NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 16 - Coronary angiography is a recommended screening test for many patients undergoing kidney transplantation, and now new research shows that it can be performed in those with advanced chronic kidney disease without further impairing kidney function.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 15 - Coronary angiography after non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is associated with improved mortality across age, gender, and comorbidity groups, say U.K. researchers in the October Heart.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 14 - Stress testing can be safely done in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and is useful in predicting adverse cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death, according to a report in the American Journal of Cardiology for October 1.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 13 - In patients with mild renal insufficiency, a single IV bolus of sodium bicarbonate can help prevent contrast-induced nephropathy during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary arteriography, Japanese researchers report.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 12 - Routine lipid screening, followed by treatment with statins when necessary, can likely reduce cardiac-related deaths in people who have survived Hodgkin's lymphoma after receiving mediastinal irradiation.  

German researchers have discovered that FDG uptake in major arteries is the "strongest predictor of a subsequent vascular event" in cancer patients, with severe calcification also indicating high risk, according to an article published in the October issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 6 - For now at least, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there is not enough evidence to support the clinical use of nontraditional coronary heart disease risk factors.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Oct 6 - Noncardiac incidental findings are common in patients undergoing cardiac CT, say researchers from Canada -- and their investigation "is not without cost or risk."  

Evidence spanning decades shows that people with coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores of zero have a good chance of avoiding cardiac events. But the assurance applies only to asymptomatic patients. Newly emerging research finds that a zero CAC score combined with symptoms of coronary artery disease can mean trouble down the road.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 28 - In a large cohort study, the use of contrast agents during stress echocardiography was not associated with an increased risk of death or myocardial infarction during short-term or long-term follow-up.  

SAN FRANCISCO - A growing body of evidence is showing that plaque morphology is even more important than degree of stenosis in predicting outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). But precisely which imaging methods are the most effective, and ways in which they can improve interventional outcomes, still needs clarification.  

New studies appearing in Radiology online examine two different etiologies associated with myocardial fat deposits. Their presence on imaging studies, both in CT and MRI, can help radiologists evaluate the extent of disease and potential risks.  

A German study has found that cardiovascular MR changes clinical management in approximately two-thirds of heart patient cases and can also eliminate the need for additional imaging procedures. Researchers also concluded that cardiovascular MR with contrast is safe and produces diagnostic-quality images in 98% of cases.  

Myocardial perfusion echocardiography with contrast can improve the sensitivity of dobutamine stress tests in detecting coronary artery disease and also improve the performance of treadmill exercise stress echocardiography, according to a study published online in Heart.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 10 - In medium- to high-risk cardiac patients who need major vascular surgery, coronary angiography should be done routinely because it improves long-term outcomes, Italian researchers report in the September 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 1 - Obesity and central abdominal fat are related to calcification in the abdominal and coronary aorta, researchers report in the August 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.