Combined heart-kidney transplantation after total artificial heart insertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruzza, A; Czer, L S C; Ihnken, K A; Sasevich, M; Trento, A; Ramzy, D; Esmailian, F; Moriguchi, J; Kobashigawa, J; Arabia, F

2015-01-01

We present the first single-center report of 2 consecutive cases of combined heart and kidney transplantation after insertion of a total artificial heart (TAH). Both patients had advanced heart failure and developed dialysis-dependent renal failure after implantation of the TAH. The 2 patients underwent successful heart and kidney transplantation, with restoration of normal heart and kidney function. On the basis of this limited experience, we consider TAH a safe and feasible option for bridging carefully selected patients with heart and kidney failure to combined heart and kidney transplantation. Recent FDA approval of the Freedom driver may allow outpatient management at substantial cost savings. The TAH, by virtue of its capability of providing pulsatile flow at 6 to 10 L/min, may be the mechanical circulatory support device most likely to recover patients with marginal renal function and advanced heart failure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Healthy Body, Happy Heart: Improve Your Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

... November 2017 Print this issue Healthy Body, Happy Heart Improve Your Heart Health En español Send us your comments Every moment of the day, your heart is pumping blood throughout your body. In silent ...

Participation in Heart-Healthy Behaviors: A Secondary Analysis of the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Arslanian-Engoren, Cynthia; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; De Jong, Marla J; Berra, Kathy

2015-01-01

The American Heart Association created Go Red Heart Match, a free and secure online program that enables women to connect with each other to fight heart disease either personally or as a caregiver for someone with heart disease. Through these connections, participants have an opportunity to develop a personal, private, and supportive relationship with other women; share common experiences; and motivate and encourage each other to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle. The aims of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics of the Go Red Heart Match responders and to determine whether participation in the program prompted participants to engage in heart-healthy behaviors. A secondary analysis of data collected as part of a needs assessment survey from the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match was conducted. A total of 117 (35%) of the 334 invited women completed the survey. Most responders were female, married, and college educated. A total of 105 (90%) responders were diagnosed with a type of heart disease or stroke and 77 (73%) responders had undergone treatment. As a result of participating in the program, 75% of the responders reported the following improvements in heart-healthy behaviors: eating a more heart-healthy diet (54%), exercising more frequently (53%), losing weight (47%), and quitting smoking (10%). Responders who had a diagnosis of heart attack (n = 48) were more likely (P = .003) to quit smoking than were those with other diagnoses (n = 69). Notably, 48% of responders reported encouraging someone else in their life to speak to their doctor about their risk for heart disease. Most women who participated in Heart Match reported engaging in new heart-healthy behaviors. The findings support expanding the existing program in a more diverse population as a potentially important way to reach women and encourage cardiovascular disease risk reduction for those with heart disease and stroke.

Enlarged Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... rheumatic fever, a heart defect, infections (infectious endocarditis), connective tissue disorders, certain medications or radiation treatments for cancer, your heart may enlarge. Disease of the heart ...

Women's Heart Disease: Join the Heart Truth Community

Science.gov (United States)

... this page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Women's Heart Disease Join The Heart Truth Community Past Issues / Winter 2014 Table of Contents National Symbol The centerpiece of The Heart Truth ® is The Red Dress ® which was introduced ...

Heart Health: Learn the Truth About Your Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Cover Story Heart Health Learn the Truth About Your Heart Past Issues / Winter 2009 Table of Contents For ... turn Javascript on. Photo: iStock February is American Heart Month. Now is the time to make sure ...

Simple, heart-smart substitutions

Science.gov (United States)

Coronary artery disease - heart smart substitutions; Atherosclerosis - heart smart substitutions; Cholesterol - heart smart substitutions; Coronary heart disease - heart smart substitutions; Healthy diet - heart ...

Coronary heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

Heart disease, Coronary heart disease, Coronary artery disease; Arteriosclerotic heart disease; CHD; CAD ... buildup of plaque in the arteries to your heart. This may also be called hardening of the ...

Preattentive processing of heart cues and the perception of heart symptoms in congenital heart disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karsdorp, Petra A.; Kindt, Merel; Everaerd, Walter; Mulder, Barbara J. M.

2007-01-01

The present study was aimed at clarifying whether preattentive processing of heart cues results in biased perception of heart sensations in patients with congenital heart disease (ConHD) who are also highly trait anxious. Twenty-six patients with ConHD and 22 healthy participants categorized

Heart regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Breckwoldt, Kaja; Weinberger, Florian; Eschenhagen, Thomas

2016-07-01

Regenerating an injured heart holds great promise for millions of patients suffering from heart diseases. Since the human heart has very limited regenerative capacity, this is a challenging task. Numerous strategies aiming to improve heart function have been developed. In this review we focus on approaches intending to replace damaged heart muscle by new cardiomyocytes. Different strategies for the production of cardiomyocytes from human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells, by direct reprogramming and induction of cardiomyocyte proliferation are discussed regarding their therapeutic potential and respective advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, different methods for the transplantation of pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are described and their clinical perspectives are discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Integration of Developmental and Environmental Cues in the Heart edited by Marcus Schaub and Hughes Abriel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HEART OF MYTH – HEART OF SCIENCE Part I

Science.gov (United States)

Bound Alberti, Fay

2015-01-01

This article explores the history and meanings of the heart and its diseases as aspects of the histories of science and emotion. Analyzing the twofold meanings of the heart as both bodily object and cultural symbol, it explores the reasons for the apparent conflict in meanings of the heart of science and the heart of emotion in Western medical culture since the 19th century. In Part I, a case study of the writer, economist, and philosopher Harriet Martineau is used to demonstrate and trace that conflict, while Part II highlights the manifold meanings of the heart both in the past and in the present. PMID:26167117

Women and Heart Disease: Sharing Advice from the Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Women and Heart Disease Sharing Advice From The Heart Past Issues / Spring 2016 Table of Contents This ... inspired you to get involved in the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement and Red ...

Advanced Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Advanced Heart Failure Updated:May 9,2017 When heart failure (HF) ... Making This content was last reviewed May 2017. Heart Failure • Home • About Heart Failure • Causes and Risks for ...

Types of Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Introduction Types of Heart Failure Classes of Heart Failure Heart Failure in Children Advanced Heart Failure • Causes and ... and procedures related to heart disease and stroke. Heart Failure Questions to Ask Your Doctor Use these questions ...

