UC STUDY UNCOVERS TOBACCO INDUSTRY EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE SECONDHAND SMOKE LINK TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
October 15, 2007 —  After combing through nearly 50 million pages of previously secret internal, tobacco industry documents, UC Davis and UC San Francisco researchers say they have documented for the first time how the industry funded and used scientific studies to undermine evidence linking secondhand smoke to cardiovascular disease.

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AWARDS GRANT TO UC DAVIS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
July 23, 2007 —  The Western States Affiliate of the American Heart Association has awarded an $81,000 grant to UC Davis postdoctoral fellow Andrea Bechtold, supporting her for two years as she conducts research into the immediate benefits of exercise for those with high blood pressure.

STATIN THERAPY LOWERS RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN YOUNG PATIENTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES
June 20, 2007 —  UC Davis researchers have found that low doses of simvastatin, part of a class of medications widely used to lower cholesterol, reduced the major risk factors for coronary artery disease in young patients with Type 1 diabetes, indicating that the use of these drugs could reduce their risk later in life for this condition, the main cause of death in these patients.

OPTIMAL TREATMENT OFTEN NOT PROVIDED TO PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES
March 26, 2007 —  Studies have shown that patients who arrive at the hospital with acute coronary syndromes benefit from early intensive treatment.

NEW REPORT WARNS CONGRESS ABOUT CONTINUED FLAT FUNDING OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
March 20, 2007 —  The director of the UC Davis Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program participated in a consortium of eight leading scientific and medical institutions around the country that Monday warned Congress that persistent flat-funding of biomedical research could thwart advances in treatments for such diseases as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

METHAMPHETAMINE USE LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOMYOPATHY IN YOUNG PATIENTS
February 23, 2007 —  Young people who use methamphetamine, an addictive, illegal stimulant also known as meth, crank, crystal and speed, more than triple their risk of cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, according to a study led by a researcher at UC Davis Health System.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN WOMEN: THE SILENT ENEMY
February 8, 2007 —  Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States, but it historically has been under-recognized.

UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS FIND INSECT PROTEIN EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING HEART ENLARGEMENT, ARRYTHMIAS
November 20, 2006 —  Compounds known to play an important role in how insects develop from larvae to adults have been shown in a mouse model for congestive heart failure to be effective in preventing and reducing cardiac cell overgrowth and irregular heart rhythms, according to UC Davis research published in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

ORANGE JUICE BEVERAGE FORTIFIED WITH PLANT STEROLS LOWERS INDICATORS OF HEART DISEASE RISK
October 10, 2006 —  Plant cholesterols known as sterols — recognized for their cholesterol-lowering power when added to margarines, salad dressings and other fats — also have been found to be effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol” levels, when added to orange juice.

UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS FIND ADDED BENEFIT OF STATINS IN THOSE AT HIGHT RISK FOR HEART DISEASE, DIABETES
September 12, 2006 —  UC Davis researchers have shown that statins not only improve cholesterol levels, but also dramatically reduce disease-causing inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome — a condition defined by symptoms that include abdominal obesity and high blood pressure.

NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR LEAKY HEART VALVES UNDER INVESTIGATION AT UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER
May 10, 2006 —  When Charis Bledsoe learned that her 77-year-old mother and housemate, Mattie Cooksey, was suffering from a severely leaking heart valve, it became evident why her mother had not been feeling well.

FREE SCREENINGS FOR VASCULAR DISEASE SCHEDULED MAY 13
May 1, 2006 —  Free screenings for senior citizens at risk for vascular disease will be available at UC Davis Medical Center on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in observance of Vascular Disease Awareness Week.

UC DAVIS STUDY SHOWS GRAPE SEED EXTRACT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE
March 26, 2006 — Grape seed extract lowered the blood pressure of patients who participated in a UC Davis study of the benefits of the supplement on people with high blood pressure.

TRAINING AMBASSADORS FOR HEALTHY HEARTS
February 2, 2006 — In observance of National Wear Red Dress Day — a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness — community leaders from throughout the Sacramento area will learn about heart disease so they can return to their own community to reduce the risk in women most at risk.

IMPROVING HEART HEALTH FOR HIGH-RISK WOMEN
December 15, 2005 — The UC Davis Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program is expanding efforts to improve heart health for high-risk women in California thanks to a unique, $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that targets the most vulnerable populations of women: females over 60, those living in rural areas and those of racial and ethnic minorities.