend how to help middle-aged women prevent later heart problems in a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) consensus document published in European Heart Journal, a journal of the ESC.
News • White matter hyperintensities
High blood pressure puts the brain at risk
Higher than normal blood pressure is linked to more extensive brain damage in the elderly, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. In particular, the study found that there was a strong association between diastolic blood pressure (the blood pressure between heart beats) before the age of 50 and brain damage in later life, even if the diastolic blood pressure was within…
Article • Cardiovascular risk
Cholesterol drug combination could benefit heart patients
A new study has suggested that more patients could benefit from combinations of cholesterol-lowering drugs to reduce their risk of stroke and heart attacks. While risk is reduced for many patients through taking statins, those at the highest risk of cardiovascular events may benefit from combinations of lipid-lowering therapies, according to the results of a European study of patients across 18…
News • Facial photo analysis
AI uses ‘selfies’ to detect heart disease
Sending a “selfie” to the doctor could be a cheap and simple way of detecting heart disease, according to the authors of a new study. The study is the first to show that it’s possible to use a deep learning computer algorithm to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) by analysing four photographs of a person’s face. Although the algorithm needs to be developed further and tested in larger…
News • 3D microprinted scope
World’s smallest imaging device focuses on heart disease
A team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide and University of Stuttgart has used 3D micro-printing to develop the world’s smallest, flexible scope for looking inside blood vessels. The camera-like imaging device can be inserted into blood vessels to provide high quality 3D images to help scientists better understand the causes of heart attack and heart disease progression, and could…
News • Prevention research
These 10 risk factors must be tackled to prevent Alzheimer's
There are at least 10 risk factors that appear to have a significant impact on a person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease that could be targeted with preventative steps, new research suggests. Focusing on these factors, which include cognitive activity, high body mass index in late life, depression, diabetes, and high blood pressure, could provide clinicians with an evidence…
Article • Catching up with SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19 rapid response test kits – the race is fierce
To develop and manufacture COVID-19 test kits in massive quantities was not part of their 2020 business plans. Yet, as the epidemic evolved into a global pandemic, the urgent need for diagnostic and antibody SARS-CoV-2 test kits triggered an unprecedented scramble among medical manufacturers.
News • Changes in cells caused by coronavirus
Potential targets for COVID-19 therapy discovered
A team of biochemists and virologists at Goethe University and the Frankfurt University Hospital were able to observe how human cells change upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19 in people. The scientists tested a series of compounds in laboratory models and found some which slowed down or stopped virus reproduction. These results now enable the search for an active substance…
News • A closer look at blood lipids
Lipidomics and machine learning predict diabetes risk
Using lipidomics, a technique that measures the composition of blood lipids at a molecular level, and machine learning, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a blood lipid profile that improves the possibility to assess, several years in advance, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The blood lipid profile can also be linked to a certain diet and degree of physical activity.…
News • CVD and stroke risk
How work stress and low income sap your heart
Low educational levels predict an increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and stroke according to the first nationwide study of the link between education and risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal, is also the first nationwide study to look at the extent to which low income and work stress plays a role in the association…
News • t-MALDI-2
Dual-beam laser mass spectrometry gives unique insights
Cells are the basic building blocks of life – and, as such, they have been the object of intense study since the invention of the optical microscope in the 17th century. The development of mass spectrometry (MS) methods – those which define the chemical composition of cells – represented a further milestone for research in the field of cell biology. In the latest issue of the journal Nature…
Article • Highlights from the 30th TCT Meeting
Advancing transcatheter cardiovascular therapies
A remarkable number of studies and innovations were presented at the 30th anniversary of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting in San Diego, California. TCT 2019 will take place in San Francisco, CA between 25-29-Sep-2019. On the clinical side, the long-expected results from COAPT trial studying MitraClip device in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation and heart failure…
News • Mortality risk
A new biomarker to predict your lifespan?