Employment after heart transplantation among adults with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tumin, Dmitry; Chou, Helen; Hayes, Don; Tobias, Joseph D; Galantowicz, Mark; McConnell, Patrick I

2017-12-01

Adults with congenital heart disease may require heart transplantation for end-stage heart failure. Whereas heart transplantation potentially allows adults with congenital heart disease to resume their usual activities, employment outcomes in this population are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and predictors of work participation after heart transplantation for congenital heart disease. Retrospective review of a prospective registry. United Network for Organ Sharing registry of transplant recipients in the United States. Adult recipients of first-time heart transplantation with a primary diagnosis of congenital heart disease, performed between 2004 and 2015. None. Employment status reported by transplant centers at required follow-up intervals up to 5 y posttransplant. Among 470 patients included in the analysis (mean follow-up: 5 ± 3 y), 127 (27%) worked after transplant, 69 (15%) died before beginning or returning to work, and 274 (58%) survived until censoring, but did not participate in paid work. Multivariable competing-risks regression analysis examined characteristics associated with posttransplant employment, accounting for mortality as a competing outcome. In descriptive and multivariable analysis, pretransplant work participation was associated with a greater likelihood of posttransplant employment, while the use of Medicaid insurance at the time of transplant was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of working after transplant (subhazard ratio compared to private insurance: 0.55; 95% confidence interval: 0.32, 0.95; P = .032). Employment was rare after heart transplantation for congenital heart disease, and was significantly less common than in the broader population of adults with congenital heart disease. Differences in return to work were primarily related to pretransplant employment and the use of public insurance, rather than clinical characteristics. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Histone methylations in heart development, congenital and adult heart diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qing-Jun; Liu, Zhi-Ping

2015-01-01

Heart development comprises myocyte specification, differentiation and cardiac morphogenesis. These processes are regulated by a group of core cardiac transcription factors in a coordinated temporal and spatial manner. Histone methylation is an emerging epigenetic mechanism for regulating gene transcription. Interplay among cardiac transcription factors and histone lysine modifiers plays important role in heart development. Aberrant expression and mutation of the histone lysine modifiers during development and in adult life can cause either embryonic lethality or congenital heart diseases, and influences the response of adult hearts to pathological stresses. In this review, we describe current body of literature on the role of several common histone methylations and their modifying enzymes in heart development, congenital and adult heart diseases.

Heart rate index

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haedersdal, C; Pedersen, F H; Svendsen, J H

1992-01-01

after the myocardial infarction. A significant correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient rs, p less than 0.05) was found between LVEF at rest and the following variables assessed at exercise test: 1) the heart rate at rest, 2) rise in heart rate, 3) ratio between maximal heart rate and heart rate...... at rest, 4) rise in systolic blood pressure, 5) rate pressure product at rest, 6) rise in rate pressure product, 7) ratio (rHR) between maximal rate pressure product and rate pressure product at rest, 8) total exercise time. The heart rate was corrected for effects caused by age (heart index (HR...

Dimensional analysis of heart rate variability in heart transplant recipients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zbilut, J.P.; Mayer-Kress, G.; Geist, K.

1987-01-01

We discuss periodicities in the heart rate in normal and transplanted hearts. We then consider the possibility of dimensional analysis of these periodicities in transplanted hearts and problems associated with the record.

Potential implications of the helical heart in congenital heart defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Corno, Antonio F; Kocica, Mladen J

2007-01-01

The anatomic and functional observations made by Francisco Torrent-Guasp, in particular his discovery of the helical ventricular myocardial band (HVMB), have challenged what has been taught to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons over centuries. A literature debate is ongoing, with interdependent articles and comments from supporters and critics. Adequate understanding of heart structure and function is obviously indispensable for the decision-making process in congenital heart defects. The HVMB described by Torrent-Guasp and the potential impact on the understanding and treatment of congenital heart defects has been analyzed in the following settings: embryology, ventriculo-arterial discordance (transposition of great arteries), Ebstein's anomaly, pulmonary valve regurgitation after repair of tetralogy of Fallot, Ross operation, and other congenital heart defects. The common structural spiral feature is only one of the elements responsible for the functional interaction of right and left ventricles, and understanding the form/function relationship in congenital heart defects is more difficult than for acquired heart disease because of the variety and complexity of congenital heart defects. Individuals involved in the care of patients with congenital heart defects have to be stimulated to consider further investigations and alternative surgical strategies.

Million Hearts: Key to Collaboration to Reduce Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkman, Patricia

2016-01-01

Extension has taught successful classes to address heart disease, yet heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. The U.S. government's Million Hearts initiative seeks collaboration among colleges, local and state health departments, Extension and other organizations, and medical providers in imparting a consistent message…

Wine and heart health

Science.gov (United States)

Health and wine; Wine and heart disease; Preventing heart disease - wine; Preventing heart disease - alcohol ... more often just to lower your risk of heart disease. Heavier drinking can harm the heart and ...

Men and Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Pressure Salt Cholesterol Million Hearts® WISEWOMAN Men and Heart Disease Fact Sheet Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Source: Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Heart Disease Facts in Men Heart disease is the leading ...

Classes of Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Introduction Types of Heart Failure Classes of Heart Failure Heart Failure in Children Advanced Heart Failure • Causes and ... and Advanced HF • Tools and Resources • Personal Stories Heart Failure Questions to Ask Your Doctor Use these questions ...

Heart valve surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... replacement; Valve repair; Heart valve prosthesis; Mechanical valves; Prosthetic valves ... surgery. Your heart valve has been damaged by infection ( endocarditis ). You have received a new heart valve ...

Heart failure - tests

Science.gov (United States)

CHF - tests; Congestive heart failure - tests; Cardiomyopathy - tests; HF - tests ... the best test to: Identify which type of heart failure (systolic, diastolic, valvular) Monitor your heart failure and ...

Engineered Heart Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, B; Zimmermann, W-H

2017-08-01

There is a pressing need for the development of advanced heart failure therapeutics. Current state-of-the-art is protection from neurohumoral overstimulation, which fails to address the underlying cause of heart failure, namely loss of cardiomyocytes. Implantation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes via tissue-engineered myocardium is being advanced to realize the remuscularization of the failing heart. Here, we discuss pharmacological challenges pertaining to the clinical translation of tissue-engineered heart repair with a focus on engineered heart muscle (EHM). © 2017 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Heart Transplant in Patients with Predominantly Rheumatic Valvular Heart Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Vitor E E; Lopes, Antonio S S A; Accorsi, Tarso A D; Fernandes, Joao Ricardo C; Spina, Guilherme S; Sampaio, Roney O; Bacal, Fernando; Tarasoutchi, Flavio

2015-09-01

International records indicate that only 2.6% of patients with heart transplants have valvular heart disease. The study aim was to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients with valvular heart disease undergoing heart transplantation. Between 1985 and 2013, a total of 569 heart transplants was performed at the authors' institution. Twenty patients (13 men, seven women; mean age 39.5 +/- 15.2 years) underwent heart transplant due to structural (primary) valvular disease. Analyses were made of the patients' clinical profile, laboratory data, echocardiographic and histopathological data, and mortality and rejection. Of the patients, 18 (90%) had a rheumatic etiology, with 85% having undergone previous valve surgery (45% had one or more operations), and 95% with a normal functioning valve prosthesis at the time of transplantation. Atrial fibrillation was present in seven patients (35%), while nine (45%) were in NYHA functional class IV and eight (40%) in class III. The indication for cardiac transplantation was refractory heart failure in seven patients (35%) and persistent NYHA class III/IV in ten (50%). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 26.6 +/- 7.9%. The one-year mortality was 20%. Histological examination of the recipients' hearts showed five (27.7%) to have reactivated rheumatic myocarditis without prior diagnosis at the time of transplantation. Univariate analysis showed that age, gender, LVEF, rheumatic activity and rejection were not associated with mortality at one year. Among the present patient cohort, rheumatic heart disease was the leading cause of heart transplantation, and a significant proportion of these patients had reactivated myocarditis diagnosed in the histological analyses. Thus, it appears valid to investigate the existence of rheumatic activity, especially in valvular cardiomyopathy with severe systolic dysfunction before transplantation.

