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Atrial tachyarrhythmias in the absence of clinical atrial fibrillation (AF) occur frequently among patients with pacemakers and are associated with a significant increase in the risk for stroke or systemic embolism over time. Results of the Asymptomatic AF and Stroke Evaluation in Pacemaker Patients and the AF Reduction Atrial Pacing Trial (ASSERT) show that in this population of patients with pacemakers who have hypertension but no history of AF, episodes of device-detected atrial tachycardia greater than 6 minutes were seen in approximately one third of patients during almost 3 years of mean follow-up.
Medscape (Cardiologia) - Mar, 17 Gennaio 2012
http://www.medscape.com
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A new research suggests that vitamin D, long known to be important for bone health and in recent years also for heart protection, may stop conferring cardiovascular benefits and could actually cause harm as levels in the blood rise above the low end of what is considered normal.
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Cardiologia) - Mar, 10 Gennaio 2012
http://www.hopkinshospital.org
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Mothers who deliver low-birth weight infants are at increased risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) later in life. This according to a new study, published online in the science magazine Circulation.
Karolinska Institutet (Cardiologia) - Mar, 6 Dicembre 2011
http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130&l=en
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The efficacy of the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan when added to prescribed therapy for heart failure in terms of morbidity and mortality has been showed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group trial including 5010 patients from 302 centers in 16 countries.
New England Journal of Medicine (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://www.nejm.org
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The treatment with valsartan, an angiotensin-receptor blocker, alone or in combination with captopril, an ACE inhibitor, would result in better survival than treatment with a proven ACE-inhibitor regimen. Data come from a randomized, double-blind trial on approximately 14,500 patients comparing the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan versus the (ACE) inhibitor captopril.
New England Journal of Medicine (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://www.nejm.org
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According to the trials published up to now, we know that the excess of calcium favours vascular calcifications, increases mortality in patients with renal failure and generates an infarction risk in non-cardiopathic old women. In order to further verify the link between excess of calcium and cardiovascular risks, a meta-analysis has been performed on 15 randomized, double-blinded trials, where participants (averagely over 40 years of age) have received a daily supplementation of calcium (at least 500 mg) or placebo.
MedNews (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://mn.medsurfnews.com/
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It is not always easy to distinguish modifications occurring in the heart of athletes from the ones which are real heart diseases: for example, ventricular left remodeling can be taken for hypertrophy and the same difficulty is to be seen in the evaluation of aortic root diameter, normally considered a physiologic consequence of the increased heart output.
MedNews (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://mn.medsurfnews.com/
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According to many trials, it was seen that omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil (EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA: docosaesaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic) vegetal fatty acid are capable to decrease cardiovascular risk. In order to verify whether their presence in small amounts within margarine is sufficient to ensure a cardiovascular protection, some researchers have performed a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, enrolling 4837 old patients (averagely 69 years of age; 78% males) with a previous myocardial infarction occurred in the 10 years preceding enrolment.
MedNews (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://mn.medsurfnews.com/
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When an elderly person's chronic disease is impossible to cure, many doctors might assume that patient would chose to improve the quality of his or her remaining life rather than to extend it as is. Those doctors would be mistaken most of the time, according to a new study. Swiss researchers who surveyed more than 500 elderly heart failure patients found three quarters wouldn't trade a longer life with symptoms for a shorter life without them, and the severity of symptoms was not a good predictor of who would pick a measure of relief over more time.
Medline Plus (Cardiologia) - Lun, 28 Novembre 2011
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed marketing of the first system that can repair a failed or problematic aortic endograft, a fabric tube used to repair a dangerously large aortic aneurysm, a bulge in the large blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. FDA’s action will provide surgeons with a minimally-invasive option for repair of aortic endografts (endovascular grafts) that are not properly positioned.
Food and Drug Administration (Cardiologia) - Mar, 22 Novembre 2011
http://www.fda.gov