Fourteen metabolic biomarkers can predict long term mortality in individuals helping to determine life expectancy in general populations, a new study in the journal Nature Communications reports. In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and the University of Surrey investigated predictors of long-term mortality risk. Current predictors…
News • Finnish Disease Heritage
Finnish people's unique genetic makeup offers clues to diseases
A new study harnessed the unique genetic history of the people of Finland to identify variations in DNA that might predispose certain individuals to disease, whether or not they are Finnish themselves.
News • Tailored treatment needed
Half of patients on statins fail to reach ‘healthy’ cholesterol level after 2 years
Half of patients prescribed statins in primary care fail to reach ‘healthy’ cholesterol levels after two years of treatment with these drugs, reveals research published online in the journal Heart. The findings back up those of previous studies, and highlight the need for personalised medicine to tackle high cholesterol and lower the significantly increased risks of future heart disease and…
News • Heart disease
Higher egg and cholesterol consumption hikes death risk
Cancel the cheese omelet. There is sobering news for egg lovers who have been happily gobbling up their favorite breakfast since the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer limited how much dietary cholesterol or how many eggs they could eat. A large, new Northwestern Medicine study reports adults who ate more eggs and dietary cholesterol had a significantly higher risk of…
News • Choline
Essential nutrient holds promise against Alzheimer’s
In a new study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute explore a safe and simple treatment for one of the most devastating and perplexing afflictions: Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Lead authors Ramon Velazquez and Salvatore Oddo, along with their colleagues in the Arizona State University (ASU)-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center (NDRC), investigate the effects of choline, an important…
Sponsored • Cardio app
AI system screens early Phase AFib
Here at Medica, the Taiwanese start-up Maisense is demonstrating Freescan, its artificial intelligence (AI) based solution to screen for stroke through the early detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Speaking of the system’s aims, Maisense summed up this huge health problem. ‘Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke. Thirteen percent of these are classified as haemorrhagic stroke. When…
News • Study
1 in 2 women set to develop dementia, Parkinson's disease, or stroke
One in two women and one in three men will likely be diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson's disease, or stroke in their lifetime, estimate Dutch researchers in an observational study
Article • Cardiology & the sexes
Why heart attacks are different for women
MRI has a central role in picking up myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary disease, a condition that particularly affects women but is often left untreated, with potentially fatal outcome. Heart attack in women presents differently than in men and requires a different approach when it comes to detection and prevention, according to cardiologist Allison Hays.
Interview • Combined power
LC-MS research and routine use
LC/MS, i.e. the combination of liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS) – an analytical method developed primarily for environmental analysis and live science – remains a keen topic in the medical laboratory. In recent European Hospital issues, we have outlined various reasons why this procedure is in increasingly popular in the medical lab. Here we continue with an interview…
News • Not such a bad egg after all
Daily egg consumption may reduce cardiovascular disease
People who consume an egg a day could significantly reduce their risk of cardiovascular diseases compared with eating no eggs, suggests a study carried out in China, published in the journal Heart. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, including China, mostly due to ischaemic heart disease and stroke (including both haemorrhagic and ischaemic…
News • Macular degeneration
Deteriorating eyesight is part of getting older? Don't be so sure
Many people accept deteriorating eyesight as an inevitable part of getting older, but blurry or distorted vision – such as when straight lines appear wavy – could be signs of age-related macular degeneration. The condition is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people age 50 and older in developed countries.
