American Heart Association reports “Off-the-shelf” artificial blood vessels may reduce dialysis complications
April 30, 2013
Artificial blood vessels remained durable in an animal trial and show promise for patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Dallas, TX – “Off-the-shelf” blood vessels could one day reduce some complications of dialysis treatment, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Emerging Science Series Webinar.
Scientists bioengineered an artificial blood vessel by seeding human aorta cells onto a biodegradable mesh tube. In the process, a tubular vein develops in two months as the growing cells secrete proteins and the mesh support structure dissolves. The new vessel is then prepped in a way that minimizes chances of an immune reaction in the recipient. [Read more]
American Heart Association reports New evidence links ozone exposure to potential heart attacks
June 26, 2012
Young, healthy adults exposed to ozone for two hours developed changes in their cardiovascular system which could explain a possible link between ozone exposure and death.
Dallas, TX – Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study reported in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
Study participants showed evidence of vascular inflammation, a potential reduced ability to dissolve artery-blocking blood clots, and changes in the autonomic nervous system that controls the heart’s rhythm. The changes were temporary and reversible in these young, healthy participants. [Read more]
American Heart Association reports Biodegradable stent safe for long-term treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
April 18, 2012
Dallas, TX – The first fully biodegradable coronary artery stent implanted in humans proved safe in a 10-year study published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.
Stents are mesh tubes inserted into coronary arteries to help prop them open and allow for blood flow to the heart muscle. [Read more]
Siblings of those with blood clots in leg have higher risk of same disorder
August 14, 2011
Dallas, TX – Siblings of those who have been hospitalized with potentially lethal blood clots in the legs or pelvis are more likely to also suffer the disorder than those with healthy siblings, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The Swedish study is the first to show a direct correlation between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and family risk in a nationwide setting, sorted by age and gender.
VTE consists of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which typically involves blood clots that form in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis, and its complication, pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot that travels to the lungs and lodges within the pulmonary arteries. [Read more]
Eleven Strategies for Stroke Prevention
April 29, 2011
May is National Stroke Awareness Month
Yonkers, NY – About every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke, and more than 77 percent are first events. In a new report available online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org, Consumer Reports Health identifies eleven strategies for stroke prevention.
“Many people don’t realize that by making healthier lifestyle changes, they can cut their risk of stroke dramatically,” says Orly Avitzur, M.D., medical adviser, Consumer Reports Health, and a board-certified neurologist. “American adults have their work cut out for them; only a very small fraction of people in their 40s and 50s have a handle on the major cardiovascular risk factors for stroke. Fortunately, many of those risk factors can be reduced or eliminated by controlling blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, reining in diabetes, and quitting smoking.” [Read more]
Final data shows experimental agent better than aspirin at preventing stroke in some atrial fibrillation patients
February 17, 2011
Los Angeles, CA – A new anti-clotting agent is vastly superior to aspirin at reducing stroke risk (1.6 percent per year versus 3.6 percent per year) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients unable to take stronger drugs, according to final data reported today at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011. Researchers found the drug also works better in people with a history of stroke or a warning stroke.
Atrial fibrillation is a heartbeat abnormality that can cause blood clots which raise the risk of stroke, particularly in the elderly. [Read more]
