A study of 93,000 UK adults with heart failure has revealed critical care shortcomings in diagnostic tests, drug prescriptions, and follow-up patterns, with women and those over 75 years of age disproportionately affected. The study by The George Institute for Global Health at the University of ... READ MORE
News for Cardiovascular Medicine
Oxford researchers spot tell-tale signs of potentially fatal cardiac condition
Researchers in Oxford have employed a technique more commonly used in brain imaging to identify the tell-tale signs of the potentially fatal heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. This Oxford BRC-supported study is the first time ... READ MORE
Event showcases BRC work tackling chronic diseases
Around 170 people attended a BRC event on Tuesday (26 March) that provided an opportunity to network and to hear about the breadth of research taking place in Oxford to combat chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and dementia. The Chronic Disease Cluster, ... READ MORE
Only “modest” improvement in heart failure survival rates since 2000
Survival after a diagnosis of heart failure in the United Kingdom has shown only modest improvement in the 21st Century and lags behind other serious conditions, such as cancer, a large study supported by the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre has found. The findings, published by the BMJ, also ... READ MORE
Nitric Oxide conference gets under way in Oxford
Delegates from round the world have descended on Oxford for the 10th international conference of the Nitric Oxide Society, which has got under way. This year, the NIHR oxford Biomedical Research Centre is among the sponsors of the event. The conference, which is being held at the University of ... READ MORE
Research reveals link between high blood pressure and risk of aortic valve disease
New research has found that long-term exposure to high blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of aortic valve disease, with significant implications for clinical practice guidelines and health management. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, are from a study of 5.4 ... READ MORE
Study shows new technology can predict fatal heart attacks
Researchers at the University of Oxford, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), have developed a new technology based on analysis of computed tomography (CT) coronary angiograms that can identify patients at risk of deadly heart attacks years before they occur. Heart ... READ MORE
Lifestyle factors linked to brain health of young adults
Researchers at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital have used advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate whether factors such as blood pressure, fitness, smoking and alcohol intake during young adult life are associated with changes in the blood vessels inside the brain. The University ... READ MORE
Fourth digital health product developed as part of Sensyne agreement
A software product that underpins a remote management service for patients with heart failure has been licensed by the UK digital health company Sensyne Health as part of a strategic research agreement with the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation ... READ MORE
Premature hearts less able to cope with exercise
The hearts of people born prematurely are less able to cope with the pressures of exercise in adulthood, according to a new study funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, might explain why people born ... READ MORE
Sharp rise in heart disease patients experiencing five or more other conditions
The proportion of people experiencing heart disease and stroke who have five or more other health conditions quadrupled between 2000 and 2014, and the rise was not driven by age, according to new research funded by the NIHR Oxford BRC. The study by The George Institute for Global Health at the ... READ MORE
New funding allows John Radcliffe to expand testing for deadly heart conditions
Thousands more people nationally – and hundreds in our region - could be screened for deadly inherited heart conditions at the John Radcliffe Hospital after it received a grant to expand a genetic testing service. The funding from the Miles Frost Fund and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) was ... READ MORE
High blood pressure linked to common heart valve disorder
New research has, for the first time, established a strong link between high blood pressure and the most common heart valve disorder in high-income countries. The NIHR Oxford BRC-funded study by The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Oxford followed 5.5 million adults in the ... READ MORE
Oxford researchers develop new scan to predict stroke
Researchers at the University of Oxford, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, have developed a new type of MRI scan to predict the risk of having a stroke. The non-invasive technique, developed with funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), is described in a paper ... READ MORE
Oxford researchers develop new early warning scan for heart attacks
Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a new type of imaging test to provide an early warning of coronary artery disease, and the risk of heart attacks. The new imaging technique can be applied as a new feature in routine computed tomography angiography (CTA), and will improve the ... READ MORE
Unique Oxford study of vascular disease welcomes 10,000th participant
Peter Casey was the study's 10,000th patient The only project of its kind anywhere that studies all acute vascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks, to develop better treatments has recruited its 10,000th Oxfordshire ... READ MORE
High blood pressure linked to vascular dementia
High blood pressure could significantly raise the risk of developing the second most common form of dementia, according to a new study from The George Institute for Global Health. The medical records of more than four million people were analysed with researchers finding heightened blood pressure ... READ MORE
Immediate aspirin after mini-stroke substantially reduces risk of major stroke
Using aspirin urgently could substantially reduce the risk of major strokes in patients who have minor ‘warning’ events, a group of European researchers has found. Writing in the Lancet, the team say that immediate self-treatment when patients experience stroke-like symptoms would considerably ... READ MORE
Heart warning over “fight or flight” tumour
A rare tumour that randomly secretes stress hormones – historically leading some doctors to diagnose sufferers with a psychiatric disorder – does more damage to the heart than previously thought, University of Oxford research reports today. In the largest study of its kind, researchers said ... READ MORE
Statin treatment before heart surgery does not prevent heart damage or atrial fibrillation
Giving daily doses of statins for a few days before and after heart surgery does not prevent heart muscle damage or the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to an international clinical trial led by the University of Oxford and co-funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research ... READ MORE