Barcelona, Spain: A study of 11,945 people in six European countries has shown that people with type 2 diabetes who develop cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease if the condition is one that is not screened for routinely. In a presentation to the 13th European Breast Cancer Conference, Dr Anna Jansana, […]
Category: Cardiology
Adversity in childhood is linked to increased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases in early adulthood
Children who experience adversity, including serious family illness or death, poverty, neglect, or dysfunctional and stressful family relationships, are at increased risk of developing diseases of the heart or blood vessels in early adulthood. The new research, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], is the largest study so far to look at […]
Obstructive sleep apnoea linked to increased risk of cancer, a decline in mental processing powers and an increased risk of blood clots
People who suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are at an increased risk of cancer, according to a large study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Barcelona, Spain [1]. A second study showed that OSA was also linked to a decline in processing powers in the elderly; in particular, those aged […]
Aldosterone linked to increased risk of chronic kidney disease progression and end-stage kidney disease
A steroid hormone called aldosterone is linked to an increased risk of kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The risk of CKD worsening and developing into end-stage kidney disease was independent of whether or not patients had diabetes. The findings are […]
PCOS in mothers is linked to increased risk of health problems in their children
Children born to mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of developing infections, allergies and other childhood illnesses by the age of 13, according to the largest study to investigate this. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, looked at 1,038,375 children […]
Adding salt to your food at the table is linked to higher risk of premature death
People who add extra salt to their food at the table are at higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause, according to a study of more than 500,000 people, published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Compared to those who never or rarely added salt, those who always added salt to their food had […]
Atrial fibrillation after surgery is linked to an increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure
People who develop an abnormal heart rhythm after surgery have an increased risk of subsequently being admitted to hospital with heart failure, according to a study of over three million patients, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1]. An abnormal, often rapid, heart rhythm is known as atrial fibrillation (AF), and the study […]
New retinal examination can predict a heart attack
Vienna, Austria: Combining information about the pattern of blood vessels in the retina with genetic data can enable accurate prediction of an individual’s risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and its potentially fatal outcome, myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack. The discovery could lead to a simple screening process where an MI […]
Thalidomide is an effective treatment for abnormal blood vessel formations
Vienna, Austria: The same properties that caused birth defects when it was given to pregnant women, the inhibition of blood vessel formation (anti-angiogenesis), have led to an interest in thalidomide’s therapeutic utility in other fields. At the annual conference of the European Society for Human Genetics on Sunday, Professor Miikka Vikkula, from the de Duve […]
Are statin side effects all in the mind? International experts recommend ways to improve adherence to statin therapy
For the first time, an international group of experts has issued recommendations to doctors about how to distinguish between true side effects caused by statins that have been prescribed in order to lower cholesterol levels and side effects arising due to patients’ expectations that they will occur. The position paper from the International Lipid Expert […]