Hypertensive heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000163.htm Hypertensive heart disease To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Hypertensive heart disease refers to heart problems that occur because of ...

Multivariate Autoregressive Model Based Heart Motion Prediction Approach for Beating Heart Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan Liang

2013-02-01

Full Text Available A robotic tool can enable a surgeon to conduct off-pump coronary artery graft bypass surgery on a beating heart. The robotic tool actively alleviates the relative motion between the point of interest (POI on the heart surface and the surgical tool and allows the surgeon to operate as if the heart were stationary. Since the beating heart's motion is relatively high-band, with nonlinear and nonstationary characteristics, it is difficult to follow. Thus, precise beating heart motion prediction is necessary for the tracking control procedure during the surgery. In the research presented here, we first observe that Electrocardiography (ECG signal contains the causal phase information on heart motion and non-stationary heart rate dynamic variations. Then, we investigate the relationship between ECG signal and beating heart motion using Granger Causality Analysis, which describes the feasibility of the improved prediction of heart motion. Next, we propose a nonlinear time-varying multivariate vector autoregressive (MVAR model based adaptive prediction method. In this model, the significant correlation between ECG and heart motion enables the improvement of the prediction of sharp changes in heart motion and the approximation of the motion with sufficient detail. Dual Kalman Filters (DKF estimate the states and parameters of the model, respectively. Last, we evaluate the proposed algorithm through comparative experiments using the two sets of collected vivo data.

Heart disease and diet

Science.gov (United States)

Diet - heart disease; CAD - diet; Coronary artery disease - diet; Coronary heart disease - diet ... diet and lifestyle can reduce your risk of: Heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke Conditions that lead ...

Heart-Health Screenings

Science.gov (United States)

... Tools For Your Heart Health • Watch, Learn & Live Animations Library Subscribe to Heart Insight magazine and monthly ... in Spanish . Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Simulation of Blood flow in Artificial Heart Valve Design through Left heart

Science.gov (United States)

Hafizah Mokhtar, N.; Abas, Aizat

2018-05-01

In this work, an artificial heart valve is designed for use in real heart with further consideration on the effect of thrombosis, vorticity, and stress. The design of artificial heart valve model is constructed by Computer-aided design (CAD) modelling and simulated using Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software. The effect of blood flow pattern, velocity and vorticity of the artificial heart valve design has been analysed in this research work. Based on the results, the artificial heart valve design shows that it has a Doppler velocity index that is less than the allowable standards for the left heart with values of more than 0.30 and less than 2.2. These values are safe to be used as replacement of the human heart valve.

Heart attack first aid

Science.gov (United States)

First aid - heart attack; First aid - cardiopulmonary arrest; First aid - cardiac arrest ... A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart is blocked. The heart muscle ...

Open heart surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002950.htm Open heart surgery To use the sharing features on this ... large arteries connected to the heart. The term "open heart surgery" means that you are connected to a ...

Left heart catheterization

Science.gov (United States)

Catheterization - left heart ... to help guide the catheters up into your heart and arteries. Dye (sometimes called "contrast") will be ... in the blood vessels that lead to your heart. The catheter is then moved through the aortic ...

Right heart ventriculography

Science.gov (United States)

Angiography - right heart ... moved forward into the right side of the heart. As the catheter is advanced, the doctor can ... is injected into the right side of the heart. It helps the cardiologist determine the size and ...

Congenital heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a problem with the heart's structure and function that is present at birth. ... Fraser CD, Kane LC. Congenital heart disease. In: Townsend CM Jr, ... Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern ...

"The Heart Game"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dithmer, Marcus; Rasmussen, Jack Ord; Grönvall, Erik

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this article is to describe the development and testing of a prototype application (“The Heart Game”) using gamification principles to assist heart patients in their telerehabilitation process in the Teledialog project. Materials and Methods: A prototype game was developed via...... (interviews, participant observations, focus group interviews, and workshop) was used. Interviews with three healthcare professionals and 10 patients were carried out over a period of 2 weeks in order to evaluate the use of the prototype. Results: The heart patients reported the application to be a useful...... activities. Conclusions: “The Heart Game” concept presents a new way to motivate heart patients by using technology as a social and active approach to telerehabilitation. The findings show the potential of using gamification for heart patients as part of a telerehabilitation program. The evaluation indicated...

Pericarditis - after heart attack

Science.gov (United States)

... include: A previous heart attack Open heart surgery Chest trauma A heart attack that has affected the thickness of your heart muscle Symptoms Symptoms include: Anxiety Chest pain from the swollen pericardium rubbing on the ...

Chronic heart failure

OpenAIRE

Hopper, Ingrid; Easton, Kellie

2017-01-01

1. The common symptoms and signs of chronic heart failure are dyspnoea, ankle swelling, raised jugular venous pressure and basal crepitations. Other conditions may be confused with chronic heart failure, including dependent oedema or oedema due to renal or hepatic disease. Shortness of breath may be due to respiratory disease or severe anaemia. Heart failure secondary to lung disease (cor pulmonale) should be distinguished from congestive cardiac failure. Heart failure may also present with l...

Heart Failure

OpenAIRE

McMurray, John; Ponikowski, Piotr

2011-01-01

Heart failure occurs in 3% to 4% of adults aged over 65 years, usually as a consequence of coronary artery disease or hypertension, and causes breathlessness, effort intolerance, fluid retention, and increased mortality. The 5-year mortality in people with systolic heart failure ranges from 25% to 75%, often owing to sudden death following ventricular arrhythmia. Risks of cardiovascular events are increased in people with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) or heart failure.

Limited-Access Heart Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... on the side of the chest. With traditional open heart surgery, the incision is usually 6 to 8 ... attached to a heart-lung machine. In traditional open heart surgery, patients would be connected to the heart- ...

Heart Diseases and Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

... Resources Heart Diseases & Disorders Back to Patient Resources Heart Diseases & Disorders Millions of people experience irregular or abnormal ... harmless and happen in healthy people free of heart disease. However, some abnormal heart rhythms can be serious ...

Heart failure - surgeries and devices

Science.gov (United States)

... surgery; HF - surgery; Intra-aortic balloon pumps - heart failure; IABP - heart failure; Catheter based assist devices - heart failure ... problem may cause heart failure or make heart failure worse. Heart valve surgery may be needed to repair or ...

Heart failure - home monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000113.htm Heart failure - home monitoring To use the sharing features on ... your high blood pressure Fast food tips Heart failure - discharge Heart failure - fluids and diuretics Heart failure - what to ...

False Heart Rate Feedback and the Perception of Heart Symptoms in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease and Anxiety

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karsdorp, Petra A.; Kindt, Merel; Rietveld, Simon; Everaerd, Walter; Mulder, Barbara J. M.

