Alcohol consumption linked to coronary artery disease in Chinese men

"A Chinese study has suggested that moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption in Chinese men increases the risk of coronary artery disease. Among a large number of Chinese men presenting with chest pain or EKG changes, sequential subjects undergoing cardiac angiography were evaluated for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) lesions according to their reported recent alcohol intake. The study population consisted of 1,476 consecutive men 36 to 84 years of age; participants were categorized as nondrinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers. Adjusted odds ratios for angiographically proved CAD for light, moderate, and heavy drinking were 1.16, 1.78 and 2.18. Compared to non-drinking, adjusted odds ratios were 1.03 for drinking 0 to 15 years, 1.61 for 16 to 30 years, and 1.98 for >30 years. The authors concluded that moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption increased the risk of CAD in Chinese men. CAD risk tended to increase with an increase in frequency and duration of drinking. This was a very select group of patients (those presenting with chest pain or EKG changes), and not typical of the Chinese population. It is not possible from the present study to say that the association of alcohol intake with CAD is different between Chinese and Western populations, as the present study gives results only for a very select group of patients. The most important outcome regarding CAD is the occurrence of clinical events (myocardial infarction, cardiac death, etc.). The detection of such events requires long-term follow-up studies to be able to judge the overall effects of alcohol drinking on CAD

Breath test for Coronary Artery Disease

"SPIROCOR is a new noninvasive test for coronary artery disease. It uses pulse oximetry to measure fingertip blood flow in response to paced breathing at a rate of 6 breaths per minute for 70 seconds. From these data the Respiratory Stress Response (RSR) is calculated as a measure of coronary artery disease. Results from a study of the test are published in this month's American Journal of the Medical Sciences. Patients with significant CAD had a lower RSR compared to patients without, with the test having a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 70%. Multivariate analysis with conventional risk factors showed RSR to be an independent marker of significant CAD. A study comparing the technique with stress ECG is currently ongoing"

Plaque on CT scan is strong predictor of heart disease, worse long-term outcomes (USA)

The presence of plaque on an abdominal CT scan is a strong predictor of coronary artery disease and mortality, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. Researchers found that patients are nearly 60 percent at risk of having coronary artery disease when the CT scan showed very high levels of abdominal aortic calcium, commonly known as plaque. High levels of the abdominal aortic calcium also increased their risk of dying, researchers say. Conversely, researchers found that the lack of abdominal aortic calcium, or AAC, was associated with a low risk of coronary artery disease, a chronic, progressive form of heart disease that results from a buildup of plaque in the arteries found on the surface of the heart. The study is being presented Sunday, March 14 at the 59th annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Atlanta.

New research shows innovative respiratory stress test can quickly detect significant coronary artery disease in a noninvasive setting

"Newly published data shows using a Respiratory Modulation Response (RMR) is a novel, non-invasive measure to quickly and accurately detect the presence of significant coronary artery disease (sCAD). Patients in the study with sCAD had a lower RMR compared to patients without, regardless of their risk factors or clinical history of angina, previous myocardial infarction (MI), or angioplasty. These data, published in the current issue of Euro Intervention Journal, demonstrate that RMR was lower in patients with significant CAD compared to those with non-significant CAD (P<0.0011), regardless of their risk factors or clinical history of angina, previous MI, or angioplasty"

High lipoprotein levels can cause heart disease

"A genetic study proves that high blood levels of the fat-carrying molecule called lipoprotein(a) can cause heart disease. "The case for lipoprotein(a) as a direct cause of coronary artery disease is now firm," said Martin Farrall, a professor of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Oxford in England and senior author of a report in the December 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine

Twin study examines links between depression and coronary artery disease

"Major depression and coronary artery disease are only modestly related throughout an individual's lifetime, but studying how the two interact over time and in twin pairs paints a more complex picture of the associations between the conditions, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. For example, the association between coronary artery disease onset and major depression risk is much stronger over time than vice versa. "While an association between major depression and coronary artery disease has long been noted and recently confirmed, the direction and cause of this association remain unclear," the authors write as background information in the article. High cortisol levels, inflammation and changes in blood platelet function associated with depression may increase risk for coronary artery disease; coronary artery disease is a stressful event that may increase risk for depression; and shared genetic or environmental factors may underlie both conditions" - redOrbit

Cell is capable of growing new coronary arteries

"Most of the clinical displays of coronary artery disease can be treated by new formations of coronary arteries that replace the constricted or occluded coronary vessels, restoring blood flow to the heart. Unfortunately, this has been so far an impossible task. In this study, Dr. Piero Anversa MD, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and colleagues, have demonstrated that the human heart contains a population of stem cells which has the unique property to form large vessels similar to those commonly affected by atherosclerosis, a disease which can lead to heart attack" - EmaxHealth

Intensive in-hospital support doubles likelihood of smoking cessation in heart patients

Patients admitted to hospital with coronary artery disease are twice as likely to quit smoking after receiving intensive smoking cessation support compared to minimal support, found a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The study, a randomised clinical trial, compared intensive intervention with minimal intervention and found that patients admitted for open heart surgery (coronary artery bypass grafts) had significantly higher long-term abstinence rates at 1 year compared with those admitted for heart attacks (acute myocardial infarctions.) Other factors that contributed to successful long-term smoking cessation included absence of a previous heart attack, postsecondary education and at least some smoking restrictions at home. The intervention used in the study resulted in the highest rates of 1-year confirmed smoking cessation in previous tests in the US. - Science Centric

