June 2013

People’s perception of the effect of stress on their health is linked to risk of heart attacks

People who believe that stress is having an adverse impact on their health are probably right, because they have an increased risk of suffering a heart attack, according to new research published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The latest findings from the UK’s Whitehall II study, which has followed several thousand London-based civil […]

Death rates from heart disease continue to decline in most of the EU, but some countries are ‘cause for concern’

Death rates from heart disease in the European Union have more than halved in many countries since the early 1980s, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In the majority of countries, there have been ongoing steady reductions in heart disease death rates in both sexes and most age groups, including […]

Long-distance cross-country skiers at increased risk of heart rhythm disturbances

Cross-country skiers who take part in one of the world’s most challenging ski races, the 90 km Vasaloppet in Sweden, are at increased risk of developing arrhythmia – problems with the rate or rhythm of their heart beat – according to a study of nearly 53,000 race participants published online in the European Heart Journal […]

Genetic research clarifies link between hypertension and Vitamin D deficiency

Paris, France: Low levels of vitamin D can trigger hypertension, according to the world’s largest study to examine the causal association between the two. Although observational studies have already shown this link, a large-scale genetic study was necessary before the cause and effect could be proven, researchers told the annual conference of the European Society […]

Diabetes drug shows promise in treatment of neurodegenerative disease

Paris, France: A drug used to control Type II diabetes can help repair the spinal cords of mice suffering from the inherited disease adrenoleukodystrophy which, untreated, leads eventually to a paralysis, a vegetative state and death. This is an important step along the road to the development of a therapy for the human disease for […]

Significant under-use of genetic testing for inherited cancers puts health of entire families at risk

Paris, France: A new study of the use of genetic testing for cancer-causing mutations in affected families in France has found that its take-up is very low. Professor Pascal Pujol, Head of the Cancer Genetics Department, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics that analysis of […]

Alzheimer’s disease drugs linked to reduced risk of heart attacks

Drugs that are used for treating Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages are linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, according to a large study of over 7,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease in Sweden. The research, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1], looked at cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), such […]