http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Medicare beneficiaries in some parts of the United States appear more likely to receive carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure to clear blockages in the artery supplying blood to the head, whereas those in other regions more often receive stents for the same condition, according to a report in the July 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. http://phys.org/news199371973.html Medicine & Health Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:00:07 EST news199371973 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have identified an important gene that regulates the function of the muscle cells in arteries and thereby helps determine blood pressure. http://phys.org/news197204794.html Medicine & Health Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:07:24 EST news197204794 Consuming higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids does not appear to lower heart disease risk for women with type 1 diabetes, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study being presented at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. http://phys.org/news196854746.html Medicine & Health Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:52:58 EST news196854746 A study revealed at SNM's 57th Annual Meeting urges physicians using molecular imaging for the diagnosis of heart disease to use computer data analysis rather than visual interpretation alone. The study shows that when combined, these techniques can improve early detection and diagnosis, especially in conditions that can be more difficult to catch early on, such as diseased arteries. http://phys.org/news195145702.html Medicine & Health Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:50:01 EST news195145702 (PhysOrg.com) -- Circulation of cholesterol is regulated in the brain by the hunger-signaling hormone ghrelin, researchers say. The finding points to a new potential target for the pharmacologic control of cholesterol levels. http://phys.org/news194922740.html Medicine & Health Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:00:01 EST news194922740 (PhysOrg.com) -- Collagen, a type of connective tissue that makes up about 30 percent of the human body, plays many roles. The structural protein is an important component of muscle, skin, bones and cartilage, and forms scar tissue when injuries heal. http://phys.org/news193055451.html Chemistry Fri, 14 May 2010 11:31:12 EST news193055451 Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Better detection of hardening or clogging of arteries and other blood vessels before symptoms occur is needed. http://phys.org/news190373908.html Medicine & Health Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:10:01 EST news190373908 (AP) -- The next time you're at the doctor's office, take a peek at those certificates hanging on the wall. Like gallons of milk, some of them are expiring. http://phys.org/news189694853.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:30:03 EST news189694853 University of Washington (UW) researchers have gathered evidence that dangerous plaques in blood vessels can rupture by overproducing protein-digesting enzymes. Plaques are fat-laden rough spots in the otherwise smooth walls of arteries. When a plaque ruptures, blood accumulates inside of it, a process known as plaque hemorrhage. The plaque enlarges and artery-blocking clots can form. If the flow of oxygen-rich blood is restricted, a heart attack, stroke, or damage to other organs can occur. http://phys.org/news189110259.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:40:01 EST news189110259 A new method of growing arteries could lead to a "biological bypass"—or a non-invasive way to treat coronary artery disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report with their colleagues in the April issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation. http://phys.org/news187291995.html Medicine & Health Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:33:39 EST news187291995 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of researchers from Switzerland, California, and Spain have found that particulates from auto exhaust can lead to the thickening of artery walls. Their findings are reported in the journal PLoS ONE. http://phys.org/news184946853.html Medicine & Health Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:07:53 EST news184946853 (PhysOrg.com) -- More than 300 people die of a heart attack each day and research has shown there is a peak in heart attacks on Christmas Day and New Year's Day due perhaps to rich meals, alcohol and stress. http://phys.org/news180722781.html Medicine & Health Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:50:01 EST news180722781 High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as "good" cholesterol, isn’t as protective for people with type 2 diabetes, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. http://phys.org/news180639450.html Medicine & Health Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:20:02 EST news180639450 After suffering heart attacks, patients often receive stents designed to hold their arteries open. Some of these stents release drugs that are meant to halt tissue growth in arteries, but can have life-threatening side effects such as increasing the likelihood of blood clots and heart attacks. http://phys.org/news179406941.html Medicine & Health Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:30:01 EST news179406941 (PhysOrg.com) -- After suffering heart attacks, patients often receive stents designed to hold their arteries open. Some of these stents release drugs that are meant to halt tissue growth in arteries, but can have life-threatening side effects such as increasing the likelihood of blood clots and heart attacks. http://phys.org/news178969480.