News and Announcements
Read the latest news from the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute's (BCVI) Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) of Northwestern. The links below take you to information about the BCVI’s recent discoveries and successes, and faculty achievements and honors.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital ranked among top 10 in the country.
Learn more about the BCVI Center for Heart Valve Disease.
- 04.28.2021
Northwestern Medicine scientists and clinicians have continued to investigate methods to combat the disease, including strategies to conduct clinical trials during a pandemic, studying neurologic symptoms in children and reflecting on the importance of professional medical organizations during a public health crisis.
- 04.06.2021
A Northwestern Medicine study has shown that a high-intensity home-based walking exercise program improved walking ability in people with peripheral artery disease.
- 03.22.2021
The AXL immune cell receptor has been linked to cardiac allograft vasculopathy, a thickening of vessel walls in transplanted hearts years after implantation, according to a recent study.
- 03.01.2021
A team of Northwestern Medicine investigators have identified specific genetic regions that regulate the expression of genes associated with inherited cardiomyopathy and disease severity.
- 02.23.2021
Inhibiting an inflammatory pathway reduced heart attack-induced damage in experimental models, according to a recent Northwestern Medicine study.
- 02.16.2021
A mother’s heart health while she is pregnant may have a significant impact on her child’s cardiovascular health in early adolescence, according to a new study from Northwestern and Lurie Children's Hospital.
- 02.08.2021
Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered a potential multi-faceted therapeutic target for preventing and treating the metabolic syndrome, according to a recent study.
- 02.05.2021
A new class of drugs shows benefit for both cardiovascular and kidney conditions, but scientists should be cautious in designing trials that include both cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in the same analysis, according to a Northwestern Medicine review article.
- 12.10.2020
Using proxy measures of preparedness for hypertension or diabetes care did not accurately assess the ability of low- and middle-income countries to treat patients, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine.
- 12.09.2020
A signaling molecule produced by the lymphatic vasculature could be used to promote cardiac repair after heart attack, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature.
- 12.04.2020
A gene mutation discovered in a small Amish community in Indiana has inspired the use of a new experimental drug for COVID-19 that reduces blood clotting.
- 12.02.2020
In late March, the world came to a virtual standstill. The COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders around the world to limit large gatherings and shutter schools and businesses. For Feinberg’s research enterprise, this was a serious disruption — but science kept moving forward.
- 11.30.2020
The presence of inflammatory proteins was associated with comorbidity burden and deteriorating heart function in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, according to a Northwestern Medicine study.
- 11.19.2020
Feinberg investigators are breaking down the mechanisms of aging and designing solutions to extend healthy living.
- 10.14.2020
A group of scientists combined medicinal chemistry and human stem cells to improve a medication treating a cardiac rhythm disorder, a strategy that could be applied broadly.
- 09.23.2020
Starting cholesterol-lowering treatment earlier may increase the its benefits, reducing heart attack and stroke over time, according to a Northwestern Medicine study.
- 09.04.2020
Several forms of hypertension are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease events, even in young adults, according to a recent study.
- 08.20.2020
Targeting oxidative stress with a genetic therapy reduced atrial fibrillation in animal models of disease, making this a promising future treatment, according to a study published in Circulation.
- 08.13.2020
Deaths due to heart failure and hypertensive heart disease are increasing in the U.S. — particularly in Black women and men — despite medical and surgical advances in heart disease management, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
- 06.24.2020
Genetic mutations in desmoplakin cause left ventricular cardiomyopathy, rather than right ventricular cardiomyopathy as previously believed, according to a recent study.
- 05.22.2020
According to several recent editorials published by Feinberg faculty, there are large and complex issues to grapple with, from COVID-19’s devastating impact on African-Americans to maintaining critical care standards in the face of an unprecedented pandemic.
- 05.15.2020
Coronary artery calcium levels may help clinicians better identify patients with a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who will benefit from taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack.
- 05.06.2020
Higher cumulative blood pressure among African-American patients is a major contributor to their higher risk of dementia, according to a new study.
- 05.04.2020
In the newly formed Center for Arrhythmia Research, teams of interdisciplinary clinicians and scientists will work together to discover both the underlying molecular causes of arrhythmias and new standards of care for their treatment.
- 04.14.2020
Northwestern Medicine cardiovascular experts discuss how racial disparities, including lower socioeconomic status and pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, can lead African-Americans to be at higher risk for contracting and dying from COVID-19.
- 04.06.2020
A novel heart failure drug called sacubitril-valsartan reduced the risk of hospitalizations for heart failure and death from cardiovascular causes more in women than in men, according to a study published in Circulation.
- 02.27.2020
High levels of albumin — the most abundant protein in the bloodstream — present in one’s urine may indicate a higher risk of heart failure later in life, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology.
- 02.06.2020
A new study published previously unknown details about the lineage of lymphatic endothelial cells associated with the heart.
- 01.03.2020
Listen to a selection of the most popular episodes of the Breakthroughs podcast series produced in 2019, including a possible Amish fountain of youth, artificial intelligence, the rise of food allergies and more.
- 11.07.2019
Measuring atrial fibrillation through implanted devices like pacemakers can identify patients at risk for stroke, according to a recent study.