NICE Publishes Draft Recommendations On The Management Of Chronic Heart Failure In Adults
NICE is in the process of updating its clinical guideline on the management of chronic heart failure in adults and has published its draft recommendations for public consultation.Since the original guideline was published in 2003, new high-quality evidence from randomised controlled trials in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring have been published. This partial update will ensure that the recommendations take into account the new evidence available. Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome of symptoms and signs such as breathlessness, fatigue and fluid retention that suggest the efficiency of the heart is impaired. The most common cause of heart failure in the UK is coronary artery disease, with many patients having suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) in the past.
Aerobic Step Bench - Intensify Your Aerobic Workout
Are you getting bored with your aerobic/cardio workout? Does it seem less challenging than when you first started? You might be ready to add an aerobic step bench to your routine. An aerobic step bench is simply a portable step which measures about 3 feet by 1 foot. It's best to start with about a 6-inch height, then increase the height as needed. You'll want to choose a stable, well-balanced bench with a textured, non-slippery surface. In addition to really ramping up the cardio benefits of your workout, adding a step strengthens and tones your thighs and butt. Using these large muscles requires more energy so you burn more calories. For my routine I like to create a circuit where I alternate step moves with other aerobic activities.
Investigators Identify Gene Mutations That Predispose Patients With Becker Muscular Dystrophy To Early Onset Cardiomyopathy
Investigators in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital have identified a link between specific modifications of the dystrophin gene and the age of cardiac disease onset in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). This information could help clinicians provide early cardiac intervention for BMD patients based on genetic testing results performed on a blood sample. These findings are a result of analysis of the largest number of BMD patients to date and are published in the December issue of the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics. Becker muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that usually begins in adolescence causing progressive muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis.
Cardiologists Contest Medicare Cuts
A cardiologists' lobby filed suit against Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, claiming cuts to heart care services, especially diagnostic tests, are unjustified, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. A judge has already ruled that he can't intervene on the cardiologists' behalf, leaving the doctors to go through the government's complaint process "before considering a suit." The president of the American College of Cardiology "contends the pay cut will make doctors give up their private practices and work for hospitals, " which could limit access to some services for patients, and end up costing more, since hospitals charge more for the same services.
TYRX Enrolls First Patient In CENTURION Study For AIGISRx Anti-Bacterial Envelope With CRT Replacements
TYRX, Inc., a leader in the commercialization of implantable drug-device combination products, announced that it has enrolled its first patient in CENTURION, the first of two large scale, prospective, multicenter studies. CENTURION will enroll 2000 patients at 50 clinical study sites across the U.S. Each patient is currently implanted with either a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device which will be replaced with a CRT device accompanied by AIGISRx. This patient population will be compared to 2000 case-matched controls that have also undergone a pacemaker, ICD or CRT device replacement without AIGISRx.