Study of Organic Nitrates in CHF Patients Taking ACE Inhibitors Organic nitrates are widely used in CHF treatment but no information is available about their effect in patients already taking ACE inhibitors. We studied the effects of high-dose (50 to 100 mg) transdermal nitroglycerin vs placebo given for 12 hours daily in 29 CHF patients - heart class 2-3. Exercise time (4 hours after patch application) showed progressive improvement during nitro administration, with an increase of 38 seconds...
Aldactone_for_CHF.txt CAD_trials.txt CHF_&_ventricular_arrhythmias.txt CHF_Outpatient_Clinics.txt CHFers_need_CHF_docs.txt CT_scans_for_CAD_and_BP_treatment.txt Children_recovering_LV_function.txt Continuous_IV_dobutamine.txt Continuous_dobutamine_&_CHFer_mortality.txt Coumadin_monitoring.txt Dobutamine_studies.txt Dofetilide_for_CHFers_a-fib.txt EP_guided_therapy_and_SCD.txt Exercise_&_CHF.txt Exercise_after_angioplasty.txt Exercise_best_for_CHF.txt Exercise_testing_&_prognosis.txt Extended_Coumadin_for_stroke.txt FRISC2_approaches_to_angina_management.txt Fish_oil_trials.txt Fragmin.txt Growth_hormone_in_CHF.txt HCM_and_ICDs.txt ICDs_&_fainting_CHFers.txt Identifying_urgent_cardiac_needs_near_transplant.txt Inotropic_HF_treatment.txt Intermittent_IV_dobutamine.txt Is_Abciximab_worth_cost.txt LVAD_at_home.txt Lipids_drugs_vs_angioplasty.txt MERIT-HF_trial.txt Merit-HF_again.txt More_on_Sudden_death_trials.txt OPUS_stenting_trial.txt Omipatrilat_revisited.txt Outcomes_reporting_&_effect.txt PACIFIC_Percutaneous_myocardial_revascularization.txt PACIFIC_results.txt PACIFIC_trial.txt PTMR.txt Prayer_for_heart_patients.txt QOL_with_ICDs.txt RFA_advances_for_ a-fib.txt Radiation_for_restenosis.txt Ramapril.txt Reopro_and_TPA.txt SHOCK_trial.txt Sudden_death_and_heart_class.txt Sudden_death_predicting_test.txt Supplemental_oxygen_and_severe_CHF.txt TMLR_for_angina.txt TMR.txt Transplant_for_end-stage_CHF.txt Transplant_tidbits.txt VEGF_articles.txt Waiting_for_heart_surgery_dangerous.txt amiodarone_.txt angioplasty_vs_bypass_followup_results.txt asthma_inhalers_&_MI.txt hospice_&_CHFers.txt metoprolol.txt nesiritide_for_CHF.txt nitrates_&_ACE_inhibitors_in_CHF.txt

Management of SCD survivors has changed since the use of ICDs, which offer better survival than traditional treatment with anti-arrhythmic drugs. None of the criteria used to test the risk of arrythmia recurrence has been proved reliable. The recurrence rate is very high and the sense of security gotten from EPS testing is unjustified. Those who are in the worst condition will simply be saved from sudden death to die from other forms of cardiac death in about the same amount of time. One must...
EF_&_ICD.txt ICD_&_drugs_for_sudden_death.txt ICD_mortality_trials.txt ICD_vs_amiodarone_for_mortality.txt ICDs_best_for_low_EF_patients.txt ICDs_for_those_awaiting_transplant.txt ICDs_vs_anti-arrhythmic_drugs.txt MUSTT_trial.txt More_on_MUSTT.txt Sudden_Cardiac_Death.txt

Tiny Valve May Predict Heart Disease July 15, 1999 - The hardening or thickening of a tiny heart valve - a common condition among the elderly that doctors usually dismiss as unimportant - may be a powerful predictor of heart attacks and strokes. Previous studies have shown that a severe narrowing or blockage in the left aortic valve is a predictor of heart disease. A new study, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, has shown that a prior condition called sclerosis can also...
Autoimmune response in CHF.txt Etanercept_for_CHF.txt Gp-dependent_cytokines_&_CHF.txt Men_vs_women_for_CHF_survival.txt Natrecor_again.txt Pacing_for_CHF.txt Pyruvate_combination.txt S3.txt TNF-Enbrel trial_6-99.txt Valve_sclerosis.txt

New Device Helps Treat Abnormal Heart Rhythms May 11, 1999 - Improvements in a device used to map heart tissue for irregular heart rhythms will benefit more patients when this tissue is then removed. The treatment, called radiofrequency ablation or RFA, finds and destroys with radiowaves, heart cells where abnormal heart beats begin. The researchers have changed the standard catheter. Current catheters have 4-10 electrodes that map the heart's electric activity. This improved catheter has 64...
Fast-cine_MRI_stress_test.txt MRA.txt New_stress_test.txt PMR_today.txt TMR_again.txt TPA_MRI_Ultrasonography.txt new_rfa_catheter.txt

