Cardiovascular Research:CPR by medics: Keep pumping or stop for rescue breathing? ♦ Diagnosing and treating diabetes in heart attack patients improves heart outcomes

Diagnosing and treating diabetes in heart attack patients improves heart outcomes People with heart problems often have diabetes, which puts them at greater risk for heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. Now, a new study has found that ensuring heart attack patients are promptly diagnosed and treated for diabetes makes a significant difference in improving their cardiac outcomes.

Heart valve patients may benefit from managing own blood thinners Allowing select patients to self-manage blood thinners following heart valve surgery may lead to a lower risk of major complications.

Use of testosterone replacement therapy in healthy men does not increase risk of heart attack or stroke, A new study of generally healthy men who used testosterone replacement therapy to normalize testosterone levels has found that taking supplemental testosterone does not increase their risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke

CPR by medics: Keep pumping or stop for rescue breathing? The largest study so far of the outcomes of CPR performed by medics for people suffering an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was conducted at 114 agencies across the United States and Canada. The researchers unexpectedly found that continuous chest compressions did not offer survival advantages, when compared to interrupting manual chest pumping to perform rescue breathing, nor were continuous chest compressions better in protecting brain function among those who survived and were later discharged from the hospital.

Cancer Research:Titanium, gold based compound fights kidney cancer ♦ More precise cancer therapies ♦ Promising drugs turn immune system on cancer

'Remote control' of immune cells opens door to safer, more precise cancer therapies

A molecular "on switch" that allows tight control over the actions of T cells, immune system cells that have shown great potential as therapies for cancer, has been developed by a group of researchers.

Antidepressants plus blood thinners cause brain cancer cells to eat themselves in mice

Antidepressants work against brain cancer by excessively increasing tumor autophagy (a process that causes the cancer cells to eat themselves), new research shows. The scientists next combined the antidepressants with blood thinners -- also known to increase autophagy -- as a treatment for mice with the first stages of human glioblastoma. Mouse lifespan doubled with the drug combination therapy, while either drug alone had no effect.

Promising drugs turn immune system on cancer

A class of experimental drug treatments already in clinical trials could also help the body’s immune system to fight cancer, according to a study

Titanium, gold based compound fights kidney cancer cells

The findings of a new study may provide a new way of treating kidney cancer, opening the potential for more potent and less toxic therapies that would give cancer patients a better quality of life.

Cardiovascular Research:Cell that replenishes heart muscle found by researchers ♦ Blue light sets the beat in biological pacemake ♦ Heart patients can stop blood thinners

Elevated blood pressure in young adults associated with middle-age heart issues Young adults who had blood pressure that was elevated but still within normal range for long periods of time were more likely to show signs of cardiac dysfunction in middle age, according to a study

Blue light sets the beat in biological pacemaker Using optogenetics, researchers have established a new approach for pacing the heart and synchronizing its mechanical activity without a conventional electrical pacemaker. This finding could help avoid many drawbacks of electrical pacemakers.

Cell that replenishes heart muscle found by researchers Regenerative medicine researchers have identified a cell that replenishes adult heart muscle by using a new cell lineage-tracing technique they devised. Adult heart muscle is comprised of cells called cardiomyocytes. Most cardiomyocytes don't replenish themselves after a heart attack or other significant heart muscle damage. The new cell-tracing technique allows them to detect cells that do replenish themselves after being damaged.

Current monitoring of pacemakers, defibrillators may underestimate device problems The current monitoring of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators may be underestimating device problems, according to researchers who propose systematic methods to determine accurate causes of sudden death in those with CIEDs as well as improved monitoring for device concerns

Heart patients can stop blood thinners when undergoing elective surgery Patients with atrial fibrillation who stopped taking blood thinners before they had elective surgery had no higher risk of developing blood clots and less risk of major bleeding compared to patients who were given a "bridge" therapy, according to research.

Cardiovascular Research:Artificial blood vessel lets researchers better assess clot removal device ♦ Determine heart attack in patients within one hour ♦ Stroke from poor air quality ♦

Some atrial fibrillation patients receive unnecessary blood thinners About a quarter of all atrial fibrillation patients at the lowest risk for stroke receive unnecessary blood thinners from cardiology specialists, and they must be made aware of the resulting potential health risks.

New strategy can help determine heart attack in patients within one hour A new strategy to rule-out and rule-in heart attacks in emergency departments will help physicians treat patients faster. Acute myocardial infarction is a common cause of death and disability around the world. Early diagnosis is critical for survival

Stroke from poor air quality Air pollution and smog have health consequences ranging from respiratory problems to death. Fine particulate matter has become the focus in recent years, because it increases the probability of dying from respiratory or cardiovascular disease. In addition, the risk of stroke is increased.

Artificial blood vessel lets researchers better assess clot removal devices An in vitro, live-cell artificial vessel has been created that can be used to study both the application and effects of devices used to extract life-threatening blood clots in the brain. The artificial vessel could have significant implications for future development of endovascular technologies,

New lab technique reveals structure and function of proteins critical in DNA repairBy combining two highly innovative experimental techniques, scientists have for the first time simultaneously observed the structure and the correlated function of specific proteins critical in the repair of DNA, providing definitive answers to some highly debated questions, and opening up new avenues of inquiry and exciting new possibilities for biological engineering.