Category Archives: Cardiology

Cardiology Sethoscope product demo of the Valuemed yellow tube option Product demonstration of the yellow tube option cardiology stethoscope from valuemed. Box contents, spares and function shown to assist potential buyers. http://www.valuemed.co.uk/acatalog/Cardiolo ... By: Valuemed Medical Supplies … Continue reading →

Geisinger Community Medical Center plans to ramp up its repertoire next month when Advanced Cardiology Specialists of Scranton joins its ranks. The six-member physician group is to formally enter under Geisingers umbrella March 1, bringing with them 18 staffers. The physicians and advanced practitioners at ACS all are top-notch professionals, Stephen Voyce, M.D., of ACS said. The thing that we were lacking is infrastructure. Anthony Aquilina, D.O., GCMCs chief medical officer, said the integration was a natural evolution that follows the hospitals core mission. Heart care is not a static thing; theres new innovations in heart care all the time, Dr. Aquilina said. The reason we engaged with Advanced Cardiology Specialists is we saw a like-minded organization. ACS main office along the Morgan Highway and satellite office in Carbondale will remain open under the new name Geisinger Cardiology Scranton. The physicians have been working with Community Medical Center for decades, and Dr. Voyce was made the hospitals heart institute co-director around the time Geisinger acquired the hospital in 2011. GCMC officials credit ACS expertise for the hospital becoming accredited by the American Heart Association as a heart attack receiving center, and by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care as a … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (March 4, 2015) -- Taking omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower inflammation and guard against further declines in heart function among recent heart attack survivors already receiving optimal standard care, according to results from a randomized, controlled trial to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego. Patients in the study taking 4 grams of prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid capsules daily for six months after a heart attack were significantly more likely to show improvements in heart function compared to patients taking a placebo. Heart function was measured by an expansion of the left ventricular endsystolic volume index. Patients taking omega-3 fatty acids also had significantly less evidence of fibrosis -- a thickening or scarring of the areas of the heart remote from the heart attack, which can develop when the surviving heart muscle works harder and under high pressure to compensate for the damage to the heart. The data suggests that patients who were able to mount a substantial change in levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood derived the most benefit. "Giving a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids soon after a heart attack appears to improve cardiac structure … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2015) -- Frequent use of lead aprons to protect medical professionals in the interventional lab and radiology departments from radiation exposure is associated with increased musculoskeletal pain, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Flouroscopically, or X-ray guided, interventional procedures performed by cardiologists and radiologists have become increasingly complex. As a result, these specialists spend more time being exposed to radiation and wearing heavy protective lead aprons. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, surveyed employees to determine whether musculoskeletal pain, cancer and other medical conditions occurred more often among interventional lab and radiology employees compared to other health care workers. An email survey was sent to 2,682 employees of the cardiology and radiology departments of the Mayo Clinic Health System facilities. Employees were asked questions about their work environment such as the use of protective equipment as well as questions about specific medical conditions, including pain, cancer and cataracts. Responses were received from 1,543 cardiology and radiology employees, and 1,042 of the respondents reported participating in procedures that involved radiation. The 501 employees who did not report being exposed to radiation made up the control group. Employees … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (March 5, 2015) -- A new study scheduled for presentation at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that screening for and treating depression could help to reduce the risk of heart disease in patients with moderate to severe depression. Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City analyzed the health records and rates of death, coronary artery disease and stroke of more than 26,000 patients treated in the statewide network of health centers over a three-year period. Patients completed a nine-question depression screening questionnaire, which assessed such factors as mood, sleep and appetite, to determine their level of depressive symptoms. Based on the questionnaires, researchers identified 5,311 patients as having moderate to severe depression and 21,517 patients as having no to mild depression. The study, which will be presented March 15 at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego, found patients with moderate to severe depression who took antidepressants alone had a lower risk of death, coronary artery disease and stroke than patients with moderate to severe depression who did not take antidepressant or statin medications. Taking statins alone or in combination with antidepressants was not associated … Continue reading →

