Cardiovascular Research: Switch for health heart muscle ♦ Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension ♦Potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims

Research in mice shows potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims Working with mice, researchers have added to evidence that a commonly prescribed antidepressant called fluoxetine helps stroke victims improve movement and coordination, and possibly why.

Switch for health heart muscle Researchers have discovered a protein, called Mel18, that regulates the development of heart muscle. Faults in the production of Mel18 in early cardiac cells may play a role in heart defects. The findings could help grow cardiac cells in the laboratory from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS).

Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease, according to results. The findings suggest that pain and depression may share a common neurochemical pathway

Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension The combination of two commonly used diuretics, each at half dose, can significantly reduce blood pressure without the side-effects caused by full doses of either alone.

Spironolactone 'a clear winner' for resistant hypertension In patients with poor blood pressure control despite treatment with a combination of three drugs (‘resistant hypertension’), addition of the diuretic spironolactone was significantly more effective than adding other blood pressure lowering drugs.

Cardiovascular Research: Treatment of type 2 diabetes may reduce heart disease, ♦ Bacterial cause behind fatal heart complications ♦ Metabolic syndrome face higher cardiovascular death

Many people in emergency department for chest pain don't need admitted Chest pain sends 7 million Americans to the ED each year. About half are admitted for further observation, testing or treatment. A new study finds a very low short-term risk for life-threatening cardiac events among patients with chest pain who have normal test results

Early detection, treatment of type 2 diabetes may reduce heart disease, mortality Screening to identify Type 2 diabetes followed by early treatment could result in substantial health benefits.

Bacterial cause behind fatal heart complications discovered A key cause of life threatening heart complications has been identified by researchers. The heart infections studied frequently follow severe infections with the bacteria responsible for pneumonia and meningitis.

Copd is independent risk factor for cardiovascular death, but not risk of stroke Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is associated with increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease such as heart failure or a heart attack, as well as diseases not associated with the heart. However, COPD is not by itself associated with increased likelihood of having a stroke or a systemic embolism.

People with metabolic syndrome face higher cardiovascular death risk People who have metabolic syndrome are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than people who do not have the condition, and having diabetes or high blood pressure worsens the risk.