circulation journal of the american heart association

Inflammation marker signals stroke risk in healthy middle-aged men

High levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) in healthy, middle-aged men signals an increased risk of ischemic stroke in later life, according to a 20-year follow-up study reported in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. In this study, men with few cardiovascular risk factors but with the highest CRP levels studied had a 3.8-fold increased incidence of stroke in 10 to 15 years compared to men with the lowest levels, says lead author J. David Curb, M.D., of the Pacific Health Research Institute and the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

Gene for cellular receptors could be key for lower heart risk

People with a certain form of a gene that influences blood flow may have a lower risk of having a heart attack and dying from heart disease, according to a new study in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The gene controls variations in beta-2 adrenergic receptors, which are on the surface of heart muscle cells and blood vessel cell walls. When activated by adrenaline and noradrenaline, these receptors set in motion a series of events that dilate the blood vessels and increase heart rate.

Diabetic women gain significant health benefits from eating fish

Eating fish regularly reduced the risk of heart disease in diabetic women by as much as 64 percent, according to a new study. “We found that women with type 2 diabetes who ate more fish had significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease and total death than those who rarely ate fish,” says Frank B. Hu, M.D., lead author and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “Previous studies have found that fish consumption reduces risk of heart disease in a largely healthy population. This is the first study to look at the relationship among diabetic patients, who have very high risk of heart disease.”

Vitamin C transforms mouse stem cells into heart muscle cells

Vitamin C helped convert mouse embryonic stem cells growing in the laboratory to heart muscle cells, researchers report. This basic-research discovery could lead to future research on ways to treat people suffering from damaged heart muscle. “Although the findings of this study are very preliminary with respect to their impact on human lives, this line of research has enormous implications for the future care of thousands of patients who develop heart failure each year,” says Robert O. Bonow, M.D., president of the American Heart Association.

Statins before procedures reduce cardiovascular events and death

Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs before undergoing artery-clearing procedures appears to reduce deaths, heart attacks, and recurrent blockages among patients with elevated levels of an inflammation marker, according to research reported in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Previous studies have suggested that taking a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) such as balloon angioplasty or stenting could lower deaths.

What's important about elderly women's fat? Amount or location?

For elderly women, the location of excess fat may be more important for their cardiovascular health than overall obesity, according to a surprising new study published in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. In a study of 1,356 women ages 60-85, Danish researchers found that those with excessive peripheral fat ? located in the arms, legs, hips and buttocks ? had less atherosclerosis than those whose fat was stored mostly in their abdominal area (visceral fat) and other central parts of the body.

Morning surge in blood pressure linked to strokes in elderly

In older people with high blood pressure, a sharp increase in blood pressure in the morning increases the risk of stroke and is linked to brain lesions known as “silent” strokes, according to a study in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. “This study is the first to show that an excessive morning blood pressure surge is a predictor of stroke in elderly people with high blood pressure,” says lead author Kazuomi Kario, M.D., from the department of cardiology at Jichi Medical School in Tochigi, Japan.

ACE inhibitor drug reduces heart failure in high-risk patients

The drug ramipril significantly reduced the onset of debilitating and often-fatal heart failure in a large group of high-risk patients, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Ramipril, trade-named Altace, is one of a family of high blood pressure medications known as ACE inhibitors. The drugs reduce the risk of death from heart failure ? the inability of a weakened or damaged heart to pump enough blood through the body ? in people who suffer heart attacks. The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 5 million people in the United States have congestive heart failure.

Sleep apnea may be a cause, rather than just an effect, of heart failure

An interruption in normal breathing patterns during sleep which is often seen in heart failure patients may contribute to heart failure rather than just being a result, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study.
“We are now finding that central sleep apnea, which has been previously understood as a symptom of heart failure, may contribute to the development of heart failure in people at risk,” said the study’s lead researcher.

NIH Study Shows MRI Provides Faster, More Accurate Way To Diagnose Heart Attacks

Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology can detect heart attack in emergency room patients with chest pain more accurately and faster than traditional methods, according to a new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Published in the February 4 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the findings suggest that more patients who are suffering a heart attack or who otherwise have severe blockages in their coronary arteries could receive treatment to reduce or prevent permanent damage to the heart if they are assessed with MRI.

CRP improves cardiovascular risk prediction in metabolic syndrome

In women with metabolic syndrome, blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) can help predict cardiovascular risk, researchers reported today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. CRP is an indicator of inflammation. High levels of CRP have been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.