ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

GPs undertreat women with atrial fibrillation

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Women with atrial fibrillation are undertreated compared with men regardless of their stroke risk and comorbidities. This study has revealed a significant gap between guidelines and practice and requires GPs and cardiologists to work together to optimize treatment for women.

Short-term smoking cessation reverses endothelial damage

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Eight weeks of smoking cessation reverses the endothelial damage caused by smoking, according to new research. Serotonin remained elevated, suggesting eight weeks of cessation is insufficient to reverse the risk of myocardial infarction.

Smokers who survive to 70 still lose four years of life

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Smokers who survive to 70 still lose an average of four years of life, according to new findings.

STEMI incidence falls in southern Switzerland after smoking ban implemented

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

STEMI incidence fell in southern Switzerland after implementation of the smoking ban in public places, reveals new research. Second-hand smoke increases the risk of coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction. For this reason, health policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption and public smoke exposure are strongly recommended.

Diabetic stroke risk after AMI drops in 10 year period

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

The risk of ischemic stroke after acute myocardial infarction in diabetics has dropped over a 10 year period, according to a new study of more than 173,000 AMI patients.

Impact of AF on stroke risk eliminated with multiple risk factors

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Patients with five or more risk factors have the same stroke risk as patients with atrial fibrillation, according to new research. The study included data on more than 4 million patients from Danish registries over a 10 year period.

Mass screening identifies untreated AF in 5% of 75-76 year olds

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Mass screening in more than 25,000 Swedish residents has identified untreated atrial fibrillation in 5 percent of 75-76 year olds, putting them at increased stroke risk.

CHADS2 risk score assigns over one-third of stroke patients to low or intermediate stroke risk

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

The CHADS2 stroke risk scores 0 or 1 assign more than one-third of patients in atrial fibrillation with stroke to low or intermediate risk not mandating oral anticoagulation, according to new research.

Statins prevent cataracts, study suggests

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Statins lower the rate of cataract by 20 percent, according to new research. The risk of cataract was reduced by 50 percent when treatment was initiated in younger individuals (in their 40s) and the duration of therapy was longer (e.g. up to 14 years).

High dose statins prevents dementia, study suggests

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

High doses of statins prevent dementia in older people, according to new research. The study of nearly 58,000 patients found that high potency statins had the strongest protective effects against dementia.

Reimbursement systems influence achievement of cholesterol targets

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

The type of healthcare reimbursement system influences the achievement of cholesterol targets, reveals new research. The analysis found that fewer patients reached the target in countries with restrictive (e.g. Germany) compared to incentive (e.g. the UK) systems.

Statins reduce cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease patients with very low LDL cholesterol levels

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:09 AM PDT

Aggressive treatment with statins reduces the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease even if they have very low LDL cholesterol levels, reveals new research.

Monitor and control severe drought with analysis of data from Chollian

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:08 AM PDT

Research team developing a more accurate way to monitor and predict weather changes.

Imaging: A brighter future for cell tracking

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:08 AM PDT

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles operating as cell tracers outperform existing methods for long-term tracking of living cells.

Optics: Nanotechnology's benefits brought into focus

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Conventional lenses, made of shaped glass, are limited in how precisely they can redirect beams of incoming light and make them meet at a point. Now, scientists have proposed a novel approach to 'superlens' systems that can surpass this classical limit of focusing light.

Data storage: Maintaining privacy on the cloud

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

A data-sharing scheme utilizing an encryption manager shows the way towards low-cost, flexible and secure cloud storage services.

Microelectronics: Automating cancer detection

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Microelectronic engineers have developed and tested sensor technology that can detect and measure a chemical signature of bladder cancer. The light-based sensor could eventually be used for the early diagnosis and subsequent tracking of the progression and treatment of many different tumors, according to researchers.

Data storage: Better hard drives ready for lift-off

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Operating a hard disk drive is as complex as keeping a superfast car on the road. Read/write heads within the hard disk must process a huge amount of data at high speed. Controlling the motion of the slider housing these heads is crucial: if the slider crashes, it could destroy the hard disk.

Magnetic materials: Forging ahead with a back-to-basics approach

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Atomic-level simulations hint at how to control the magnetic properties of layered materials for data storage applications.

Solar energy: A richer harvest on the horizon

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Theoretical simulations reveal that layered semiconductors with magnetic interfaces are potent catalysts for solar energy capture and conversion.

Nanoparticles: Polymer knots with silicon hearts

Posted: 31 Aug 2013 08:06 AM PDT

Biocompatible complexes for drug delivery applications get a structural boost from nanoscale silicon cages.