News • DNA research
Stroke: largest-ever genetic study provides new insight
An international research group, including scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, studying 520,000 people from around the world has identified 22 new genetic risk factors for stroke, tripling the number of gene regions known to affect stroke risk. The results show that stroke shares genetic influences with other vascular conditions, especially blood pressure, but also…
News • Right in the stomach
Helicobacter creates immune system blind spot
While gastritis and gastric ulcer disease used to be put down to stress and dietary factors, it was discovered in the 1980s that the actual culprit is infection with a bacterium, H. pylori. This pathogen is now classed as a type I carcinogen by the WHO, as it is the major risk factor for development of gastric carcinoma. Attempts to develop a vaccine against H. pylori have been unsuccessful and…
Article • Compelling cohorts
Population imaging: Big Data will boost disease prediction
Population imaging is key to determining disease prediction and risk prevention, and Big Data will be key to extracting information and drawing analysis from imaging results, experts highlighted during the annual meeting of the European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) held in Barcelona in October. Interest in cohort studies has been increasing over the years and…
News • Machine learning
Google AI now can predict cardiovascular problems from retinal scans
Google AI has made a breakthrough: successfully predicting cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes simply from images of the retina, with no blood draws or other tests necessary. This is a big step forward scientifically, Google AI officials said, because it is not imitating an existing diagnostic but rather using machine learning to uncover a surprising new way to predict these…
News • Research
High-cholesterol diet leads to colon cancer – let's find out why
New research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) could help explain the link between a high-cholesterol diet and an elevated risk for colon cancer. In a study of mice, scientists from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA discovered that boosting the animals’ cholesterol levels spurred intestinal stem cells to divide more quickly, enabling tumors to form 100 times…
News • Microbubbles
Bracco Imaging to innovate ultrasound for new personalized gene therapy
Bracco Imaging S.p.A., a global leader in diagnostic imaging, announced that it has initiated new experimental activities in its R&D Center in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore a new application for gas-filled microbubbles in the development of personalized gene therapy for treatment of chronic dysfunctional diseases related to lipid metabolism. Microbubbles have already revolutionized medical…
News • Study
Risk factors on rise among people with stroke
Despite prevention efforts, researchers have found a significant increase over a 10-year period in the percentage of people with stroke who have high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and other risk factors for stroke. “An estimated 80 percent of all first strokes are due to risk factors that can be changed, such as high blood pressure, and many efforts have been made to prevent, screen for and…
News • Nutrition
Fermenting fish to reduce cholesterol
Compounds in a fermented fish paste used as a condiment in Indonesia efficiently inhibit an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, reports a study published in the Pertanika journal Tropical Agricultural Science.
Article • World Brain Day
Stroke is over (if you want it)
The fourth World Brain Day (July 22) revolves around stroke – how to detect it, how to prevent it, how to treat it. Raad Shakir, president of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), seizes the opportunity to raise awareness about a disease that is becoming more common globally – but also preventable to a large extent.
News • Cardiovascular disease
New vaccine offers hope of immunising against atherosclerosis
A vaccine to immunise people against high levels of cholesterol and the narrowing of the arteries caused by build-up of fatty material (atherosclerosis) may be possible following successful results in mice. Now, a phase I trial in patients has started to see if the findings translate to humans.
News • Heart Attacks
Potential Breakthrough in Determining Who’s at Risk
Researchers are revisiting their views on the relative dangers soft and hard atherosclerotic plaque deposits pose to heart health. Findings of a new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute may be a “game-changer” for determining who’s at risk of a heart attack, they say.
Article • Patient care
Cardiac records highlight an enigma
Two new studies have focused on the impact of weekend care and discharge on heart patients within the NHS in England. In one, patients suffering atrial fibrillation (AF) who were admitted to a National Health Service (NHS) hospital over the weekend faced a higher risk of dying within five years than patients admitted during normal hours.
News • Stroke
Biomarkers May Help Better Predict Who Will Have a Stroke
People with high levels of four biomarkers in the blood may be more likely to develop a stroke than people with low levels of the biomarkers, according to a study published in the August 24, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Sponsored • Screening
What’s new in Cardiac Risk Testing?
It’s well known that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide. In the UK it is responsible for more than 73,000 deaths annually, affecting 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women. With the emergence of such startling statistics, this begs the question, why do routine cholesterol tests still rely on the basic biomarkers high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density…
Sponsored • Pediatric laboratory medicine
The Orphan
Pediatric laboratory medicine plays a minor role in the large field of laboratory medicine. This may be due to the low incidence of rare diseases, which are a major task of pediatric medicine, but also to the small number of pediatric samples in routine laboratory medicine overall. Since most diagnostic laboratories do receive pediatric samples now and then, it is essential that there are primary…
Partners in crime: Stroke and Alzheimer’s disease
New EU-funded project CoSTREAM targets the common mechanisms and pathways of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease to improve disease prevention and treatment, by combining clinical, genetic, epidemiologic, metabolic and radiologic research to develop an organ-on-a-chip in vitro model for the blood-brain connection that will revolutionise drug-development.
