Spanish scientists have discovered a biomarker, a type of microRNA, that can be used to distinguish patients with myocarditis from those who have had a myocardial infection, something that could help improve treatment for this condition. Myocarditis, also known as inflammatory cardiomyopathy, is caused by inflammation of the heart muscle,…

A new study from Mount Sinai researchers reveals that after a heart attack, the heart sends signals to the brain to encourage increased sleep, promoting healing and reducing inflammation. This research, published in Nature, is the first to explore how the heart and brain communicate through the immune system to…

For the first time, researchers have found that low levels of an anti-inflammatory antibody predispose older women as well as men to cardiovascular (CV) disease. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, could eventually lead to a vaccine against ischemic heart disease (IHD). The natural…

An eye-opening study estimates 10.5 million Americans—nearly five percent of the population—have atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a dangerous but highly treatable arrhythmia. The new report from researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is the first national estimate of the condition in two decades. Earlier projections had estimated that only…

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist designed to treat type 2 diabetes, is also effective at improving cardiovascular and kidney health and reducing the risk for death in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the patients randomized…

Novo Nordisk has just taken two big steps toward cementing its lead in the weight loss treatment market. Late last week, the FDA approved a new label expansion for Wegovy (semaglutide), and just before that the company released promising early trial results for its experimental weight loss pill, amycretin. Patients…

Researchers have found that the eye can provide a window into many different diseases, with thinner retinal layers having a genetic basis and an association with ocular and cardiometabolic diseases as well as neuropsychiatric conditions. The findings suggest that markers for systemic and ocular health could be developed from optical…

Middle-aged adults with three or more unhealthy traits, including slightly high waist circumference, or high blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose have heart attacks and strokes two years earlier on average than their peers, according to research presented today at this year’s European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress. “Many people in…

Topline results from the large-scale Semaglutide Effects on Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients with Overweight or Obesity (SELECT) clinical study released today show that the Novo Nordisk obesity drug reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20 percent. The SELECT trial is the first to demonstrate the…

Direct injection of neonatal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from discarded heart tissue from surgery could aid in healing Crohn’s disease, according to new research from investigators at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The study, published in the journal Advanced Therapeutics, found that the technique, reduced…

Almost half of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have at least one suboptimally controlled cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, which in turn may be associated with an increased risk for CV events and death, suggests a study among US veterans. The findings show that “CV risk mitigation…

Women who are postmenopausal are at higher risk of heart attacks than men of similar age and levels of atherosclerosis, according to results of a large study presented at EACVI 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “Since atherosclerotic plaque burden is emerging as a target…

Research shows polygenic risk scores (PRS) modestly but significantly improve risk predictions for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the diverse Million Veteran Program cohort. Writing in JAMA Cardiology, Jason Vassy, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a clinician at Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, and colleagues report that having…

Patients treated for sepsis during hospital stays were at much greater risk of cardiovascular events and rehospitalization for any cause, or death, for as long as 12 years after, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study looked at claims data for approximately 2.3…

Women who experience pre-eclampsia have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than their peers within just seven years after delivery. Their risk remains elevated more than 20 years later. This finding came from a study of more than one million pregnant women published this week in the European Journal…