Feature Channels: Heart Disease

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The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced the 11 late-breaking trials and 16 first report investigations that will be presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2016 scientific symposium. TCT, the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, will take place October 29 – November 2, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

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Among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, younger age, male sex, history of diabetes mellitus, and moderate to severe residual aortic regurgitation were significantly associated with an increased risk of infective endocarditis, and patients who developed endocarditis had high rates of in-hospital mortality and 2-year mortality, according to a study appearing in the September 13 issue of JAMA.

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Despite the significant challenges associated with a career in cardiothoracic surgery, heart and lung surgeons report a very high level of job satisfaction, according to a survey published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

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The University of Chicago Medicine has opened a facility for patients with life-threatening heart rhythm irregularities. The Arrhythmia Technology Suite combines advanced treatment tools, such as magnetic navigation, with clinicians dedicated to the care of patients with abnormal heart rhythms.

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Using high-tech human heart models and mouse experiments, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Germany’s University of Bonn have shown that beams of light could replace electric shocks in patients reeling from a deadly heart rhythm disorder.

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In a novel controlled clinical trial, participants in a six-day Ayurvedic-based well-being program that featured a vegetarian diet, meditation, yoga and massages experienced measurable decreases in a set of blood-based metabolites associated with inflammation, cardiovascular disease risk and cholesterol regulation.

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In new research publishing Sept. 8 in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology, University of California, Irvine biologists Anne Calof and Arthur Lander and colleagues report that the role of genes in CHD is more complex than previously realized and that overall risk is determined by a combination of gene effects both inside and outside of the heart itself.

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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) officially announced the public launch of its patient website, ctsurgerypatients.org, which offers immediate and easy access to expert, multimedia content on heart, lung, and esophageal diseases and operations.

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Recommendations to move at least 30 minutes a day have made recent headlines, but living a heart healthy lifestyle incorporates other factors too. UCLA Health offers these tips.

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Researchers at Duke Health have identified a new mechanism of aspirin’s action that appears to explain the drug’s diverse benefits.

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A Saint Louis University researcher has received a grant to study the effects of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D., associate professor in Family and Community Medicine, received $2,348,320 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Cardiovascular screening in young athletes is widely recommended and routinely performed prior to participation in competitive sports. While there is general agreement that early detection of cardiac conditions at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) is an important objective, the optimal strategy for cardiovascular screening in athletes remains an issue of considerable debate.

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UT Southwestern Medical Center heart specialists will study whether electrocardiograms (ECGs) are useful in identifying Texas high school student athletes who are at risk of suffering sudden cardiac death.

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Having sex frequently — and enjoying it — puts older men at higher risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems. For older women, however, good sex may actually lower the risk of hypertension.

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This September, Mount Sinai Heart will host free cholesterol screening fairs in honor of National Cholesterol Education Month, to raise awareness and educate its communities and employees about the importance of maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

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By analyzing medical records gathered over three decades on more than 11,000 Americans participating in a federally funded study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have more evidence that driving diastolic blood pressure too low is associated with damage to heart tissue.

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Hospitalizations for infective endocarditis, a heart valve infection often attributed to injection drug use, increased significantly among young adults, particularly whites and females. The findings shed light on the healthcare burdens and shifting demographics associated national opioid epidemic.

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In the August 31 issue of Science Translational Medicine, new research from the University of Chicago shows how deficits in a specific pathway of genes can lead to the development of atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat, which poses a significant health risk.

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A team of scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Baylor College of Medicine, led by Eric Boerwinkle, Ph.D., Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., and Bing Yu, Ph.D., have identified powerful predictors of congestive heart failure, a major cause of hospitalization and death in the United States.

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Whitehead Institute scientists have developed a method to quickly isolate mitochondria from mammalian cells and systematically measure the concentrations of mitochondrial metabolites. Mitochondrial dysfunction is found in several disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and mitochondrial diseases. Until now, peering into the inner metabolic workings of these vital organelles has been very challenging.