Psoriasis Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Reported June 17, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The skin disease psoriasis, in addition to being unsightly and painful, has now been linked to atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to myocardial infarction – and death. Psoriasis affects nearly 3 percent of the world's population, … [Read more...]

Psoriasis Associated With High Blood Pressure, Diabetes in WomenReported April 23, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women with psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, appear to have an increased risk for developing diabetes and high blood pressure, Harvard researchers said. In a study involving more than 78,000 women who were followed for 14 years, those … [Read more...]

Psoriasis and Obesity Reported December 16, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Patients with psoriasis may have higher levels of an obesity-related hormone. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that results in a red, scaly rash. Associations have been made between psoriasis and obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. A new study done … [Read more...]

Program Improves Stroke Care Reported December 19, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Hospitals participating in a voluntary quality improvement program for stroke treatment comply better to national recommendations and may provide better stroke treatment. In a five-year study, researchers tracked guideline compliance among 790 hospitals participating in the American Heart … [Read more...]

Preventing Stroke in Kids: Good and Bad NewsReported April 14, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The good news is more children with a condition that puts them at risk for stroke are undergoing ultrasound screening. The bad news is only a limited number of labs offer this test. Researchers followed 157 children with sickle cell disease for about eight years. Sickle … [Read more...]

Predicting Heart Failure HospitalizationsReported April 30, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- What causes people with heart failure to have to go to the hospital? And more importantly, can anything be done to keep them at home instead? Those were the questions researchers asked in a new study conducted among a large database of more than 48,000 heart failure patients. A subset of … [Read more...]

Predicting Heart Disease Risk Reported November 30, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Consumers are well aware of the dangers of oxidative stress, if the number of juices and teas advertised as containing antioxidants is any indication. But what is the best way to measure oxidative stress – and to fight it?   Doctors at Emory University School of Medicine … [Read more...]

Pre-Flight Advisory for Heavy SnorersReported May 19, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may not be as fit to fly as they think. Researchers in Sydney, Australia conducted the first ever study to test the effects of ventilation, oxygen and air pressure typical of commercial flights on people with severe OSA. They did the testing in flight … [Read more...]

Abnormal Placentas Predict Early Cardiovascular Disease Reported November 18, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In a recent study headed by Joel Ray, M.D., from the University of Toronto in Canada, researchers found women with a maternal placental syndrome during pregnancy have a higher risk of premature cardiovascular disease. A maternal placental syndrome may be caused by … [Read more...]

Personality Traits Increase Heart Disease Risk Reported November 22, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you're often depressed, anxious, hostile or angry, you could be increasing your risk for heart disease. New research reveals people with a combination of these "negative" personality traits are more … [Read more...]

Pediatric Strokes Happen More Often Than Reported   Reported September 18, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Imaging studies show the rate of strokes in infants and children is two to four times higher than commonly thought, according to researchers. "Traditional methods using diagnostic codes work fairly well to identify stroke in studies on adults, … [Read more...]

Pediatric Heart Patients Deserve Happy EndingReported March 31, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Children who undergo surgical repair of complex heart defects have a good prognosis these days. More than 90 percent survive the operation. New research suggests not all these kids go on to live happy lives, however, according to a study out of Cincinnati Children's … [Read more...]

Patients in ICU Need Care That’s There Reported January 05, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – When intensive care physicians (intensivists) care for ICU patients onsite, there is a lower rate of illness and death. There is an acute shortage of intensivists, however, which has led to the increased use of telemedicine to remotely monitor ICU patients. Eric J. Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., … [Read more...]

A recent British study provides solid evidence that frequent TV viewing can lead to excess weight gain. It also shows your TV-viewing habits as a teenager can influence your body shape in mid-life. Results show those who watched TV "often" when they were 16 gained weight more quickly until they were 45. Watching TV at age 11 showed no effect on weight gain according to body … [Read more...]

Parents’ High Blood Pressure Increases Sons’ RiskReported March 31, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Men whose parents have hypertension may have to live with the condition themselves. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University first looked at 1,160 male medical students in 1947, then followed them for 54 years. Participants filled out annual questionnaires about their blood … [Read more...]