Separate study reveals cardiologists may not be equipped to counsel on heart health diets WASHINGTON (March 4, 2015) -- Adults who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period compared to similar adults who did not closely follow the diet, according to a study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego. Among the study's paacrticipants, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was more protective than physical activity. The study, conducted in Greece, bolsters evidence from earlier studies pointing to the diet's health benefits and is the first to track 10-year heart disease risk in a general population. Most previous studies have focused on middle-aged people. "Our study shows that the Mediterranean diet is a beneficial intervention for all types of people--in both genders, in all age groups, and in both healthy people and those with health conditions," said Ekavi Georgousopoulou, a Ph.D. candidate at Harokopio University in Athens, Greece, who conducted the study along with Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, Ph.D., professor at Harokopio University. "It also reveals that the Mediterranean diet has direct benefits for heart health, in addition to its indirect benefits … Continue reading →

IMAGE:This is an image from Future Cardiology. view more Credit: Future Science Group A recently published clinical trial report reviewing the first completed Phase III study in the ODYSSEY development program has shown that alirocumab showed significantly better LDL-C lowering than ezetimibe, with a comparable safety profile to ezetimibe. [1] The report, which is published in the January issue of Future Cardiology, provides a comprehensive overview of the ODYSSEY MONO trial, including detail on the study design, data analysis, results and discussion on the implications of the findings, authored by lead investigator of the trial Eli M Roth. LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) is considered to be a major modifiable risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide. LDL-C is identified as the primary target of cholesterol-lowering therapy in both North American and European guidelines. Statins are the recommended first-line therapy for lowering LDL-C. Alirocumab (formerly SAR236553/REGN727) is a fully human mAb to PCSK9 - the first in this class of drugs to complete a Phase III trial, and reported to have a significant role in the regulation of LDL-C - being developed jointly by Sanofi (France) and Regeneron (NY, USA). This first completed … Continue reading →

Many aspects of pediatric cardiology are relatively new to the discipline. Only recently have physicians been able to accurately diagnose and characterize the myriad congenital cardiovascular conditions that occur and begin to apply successful strategies for care. This week, an international group of more than 800 medical experts gather at the nation's largest pediatric cardiology conference to discuss challenges in treating congenital heart disease in the fetus, neonates, children and young adults. Affecting one in 120 children, congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, which in the most severe forms is also the leading cause of death in infants and young children. "While the origins of congenital heart disease remain a mystery, diagnostic capabilities continue to improve, and treatment and management strategies continue to evolve. However, many anomalies remain difficult to treat effectively," said Jack Rychik, M.D., the conference course director and medical director of the Fetal Heart Program and the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He added, "as a consequence of our success, the survivors of childhood surgery and other treatments are now adults, presenting to us with new needs. Early survival alone is not sufficient. The challenge ahead is to … Continue reading →

LCZ696 is a heart failure drug from Novartis that many observers think will gain FDA approval later this year and go on to become a blockbuster. Perhapsthe biggest obstacle to the drugs success is the fear that it might raise the risk of Alzheimers disease. Now a new article in a top cardiology journal lays out the detailed basis for this concern. The authors donot contend that the Alzheimers issue will likely ruin the drugs chances, but they do maintain that the problem needs to be carefully monitored. I spoke with Milton Packer, the co-principal investigator of PARADIGM-HF, the mega trial that set off the mega excitement about the drug last year. He offers several persuasive arguments that Alzheimers disease wont bethe Achilles heel of LCZ696. But first lets look at the paper, published in theEuropean Heart Journal, by a group of French researchers. The paper focuses on the potential impact of sacubitril, which is one of the two key ingredients of LCZ696. Sacubitril inhibits the action of neprilysin. The French authors focus on two conflicting roles for neprilysin.The cardiovascular benefitsare achieved because in the heart neprilysin inhibition leads to increased levels of neuropeptides and vasodilators that are beneficial in … Continue reading →

Welcome to Jefferson Cardiology Association. Our practice specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Our physicians have all taken advanced training in the field of cardiology and have met the requirements for certification in the specialty of cardiology. We have three convenient locations in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and beyond . Each one of our physician accepts new patients. Our kind and caring staff is ready to answer any of your questions. Russian and Latvian translation is available. With Jefferson Cardiologys excellent reputation and experience of our physicians, we attract patients from surrounding communities in Pittsburgh and suburbs south such as Pleasant Hills, Bethel Park, Whitehall, West Mifflin, Baldwin, South Park, Elizabeth, Jefferson Boro, McKeesport and the surrounding towns of the Mon Valley (including Charleroi, Monessen, Belle Vernon, Donora, and Perryopolis) as well as an assortment of other towns. Most of these communities are within a 15-30 minute drive. Read more here: Jefferson Cardiology Pittsburgh PA * Heart Doctors ... … Continue reading →