New Technique Helps Heart Patients Grow Blood Vessels November 2, 1999 - Scientists have developed a capsule that delivers growth factor to the heart to help restore blood flow. The time-release capsule contains basic fibroblast growth factor. It is implanted near the heart to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. This was reported in the November 2 edition of the journal Circulation. Bypass patients receive new blood vessels grafted from vessels in their own legs. This will likely remain...
Angiogenesis_1.txt Angiogenesis_2.txt Quinaprilat_1.txt VEGF_production.txt VEGF_update.txt growth_factor_capsules_&_surgery.txt

Only a few years ago, the RAS (renin-angiotensin system) was seen as a simple isolated hormonal system that controlled vascular tone. We now know it affects body organs. It influences cellular genetics and biochemistry and is linked with many other pathways including thrombosis, prostaglandins and the autonomic nervous system. Renin is released by the juxtaglomerular apparatus in the glomerular afferent arterioles. Its release into the body's circulation is triggered by a stimulants including...
ACE_inhibitors _&_aspirin.txt Aspirin_&_ACE_inhibitors_&_exercise.txt Aspirin_ok_with ACE_inhibitors.txt Irbesartan.txt Renin-angiotensin_system_explanation.txt

Patients with a-fib who have heart surgery to correct structural heart disease rarely have normal rhythm restored. The maze operation for srgically correcting a-fib is considered safe and effective. See: Title: Combined treatment of mitral regurgitation and atrial fibrillation with valvuloplasty and the Maze procedure Authors: McCarthy PM, Cosgrove DM, Castle LW, White RD, Klein AL From: Am J Cardiol 1993;71:483-6 If the maze operation is performed in addition to standard surgery for...
A-fib-2.txt A-fib.txt Atrioverter.txt Dofetilide_for_A-fib.txt Maze_procedure_for_a-fib.txt

Cardiac Pacing Not Effective for Severe Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy June 21, 1999 - Surgery appears to be more effective than dual-chamber pacing for treating patients with severely symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This conclusion is based on findings from a 2 phase study in 48 patients with severely symptomatic HCM; patients were first given either dual-chamber pacing or pacing backup for 3 months each in a crossover study, then all patients got...
Dual-chamber_pacing.txt More_Pacing_for_CHF.txt Pacemaker_trial.txt Pacing_&_severe_HCM.txt

New Antiarrhythmic Drugs by Augustus O. Grant, MD May 12, 1999 - This was an update on the anti-arrhythmic drugs. Presented were the mechanism of heart arrhythmias and how drugs which stop arrhythmias work. Disturbances in the heart's electrical system that account for arrhythmia fall into 2 categories: 1) abnormal impulse initiation 2) abnormal impulse conduction Automaticity and triggered activity are the main mechanisms of impulse initiation. Automatic arrhythmias may occur in cells of the...
3-98_anti-arrhythmia_therapies.txt Arrhythmia_trials.txt ICDs_for_CHFers.txt new_anti-arrhythmia_drugs.txt

Benefits of Vitamin E in Coronary Artery Disease "Far From Proven" June 29, 1999 - The jury is still out on the benefits of vitamin E supplements to prevent or treat coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a comprehensive review published in the June 28th Archives of Internal Medicine. "Despite some data supporting the use of vitamin E, findings of controlled trials are limited and inconclusive," Dr. Anne Spencer say in the report. While studies "suggest" that supplemental vitamin E may...
Vitamin_E.txt Vitamin_E_&_stroke.txt vitamin_E_benefits_unproven.txt

Low Serum Magnesium A Risk Factor For Death From Ischemic Heart Disease August 30, 1999 - Low blood levels of magnesium are related to risk of death from ischemic heart disease, says a researcher from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using 19 years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I follow-up, Dr. Earl Ford analyzed ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality in 12,000 people. In the 2 groups combined, 1,005 patients died of ischemic heart...
Diabetes_control.txt Diabetics_and_heart_disease.txt Low_magnesium_levels_risky.txt

Ventricular Remodeling in Active Myocarditis Remodeling of the left ventricle with development of a round shape occurs in dilated cardiomyopathy and is associated with a poor long-term prognosis. The early effects of myocarditis on left ventricular shape have not been associated with outcome. Baseline echocardiograms of 35 patients with biopsy-confirmed myocarditis were compared with 20 healthy persons. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume, long axis length, and mid-cavity diameter were...
Coreg_post-MI_prevents_remodeling.txt Human_growth_hormone_and_CHF.txt Ventricular_remodeling_with_myocarditis.txt