Texas Governor signs landmark early heart disease detection screening legislation

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has signed HB1290, the nation's (USA) first preventive cardiovascular screening bill for early detection of coronary artery disease. The legislation, which will take effect on September 1, requires Texas insurers to pay up to $200 for a either a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan measuring coronary artery calcification, commonly known as a Calcium scoring exam, or ultrasonography for measuring carotid intima-media thickness and plaque. The reimbursement is being made available to men between 45 and 76 years of age and women between 55 and 76 who are either diabetic or who have an intermediate or higher risk of developing coronary artery disease, based on the Framingham Heart Study coronary prediction algorithm. The test may be conducted every five years by a certified laboratory - Angioplasty.org

Management of LDL improved over last decade

Patients at risk for coronary heart disease are taking heed and lowering their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, researchers said. More than 70% of patients have an LDL cholesterol within target levels, nearly double the percentage in the late 90s, David D. Waters, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues reported online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. "Although there is room for improvement, particularly in very high-risk patients, these results indicate that lipid-lowering therapy is being applied much more successfully than it was a decade ago," Dr. Waters said. Many trials have demonstrated that lowering LDL, predominantly with the use of statins, lowers cardiovascular risk. Guidelines have recommended that very high-risk patients achieve a target of less than 70 mg/dL. MedPage Today

Conference told battle against heart disease is far from over (Northern Ireland)

"The number of people who have lost their lives as a result of heart complications has fallen by more than 70% in the last 25 years. However, a conference to mark the achievements of Professor Frank Pantridge has also heard that this has led to more people than ever before living with the physical and mental consequences of coronary heart disease. In an address to the Prof Frank Pantridge Legacy Symposium, Andrew Dougal, chief executive of Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke, paid tribute to the cardiologist who transformed emergency medicine around the world and who died in 2004 - but warned that the battle against heart disease was far from over."

Hepatitis C increases risk of cardiovascular disease

'Hepatitis C virus increases the risk of coronary artery disease, a large American study published in the 15th July edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases has found. The study involved over 160,000 individuals, approximately half of whom were infected with hepatitis C. Despite having fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the hepatitis C-infected individuals were more likely to have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. 'This is the largest study to determine the role of hepatitis C virus infection in the risk if coronary artery disease', write the investigators. A number of infectious diseases, including HIV have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Many patients with HIV are co-infected with hepatitis C, and these individuals have a higher risk of early death from a number of causes than patients who are only infected with HIV" - NAM

Older cardiac patients equally benefit from cardiac rehab

"Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and a major driver of medical and economic costs, especially among older adults. It has long been established that cardiac rehabilitation improves survival, at least in middle-aged, low- and moderate-risk white men. Now a large Brandeis University-led study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that older cardiac patients benefit as much from cardiac rehab as their younger counterparts. Worldwide, in 2004, 7.2 million people died from CHD, while in the United States alone, more than 13 million people suffered from CHD, and almost half a million died from heart disease in 2003. Moreover, Americans aged 65 and older account for more than 55 percent of heart attacks and 86 percent of CHD deaths." - EmaxHealth

Drug-coated stents are effective for elderly

Stents coated with the drug paclitaxel may be a safe, effective treatment option for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients age 70 and older and shouldn’t be withheld due to advanced patient age, according to a study reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Intervention

Single gene defect can cause stroke, other artery diseases

"For the first time, scientists have discovered a single gene defect that causes thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections as well as early onset coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke and Moyamoya disease. The research is led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The study, "Mutations in Smooth Muscle Alpha-Actin (ACTA2) Cause Early Onset Coronary Artery Disease, Stroke and Moyamoya Disease, Along with Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections," was published early online April 30 in the American Journal of Human Genetics." - GEN

Urine test for heart disease shows promise

"A urine test to detect coronary artery disease has worked well in a small trial, German researchers report. The test looks for fragments of the protein collagen, which plays a major role in blocking heart arteries, said study author Dr. Constantin von zur Muehlen, a fellow in cardiology at University Hospital Freiberg. He was scheduled to report the findings Wednesday at an American Heart Association meeting in Washington, D.C." - HealthDay News

Combination of very low LDL and normal systolic blood pressure attenuate coronary artery disease

"New data published in the March 31, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who achieve very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol along with normal systolic blood pressure have the slowest progression of CAD. The results suggest that patients with CAD should be treated to the most stringent target levels so that they can achieve optimal results from their lipid lowering and antihypertensive therapies." - News-Medical.net

New genomic markers associated with risk of heart disease and early heart attack

Five short reports published simultaneously by the journal Nature Genetics have for the first time identified clusters of genetic markers associated with heart attack and coronary heart disease. - Science Daily

Wait for third heart is tough lesson for Alabama transplant recipient

"Five years ago, Ann Noble Carlton got a second chance at life when doctors replaced her failing heart with a healthy donated one. Today, she needs another. The 23-year-old is suffering from coronary artery disease, a condition that leaves her susceptible to a massive heart attack. And Carlton contrib­uted to her situation by occa­sionally failing to take the da­ily medication that helps protect her transplanted or­gan - a problem common among young transplant re­cipients, experts say, but un­derreported" - al.com

Rhythm abnormality of unknown origin strongly predicts sudden death risk in heart disease patients

"Researchers conducting a large, ongoing study to improve detection and prevention of sudden cardiac death were surprised to discover that a specific heart rhythm abnormality - idiopathic QT interval prolongation - increased risk five-fold among patients with coronary artery disease" - Physorg.com