Atrial volume, ventricular shape predict mortality.
TORONTO -- Increased left-atrial volume and abnormal left-ventricular geometry were each independent predictors of death among elderly patients with preserved systolic heart function in a study with more than 11,000 subjects. The findings suggest a potential role for left-atrial volume index and assessment of left-ventricular geometry in...

Tissue Doppler imaging identifies heart failure risk.
CHICAGO -- Tissue Doppler imaging of the heart may be a way to safely and noninvasively screen asymptomatic people who are at risk of dying from heart failure, according to results from an initial study with 1,100 people. In this pilot study, people in the lowest tertile...

Atenolol may equal carvedilol for heart failure survival.
CHICAGO -- Atenolol may be as effective as carvedilol for improving survival and reducing hospitalizations in patients with systolic heart failure, based on a retrospective review of more than 1,000 unrandomized patients. The finding suggests that atenolol should be tested in a prospective, randomized study to definitively...

Major CV events not decreased with Vytorin.
Combined simvastatin plus ezetimibe treatment not only failed to reduce major cardiovascular events, but also was linked to an increase in cancer deaths among asymptomatic patients with aortic stenosis, according to the first report of a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial. The only positive outcome of the...

Diary dates.
Conferences, seminars, meetings SYDNEY, HUNTER & ILLAWARRA Acute Care Seminar 'Working Together--Achieving More' 12 Sept, Wollongong Hosp. Cost: $50 incl. lunch. Contact: 4222 5120, Kylie. Mackenzie@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au 15th State Conference for Enrolled Nurses 'Full Steam Ahead ... The Patient Professional' Call for abstract. 18-19...

FDA CLEARS STEREOTAXIS MAGNETIC RADIO FREQUENCY GUIDEWIRE.
Stereotaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:STXS), has received regulatory clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its magnetically tipped, PowerAssert(TM) radiofrequency (RF) guidewire to cross chronic total occlusions in the peripheral vasculature. Occluded or blocked arteries occur in patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and if left...

Elders can benefit from implanted cardiac devices: cardiac patients can improve their ability to perform activities of daily living with device therapy.
WASHINGTON -- Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators can extend survival and improve functionality in properly selected cardiac patients, but given the lack of data from elderly individuals, choices can be complex and challenging. "We don't have very good long-term randomized, prospective clinical trials in the very elderly...

Even elderly adults should exercise.
Washington -- As long as they're healthy, adults of any age should be encouraged to exercise, because studies show that it's a safe way to improve their cardiovascular health. "It turns out that healthy older adults are able to make the necessary cardiovascular adjustments--and physiological homeostasis is...

Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients.
Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients Ellen A. Dornelas American Psychological Association 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 9781433803567, $59.95, www.apa.org Few health practitioners take into account the psychological effects of heart disease. "Psychotherapy with Cardiac Patients: Behavioral Cardiology in...

Freedom fighter no more.
LUCKNOW: Noted freedom fighter and veteran journalist SM Jaffer passed away on Monday evening at the Lari Cardiology of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University. He was admitted in the Cardiology Department following a severe heart attack a couple of days ago. Jaffer was admitted in the intensive...