The BHF are pleased to announce an upcoming call for applications to fund research into the use of advanced analytics to improve cardiovascular care delivery and outcomes in the NHS. A £1 million fund is available, and proposals for research projects lasting up to two years and costing up to £200,000 are invited. Proposals should … Read more
News for Cardiovascular
Lowering blood pressure still beneficial for the heart in old age
Oxford University researchers have found that blood pressure medication is still effective at reducing the risk of a heart attack and stroke in old age, even if blood pressure is in an apparently healthy range. The research by Professor Kazem Rahimi, who is supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the British Heart … Read more
BRC-supported study receives Best Research Paper Award
A leading cardiology journal has named an academic paper written by Oxford BRC-supported researchers as its best research paper of 2020. The paper – which found that two common heart medication do not increase the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation – was named by the BMJ Heart journal as the Heart Best Research Paper Award 2021 … Read more
“Modest” increase in heart attack hospitalisation rates after years of decline
The burden of hospital admission rates due to heart attacks in England rose between 2012 and 2016, despite decades of falling rates, new research suggests. The researchers also found that after 2010-2011, admission rates increased in most age groups. Young women aged 35 to 49 and even younger men aged 15 to 34 were the … Read more
AI replaces contrast dye for fast, cheaper and needle-free cardiac MRI scans
A team from Oxford comprising artificial intelligence (AI) scientists, magnetic resonance specialists and cardiologists have developed a new cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan for detecting heart muscle disease. The current ‘gold standard’ for imaging heart muscle disease is CMR, using a method called late gadolinium enhancement. This requires injection of a contrast agent into the … Read more
New Senior Research Fellows named
The NIHR Oxford BRC has announced the appointment of its latest group of Senior Research Fellows – the third cohort of emerging research leaders to receive the accolade. Like in 2020, this year’s selection process was a coordinated effort by the Oxford BRC and its partners in the NIHR Oxford Health BRC, which focuses on mental health … Read more
AI detects life-threatening blood vessel inflammation from COVID-19 variants
New artificial intelligence (AI) technology to scan for heightened blood vessel inflammation can calculate a person’s risk of death from COVID-19 and COVID-19 variants. The technology could be used to tailor their treatment and give them the best chance of recovery, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and presented today … Read more
Having a healthier heart associated with better problem-solving and reaction time
People with healthier heart structure and function appear to have better cognitive abilities, including increased capacity to solve logic problems and faster reaction times, according to a study involving University of Oxford and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) researchers. The study, which included researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, was published … Read more
Foods linked to greater risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-age identified
Two common dietary patterns identified in British adults may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-age, according to a study by Oxford University researchers. The research, which was supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, was published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. The two diets identified … Read more
More people could benefit from blood pressure-lowering medication, study finds
Blood pressure-lowering medication can prevent serious cardiovascular conditions such as strokes, heart failure and heart attacks, even in adults with normal blood pressure, according to a new research by University of Oxford researchers In a paper published in the Lancet, the researchers found the beneficial effects of treatment were similar, regardless of the starting blood … Read more
NIHR Advance Fellowship awarded
Dr. Chris Miller, University of Manchester, was awarded an NIHR Advanced fellowship for £1.3m. This is an important milestone towards creation of the UK HFpEF registry, which will become the key platform for collaborative UK clinical and translational HFpEF research.
Seven in ten patients hospitalised with COVID-19 not fully recovered five months after discharge
A majority of survivors who left hospital following COVID-19 had not fully recovered five months after discharge and continued to experience negative impacts on their physical and mental health, as well as their ability to work, according to results released by a major national study into the longer-term effect of the COVID-19. The PHOSP-COVID study, … Read more
Genetic breakthrough to target care for deadly heart condition
University of Oxford researchers have discovered a new type of genetic change in the DNA of people with the inherited heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. The findings, in a paper published in Nature Genetics, could transform the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, a silent killer amongst … Read more
Eight BRC projects get RCF funding
Eight Oxford BRC proposals, many covering a number of themes, have been awarded NIHR Research Capability Funding (RCF) funding to take forward key areas of research. The selected projects that will be supported include: Developing a research centre devoted to urgent and acute care The creation of a state-of-the-art imaging centre; and of a new … Read more
Common heart medication does not increase risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation
A study by Oxford researchers, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), found that ACE inhibitors and ARBs – both common treatments for high blood pressure and heart failure – are not generally linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease or an increased likelihood of being admitted to intensive care. However, … Read more
Thousands miss out on life-saving heart attack treatment due to COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers at the University of Oxford have published new research that shows that by the end of May there had been about 5,000 fewer hospital admissions with heart attack in 2020 than would be expected, suggesting that many patients have missed out on lifesaving treatment. The research showed that the number of admissions to hospital … Read more
Link between high cholesterol and aortic valve disease risk found
Oxford researchers have found that while having high cholesterol levels does not influence a person’s risk of aortic or mitral regurgitation, it does increase their risk of developing another major heart valve disease – aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis is the most common form of heart valve disease in developed countries and is thought to affect … Read more
Oxford haematologists win national awards to further their research
Two consultant haematologists at the Oxford Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre (OHTC), based at the Churchill Hospital, have been awarded funding for their research as part of a new national scheme. Dr Nicola Curry and Dr Susie Shapiro were among the recipients of the new Clinical Academic Research Partnerships (CARPs), awarded by the Medical Research Council … Read more
AI identifies ‘fingerprint’ that predicts heart attack risk
Oxford researchers have developed a new biomarker – derived through artificial intelligence analysis of routine CT scans – that can identify people at high risk of a fatal heart attack at least five years before it strikes. The researchers, who are supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, developed the new fat radiomic profile … Read more
Heart failure care must address patients’ broader health if survival rates are to improve
Oxford BRC-supported researchers have provided new evidence that might explain why the prognosis of heart failure patients has improved so little over the past decade. Findings show that a decline in cardiovascular deaths has been offset by an increase in the number of deaths from infections and respiratory problems, highlighting the importance of focusing on … Read more