Cardiology

Treating acute pulmonary embolism patients with surgery to remove the clot fell out of favor in the 1950s because of high mortality rates. But safety seems to have improved dramatically-at least at one health care system. In a study published in the Texas Heart Institute Journal Alan Hartman, MD chair of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the North Shore-LIJ health system report on a retrospective review of 96 patients at the NY system.

Studying the possible causes of inherited arrythmias is difficult using genetically altered mice or cultured human cells. But in a research breakthrough, doctors at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan have come up with a genetically engineered pig. Since pig hearts function much like those of humans, that has made their work much more effective, says David S. Park, MD, PhD an assistant professor of cardiology at NYU Langone.

In many elderly Alzheimer's disease patients' brains, evidence of stroke is present.

New research suggests that low testosterone levels in older men are less likely to lead to cardiovascular disease than a sign of underlying problems that are the real cause.

A paper from a pair of physicists may reveal significant new information about the causes of atrial fibrillation and help to make cardiac ablations a more effective treatment for the condition.

Left ventricular function in elderly patients is adversely impacted by COPD, according to recent research.

There are new tools being developed everyday to help patients and healthcare professionals diagnose a wide variety of conditions. One recent study looked at the compliance levels achieved by a patch that can be used to help check a patient's heart health.

Unlike other conditions there is no one thing that can be done to fully prevent stroke. Even with the odds stacked against them a group is working to manage the effects of stroke on a worldwide basis.

Once a patient has a stroke how they recover can be determined by several factors. Recently a team of researchers looked at whether genetics could play a role in how different patients function after the event.

The more endovascular therapy is used in the treatment of stroke patients the more data there will be about its efficacy. Looking at those numbers and determining what they man can be as important as the procedures themselves.

Like most other procedures, endovascular therapy comes with some inherent risks, but when managed correctly it can provide lasting results for stroke patients.

While other endovascular therapies presented at the International Stroke Conference required more specialized imaging to reach their final results the authors of one study showed that more basic work can be just as effective.

As the population continues to age and more and more people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease or some other form of dementia researchers are looking into what can be done to stem the tide of further diagnoses.

It was not long ago that the merits of endovascular therapy were questioned by some in the healthcare field. A recent push and some new tools have given the debate a stronger argument in favor of the procedures.

As more endovascular therapy options are developed doctors will have the chance to learn a variety of methods and decide which will work best for their individual patients.

Patients who come to a hospital following a stroke face a variety of challenges and complications. A recent study looked at a possible treatment for those who suffered only a mild or moderate stroke.

The results of the SWIFT PRIME Trial as well as several others have given hope that endovascular therapy could become a key tool to help treat patients who have suffered a severe stroke.

As one of the key presentations at the International Stroke Conference the results of the SWIFT PRIME study showed that when conducted in the right circumstances the procedure can provide great benefits for stroke patients.

It will take the work of not only healthcare professionals but also government entities to help with stroke management around the world.

Endovascular Therapy has been under significant scrutiny in recent years, but following studies conducted that view could be changing.

As endovascular treatment has come under the microscope in recent years several studies have shown with the right training and equipment it can be a viable option for stroke patients.

Dehydrated stroke patients tend to do worse than those who are hydrated, a Johns Hopkins team found. The next question is whether all such ischemic stroke patients should get fluids when they arrive at the hospital, contrary to current recommendations.

Patients who have strokes during their sleep pose a treatment conundrum. Since it is hard to assess when the stroke happened, physicians may not know whether to administer clot-busting tPA. The drug is thought to have a therapeutic window of 3 hours. A Texas study suggests tPA is safe for these patients even if the 3-hr window has closed.

There are many factors to consider when treating a stroke patient during their recovery time. One area which some researchers say requires more attention is overcoming fatigue in patients.

In a new presentation on the game-changing trial of neurological interventions for stroke patients, a MR CLEAN researcher crunched the numbers on time-to-reperfusion and patient outcomes.

While the ESCAPE trial and others like it showed benefits for stroke patient treatment, they also showed the need for specialized doctors to perform the procedure.

Several studies have reported that controlling blood pressure with medication improves cardiovascular outcomes.

Endovascular surgery was one of the focal points of the International Stroke Conference in Nashville and the results of several studies, including the ESCAPE trials showed the benefits it can hold for stroke patients.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) reported that one in 10 American adults had some level of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and that kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death in the US.

Even as the Cold War becomes a distant memory patients in Eastern Europe are at greater risk of suffering a stroke than their western neighbors but do not have the same treatment and prevention options available to them.