STOCKHOLM (MedPage Today) — Adding margarine enriched with omega-3 fatty acids as a dietary intervention did not prevent second heart attacks in older men and women at risk for worsening heart disease, researchers said here.

When Doris Snyder celebrated her 102nd birthday on August 10, she was that much closer to the expected birth of her first great-granddaughter who’s due to arrive early September. She is very excited about the milestone, which might not have been possible were it not for a cutting-edge, experimental procedure that replaced one of Doris’ heart valves weeks earlier when she was 101. The valve had been rendered useless by aortic valve stenosis hardening from calcium deposits that restrict the flow of blood from the heart…

Sermo, the world’s largest online community for physicians, announced a free Sermo Report titled, “FDA Committee Recommends Approval for Ticagrelor.” The report covers physician opinions about the introduction of an investigational oral antiplatelet treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). According to the results, 46% of physicians feel that ticagrelor will likely affect the current standard of care, Plavix (clopidogrel), for ACS patients. If approved, 57% of physicians said they could switch up to 20% of their patients to ticagrelor…

As well as being cheaper than blueberries, black rice has more anthocyanin antioxidants, vitamin E antioxidants, less sugar and more fiber than blueberries, a presentation at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) revealed. Black rice used to be consumed just by nobles in ancient China; it was considered the Emperor’s rice and was literally forbidden for anyone else to eat it. Anthocyanin antioxidants show promise in fighting cancer, heart disease and some other illnesses/conditions…

On August 23rd, a federal district judge issued a temporary ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Stem cell research holds great promise for the treatment of millions of Americans with debilitating and possibly fatal diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. Because of the court injunction, the NIH reports that it will not review grant applications involving stem cell research, and similar grants that are up for renewal will not be funded…

At the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2010, Siemens Healthcare presents the company’s innovative solutions for cardiology that provide higher quality of care and contribute at the same time to reducing costs in healthcare. The objective is to diagnose heart diseases more effectively as well as earlier but also to enable new therapies that are more patient-sparing and accelerate treatment. Examples of heart disease include heart failure and coronary heart disease (CHD) - diseases that are increasing among people…

Treating heart attack patients with hypothermia reduces the amount of heart damage by more than one third after balloon angioplasty. Researchers in Lund, Sweden have released the results of a study showing that the amount of heart damage in heart attack patients whose body temperature was lower than 35Ë�C (95Ë�F) was reduced by more than one third after they were treated with balloon angioplasty to open their clogged heart vessel. The results are published in the scientific journal Circulation-Cardiovascular Intervention…

Imagine a day when you could be alerted to your impending heart attack before it happens. Research that got underway at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System could help that become a reality someday. Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System launched its clinical participation in a national trial for the AngelMed Guardian System, when physicians implanted the Cardiac Monitor and Alert System into a high-risk heart patient…

A new analysis of diabetes medications Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone) revealed that the risk of heart attack and/or heart failure, or death were the same, approximately 4%. The study has been published in the latest issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. Takeda Pharmacuetical Co. makes Actos, while GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) makes Avandia.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) announced an agreement to jointly sponsor the Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) organization. Founded by SCAI in May 2010, ACE provides professional review of facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed and will accredit those that achieve predetermined benchmarks for quality care…