2009-01-01

Background Little is known about the mechanisms explaining an increased perception of heart symptoms in congenital heart disease (ConHD). In the present study, it was suggested that a combination of high trait anxiety and disease history increases the perception of heart symptoms. Purpose It was

False heart rate feedback and the perception of heart symptoms in patients with congenital heart disease and anxiety

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karsdorp, P.A.; Kindt, M.; Rietveld, S.; Everaerd, W.; Mulder, B.J.M.

2009-01-01

Background: Little is known about the mechanisms explaining an increased perception of heart symptoms in congenital heart disease (ConHD). In the present study, it was suggested that a combination of high trait anxiety and disease history increases the perception of heart symptoms. Purpose: It was

Protect Your Heart: Check Food Labels to Make Heart-Healthy Choices

Science.gov (United States)

... Protein 15g Total Amounts To make heart-healthy food choices, look at the totals and cut back on • ... Toolkit No. 8: Protect Your Heart: Make Smart Food Choices • Toolkit No. 9: Protect Your Heart: Choose Fats ...

Artificial heart

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-10-18

Super-pure plutonium-238 could use heat produced during fission to power an implanted artificial heart. Three model hearts have worked for some time. Concern that excess heat would make the procedure unsafe for humans has broadened the search for another energy source, such as electrohydraulic drive or an external power battery. A back pack approach may provide an interim solution until materials are developed which can withstand heart activity and be small enough for implantation.

Heart attack - discharge

Science.gov (United States)

... and lifestyle Cholesterol - drug treatment Controlling your high blood pressure Deep vein thrombosis - discharge Dietary fats explained Fast food tips Heart attack - discharge Heart attack - what to ask your doctor Heart bypass ... pacemaker - discharge High blood pressure - what to ask your doctor How to read ...

Heart Valve Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Your heart has four valves. Normally, these valves open to let blood flow through or out of your heart, and then shut to keep it from flowing ... close tightly. It's one of the most common heart valve conditions. Sometimes it causes regurgitation. Stenosis - when ...

Acquired heart conditions in adults with congenital heart disease: a growing problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Tutarel, Oktay

2014-09-01

The number of adults with congenital heart disease is increasing due to the great achievements in the field of paediatric cardiology, congenital heart surgery and intensive care medicine over the last decades. Mortality has shifted away from the infant and childhood period towards adulthood. As congenital heart disease patients get older, a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is encountered similar to the general population. Consequently, the contribution of acquired morbidities, especially acquired heart conditions to patient outcome, is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, to continue the success story of the last decades in the treatment of congenital heart disease and to further improve the outcome of these patients, more attention has to be given to the prevention, detection and adequate therapy of acquired heart conditions. The aim of this review is to give an overview about acquired heart conditions that may be encountered in adults with congenital heart disease. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Air Quality and Heart Health: An Emerging Topic for Heart Month

Science.gov (United States)

Air Quality and Heart Health: An Emerging Topic for Heart Month: Ambient air particle pollution increases short- and long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Older-people, those with pre-existing heart disease and lung disease and diabetes are at higher risk. Mechanism...

Parental overprotection and heart-focused anxiety in adults with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Lephuong; Nolan, Robert P; Irvine, Jane; Kovacs, Adrienne H

2011-09-01

The care of adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is challenging from a mental health perspective, as these patients continue to face a variety of biopsychosocial issues that may impact emotional functioning. Despite these issues, there are limited data on the psychosocial functioning of adults with CHD, and there are no data on the impact of parental overprotection on heart-focused anxiety in this patient population. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between patient recollections of parental overprotection and current heart-focused anxiety in adults with CHD. A cross-sectional sample of 190 adult patients with CHD (51% male; mean age = 32.28, SD = 11.86 years) completed validated measures of perceived parental overprotection (Parental Bonding Instrument) and heart-focused anxiety (Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire). The results indicated that perceived parental overprotection (β = 0.19, p = 0.02) and heart defect complexity (β = 0.17, p = 0.03) were significantly related to heart-focused anxiety. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived parental overprotection did not vary as a function of heart defect complexity (F (2, 169) = 0.02, p = 0.98). Perceived parental overprotection and heart defect complexity are associated with heart-focused anxiety in adults with congenital heart disease. These results can inform the development of clinical interventions aimed at improving the psychosocial adjustment of this patient population.

Heart Age PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This 60 second public service announcement is based on the September 2015 CDC Vital Signs report. Your heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels as a result of your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, your heart age will be much higher than your actual age. Learn what you can do to lower your heart age and keep it low.

Mending Hearts and Building Bridges: The Save a Child's Heart Foundation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sasson, L.; Tamir, A.; Houri, S.; Betawe, A.; Darwazah, A.K.; Kapusta, L.; Pivnick, L.E.; Goldman, B.G.

2016-01-01

CONTEXT: Save a Child's Heart addresses the challenges of heart care for children in underdeveloped countries. OBJECTIVE: Save a Child's Heart has created a center of excellence for pediatric cardiac care at the Wolfson Medical Center in Israel, helped develop partner sites for evaluation and

Heart Attack

Science.gov (United States)

... family history of heart attack race – African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and native Hawaiians are at ... Your doctor will prescribe the medicines that are right for you. If you have had a heart ...

Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... it may be caused by diseases, such as connective tissue disorders, excessive iron buildup in your body (hemochromatosis), the buildup of abnormal proteins (amyloidosis) or by some cancer treatments. Causes of heart infection A heart infection, ...

Human heart by art.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamir, Abraham

2012-11-01

Heart is of great importance in maintaining the life of the body. Enough to stop working for a few minutes to cause death, and hence the great importance in physiology, medicine, and research. This fact was already emphasized in the Bible in the Book of Proverbs, chapter 4 verse 23: "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life." Art was able to demonstrate the heart from various aspects; realistically, as done by Leonardo de Vinci who demonstrated the halves of the heart and its blood vessels. Symbolically, as a source of life, the heart was demonstrated by the artist Mrs. Erlondeiel, as a caricature by Salvador Dali, as an open heart by Sawaya, etc. Finally, it should be emphasized that different demonstrations of the human heart by many artworks make this most important organ of our body (that cannot be seen from outside) more familiar and clearer to us. And this is the purpose of this article-to demonstrate the heart through a large number of artworks of different kinds.

The total artificial heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jason A; Shah, Keyur B; Quader, Mohammed A; Cooke, Richard H; Kasirajan, Vigneshwar; Rao, Kris K; Smallfield, Melissa C; Tchoukina, Inna; Tang, Daniel G

2015-12-01

The total artificial heart (TAH) is a form of mechanical circulatory support in which the patient's native ventricles and valves are explanted and replaced by a pneumatically powered artificial heart. Currently, the TAH is approved for use in end-stage biventricular heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation. However, with an increasing global burden of cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure, the number of patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplantation now far exceeds the number of available hearts. As a result, the use of mechanical circulatory support, including the TAH and left ventricular assist device (LVAD), is growing exponentially. The LVAD is already widely used as destination therapy, and destination therapy for the TAH is under investigation. While most patients requiring mechanical circulatory support are effectively treated with LVADs, there is a subset of patients with concurrent right ventricular failure or major structural barriers to LVAD placement in whom TAH may be more appropriate. The history, indications, surgical implantation, post device management, outcomes, complications, and future direction of the TAH are discussed in this review.

