Exhaust fumes are twice as deadly as roads, study claims (UK)

More than 5,000 people die prematurely from conditions like lung cancer and heart disease because of emissions, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Exhaust from aeroplanes cause a further 2,000 deaths annually while emissions from the energy and industrial sectors and pollution originating from Europe bring the overall total up to 19,000 deaths per year in Britain. In contrast official figures state that 1,850 people were killed as a result of road accidents in 2010. Prof Steven Barrett, who led the study, said: "It does appear to be the case that air pollution from road traffic causes more deaths per year than the number who die on the roads. "But those who die from air pollution tend to die about 10 years earlier than they would otherwise, whereas people who die in road traffic accidents might be on average middle aged, so it is likely that road traffic accidents cause more loss of life years overall than air pollution."

Einstein College of Medicine given $6.7 million to study congenital heart defect genetics

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and collaborators at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia a five-year, $6.7 million grant to study the genetics of both rare and common congenital heart abnormalities known as conotruncal defects. CTDs account for more than one-third of all heart defects. They can involve a faulty connection between the heart's chambers or an abnormality affecting a major blood vessel leaving the heart. Some of the more common CTDs include ventricular septal defects and tetralogy of Fallot

IUPUI study first to look at early treatment of depression to reduce heart disease risk

Jesse Stewart, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and an Indiana University Center for Aging Research affiliated scientist, has received a $110,000 grant from the American Heart Association to explore whether treatment of depression before one experiences a heart attack can reduce the likelihood of future heart disease. The research study, Beating the Blues for Your Heart, which commences this spring, will be the first to evaluate whether pre-heart attack treatment of depression can reduce dysfunction in the arteries, thus lowering risk of heart disease in the future. Like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, depression is a risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death of American adults - EurekAlert

Studies find gene links to world's biggest killer

Scientists have found 13 new gene variants that increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, the world's number one killer, in a series of large-scale international genetic studies. The discovery of 13 previously unknown gene variations and the confirmation of around 10 more should offer clues about how heart ailments such as coronary artery disease develop, and lead to new and more effective treatments, the researchers said. The findings also suggest it may be worth mapping someone's profile of genetic variants for heart problems as part of routine clinical care in the future, with an eye to being able to offer more personalized prevention or treatment plans. "With such information we should be able to better identify people at high risk early on in life and quickly take the steps to neutralize that excess risk," said Themistocles Assimes of Stanford University School of Medicine in the United States, one of many scientists across the world who worked on the study. - Reuters

Leading causes of death in Canada in 2007

From Statistics Canada - "Cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death for Canadians, were responsible for just over one-half (51%) of the 235,217 deaths in Canada in 2007. Cancer accounted for 30% of deaths, and heart disease, 22%. Stroke, in third place, accounted for 6%. The proportion from cancer was up slightly from 2000, while the proportion from both heart disease and stroke declined. Ranked in order, the other seven leading causes of death were chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide. These 10 leading causes accounted for 77% of all deaths in 2007, down from 80% in 2000. The list has been identical since 2000, but the ranking has changed slightly. In 2000, suicide and kidney disease were ninth and tenth, respectively. By 2007, they had switched places"

First common gene found for congenital heart disease

Although congenital heart disease represents the most common major birth defect, scientists have not previously identified the common variation in the genes that give rise to it. Now genetics and cardiology researchers, two of them brothers, have discovered a genetic variant on chromosome 5 that strongly raises the risk of congenital heart disease - PhysOrg

People with fewer teeth prone to die of heart disease: study (Sweden)

"People with dented smiles run a far greater risk of dying of heart disease than those who still have all their pearly whites, a Swedish researcher said Monday. "Cardiovascular disease and in particular coronary heart disease is closely related to the number of teeth" that a person has left, Anders Holmlund told AFP, explaining the results of a Swedish study to be published in the Journal of Periodontology. "A person with fewer than 10 of their own teeth has a seven times higher risk for death by coronary heart disease than a person of the same age and of the same sex with more than 25 teeth left," Holmlund said. Although many studies published in the past 15 years have showed a link between oral health and cardiovascular disease, Holmlund's study shows a direct relationship between cardiovascular disease and the number of teeth in a person's mouth. The study, conducted with colleagues Gunnar Holm and Lars Lind, surveyed 7,674 women and men, most suffering from periodontal disease, for an average of 12 years, and examined the cause of death of the 629 people who died during the period. For 299 of the subjects, the cause of death was cardiovascular disease" - AFP

IMPACT Registry

The American College of Cardiology Foundation's NCDR is developing a new, national clinical data registry. The IMPACT Registry (IMproving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatment) will assess the prevalence, demographics, management and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease who are undergoing diagnostic catheterizations and catheter-based interventions. The collection and analysis of this data will facilitate performance measurement, benchmarking, and quality improvement initiatives. The IMPACT Registry will provide significant contributions to the knowledge base and outcomes associated with congenital heart disease. To date, no single registry has collected sufficient national quality-focused data on the management and real-world outcomes of quality-focused data of patients who undergo diagnostic and interventional catheterizations