News • Nanoscale devices
Revealing the fluctuations of flexible DNA in 3-D
An international team working at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has captured the first high-resolution 3-D images from individual double-helix DNA segments attached at either end to gold nanoparticles. The images detail the flexible structure of the DNA segments, which appear as nanoscale jump ropes.
News • Free
App to improve World’s cardiovascular health
Leading cardiologist Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, has developed a free mobile application called “Circle of Health” to empower individuals around the globe to take action to comprehensively assess and enhance their daily overall heart health. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of mortality in the world. Dr. Fuster has created “Circle of Health” for the daily promotion of…
Diagnostics with birefringence
Nothing could be simpler: a drop of blood is placed on a special carrier substance; after a wait of a few minutes, the slide is placed on a device that emits polarised light thanks to an inexpensive polarisation filter. It is covered with a lid containing a second polarisation filter, which blocks the light from all materials except crystalline or materials with directional properties.
Article • Genetic testing
Familial hypercholesterolaemia
A ground-breaking genetic testing programme for an inherited and potentially-deadly high cholesterol condition has been extended to more United Kingdom health trusts.
Power of the media's impact on medicine use revealed
More than 60,000 Australians are estimated to have reduced or discontinued their use of prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin medications following the airing of a two-part series critical of statins by ABC TV's science program, Catalyst, a University of Sydney study reveals in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.
CT angiography links arterial plaque with diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol
Non-calcified arterial plaque is associated with diabetes, high systolic blood pressure and elevated 'bad' cholesterol levels in asymptomatic individuals, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Demand for Rapid Results, Non-invasive Methods and Automated Monitoring
Frost & Sullivan is carefully tracking the transforming global point-of-care testing (POCT) market, offering latest information on key opportunities and critical unmet needs by region
Cardiology drives innovation
‘Cardiology is one of the most innovative medical disciplines. Many modern technologies, such as catheterisations or imaging procedures, were triggered by cardiology,’ declared Professor Dr Gerald Maurer MD.
Don´t worry, be healthy
People with cheerful temperaments are significantly less likely to suffer a coronary event such as a heart attack or sudden cardiac death, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.
Genetic variation doubles risk of aortic valve calcification
Study described in The New England Journal of Medicine is the first to show cause-and-effect relationship between a gene variant and calcium deposits on the aortic valve.
Fatty Blood
Michael Rühl from the University of Greifswald, Working Group on Immunoadsorption and Cardiovascular Technology, describes therapies to tackle familial hypercholesterolemia
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease Long balloons are the gold standard
Every year, around 80,000 lower extremities in Europe have to be (partially) amputated as a result of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Half of the affected patients die within five years of the amputation.
One in six people will have a stroke, but most strokes can be prevented
The theme of this year's World Stroke Day on 29 October is "One in Six", referring to the facts that one in six people will have a stroke at some point in their lifetime, and that a stroke will be the cause of someone's death every six seconds. These, says the World Stroke Organization (WSO), are everyday people leading everyday lives, but around 85% of them will have risk factors…
RESPONSE trial results
Studies show that when a nurse follows patients after a cardiovascular crisis those patients stay healthier, live longer and reduce the risk of returning to hospital. Now the challenge is how to convince insurers to pay for this care, reports John Brosky.
England: Foot and limb losses must be cut
Much of the newly revealed variation in amputation rates in England is due to many diabetics not receiving nine key care processes, including checks on weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, urine and, in particular, consistent foot care checks.