Metaiodobenzylguanidine and heart rate variability in heart failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurata, Chinori; Shouda, Sakae; Mikami, Tadashi; Uehara, Akihiko; Ishikawa, Keiko; Tawarahara, Kei; Nakano, Tomoyasu; Matoh, Fumitaka; Takeuchi, Kazuhiko

1998-01-01

It is assumed that the low-frequency power (LF) of heart rate variability (HRV) increases with progress of congestive heart failure (CHF), therefore positively correlating with cardiac 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) washout. It is demonstrated here that HRV, including normalized LF, correlated inversely with MIBG washout and positively with the ratio of heart-to-mediastinum MIBG activity in controls and CHF patients, whereas these correlations were not observed within CHF patients. Thus MIBG washout may increase and HRV including normalized LF may decrease with CHF, although the HRV and MIBG measures may not similarly change in proportion to the severity of the cardiac autonomic dysfunction in CHF. (author)

Metaiodobenzylguanidine and heart rate variability in heart failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurata, Chinori; Shouda, Sakae; Mikami, Tadashi; Uehara, Akihiko; Ishikawa, Keiko [Hamamatsu Univ., Shizuoka (Japan). School of Medicine; Tawarahara, Kei; Nakano, Tomoyasu; Matoh, Fumitaka; Takeuchi, Kazuhiko

1998-10-01

It is assumed that the low-frequency power (LF) of heart rate variability (HRV) increases with progress of congestive heart failure (CHF), therefore positively correlating with cardiac {sup 123}I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) washout. It is demonstrated here that HRV, including normalized LF, correlated inversely with MIBG washout and positively with the ratio of heart-to-mediastinum MIBG activity in controls and CHF patients, whereas these correlations were not observed within CHF patients. Thus MIBG washout may increase and HRV including normalized LF may decrease with CHF, although the HRV and MIBG measures may not similarly change in proportion to the severity of the cardiac autonomic dysfunction in CHF. (author)

Heart Truth

Science.gov (United States)

... health! Get a free badge or banner to post to your website or blog. Are you at risk for heart disease? Here's how to find out . Planning to use The Heart Truth logo? Check out our logo guidelines and downloads. ...

A healthy heart is not a metronome: an integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Fred; McCraty, Rollin; Zerr, Christopher L

2014-01-01

Heart rate variability (HRV), the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to challenges and achieve optimal performance. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart, and its basic anatomy, the cardiac cycle, and the sinoatrial and atrioventricular pacemakers. The cardiovascular regulation center in the medulla integrates sensory information and input from higher brain centers, and afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. This article reviews sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, and examines the interpretation of HRV and the association between reduced HRV, risk of disease and mortality, and the loss of regulatory capacity. This article also discusses the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical and frontocortical areas, and motor cortex. It also considers new perspectives on the putative underlying physiological mechanisms and properties of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF), very-low-frequency (VLF), low-frequency (LF), and high-frequency (HF) bands. Additionally, it reviews the most common time and frequency domain measurements as well as standardized data collection protocols. In its final section, this article integrates Porges' polyvagal theory, Thayer and colleagues' neurovisceral integration model, Lehrer et al.'s resonance frequency model, and the Institute of HeartMath's coherence model. The authors conclude that a coherent heart is not a metronome because its rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales. Future research should expand understanding of how the heart and its intrinsic nervous system influence the brain.

Heart Transplantation in Congenital Heart Disease: In Whom to Consider and When?

Science.gov (United States)

Attenhofer Jost, Christine H.; Schmidt, Dörthe; Huebler, Michael; Balmer, Christian; Noll, Georg; Caduff, Rosmarie; Greutmann, Matthias

2013-01-01

Due to impressive improvements in surgical repair options, even patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) may survive into adulthood and have a high risk of end-stage heart failure. Thus, the number of patients with CHD needing heart transplantation (HTx) has been increasing in the last decades. This paper summarizes the changing etiology of causes of death in heart failure in CHD. The main reasons, contraindications, and risks of heart transplantation in CHD are discussed and underlined with three case vignettes. Compared to HTx in acquired heart disease, HTx in CHD has an increased risk of perioperative death and rejection. However, outcome of HTx for complex CHD has improved over the past 20 years. Additionally, mechanical support options might decrease the waiting list mortality in the future. The number of patients needing heart-lung transplantation (especially for Eisenmenger's syndrome) has decreased in the last years. Lung transplantation with intracardiac repair of a cardiac defect is another possibility especially for patients with interatrial shunts. Overall, HTx will remain an important treatment option for CHD in the near future. PMID:23577237

The Danish Heart Registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Özcan, Cengiz; Juel, Knud; Lassen, Jens Flensted

2016-01-01

AIM: The Danish Heart Registry (DHR) seeks to monitor nationwide activity and quality of invasive diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with ischemic heart disease as well as valvular heart disease and to provide data for research. STUDY POPULATION: All adult (≥15 years) patients...... undergoing coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting, and heart valve surgery performed across all Danish hospitals were included. MAIN VARIABLES: The DHR contains a subset of the data stored in the Eastern and Western Denmark Heart Registries (EDHR...

Construct validity of the Heart Failure Screening Tool (Heart-FaST) to identify heart failure patients at risk of poor self-care: Rasch analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Nicholas A; Ski, Chantal F; McEvedy, Samantha M; Thompson, David R; Cameron, Jan

2018-02-14

The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate the Heart Failure Screening Tool (Heart-FaST) via: (1) examination of internal construct validity; (2) testing of scale function in accordance with design; and (3) recommendation for change/s, if items are not well adjusted, to improve psychometric credential. Self-care is vital to the management of heart failure. The Heart-FaST may provide a prospective assessment of risk, regarding the likelihood that patients with heart failure will engage in self-care. Psychometric validation of the Heart-FaST using Rasch analysis. The Heart-FaST was administered to 135 patients (median age = 68, IQR = 59-78 years; 105 males) enrolled in a multidisciplinary heart failure management program. The Heart-FaST is a nurse-administered tool for screening patients with HF at risk of poor self-care. A Rasch analysis of responses was conducted which tested data against Rasch model expectations, including whether items serve as unbiased, non-redundant indicators of risk and measure a single construct and that rating scales operate as intended. The results showed that data met Rasch model expectations after rescoring or deleting items due to poor discrimination, disordered thresholds, differential item functioning, or response dependence. There was no evidence of multidimensionality which supports the use of total scores from Heart-FaST as indicators of risk. Aggregate scores from this modified screening tool rank heart failure patients according to their "risk of poor self-care" demonstrating that the Heart-FaST items constitute a meaningful scale to identify heart failure patients at risk of poor engagement in heart failure self-care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pediatric heart surgery - discharge

Science.gov (United States)

... discharge; Heart valve surgery - children - discharge; Heart surgery - pediatric - discharge; Heart transplant - pediatric - discharge ... Geme JW, Schor NF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics . 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 434. ...

