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Cardiology
High BP, heart attacks tied to common additives – French study
A study from France has found that common preservatives used in a number of store-bought foods to kill bacteria and mould were linked to...
New catheter could revolutionise arrhythmia treatment
Clinical studies are under way to test an innovative catheter that can accurately and safely heal unhealthy heart tissue through single, shorter energy pulses,...
Twice-yearly jab may change high BP treatment – eight-country trial
A long-lasting approach could make it easier for patients with high blood pressure to keep their condition under control – and ditch daily pills...
Long-term beta-blockers not vital after heart attack – Korean study
Surviving a heart attack has long come with a lifelong prescription for beta-blockers but experts are now questioning whether this is really necessary, especially...
Lifestyles fuel rising hypertension among Gauteng young adults
Gauteng Health has warned of a rise in high blood pressure diagnoses among the province’s young adults, amid deteriorating lifestyle habits, reports The Citizen.
Rising...
Expert UKZN alumni flags sleep apnoea cardiovascular risk
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) recently welcomed back one of its distinguished alumni, internationally acclaimed Professor Virend Somers, who delivered a lecture on: Sleep...
Semaglutide shows heart benefits in key group – global study
An analysis by an international team of researchers has concluded that taking oral semaglutide may reduce heart-related hospitalisations and deaths among those with a...
Men’s heart attack risk speeds up in their 30s – US study
Experts have recommended that screening for heart attack risk in men should start earlier than for women, warning that cardiovascular disease (CVD) starts climbing when men...
Durban hospital saluted for heart care in cancer treatment
A pioneering South African centre is being celebrated internationally for its dual roles of treating cancer while protecting heart health, with the team at...
Numerous heart attacks being missed – US-Canada analysis
Alarming research has suggested that current screening techniques may be failing to flag nearly half of those who experience a heart attack, with the scientists...
New quick scan could hasten high BP diagnosis, treatment – UK study
A 10-minute scan could improve how millions of people with high blood pressure are treated, suggests a study led by University College London researchers...
Less invasive cardiac procedures changing lives
While the first innovators in the area of minimally invasive cardiac procedures began introducing methods such as finger-fracture valvuloplasty as early as the 1920s,...
Causes of heart attack in younger women more varied – Mayo Clinic study
Traditionally, most heart attacks have been blamed on clogged arteries causing atherothrombosis – where blood clots block flow to the heart. But recent research...
Cannabis doubles death, major heart event risk – meta-analysis
Cannabis use was associated with a significant twofold increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including a doubling in the likelihood of death...
New link flagged between women who have heart attacks – US study
After a 30-year study, American researchers have suggested that inflammation could be a key factor in explaining why some women experience heart attacks and strokes – despite...
Wegovy slashes heart risk by 57% – STEER study
Novo Nordisk has said its weight loss drug Wegovy cut the risk of heart attack, stroke or death by 57% versus Eli Lilly’s rival medicines Mounjaro...
Partial heart transplant shows promise in heart disease – US study
Partial heart transplants using donor semilunar valves in patients with congenital heart disease appeared to be a safe and feasible procedure resulting in appropriate...
Cheek swab IDs children with heart condition – British study
A simple cheek-swab test can identify children with a potentially deadly heart condition, five years before they would normally be diagnosed, suggests research from...
Game-changing heart health research at world conference
Heart health and treatment took centre stage at the world’s largest gathering of heart experts in Madrid at the weekend, where a slew of...
BP monitors may miss 30% of hypertension cases – UK study
Scientists have discovered why cuff-based blood pressure monitors often give inaccurate readings, missing up to 30% of high blood pressure cases, after building a...
Safety alert for faulty defibrillation leads tied to injuries, deaths
Boston Scientific has issued a letter to customers warning that certain ENDOTAK RELIANCE defibrillation leads with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) coated coils may impact shock...
FDA under fire as discrepancies found in heart drug approval trials
Fresh concerns have emerged about the platelet studies underpinning the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of ticagrelor, AstraZeneca’s multibillion-dollar heart drug, after a...
Breast implants linked to cardiac risks – US study
Women with breast implants had a significantly higher rate of abnormal cardiac functional test results than those without implants, a recent retrospective analysis has...
Risks of stopping beta-blockers after heart attack – French trial
Researchers have found that interruption of beta-blocker treatment after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction (MI) leads to sustained increases in blood pressure and heart rate,...
AI tech gives doctors preview of blood clots forming – Tokyo study
AI technology could be used to detect potentially deadly blood clots before they strike, according to research by scientists at the University of Tokyo,...
Men twice as likely to die of ‘broken heart syndrome’ – US study
Women are less likely than men to die from the stress-related heart condition known as ‘broken heart syndrome’, suggests research, which found that despite...
Daily plastic exposure linked to heart disease deaths – US study
A recent analysis of population surveys shows that daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make common plastic household items could be linked to...
Time to change carotid endarterectomy guidelines?
Optimised medical therapy (OMT) is as effective as surgery for carotid revascularisation in reducing stroke risk in most patients with carotid artery stenosis, suggest...
Pacemaker to control BP gets FDA nod
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Breakthrough Device Designation to Orchestra BioMed for its atrioventricular interval modulation (AVIM) therapy for patients...
Eat, drink and be merry to avoid heart attacks – Chinese study
In advice that may turn on its head previous conclusions about the benefits of a daily tipple, recent research – the largest of its...
High blood sugar tied to heart damage in youngsters – Finnish study
In the largest study of its kind, researchers from the University of Eastern Finland found that even healthy-looking adolescents and young adults – of...
‘Heart patch’ could help with transplant shortage – German study
Worldwide, about 20 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant, but a promising advance from German scientists offers a potential solution...
New drug dosages slash heart failure deaths by 62%
Patients in Britain with heart failure are being given larger doses of drugs at the start of their treatment after a global study found...
Shingles and statins findings a 'significant' boost in dementia fight
Shingles vaccines and statins have been found, separately, to significantly reduce the risk of dementia, which researchers say is of "tremendous importance" in the...
Pecan nuts can lower cholesterol levels – US study
American scientists suggest that incorporating nuts into your diet and using them as a substitute for snacks will have major benefits – particularly if...
Scientists suggest new metric to measure heart health – US study
Many people use a smartwatch to monitor their cardiovascular health, often by counting their daily steps, or recording their average daily heart rate, but...
Cardiology experts divided on hidden killer high-risk plaque
More people are likely to be diagnosed with a condition that heightens the risk of heart attack and stroke, thanks to a controversial broadening of the definition...
Study links anti-depressants to higher risk of sudden cardiac death
Anti-depressants could increase the risk of sudden cardiac death up to five-fold, suggest Danish researchers, who found patients taking the medications for between one...
Australian man survives 100 days with artificial heart
An Australian man with heart failure has become the first person in the world to walk out of a hospital with a total artificial...
People with heart issues may play competitive sports, new guidance says
Athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities who were previously considered ineligible for competitive sports participation, may take part quite safely, new evidence indicates.
A joint scientific statement...