Diabetics must lower their risk of CVD
Diabetics can face a five times increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than non-diabetics. This leads to a seven to ten year reduction in life expectancy and a higher probability of suffering a fatal heart attack. These sad statistics have prompted the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) to mark World Diabetes Day on 14 November by emphasising the simple measures that…
Alcyone Technology
Cardiologist, nuclear medicine specialist and researcher Dr Alessia Gimelli works for the Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, National Research Council in Pisa, Italy. For the past year she has used Discovery NM 530c, GE’s latest Nuclear Cardiology platform, featuring an innovative CZT collimation technology called Alcyone Technology.
Seeking the genetic basis of diabetes
Researchers have identified 12 new genes associated with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) that look set to improve the understanding of the processes underpinning the condition. The findings could also offer new biological pathways that can be explored as targets for new therapies to tackle T2D.
Cardiac Biomarkers
When in 1992 Dr Luigi Marzio Biasucci, head of the Sub-intensive Care Unit at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy, published with his team the first paper on C-reactive protein (CRP) in unstable angina, few people believed in the diagnostic power of biochemical features to measure the effects or progress of disease, illness, or a condition. Today, biomarker tests are part…
Getting to the heart of things
Not only is heart failure one of the single biggest causes of morbidity and mortality in man, but the incidence of the condition is steadily increasing. Rising to this challenge, innovative medical diagnostic techniques with ever greater performance are constantly being introduced so that early, unambiguous detection of the underlying condition is now possible, enabling the prompt initiation of…
The UK’s one million undiagnosed diabetics
At the end of June a shocking new estimate was released in the UK regarding the number of people unwittingly going about their lives without knowing they are type 2 diabetics – there are just over a million of them. How will the country cope with this discovery and its present diabetic population?
Spotlight on the AACC Annual Meeting 2010
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) is holding its 2010 Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo July 25 - 29 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA. This year’s AACC Expo promises to be the largest, most comprehensive yet, featuring nearly 700 vendors showing the latest technology and products for every aspect in clinical laboratory testing.
Childhood metabolic measurements may predict diabetes development years later
A child's blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose level and other laboratory tests and simple office measures may predict the risk of developing type 2 diabetes nine and 26 years later, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
World Stroke Day 2009: Learning the risks for stroke - and taking action
Stroke accounts for almost 6 million deaths each year and ranks second only to heart disease as the world's leading cause of death. The theme of this year's World Stroke Day on 29th October is "What can I do?". As the World Stroke Organization says, everyone can do something: learn to recognise symptoms and take action, learn to recognise the risk factors and take action.
Diabetes and cardiovascular disease
The global prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus is rapidly accelerating towards a disastrous impact in just two decades.
Cardiovascular research
As Professor Valentin Fuster pointed out this year, the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) is now a splendid reality thanks to the support of the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III institutions on which, now and for the future, it depends. Along with that public sector backing, CNIC will also receive civil support from the ProCNIC…
Test for low fingertip temperature detects coronary plaque
Results of five clinical studies evaluating the predictive value of VENDYS, a new FDA-approved cardiovascular test, were presented at the 2009 Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Florida.
Typ 2 Diabetes: Is low cholesterol associated with cancer?
Yes, it is, according to a prospective cohort study published in CMAJ. The study was conducted by researchers from the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Their result: A V-shaped risk relation between LDL cholesterol and cancer in patients not receiving statin therapy.
Be careful with your heart
New research claims that nearly four million people in the UK may be unaware they are at high risk of heart disease. An University of Oxford team screened more than 71,000 people aged over 18 across England, Wales and Scotland.
Diabetes: an increasing threat to people and society
Approximately 31 million people in the European Union are suffering from diabetes, a devastating disease with severe consequences for patients and their families, but also for the society at large and the economic prosperity of Europe. This week EH Online will focus on innovative strategies in diabetes care and on new management systems to support physicians and patients alike. Moreover, we will…
Tablets for the people?
Last week the English government closed its consultation on the effectiveness of vascular checks for high-risk people aged 40-74. Would this help? Experts from New Zealand and the WHO say "yes". Others argue that public health approaches targeting the whole population are both: cheaper and more effective than tablets.