Drug Is Cleared By FDA For Raising "Good" Cholesterol August 9, 1999 - Merck said its top-selling cholesterol drug Zocor became the first such drug to win FDA clearance for raising levels of so-called "good" cholesterol. The FDA approved Zocor for this additional use on the strength of studies which showed that Zocor can raise levels of healthy, HDL (high-density) cholesterol while lowering "bad" lipids in the blood. Low levels of good HDL are associated with higher risk of heart disease, just...
Cholesterol_drugs_cardioprotective.txt Cholesterol_drugs_cut_clots.txt Zocor_raises_HDL.txt

Tell CABG Patients to Think Positive 9/99 - An optimistic outlook could prevent re-hospitalization after bypass (CABG) surgery, say findings published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Scheier reports that during the 6 months after bypass surgery, optimistic patients were much less likely to be re-hospitalized for a number of problems, compared to pessimistic individuals. This adds to the evidence tying a positive outlook to better recovery after cardiac-related hospitalizations. The study...
Children_&_heart_surgery.txt Port_access_surgery.txt Think_positive.txt

New Technique Uses Light to Clear Blocked Blood Vessels March 24, 1999 - It sounds like science fiction: A doctor injects a person with light-sensitive medication, and as the medicine passes through the bloodstream, it clings to plaque deposited on the walls of blood vessels. Then, 24 hours later, a light-emitting fiber threaded through an artery triggers the drug to annihilate this fatty buildup without harming healthy tissue. Known as photoangioplasty, the procedure indeed remains...
Light_activated_drug_for_clogged_arteries.txt Photo-angioplasty.txt

Americans Consume Unlabeled Genetically Engineered Foods August 27, 1999 - A wide variety of products made from genetically engineered ingredients are in supermarkets and are bought by Americans without their knowledge. This was published in the September issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The USA, unlike the European Union, does not require labeling of genetically engineered foods and ingredients. According to the article, no scientific evidence proves that genetically engineered foods are...
Genetically_altered_food.txt Genetically_altered_food_hidden_in_USA.txt

Inactive People At Increased Risk For Heart Attack After Sudden Physical Exertion November 9, 1999 - The health benefits of regular exercise are well known, but for people not used to it, sudden physical exertion may be dangerous. A report in the November 10 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that people who are usually not active and who have risk factors for heart disease are at higher risk of heart attack during physical exertion. Satyendra Giri studied...
Exercise_&_heart_disease.txt Inactivity_&_heart_attack_risk.txt

First Endoscopic Heart Bypass October 7, 1999 - The first endoscopic heart bypass surgery using lighted instruments inserted into the chest through small incisions, has been called a success. Done at the London Health Sciences Center in Ontario, the procedure "eliminated the 2 greatest sources of patient trauma associated with conventional open-heart surgery: the large incision and the heart-lung machine," according to the company that makes the robot-assisted operating tools. The medical...
Endoscopic_CABG_without_heart-lung_bypass.txt Endoscopic_bypass_surgery.txt

Drugmakers Allowed To Advise Doctors Of Unapproved Uses July 29, 1999 - A federal judge has struck down a law that restricted what information drug companies could give doctors about unapproved uses of medicines. At issue was the distribution of research reports and medical journal articles on using drugs for illnesses other than the ones they were approved for by the government. The FDA tried to restrict drug companies from promoting their products by giving out the reports or holding...
Drug_trials_&_drug_companies.txt Rx_company's_sales_pitches.txt

Researchers Grow Strong, Clot-free Vessels In Lab April 15, 1999 - Lab-grown arteries sprung from heart patients' own cells may one day offer hope to patients whose treatment options are running out. According to Dr. Laura Niklason of Duke University, "arteries in a jar" could make heart-bypass surgery possible for patients whose own vessels are too diseased to be used fro surgery. Many patients with hardened, narrowed heart arteries have heart-bypass surgery, in which part of a healthy blood...
Better_artificial_blood_vessels.txt Growing_arteries.txt

High-Dose Beta-Carotene May Increase Cancer Risk 1/6/99 Reuters Health - A study in ferrets suggests an association between high-dose beta-carotene supplements and pre-cancerous changes in lung tissue. The researchers also note that these lung changes were more serious when the animals were exposed to tobacco smoke. Their report is published in the January 6th issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. "Our findings show potential harmful effects of high-dose beta-carotene...
Beta-carotene_&_cancer.txt Beta-carotene_and_cancer_risk.txt