Panic Attacks Linked to Heart Attacks Reported December 15, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The stress of panic attacks may be just the beginning. New research shows people diagnosed with panic attacks or panic disorder are more likely to develop heart disease or suffer a heart attack or develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than the rest of the population. Studies show the risk … [Read more...]

Packing on Pounds Impacts the GumsReported April 06, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – These days, obesity is being blamed for everything from diabetes to high blood pressure. But gum disease? Researchers who followed men taking part in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study say the answer is yes. Their analysis of 16 years worth of data shows men who were obese at … [Read more...]

Pacemakers for Breathing Reported November 04, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Breathing may seem like a mindless bodily function, but new research shows the mind is actually more involved in breathing than previously thought. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered two pacemakers in the brain work together in harmony to ensure that … [Read more...]

Pacemaker for High Blood Pressure   Reported August 14, 2009 PHILADELPHIA (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One-third of all Americans over the age of 21 have high blood pressure. For 12 million of those patients, medication does little to control it, putting them at risk for heart attack and stroke. Researchers are testing a device that's designed to put blood … [Read more...]

Oxidative Stress Behind Lung ProblemsReported May 20, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research suggests markers for oxidative stress in young people can predict the later onset of lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oxidative stress itself is not a disease, but it can lead to one. As we breathe, our bodies are constantly reacting with oxygen … [Read more...]

Overweight: The New Healthy? Reported January 15, 2009 CHARLESTON, S.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's an ever-growing number -- 66 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, but, finally, there's some good news for those who are carrying around just a few extra pounds. New research shows being moderately overweight may actually be good for you. Tracey … [Read more...]

Optimistic Healing Reported June 16, 2009 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Studies show having a positive attitude could make you less likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes and pain from conditions like arthritis. But what if you've already gotten the devastating diagnosis? Can an upbeat outlook make a difference? Two women are incorporating a … [Read more...]

Old Antidepressant Protects the Heart Reported January 08, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Animal experiments demonstrate new potential for a 40-year-old antidepressant. A new study shows how clorgyline, an antidepressant no longer used by humans, can stall an elevated case of MAO-A, which ultimately leads to heart failure. Clorgyline has been found to block the action of … [Read more...]

Offspring of Parents who Live Longer Avoid Heart Problems Reported March 13, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If your parents live longer, you are less likely to have risk factors for heart disease. New results from the long-standing Framingham Heart Study (FHS) reveal offspring whose parents … [Read more...]

Obesity Rates Based on EthnicityReported April 08, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Obesity rates may be affected by a child's ethnicity and race starting as early as four years old. New research suggests American Indian and Native Alaskan children are twice as likely to be obese than children who are white or Asian. The study also shows whites and Asians have a … [Read more...]

Smoking worse for women Reported September 02, 2008 "Our research clearly shows there's a gender difference between the damage tobacco does to the blood vessels in and around the heart," Dr. Morten Grundtvig, a heart specialist from Lillehammer, told newspaper Aftenposten. "Women are harmed more than men." He and professors Terje P Hagen and Åsmund … [Read more...]

New studies add weight to link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease Reported November 04, 2007 Two studies, published together on bmj.com, add further weight to the theory that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share common causes or mechanisms. The first study finds that women who have had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy have a more … [Read more...]

Lowering homocysteine with B-vitamins does not reduce cardiovascular risk Reported November 10, 2007 Secondary prevention with homocysteine-lowering B-vitamins does not reduce risk of death or major cardiovascular events, according to the WENBIT study. In the Western Norway B-vitamin intervention trial, a total of 3,090 patients with … [Read more...]

Light smokers have much higher risk of developing heart disease and lung cancer, women's risk higher than men's If you are a keeping your smoking down to a minimum, say, under five cigarettes a day, you may not be protecting yourself from developing heart disease or lung cancer by as much as you think. If you smoke from one to … [Read more...]

Noisy Roads Drive Up Blood Pressure   Reported September 14, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers found people exposed to high levels of noise from nearby roads are more likely to report suffering from hypertension. Theo Bodin and colleagues from Lund University Hospital, Sweden, investigated the association between living close to noisy roads … [Read more...]