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Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Cardiac Cells to Help Failing Hearts

Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 23 – In a medical science first, researchers turned skin cells from heart failure patients into heart muscle cells that may then be used to fix damaged cardiac tissue. The researchers said the achievement – done initially with rats – opens up the prospect of using heart failure patients' own stem cells – a form of cell called human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) – to repair damaged hearts. And since the reprogrammed stem cells would originate with the patient, their immune systems would not reject the cells as foreign, the researchers explained. They added, however, that many obstacles must be overcome before it would be possible to use hiPSCs in humans this way, and any clinical trial would be at least five to 10 years away. "We have shown that it's possible to take skin cells from an elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with his own ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Stem Cell Study Shows Promising Results Against Heart Failure

Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 10 – A new treatment that involves spinning bone marrow stem cells to enhance their healing potential may help people with advanced heart failure feel and function better, a small study suggests. Researchers developed the treatment by culturing a patient's own bone marrow for 12 days. This process helped increase the amount of immune cells and stem cells that can differentiate into several different cell types, including heart cells. Those cells were then injected into heart muscle. The study was funded by treatment manufacturer Aastrom Biosciences. According to the findings, this treatment was safe, helped repair the damaged heart muscle and reversed some heart failure symptoms, when compared to a placebo injection. The findings were to be presented Thursday at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions annual meeting, in Las Vegas. The U.S. National ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Exercise Can Help Fight Heart Failure

Posted 7 May 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 7 – Exercise can slow muscle wasting, boost strength and reduce inflammation caused by aging and heart failure, a new study confirms. In heart failure – also called congestive heart failure – the heart doesn't pump blood well enough to meet the body's needs. About 5.7 million adult Americans have heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. One expert not connected with the study said interventions that work are needed. "Heart failure, which is a debilitating, chronic condition often associated with multiple hospitalizations, and is a financial burden on our health care system, may improve with exercise," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Recommendations to treat heart failure should clearly include an exercise component, as the benefits are those that can help improve the clinical status in these ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Aspirin as Effective as Warfarin for Heart Failure: Study

Posted 2 May 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 2 – Aspirin is just as effective as the blood-thinner warfarin in preventing stroke and death in heart failure patients with a normal heart rhythm, a landmark study indicates. Although the two treatments are equally effective, researchers from Columbia University in New York City said their findings could prompt more doctors and patients to choose aspirin because it is much cheaper. The 10-year study was the largest comparison of aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) in the treatment of heart failure patients. In conducting the comparison, researchers followed more than 2,300 patients in 11 countries on three continents. Study participants were assigned randomly either to aspirin or warfarin, and neither the patient nor their doctor knew which medication each patient was taking. The investigators found that the combined risk of death, stroke and cerebral hemorrhage during the ... Read more

Testosterone Supplements Might Help Patients With Heart Failure

Posted 17 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 17 – Patients struggling with moderate to severe heart failure might benefit from testosterone supplementation to boost their ability to exercise, new Canadian research suggests. But it's far too soon to recommend testosterone as a therapy for heart failure patients, a cardiology expert warned. The research team analyzed four randomized studies, conducted between 1980 and 2010, which had examined the potential benefit of treating heart failure patients with testosterone supplementation. "Heart failure is a chronic condition that can be brought on by blockages in the heart, lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease," said study co-author Justin Ezekowitz, an assistant professor in the department of cardiology at the University of Alberta as well as at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, both in Edmonton. "It's a clinical syndrome, where the body can not pump enough ... Read more

Common Blood Pressure Drug Safe for Heart Failure: Study

Posted 10 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 10 – Although research has suggested that the blood pressure drug losartan (Cozaar) may be tied to an increased risk of death in heart-failure patients compared to a similar medication, a new study finds that's not the case. "Use of this and other similar drugs has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, co-director of the Preventative Cardiology Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, commenting on the study results. An earlier observational study in patients with heart failure suggested that losartan was associated with higher risk of death compared to the drug candesartan (Atacand), he said. "There were, however, a number of limitations to this prior study that could have biased these results, including differences in dosing and treating ... Read more

Climate Change Could Be Tough on Seniors' Health: Study

Posted 9 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 9 – Even small swings in temperatures could put elderly people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart failure and lung disease at greater risk of death throughout the coming summer, a new study indicates. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found temperature fluctuations related to climate change could claim thousands of lives every year. Experts predict climate change could increase variations in summer temperatures, particularly in the mid-Atlantic states and in parts of France, Spain and Italy. In these more volatile regions, this could pose a serious public health risk, the study authors claimed. "The effect of temperature patterns on long-term mortality has not been clear to this point. We found that, independent of heat waves, high day-to-day variability in summer temperatures shortens life expectancy," study author Antonella ... Read more

Omega-3 Supplements No Help Against Repeat Heart Trouble: Review

Posted 9 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 9 – Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements won't protect against repeat heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular problems, a new analysis indicates. "I was not surprised at these findings because I assumed that there was no benefit of omega-3 supplements," said lead researcher Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung, chief of the carcinogenesis branch of the National Cancer Center, Republic of Korea. The study is published online April 9 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Instead of taking supplements, people trying to prevent heart disease or repeat problems should eat oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, which are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Myung said. "It is effective against cardiovascular disease to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not supplements," he said. Many studies have demonstrated that eating fatty fish two or more times a week is linked with a lower ... Read more