Radiation-induced heart injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Yoshihiko; Niibe, Hideo

1975-01-01

In order to identify radiation-induced heart injury and to differentiate it from heart disease, an attempt was made to clarify post-irradiation heart injury by investigating the histological changes which occur during the internal between the irradiation and the time of demonstrable histological changes. A study was made of 83 autopsies in which most of the primary neoplasms were breast cancers, lung cancers and mediastinal tumors. In 43 of these autopsies the heart had been irradiated. Sixty eight dd-strain mice were also used for microautoradiographic study. Histological changes in the heart were observed in 27 of the 43 cases receiving irradiation. The limit of the tolerance dose to the heart for indicating histological changes was 1220 ret in humans. The latent period without histological changes was 2.7 months after initiation of radiation therapy. Greater heart injury was observed after re-irradiation or after the combined therapy of radiation and chemotherapy especially mitomycin (MMC). The histological findings after treatment with MMC were similar to those of radiation-induced heart injury. Results of the study indicate that the damage is secondary to radiation-induced changes of the vascula connective tissue. (Evans, G.)

'Hearts and minds': association, causation and implication of cognitive impairment in heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Cannon, Jane A; McMurray, John Jv; Quinn, Terry J

2015-01-01

The clinical syndrome of heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation and mortality in older adults. An association between cognitive impairment and heart failure is well described but our understanding of the relationship between the two conditions remains limited. In this review we provide a synthesis of available evidence, focussing on epidemiology, the potential pathogenesis, and treatment implications of cognitive decline in heart failure. Most evidence available relates to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and the syndromes of chronic cognitive decline or dementia. These conditions are only part of a complex heart failure-cognition paradigm. Associations between cognition and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and between acute delirium and heart failure also seem evident and where data are available we will discuss these syndromes. Many questions remain unanswered regarding heart failure and cognition. Much of the observational evidence on the association is confounded by study design, comorbidity and insensitive cognitive assessment tools. If a causal link exists, there are several potential pathophysiological explanations. Plausible underlying mechanisms relating to cerebral hypoperfusion or occult cerebrovascular disease have been described and it seems likely that these may coexist and exert synergistic effects. Despite the prevalence of the two conditions, when cognitive impairment coexists with heart failure there is no specific guidance on treatment. Institution of evidence-based heart failure therapies that reduce mortality and hospitalisations seems intuitive and there is no signal that these interventions have an adverse effect on cognition. However, cognitive impairment will present a further barrier to the often complex medication self-management that is required in contemporary heart failure treatment.

Design and performance of heart assist or artificial heart control systems

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, J. A., Jr.; Gebben, V. D.

1978-01-01

The factors leading to the design of a controlled driving system for either a heart assist pump or artificial heart are discussed. The system provides square pressure waveform to drive a pneumatic-type blood pump. For assist usage the system uses an R-wave detector circuit that can detect the R-wave of the electrocardiogram in the presence of electrical disturbances. This circuit provides a signal useful for synchronizing an assist pump with the natural heart. It synchronizes a square wave circuit, the output of which is converted into square waveforms of pneumatic pressure suitable for driving both assist device and artificial heart. The pressure levels of the driving waveforms are controlled by means of feedback channels to maintain physiological regulation of the artificial heart's output flow. A more compact system that could achieve similar regulatory characteristics is also discussed.

Carcinoid heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Saamir A; Banchs, Jose; Iliescu, Cezar; Dasari, Arvind; Lopez-Mattei, Juan; Yusuf, Syed Wamique

2017-10-01

Rare neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) that most commonly arise in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease. Patients with carcinoid syndrome present with vasomotor changes, hypermotility of the gastrointestinal system, hypotension and bronchospasm. Medical therapy for carcinoid syndrome, typically with somatostatin analogues, can help control symptoms, inhibit tumour progression and prolong survival. Carcinoid heart disease occurs in more than 50% of these patients and is the initial presentation of carcinoid syndrome in up to 20% of patients. Carcinoid heart disease has characteristic findings of plaque-like deposits composed of smooth muscle cells, myofibroblasts, extracellular matrix and an overlying endothelial layer which can lead to valve dysfunction. Valvular dysfunction can lead to oedema, ascites and right-sided heart failure. Medical therapy of carcinoid heart disease is limited to symptom control and palliation. Valve surgery for carcinoid heart disease should be considered for symptomatic patients with controlled metastatic carcinoid syndrome. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to guide optimal management. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Assessment of potential heart donors: A statement from the French heart transplant community.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorent, Richard; Gandjbakhch, Estelle; Goéminne, Céline; Ivanes, Fabrice; Sebbag, Laurent; Bauer, Fabrice; Epailly, Eric; Boissonnat, Pascale; Nubret, Karine; Amour, Julien; Vermes, Emmanuelle; Ou, Phalla; Guendouz, Soulef; Chevalier, Philippe; Lebreton, Guillaume; Flecher, Erwan; Obadia, Jean-François; Logeart, Damien; de Groote, Pascal

2018-02-01

Assessment of potential donors is an essential part of heart transplantation. Despite the shortage of donor hearts, donor heart procurement from brain-dead organ donors remains low in France, which may be explained by the increasing proportion of high-risk donors, as well as the mismatch between donor assessment and the transplant team's expectations. Improving donor and donor heart assessment is essential to improve the low utilization rate of available donor hearts without increasing post-transplant recipient mortality. This document provides information to practitioners involved in brain-dead donor management, evaluation and selection, concerning the place of medical history, electrocardiography, cardiac imaging, biomarkers and haemodynamic and arrhythmia assessment in the characterization of potential heart donors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Heart Age PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2015-09-01

This 60 second public service announcement is based on the September 2015 CDC Vital Signs report. Your heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels as a result of your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, your heart age will be much higher than your actual age. Learn what you can do to lower your heart age and keep it low.  Created: 9/1/2015 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/1/2015.

Heart failure as an endpoint in heart failure and non-heart failure cardiovascular clinical trials: the need for a consensus definition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zannad, F.; Stough, W.G.; Pitt, B.

2008-01-01

Specific criteria have been established to define the occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in cardiovascular clinical trials, but there is not a consistent definition for heart failure. Heart failure events appear to occur at a rate that is similar to stroke and MI in trials...... of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, yet a consistent approach to defining heart failure events has not yet been realized. The wide range of definitions used in clinical trials makes it difficult to interpret new data in the context of existing literature. This inconsistency has...... led to challenges in determining the incidence of heart failure in cardiovascular studies and the effects of interventions on these endpoints. This paper examines issues related to defining heart failure events in cardiovascular clinical trials and presents a definition to formally address this issue...

Heart Attack Recovery FAQs

Science.gov (United States)

... recommendations to make a full recovery. View an animation of a heart attack . Heart Attack Recovery Questions ... Support Network Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Heart disease and depression

Science.gov (United States)

... gov/ency/patientinstructions/000790.htm Heart disease and depression To use the sharing features on this page, ... a heart attack or heart surgery Signs of Depression It is pretty common to feel down or ...

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Science.gov (United States)

... About CDC.gov . Home About Heart Disease Coronary Artery Disease Heart Attack Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms ... Privacy FOIA No Fear Act OIG 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta , GA 30329-4027 USA 800-CDC-INFO ( ...

