2019

Can good sleep patterns offset genetic susceptibility to heart disease and stroke?

For the first time researchers have assessed the impact on the risk of heart or blood vessel problems from the combination of sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], found that even if people had a high genetic risk of heart disease or […]

Low income and work stress contribute to link between education, heart disease and stroke: first nationwide study of 1.68 million people

Low educational levels predict an increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and stroke according to the first nationwide study of the link between education and risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], is also the first nationwide study to look at the extent to […]

Baby boys born small for gestational age have increased risk of infertility in adulthood

Baby boys who are born small for their gestational age are at increased risk of having fertility problems in adulthood, according to research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. Researchers in Denmark looked at 5594 men and 5342 women born between 1984 and 1987 and followed them through […]

E-cigarette user found to have rare form of lung scarring typically found in metal workers — European Respiratory Society warns against vaping for smoking cessation

Researchers studying a patient with a rare lung disease called hard-metal pneumoconiosis say the disease was probably caused by vaping. The condition creates an unusual and distinctive pattern of damage to the lungs that results in breathing difficulties. It is typically diagnosed in people who work with “hard metals”, such as cobalt or tungsten, in […]

Uncontrolled asthma attacks during pregnancy increase health risks for mothers and babies

Women with asthma who suffer severe symptoms while they are pregnant face higher risks of health problems both for themselves and their babies compared to women with well-controlled asthma, according to research published in the European Respiratory Journal [1]. The study, which included data on more than 100,000 pregnancies, showed that women with asthma who […]

Cancer patients are at higher risk of dying from heart disease and stroke

More than one in ten cancer patients do not die from their cancer but from heart and blood vessel problems instead, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. For some cancers, like breast, prostate, endometrial, and thyroid cancer, around half will die from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dr Nicholas Zaorsky, a radiation […]

Treatment with anti-cancer drug T-DM1 after pertuzumab is ‘good option’. Results from largest group of advanced breast cancer patients answers questions about efficacy of T-DM1 when cancer returns following treatment with pertuzumab

Lisbon, Portugal: Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer [1], whose disease has progressed after being treated initially with pertuzumab in combination with trastuzumab and a taxane, can respond well to treatment with T-DM1 – a drug that combines trastuzumab with an anti-cancer drug called DM1. Dr Benedetta Conte, a medical oncology resident from the University of […]

Complementary therapies can do more harm than good when breast cancer becomes visible

Lisbon, Portugal: Patients with advanced breast cancer that has spread to the skin are likely to cause more harm than good if they use complementary therapies to treat their skin lesions. Professor Maria João Cardoso, head breast surgeon at the Champalimaud Cancer Centre and a teacher at the Nova Medical School in Lisbon, Portugal, told […]

Giving breast cancer patients an average survival time is more often wrong than right

Lisbon, Portugal: Doctors who give advanced breast cancer patients just one estimate, such as 12 months, for the average amount of time they are expected to live are only accurate 20-30% of the time, according to Dr Belinda Kiely, medical oncologist and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney, Australia. Speaking at the Advanced […]

Cardiologists establish how e-cigarettes damage the brain, blood vessels and lungs

Cardiologists have issued a stark warning about the dangers of e-cigarettes, particularly for young people, as results of new research show the damage they cause to the brain, heart, blood vessels and lungs. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], also identifies some of the mechanisms involved, for which there has […]