Stem-Cell Trial Failed to Treat Heart Failure

Posted 25 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, March 24 – An innovative approach using patients' own bone marrow cells to treat chronic heart failure came up short in terms of effectiveness, researchers report. Use of stem cell therapy to repair the slow, steady damage done to heart muscle and improve heart function is safe, but has not been shown to improve most measures of heart function, the study authors said. "For the measures we paid most attention to, we saw no effect, there is no question about that," said researcher Dr. Lemuel Moye, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. "Ultimately, this is going to pay off handsomely for individuals and for public health in general, but it's going to take years of work," Moye said. "We are the vanguard looking for new promising lines of research." While the hoped-for results didn't materialize, there appeared to be a small ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Blood Pressure Variance Between Arms Points to Heart Risk

Posted 20 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 20 – Calculating the difference in blood pressure readings taken from the left and right arms might help predict a patient's odds of dying from heart disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people with high blood pressure whose blood pressure varies significantly between each arm are at higher risk of cardiovascular death over 10 years. The study supports "inter-arm difference as a simple indicator of increased cardiovascular risk," say a team led by Dr. Andrew Gould, of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in Plymouth, England. The new findings echo those of a study published in January in The Lancet. That study, also conducted by researchers at Peninsula College, reviewed data from 28 studies looking at differences between systolic blood pressure [the top number in a reading] between the right and left arms. The team found that a difference of ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Vitamin E Supplements Don't Affect Heart Failure Risk: Study

Posted 20 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 20 – Vitamin E supplements don't appear to affect a healthy woman's overall risk of heart failure one way or the other, researchers report. "It neither increases nor decreases the risk," said study author Dr. Claudia Chae, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. This latest finding, published in the March 20 issue of Circulation: Heart Failure, differs from previous reports of an increased risk of heart failure with the use of the supplement. However, those studies looked at the effect of the supplements in women who had heart disease or diabetes or who had suffered a heart attack. The new study is believed to be the first to look at whether vitamin E supplements might help healthy women avoid heart failure. The new study, Chae said, "adds to a pretty substantial body of data" that does not support the use of supplements for preventing heart disease. Vitamin E ... Read more

Lightheadedness Upon Standing Could Signal Heart Risk

Posted 19 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 19 – If your blood pressure drops suddenly when you stand up, leaving you feeling lightheaded or woozy, you may be at greater risk for developing heart failure, a new study suggests. This condition is known as orthostatic hypotension. According to the study, people with orthostatic hypotension were 54 percent more likely to develop heart failure than their counterparts who did not develop low blood pressure upon standing. This risk was reduced to 34 percent when the researchers teased out those who also had high blood pressure. "Multiple risk factors can increase a person's risk for developing heart failure, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and diabetes," explained study author Dr. Christine DeLong Jones, a preventive medicine resident at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Orthostatic hypotension may also increase this risk." Heart ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, Hypotension

Women Fare Better With Heart Failure

Posted 8 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 8 – Women with heart failure are less likely to die than men with the condition, according to new research from Europe. An analysis of data from 31 studies involving more than 40,000 heart failure patients found that 25.3 percent of female patients and 25.7 percent of male patients died over three years of follow-up. The death rate was 135 deaths per 1,000 patient years in women and 137 per 1,000 patient years in men. However, when the researchers adjusted for age, they found that male patients had a 31 percent higher risk of death than female patients, and that being male was an independent risk factor for death. Compared to men, women with heart failure tend to be older, are more likely to have a history of hypertension and diabetes, and are less likely to have heart failure that is caused by reduced blood supply to the heart, the researchers said. The study also ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Heart Failure Patients Urged to Discuss Care With Docs

Posted 5 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 5 – Patients suffering from advanced heart failure should maintain an open dialogue with their physicians, so everyone is on the same page with patients' long-range personal wishes regarding treatment, experts say. The advice is outlined in a "scientific statement" published March 5 in the journal Circulation. "For patients with advanced heart failure, the decision-making process should be proactive, anticipatory and patient-centered," lead author Dr. Larry Allen, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, said in a journal news release. "This involves talking about goals of care, expectations for the future, and the full range of treatment options, including palliative care." Palliative care involves pain relief in the absence of a cure. According to the release, about 3 percent of American adults have heart failure, a ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure

Poor Lung Function Linked to Heart Failure in Study

Posted 27 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 27 – Reduced lung function and obstructive airway disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increase the risk of heart failure, a new study has found. In patients with heart failure, the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. For the new study, researchers analyzed data from 16,000 people in the United States, aged 45 to 64, who took part in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study and were followed for an average of 15 years. The results showed that the long-term risk of developing heart failure increased as lung function decreased. Lung function was determined using a test known as forced expiratory volume (FEV1) by spirometry, which measures how much air a person can exhale in one second. The findings did not change even after the researchers accounted for age, prior heart disease or cardiovascular disease risk factors such as ... Read more

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