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:20:01 EST news178969480 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have identified the trigger that leads to the arteries becoming damaged in the disease atherosclerosis, which causes heart attacks and strokes, in research published today in the journal Circulation. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, say their findings suggest that the condition could potentially be treated by blocking the molecule that triggers the damage. The research also suggests that bacteria may be playing a part in the disease. http://phys.org/news178820606.html Medicine & Health Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:50:06 EST news178820606 A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University has developed a way to simulate blood flow on the computer to optimize surgical designs. It is the basis of a new tool that may help surgeons plan for a life-saving operation called the "Fontan" surgery, which is performed on babies born with severe congenital heart defects. http://phys.org/news178264903.html Physics Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:20:01 EST news178264903 Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. http://phys.org/news177772537.html Medicine & Health Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:01 EST news177772537 If you're among the hundreds of thousands of Americans with clogged kidney arteries, you might want to consider trying medicines before rushing into angioplasty to open them up. The pricey procedure is no more effective and carries surprisingly big risks, a study found. http://phys.org/news177186990.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:00:02 EST news177186990 (AP) -- It seemed like a great idea - doing bypass surgery while the heart is still beating, sparing patients the complications that can come from going on a heart-lung machine. Now the first big test of this method has produced a surprise: Bypass has fewer problems and is more successful done the old way. http://phys.org/news176581115.html Medicine & Health Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:19:31 EST news176581115 Researchers have fresh insight into an evolutionarily ancient way that cells cope when oxygen levels decline, according to a new study in the October 7th issue of Cell Metabolism. In studies of cells taken from the lining of human pulmonary arteries, they show that a microRNA - a tiny bit of RNA that regulates the activity of particular genes and thus the availability of certain proteins - allows cells to shift their metabolic gears, in a process known as the Pasteur effect. http://phys.org/news174050396.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:40:01 EST news174050396 For centuries eyes have been seen as windows to the soul. But medical researchers now believe the eyes may also offer vital clues to your risk of heart disease and stroke. http://phys.org/news173365781.html Medicine & Health Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:10:37 EST news173365781 Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have made an important discovery in understanding what causes arteries to clog up. http://phys.org/news173007626.html Medicine & Health Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:50:02 EST news173007626 (PhysOrg.com) -- New British Heart Foundation (BHF) research from Imperial College London may have revealed why vegetables are good for the heart. The findings suggest that a chemical found in vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, can boost a natural defence mechanism to protect arteries from disease. http://phys.org/news171286193.html Medicine & Health Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:31:29 EST news171286193 (AP) -- Score another victory for the cheap, cholesterol-lowering wonder drugs known as statins. People getting an artery unclogged or repaired were much less likely to die or have a heart attack afterward if they took preventive doses of the pills before and after their operations, a Dutch study showed. http://phys.org/news171131262.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:50:03 EST news171131262 (AP) -- Working up a sweat may be even better than angioplasty for some heart patients, experts say. http://phys.org/news170862819.html Medicine & Health Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:54:06 EST news170862819 A University of Leicester-led study may have uncovered the reason why Beta-blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure, when compared to other drugs for high blood pressure. http://phys.org/news170592408.html Medicine & Health Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:47:43 EST news170592408 Heart disease patients with previous atherosclerosis (fat deposits in the walls of the arteries) are more likely to die in the hospital and less likely to be treated with recommended therapies, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. http://phys.org/news168540891.html Medicine & Health Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:40:01 EST news168540891 (AP) -- A common method used in heart bypass surgery spares patients pain and problems upfront but seems to raise their risk of dying or suffering a heart attack over the next three years, a worrisome new study finds. The results could have a big impact - about 450,000 bypass operations are done each year in the United States and 70 percent of them use the method at issue. http://phys.org/news166898038.html Medicine & Health Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:34:37 EST news166898038 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new technology involving the fusion of four different types of images into a 3-D map of a patient's brain has helped University of Cincinnati (UC) specialists successfully remove a fist-sized tumor from the brain of an Indiana woman. http://phys.org/news166797844.html Medicine & Health Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:04 EST news166797844