October 3rd, 2013
News From Our ‘Statin Civilization’: High-Dose Statins Found to Reduce Gum Disease Inflammation
Larry Husten, PHD
In addition to their well-known benefits in heart disease, high-dose statins appear to reduce gum inflammation caused by periodontal disease, a new report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows. The findings offer more evidence that heart disease and gum disease may be linked, and also help support the view that statins achieve at least […]
April 25th, 2013
Another Cleveland Clinic Study Links TMAO to Atherosclerosis
Larry Husten, PHD
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic research group headed by Stanley Hazen offers more evidence in support of the hypothesis that TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) may play a role in the development of heart disease. The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, follows closely on a related study published recently in Nature […]
August 22nd, 2012
NHLBI Announces 7000-Patient Trial to Test Inflammation Hypothesis
Larry Husten, PHD
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has announced the launch of a large clinical trial testing the inflammation hypothesis. Paul Ridker is the principal investigator of the trial, which will be known as the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial (CIRT). CIRT will enroll 7,000 patients who are stable following a heart attack but are at high risk for a […]
August 20th, 2012
TNF Inhibitors Linked to Reduction in MI for Psoriasis Patients
Larry Husten, PHD
Psoriasis patients who take TNF inhibitors have a significant reduction in the risk for myocardial infarction (MI), according to a retrospective cohort study published in Archives of Dermatology. Although previous research suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate, an older therapy, may be beneficial in this population, the cardiovascular effects of TNF inhibitors had not been […]
March 15th, 2012
Strongest Evidence to Date for Causative Role of Inflammation in Heart Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
Two large new meta-analyses published in the Lancet provide the first strong evidence demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between a specific inflammatory protein and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Both studies illuminate the role of interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) by focusing on the common Asp358Ala variant of the IL6R gene. The variant is known to dampen the inflammatory effect […]
October 19th, 2010
Study Finds Link Between Invasive Dental Treatments and CV Events
Larry Husten, PHD
A new study adds to the evidence linking periodontal disease to cardiovascular events, suggesting a common basis in acute inflammation. In a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Caroline Minassian and colleagues analyzed a Medicaid database of 1175 patients discharged with ischemic stroke or MI who had received invasive dental treatment. They observed a […]
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