Heart Failure in Women

Science.gov (United States)

Bozkurt, Biykem; Khalaf, Shaden

2017-01-01

Heart failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in women, and they tend to develop it at an older age compared to men. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is more common in women than in men and accounts for at least half the cases of heart failure in women. When comparing men and women who have heart failure and a low left ventricular ejection fraction, the women are more symptomatic and have a similarly poor outcome. Overall recommendations for guideline-directed medical therapies show no differences in treatment approaches between men and women. Overall, women are generally underrepresented in clinical trials for heart failure. Further studies are needed to shed light into different mechanisms, causes, and targeted therapies of heart failure in women. PMID:29744014

Reduced intrinsic heart rate is associated with reduced arrhythmic susceptibility in guinea-pig heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Osadchii, Oleg E

2014-12-01

In the clinical setting, patients with slower resting heart rate are less prone to cardiovascular death compared with those with elevated heart rate. However, electrophysiological adaptations associated with reduced cardiac rhythm have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, relationships between intrinsic heart rate and arrhythmic susceptibility were examined by assessments of action potential duration (APD) rate adaptation and inducibility of repolarization alternans in sinoatrial node (SAN)-driven and atrioventricular (AV)-blocked guinea-pig hearts perfused with Langendorff apparatus. Electrocardiograms, epicardial monophasic action potentials, and effective refractory periods (ERP) were assessed in normokalemic and hypokalemic conditions. Slower basal heart rate in AV-blocked hearts was associated with prolonged ventricular repolarization during spontaneous beating, and with attenuated APD shortening at increased cardiac activation rates during dynamic pacing, when compared with SAN-driven hearts. During hypokalemic perfusion, the inducibility of repolarization alternans and tachyarrhythmia by rapid pacing was found to be lower in AV-blocked hearts. This difference was ascribed to prolonged ERP in the setting of reduced basal heart rate, which prevented ventricular capture at critically short pacing intervals required to induce arrhythmia. Reduced basal heart rate is associated with electrophysiological changes that prevent electrical instability upon an abrupt cardiac acceleration.

Getting a New Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... may be able to replace it with an artificial (man-made) valve. Cardiac size reduction . During this procedure, your doctor removes a piece of the heart muscle from an enlarged heart. This makes your heart ...

Congenital Heart Information Network

Science.gov (United States)

... heart defects. Important Notice The Congenital Heart Information Network website is temporarily out of service. Please join ... and Uwe Baemayr for The Congenital Heart Information Network Exempt organization under Section 501(c)3. Copyright © ...

Do neonatal mouse hearts regenerate following heart apex resection?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ditte Caroline; Ganesalingam, Suganya; Jensen, Charlotte Harken

2014-01-01

The mammalian heart has generally been considered nonregenerative, but recent progress suggests that neonatal mouse hearts have a genuine capacity to regenerate following apex resection (AR). However, in this study, we performed AR or sham surgery on 400 neonatal mice from inbred and outbred...

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics

Science.gov (United States)

... Media for Heart.org Heart and Stroke Association Statistics Each year, the American Heart Association, in conjunction ... health and disease in the population. Heart & Stroke Statistics FAQs What is Prevalence? Prevalence is an estimate ...

Illegal Drugs and Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Illegal Drugs and Heart Disease Updated:May 3,2018 Most illegal drugs can ... www.dea.gov/druginfo/factsheets.shtml Alcohol and Heart Disease Caffeine and Heart Disease Tobacco and Heart Disease ...

Risks for Heart Disease & Stroke

Science.gov (United States)

... Prevent Risks for Heart Disease & Stroke Risks for Heart Disease & Stroke About 1.5 million heart attacks and ... can’t change some of your risks for heart disease and stroke, but you can manage many of ...

Managing Feelings about Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... About Heart Failure Module 6: Managing Feelings About Heart Failure Download Module Order Hardcopy Heart failure can cause ... professional help for emotional problems. Common Feelings About Heart Failure It is common for people to feel depressed ...

Heart rate monitoring mobile applications

OpenAIRE

Chaudhry, Beenish M.

2016-01-01

Total number of times a heart beats in a minute is known as the heart rate. Traditionally, heart rate was measured using clunky gadgets but these days it can be measured with a smartphone?s camera. This can help you measure your heart rate anywhere and at anytime, especially during workouts so you can adjust your workout intensity to achieve maximum health benefits. With simple and easy to use mobile app, ?Unique Heart Rate Monitor?, you can also maintain your heart rate history for personal ...

The heart and the liver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Søren; Dümcke, Christine Winkler; Krag, Aleksander

2009-01-01

Cardiac failure affects the liver and liver dysfunction affects the heart. Chronic and acute heart failure can lead to cardiac cirrhosis and cardiogenic ischemic hepatitis. These conditions may impair liver function and treatment should be directed towards the primary heart disease and seek...... against the heart failure. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt insertion and liver transplantation affect cardiac function in portal hypertensive patients and cause stress to the cirrhotic heart, with a risk of perioperative heart failure. The risk and prevalence of coronary artery disease...

Heart Truth for Women: If You Have Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... failure and a damaged heart muscle. My experience with heart disease started with typical symptoms. It took me some time to get my strength back, but now I exercise regularly and eat healthy foods. To ... counseling, and training. This part of rehab helps you understand your ...

Target Heart Rates

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Heart valve surgery - discharge

Science.gov (United States)

... ACC guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: executive summary: a report of the American College ... Editorial team. Related MedlinePlus Health Topics Heart Surgery Heart Valve Diseases Browse the Encyclopedia A.D.A.M., Inc. ...

Heart rate monitoring mobile applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Beenish M

2016-01-01

Total number of times a heart beats in a minute is known as the heart rate. Traditionally, heart rate was measured using clunky gadgets but these days it can be measured with a smartphone's camera. This can help you measure your heart rate anywhere and at anytime, especially during workouts so you can adjust your workout intensity to achieve maximum health benefits. With simple and easy to use mobile app, 'Unique Heart Rate Monitor', you can also maintain your heart rate history for personal reflection and sharing with a provider.

Heart Disease in Women

Science.gov (United States)

... United States, 1 in 4 women dies from heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease in both men and women is narrowing ... the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease, and ...

Heart failure - medicines

Science.gov (United States)

CHF - medicines; Congestive heart failure - medicines; Cardiomyopathy - medicines; HF - medicines ... You will need to take most of your heart failure medicines every day. Some medicines are taken ...

[Obesity and heart].

Science.gov (United States)

Svačina, Štěpán

2014-12-01

Cardiovascular complications of obesity are traditionally considered an important complication of obesity. Obesity itself is probably not direct cause of atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease. This may occur indirectly in metabolic complications of obesity, especially diabetes and metabolic syndrome. However, thrombogenicity potential of obesity contributes to embolism and atherosclerosis development. In cardiology is well-known a phenomenon of obesity paradox when obese patients have better prognosis than thin. This is the case of heart failure and some other cardiovascular diseases. Recently, a new concept has emerged of myokines - hormones from muscle tissue that have extensive protective effects on organism and probably on heart. Whether heart is a source of myokines is uncertain. However, undoubted importance has epicardial and pericardial fatty tissue. The epicardial fatty tissue has mainly protective effects on myocardium. This fatty tissue may produce factors of inflammation affecting the myocardium. Relationship between amount of epicardial fatty tissue and coronary heart disease is rather pathogenic. Currently, it is certain that obesity brings more metabolic and cancer complications than cardiovascular and accurate contribution to pathogenic or protective character of fatty tissue in cardiology requires further research. Nevertheless, the conclusion is that adipose tissue of organism and around the heart may be in some circumstances beneficial.

