Nearly a Decade Apart, Husband and Wife Get Lifesaving Heart Implant to Prevent StrokesIt’s been nearly a decade since Gheorghe Sandru received the heart implant that changed his life. Sandru, 85, was the first patient enrolled in a Cedars-Sinai clinical trial for a tiny implant known as the WATCHMAN Device. It reduces the risk of deadly strokes in patients with erratic heartbeats by closing a pouch in the heart where blood pools, preventing clots from traveling out of the heart and into the body.Now it’s his wife’s turn. Maria Sandru, 87, was one of the nation’s first two patients to receive the WATCHMAN device since the Food and Drug Administration approved it March 13. CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email [email protected]
Exercise Linked to Improved Erectile and Sexual Function in Men Men who exercise more have better erectile and sexual function, regardless of race, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. While past studies have highlighted the relationship between better erectile function and exercise, African-American men have been underrepresented in this literature. “This study is the first to link the benefits of exercise in relation to improved erectile and sexual function in a racially diverse group of patients,” said Adriana Vidal, PhD, senior author of the study. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email [email protected]
American College of Cardiology Honors Two Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute Physicians During Annual Meeting Two Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute physician-researchers received prestigious awards from the American College of Cardiology during the medical society’s 64th Annual Scientific Session & Expo. Robert J. Siegel, MD, the director of the Heart Institute’s Cardiac Noninvasive Laboratory and the S. Rexford Kennamer, MD, Chair in Cardiac Ultrasound, were awarded the 2015 Distinguished Teacher Award by the 40,000-member medical society. P.K. Shah, MD, director of the Oppenheimer Atherosclerosis Research Center and the Shapell and Webb Family Chair in Clinical Cardiology, is to be named a Master of the college.CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email [email protected]
Gut Bacteria May Decrease Weight Loss From Bariatric SurgeryThe benefits of weight loss surgery, along with a treatment plan that includes exercise and dietary changes, are well documented. In addition to a significant decrease in body mass, many patients find their risk factors for heart disease are drastically lowered and blood sugar regulation is improved for those with Type 2 diabetes. Some patients, however, do not experience the optimal weight loss from bariatric surgery. The presence of a specific methane gas-producing organism in the gastrointestinal tract may account for a decrease in optimal weight loss, according to new research by Ruchi Mathur, MD, director of the Diabetes Outpatient Treatment and Education Center at Cedars-Sinai.CONTACT: Laura Coverson 310-423-5215; Email [email protected]
Students at Cedars-Sinai’s Brainworks Program Learn How a Hop, Skip and Jump May Protect the BrainCould push-ups and hula hoops put students on the path to becoming brain-health scientists? About 140 seventh- and eighth-graders attended Cedars-Sinai’s Brainworks program March 23 and learned how hopping, skipping, jumping and other elements of a regular exercise routine may help improve brain health. An exercise station – a new feature this year – was one of nine areas where students interacted with Cedars-Sinai neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuroscientists and other health professionals. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email [email protected]
Nobel Laureate Martin Chalfie Addresses International Nanomedicine Conference Nobel laureate Martin Chalfie, PhD, was the keynote speaker at Cedars-Sinai’s Nanomedicine for Imaging and Treatment Conference, where two dozen experts from around the world discussed emerging trends in the study and treatment of diseases at the molecular and atomic levels. Chalfie received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his part in the discovery and development of green fluorescent protein, found in a species of jellyfish. The protein glows when excited by light. Because it can be attached to many biological substances to make them readily visible, it has become a fundamental tool in a wide range of medical and scientific fields. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email [email protected]
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