Pets Plus ACE Inhibitors Improve BP Control November 8, 1999 - In people with high blood pressure, adding a pet to ACE inhibitor treatment increases blood pressure control under stress. Dr. Karen Allen of the State University of New York, chose 48 people in a high-stress occupation - stockbrokers - who had high blood pressure. In pet owners and nonowners, the researchers compared the effects of lisinopril on blood pressure at rest and in reaction to stress, both before and after therapy. Heart...
BP_drug-omapatrilat.txt Pets_&_BP.txt

BEXTRA Trial Terminated With No Significant Survival Advantage July 29, 1999 - It was announced today that the BEST (Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial) trial of Bextra (bucindolol) has been stopped, based upon the lack of significant survival advantage with bucindolol treatment. The decision was based upon all available evidence about beta-blocker treatment of heart failure from BEST and other trials. However, BEST results are not inconsistent with those of other studies, specifically...
BEST_trial_continues.txt BEST_trial_stopped.txt

CDC Reports On Drug-Resistant Staph August 20, 1999 - Federal health officials have documented the deaths of 4 USA children linked to drug-resistant staph infections acquired *outside* a hospital setting. Drug-resistant staph was once mainly caught in hospitals and nursing homes, but the children's deaths in Minnesota and North Dakota show it may be spreading to communities. The children - ages 1 to 13 - got methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections between 1997 and 1999. None of...
Antibiotic_resistant_germs_are_here_and_deadly.txt Drug-resistant_staph_infections.txt

ICDs - Implantable cardioverter defibrillators - may reduce sudden arrhythmic death in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. We don't know if this improves overall survival, especially in patients awaiting heart transplant. We studied the effect of different treatments on spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. 59 people had ICD, 53 had anti-arrhythmic drugs and 179 received no anti-arrhythmic treatment. We analyzed total mortality and type of cardiac death in these 291 consecutive...
Anti-arrhythmia_therapy_consequences.txt MADIT_ICD_trial.txt

Abciximab: Should It Be Standard Care for Patients Having Angioplasty? Drug & Ther Perspect 13(5):1-6, 1999 Abciximab is the most studied of the GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors. Two others - eptifibatide and tirofiban, have been recently introduced. ARTICLE: Revascularisation procedures (PCR), such as angioplasty and atherectomy, usually relieve symptoms in patients with ischaemic heart disease. However, ischaemic complications can occur during and after the procedure. Abrupt vessel closure can mean...
Abciximab_again.txt Reopro.txt



There are 26 custers
This report will be published in the September 2 issue of 62.0
ICDs and EF 9.0
February 8, 1999 9.0
New "Real Time" MRI Stress Test Pictures Heart in Motion 6.0
American College of Cardiology 5.0
Use Of Aspirin With ACE Inhibitors Reduces Risk Of 4.0
Atrial Fibrillation: Recent Clinical Advances 4.0
Dual-Chamber Pacing Effective in Selected Patients With Hypertensive 3.0
Over the past decade, various studies have shown that class 1 anti-arrhythmic drugs should be avoided in patients with heart failure. On the other hand, class 2 drugs (beta-blockers) reduce complications and may even lower mortality in patients with moderate to severe heart failure. In these patients, careful raising of the drug dose is necessary and may require a hospital stay. If ventricular arrhythmias are symptomatic or sustained in heart failure patients, they can be treated with the class 3 drug amiodarone. 3.0
Vitamin E Supplements May Cause Harm 2.0
Moderately Improved Diabetes Control Affects 2.0
Carvedilol Prevents Remodeling in Patients With Left 2.0
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Provide Double Protection Against 2.0
Survival Rate Increasing For Young Heart Surgery Patients 2.0
Light-Activated Drug Shrinks Plaque Buildup in Arteries 1.0
FDA Raises Bioengineered Food Issue 1.0
AHA Comment: Leisure-Time Activity and the Risk of 1.0
First Robot Assisted Minimally Invasive CABG Without Heart-Lung Bypass Success 1.0
Drug Company-Sponsored Studies Less Critical Than Independent Studies 1.0
Functional Artery Grown in Laboratory 1.0
Beta-Carotene Identified As Co-Carcinogen In 1.0
New Drug For High Blood Pressure 1.0
Data and Safety Monitoring Board Recommends Bucindolol Study Continue 1.0
Experts insist that bacteria resistant to all known antibiotics are just around the corner. The first such cases have already shown up in USA and Asian hospitals. 1.0
ICDs (Implantable cardioverter/defibrillators) may reduce sudden tachy-arrhythmic death in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. It is uncertain whether this improves survival, particularly in patients awaiting cardiac transplantation. 1.0
Good Results In Phase 2 Stroke Study With Abciximab 1.0

closest distance: 0.07696014076730329
farthest distance: 1.0
average distance: 0.8471735986621954
intercluster avg distance: 0.8495742297745514
intracluser avg distance: 0.4740172302447319
spread: 0.009266859048454923
intracluster spread: 0.008376799975326558