A new scientific study, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure by University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing scientists, reveals that prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke may cause significant increases in both norepinephrine – a stress hormone – and other enzymes in the heart, which have the capability to virtually re-shape the form of the left ventricle.

Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, researchers have found.

Individuals who receive implantable cardiac defibrillators after a sudden heart event appear more likely to die within five years if they experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of the severity of their disease, according to a new report.

At low concentrations, the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide protects the hearts of mice from heart failure, scientists have found. The research suggests that doctors could use hydrogen sulfide to treat humans with heart failure.

The number of patients over age 65 hospitalized for heart failure increased by 131 percent between 1980 and 2006. Women had a much higher annual increase than men. Among the three major forms of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke being the other two), only heart failure has shown a significant increase in hospitalization rates.

About 5 million people in the United States suffer from heart failure (HF). While some reports indicate that changes to diet can reduce HF risk, few large, prospective studies have been conducted. In a new study researchers observed over 14,000 participants for more than 13 years and found that whole grain consumption lowered HF risk, while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups did not directly affect HF risk.

Heart failure patients have four times the risk of fractures and 6.3 times the risk of hip fracture as other heart patients. Heart failure patients should be screened and treated for osteoporosis if necessary, researchers said.

Researchers are enrolling people in a new clinical trial that uses a patient's own stem cells to treat ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure. The one-year Cardiac Repair Cell Treatment of Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy study will look at the safety of injecting Cardiac Repair Cells and their ability to improve heart function.

People with pacemakers could be at risk listening to music with headphones. If the headphones for music players are placed within an inch of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), they may interfere with the medical devices, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Medical Device Safety Institute.

Phase I results of the first clinical trial of gene therapy for patients with advanced heart failure show the approach to be promising, with improvements in several measures of the condition's severity.