Spotlight Cholesterol: the role of diet, statins and genetics
The inverse epidemiological association between serum levels of HDL-C and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) is graded and has been validated in multiple studies. However, there is remaining controversy whether a low HDL-C should not predominantly be considered a marker of poor lifestyle (obesity, lack of exercise, hypertriglyceridemia, diet, etc.), rather than a primary causal agent for…
Primary prevention of CVD: Challenges and Achievements
Lifestyle and risk factor results show that recommended scientific guidelines form a contrast to what is achieved in daily practice in high risk individuals in primary prevention of CVD. Together with its partners the ESC demands a comprehensive and multisdicplinary primary prevention programme involving the high-risk population, their GP's and other health professionals, a health insurance…
Intima media thickness to measure the thickness of artery walls
Intima media thickness (IMT) is a valuable research tool that can be used as surrogate end points in clinical trails, says Professor Stefan Agewall.
Pay attention to a woman's heart
The probability of woman of suffering from cardiovascular diseases is often underestimated. A recent study evaluated the risk of nearly 9.000 women in the U.S. screened for heart-health risk: one in five women had a higher risk than measured by a frequently used predictor.
Two in one: atherosclerosis test for CV risk prediction
The ankle brachial index, a ratio of blood pressure measurements used to indicate the risk of peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis, may be useful to improve the accuracy of cardiovascular risk prediction, according to a meta-analysis of previous studies.
HDL cholesterol important for memory in a high age
High-Density-Lipoprotein-Cholesterol is a so-called "good" cholestoral because it seems to protect the vessels from fat deposits. Hereby they can prevent atherosclerosis. The Whitehall II Study in the UK searched for the specific connection between low level of HDL and dementia risk and published now their results.
Further reports from the ACC 57th Scientific Session
A five-year study of 516 participants with coronary artery disease showed that patients who reduced their anxiety levels or kept them steady were 60% less likely to have a heart attack or die compared with those who had increased anxiety levels.
Cardiology 'must be evidence-based' says ACC
Ian Mason reports from Chicago
Nutrition and health
Cardiovascular diseases kill more than 12 million people worldwide every year and are the cause of death for more than 50% of all Europeans over the age of 65.
Seeking distributors, partners or investors
After a successful market penetration, TMA Medical (founded 1993) is currently expanding its Mobile Care Unit (MCU) introduction worldwide.
Determining vascular age
New to the Siemens Medical Solutions portfolio of ultrasound applications is the syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP), which calculates cardiovascular risks by measuring carotid intima media thickness and determining the relative `vascular age´ of the vessel. Using this, along with, for example, cholesterol values and blood pressure, a physician can better assess a patient's myocardial or…
Surviving the financial climate
Earlier disease detection will save healthcare services
Nicotine addiction
Like obesity it is harder to treat than high BP or cholesterol. Now Spanish cardiologists are urging a new approach to patients who smoke.
Dual source CT reduces heart catheterisations
Prof. Stehphan Achenbach about his experience with the dual source CT and its impact on cardiac diagnostics.
World Congress of Cardiology 2006
Professor Raimung Erbel, of the West GErman Heart Centre Esse, Duisburg University Hospital aobut the hot topics of this years´congress.
Philips From X-rays to Motiva homecare
To learn more about the presence of Philips in healthcare - and particularly cardiology - our Netherlands correspondent visited the company in Amsterdam.
New link between gum and cardiovascular diseases
Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) found out that patients with generalised aggressive periodontitis generally had elevated plasma levels.
GGT level proves a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease
A connection has been discovered between raised levels of the liver enzyme Gamma-Glutamyl-Transferase (GGT) and the probability of death from diseases of the cardiovascular system or strokes.
Whole Body MRI for Vascular Screening
Article by Stefan G Ruehm MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Director, Cardiovascular CT, at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA.
BP: A poor indicator for cardiac disease
Blood pressure (BP) screening, either alone or in combination with other cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol levels, does not determine a person's chance of having a heart attack or stroke, reports Professor Malcolm Law and colleagues at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in the Journal of Medical Screening.
