African Americans who smoke appear to have more than twice the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to those who do not smoke, a new study has found. The findings—the first up-close look at the relationship between smoking and coronary heart disease in this population—also examined the risk for plaque buildup in the arteries of...
'Forward-oriented’ design might boost treatment effectiveness and broaden use Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a new and improved viral vector—a virus-based vehicle that delivers therapeutic genes—for use in gene therapy for sickle cell disease. In advanced lab tests using animal models, the new vector was up to...
The move away from high-field MRI offers promising results for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases National Institutes of Health researchers, along with researchers at Siemens, have developed a high-performance, low magnetic-field MRI system that vastly improves image quality of the lungs and other internal structures of the human body. The new...
Detailed pregnancy history, prevention strategies may hold a key to improving health outcomes Women who experience complications such as preterm births and preeclampsia during their first pregnancy are nearly twice more likely than women without complications to develop high blood pressure later in life—some as quickly as three years later,...
Use of long-acting bronchodilators had no impact for some African American children A new study of African Americans with poorly controlled asthma, found differences in patients’ responses to commonly used treatments. Contrary to what researchers had expected, almost half of young children in the study responded differently than older children and...
NIH-funded study highlights high-occupancy hospitals A new study has found that hospital emergency room closures can adversely affect health outcomes for heart attack patients at neighboring hospitals that are near or at full capacity. Conversely, when a new emergency department opens, health outcomes for patients at those so-called “bystander”...
Findings might explain why some people who never smoked develop lung disease Long-term exposure to air pollution was linked to increases in emphysema between 2000 and 2018, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), both part of the...
NIH-funded imaging study shows link between blood pressure and white matter lesions Scanning for White Matter Lesions NIH funded study found link between blood pressure and white matter lesions. Arrows highlight examples of lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging brain scans. Courtesy of SPRINT MIND Investigators. In a nationwide study,...
Novel imaging biomarker could track interventions on coronary artery disease Researchers have found that anti-inflammatory biologic therapies used to treat moderate to severe psoriasis can significantly reduce coronary inflammation in patients with the chronic skin condition. Scientists said the findings are particularly notable because of the use...
A new study provides evidence to support a simple measurement for diagnosing clinically significant airflow obstruction, the key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The study found that a 70% ratio of two indicators of lung function proved as or more accurate than...
Illustration of the BASILICA procedure. (A) a catheter directs an electrified guidewire through the base of the left aortic cusp into a snare in the left ventricular outflow tract; (B) after snare retrieval, the mid-shaft of the guidewire is electrified to lacerate the leaflet (C); (D) the leaflet splays after TAVR permitting coronary flow. CREDIT:...