Frequent drinking is greater risk factor for heart rhythm disorder than binge drinking
Drinking small amounts of alcohol frequently is linked with a higher likelihood of atrial fibrillation than binge drinking, according to new research.
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Respiratory diseases linked with high blood pressure in lungs
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the lungs of both animals and people. When tiny vessels in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, it becomes harder for blood to flow through and can cause the heart to weaken or fail.
Read moreFailure of mitochondrial quality control causes heart disease
Mutations in the gene that encodes a protein called ANT cause a variety of conditions, such as heart disease, but the underlying mechanism of how these mutations trigger disease has been unclear. Researchers discovered that ANT is critical for a quality control process called mitophagy — which helps to ensure the integrity of the mitochondria network — and found that mutations that lead to a defective quality control system cause heart disease.
Read moreDiabetes: A next-generation therapy soon available?
Insulin is normally produced by pancreatic beta cells. In many people with diabetes, pancreatic cells are not functional, causing a chronic and potentially fatal insulin deficiency that can only be controlled through daily insulin injections. However, this approach has serious adverse effects. In order to improve therapy, researchers have identified a protein called S100A9 which seems to act as a blood sugar and lipid regulator while avoiding the most harmful side effects of insulin.
Read moreProtein misfolding as a risk marker for Alzheimer's disease
In symptom-free individuals, the detection of misfolded amyloid-beta protein in the blood indicated a considerably higher risk of Alzheimer's disease — up to 14 years before a clinical diagnosis was made. Amyloid-beta folding proved to be superior to other risk markers evaluated.
Read moreGene mutation in the chloride channel triggers rare high blood pressure syndrome
When the adrenal gland produces too much aldosterone, this often leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage (hyperaldosteronism). It has only recently emerged that several patients harbor a mutation in the gene for the ClC-2 chloride channel. Researchers have now been able to show for the first time how the altered channels cause the disease.
Read moreWomen get half the number of heart attack treatments as men
Women receive poorer heart attack treatment than men, even when rates of diagnosis are the same, according to new research.
Read moreTissue damage caused by a heart attack to be reduced by 30%?
A heart attack is caused by a clot that blocks the artery blood flow. Under these conditions, the affected tissues undergo a rapid necrosis. But why? Scientists discovered that the synthesis of a lipid provokes the necrosis. This lipid accumulates in the absence of oxygen and blocks cellular functions. By inhibiting its synthesis in a mouse suffering a heart attack, the biologists were able to reduce the tissue damage by 30%.
Read moreType 2 diabetes and obesity could be treated by new, less invasive procedure
New research has found that a newly tested medical device, called Sleeveballoon, mimics the effects of traditional bariatric surgery in rodents and produces impressive results on body weight, fatty liver and diabetes control.
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