Restoration of heart functions using human embryonic stem cells derived heart muscle cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Gepstein, Lior; Kehat, Izhak

2005-02-01

Extract: Recent advances in molecular and cellular biology and specifically in the areas of stem cell biology and tissue engineering have paved the way for the development of a new field in biomedicine, regenerative medicine. This exciting approach seeks to develop new biological solutions, using the mobilization of endogenous stem cells or delivery of exogenous cells to replace or modify the function of diseased, absent, or malfunctioning tissue. The adult heart represents an attractive candidate for these emerging technologies, since adult cardiomyocytes have limited regenerative capacity. Thus, any significant heart cell loss or dysfunction, such as occurs during heart attack, is mostly irreversible and may lead to the development of progressive heart failure, one of the leading causes of world-wide morbidity and mortality. Similarly, dysfunction of the specialized electrical conduction system within the heart may result in inefficient rhythm initiation or impulse conduction, leading to significant slowing of the heart rate, usually requiring the implantation of a permanent electronic pacemaker. Replacement of the dysfunctional myocardium (heart muscle) by implantation of external heart muscle cells is emerging as a novel paradigm for restoration of the myocardial electromechanical properties, but has been significantly hampered by the paucity of cell sources for human heart cells and by the relatively limited evidence for functional integration between grafted and host cells. The recently described human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines may provide a possible solution for the aforementioned cell sourcing problem.

Nurses' decision making in heart failure management based on heart failure certification status.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Nancy M; Bena, James F; Buxbaum, Denise; Martensen, Linda; Morrison, Shannon L; Prasun, Marilyn A; Stamp, Kelly D

Research findings on the value of nurse certification were based on subjective perceptions or biased by correlations of certification status and global clinical factors. In heart failure, the value of certification is unknown. Examine the value of certification based nurses' decision-making. Cross-sectional study of nurses who completed heart failure clinical vignettes that reflected decision-making in clinical heart failure scenarios. Statistical tests included multivariable linear, logistic and proportional odds logistic regression models. Of nurses (N = 605), 29.1% were heart failure certified, 35.0% were certified in another specialty/job role and 35.9% were not certified. In multivariable modeling, nurses certified in heart failure (versus not heart failure certified) had higher clinical vignette scores (p = 0.002), reflecting higher evidence-based decision making; nurses with another specialty/role certification (versus no certification) did not (p = 0.62). Heart failure certification, but not in other specialty/job roles was associated with decisions that reflected delivery of high-quality care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Panic Attack or Heart Attack?

Science.gov (United States)

... When in doubt about symptoms, seek care without delay to rule out heart disease. Heart disease affects your heart's ... which cause you concern, see your doctor without delay and ask for testing to rule out heart disease. 1 Gadolinium side effects could ...

Valvular heart disease

OpenAIRE

Gelson, E; Gatzoulis, M; Johnson, M

2007-01-01

Valvular disease may be unmasked in pregnancy when physiological changes increase demands on the heart. Women with valvular heart disease require close follow-up during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum

CDC Vital Signs-Heart Age

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This podcast is based on the September 2015 CDC Vital Signs report. Your heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels as a result of your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, your heart age will be much higher than your actual age. Learn what you can do to lower your heart age and keep it low.

Verification of Heart Disease: Implications for a New Heart Transplantation Allocation System.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeisi-Giglou, Pejman; Rodriguez, E Rene; Blackstone, Eugene H; Tan, Carmela D; Hsich, Eileen M

2017-12-01

This study sought to determine the accuracy of the pre-transplantation clinical diagnosis of heart disease in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database. Because survival on the heart transplantation waitlist depends on underlying heart disease, a new allocation system will include the type of heart disease. Accuracy of the pre-transplantation clinical diagnosis and the effect of misclassification are unknown. We included all adults who received transplants at our center between January 2009 to December 2015. We compared the pre-transplantation clinical diagnosis at listing with pathology of the explanted heart and determined the potential effect of misclassification with the proposed allocation system. A total of 334 patients had the following clinical cardiac diagnoses at listing: 148 had dilated cardiomyopathy, 19 had restrictive cardiomyopathy, 103 had ischemic cardiomyopathy, 24 had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 11 had valvular disease, 16 had congenital heart disease (CHD), and 13 patients had a diagnosis of "other." Pathology of the explanted hearts revealed 82% concordance and 18% discordance (10% coding errors and 8% incorrect diagnosis). The most common incorrect diagnoses were sarcoidosis (66%), arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (60%), and other causes of predominately right-sided heart failure (33%). Among the misclassified diagnoses, 40% were listed as UNOS status 2, 8% remained at status 2 at transplantation, and only sarcoidosis and CHD were potentially at a disadvantage with the new allocation. There is high concordance between clinical and pathologic diagnosis, except for sarcoidosis and genetic diseases. Few misclassifications result in disadvantages to patients based on the new allocation system, but rare diseases like sarcoidosis remain problematic. To improve the UNOS database and enhance outcome research, pathology of the explanted hearts should be required post-transplantation. Copyright © 2017 American College of

Nuclear Heart Scan

Science.gov (United States)

... Home / Nuclear Heart Scan Nuclear Heart Scan Also known as Nuclear Stress Test , ... Learn More Connect With Us Contact Us Directly Policies Privacy Policy Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Accessibility ...

Heart bypass surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Off-pump coronary artery bypass; OPCAB; Beating heart surgery; Bypass surgery - heart; CABG; Coronary artery bypass graft; Coronary artery bypass surgery; Coronary bypass surgery; Coronary artery disease - CABG; CAD - CABG; Angina - ...

Nutrition in Heart Failure

OpenAIRE

Reci Meseri

2013-01-01

Heart failure is defined as decreased ability of heart due to various reasons. It%u2019s seen 2-3% but the prevalence increases sharply after the age of seventy. The objectives of nutrition therapy in heart failure are to prevent from water retention and edema, to avoid from hard digestion and to offer a balanced diet. In order to avoid fluid retention and edema, daily sodium and fluid intake must be monitored carefully. Main dilemma of the heart failure patients is the obesity-cachexia dilem...

Atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease, and the risk of death in patients with heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Ole Dyg; Søndergaard, Peter; Nielsen, Tonny

2006-01-01

AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for death in patients with a myocardial infarction, but highly variable results are reported in patients with heart failure. We studied the prognostic impact of AF in heart failure patients with and without ischaemic heart disease. METHODS AND RESULTS......), 1.02-1.23, P=0.018]. There was a significant interaction between the importance of AF and the presence of ischaemic heart disease (P=0.034). In patients with AF at the time of discharge and ischaemic heart disease, HR was 1.25 (95% CI: 1.09-1.42) and P... and without ischaemic heart disease, HR was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.88-1.16) and P=0.88. CONCLUSION: AF is associated with increased risk of death only in patients with ischaemic heart disease. This finding may explain the variable results of studies of the prognosis associated with AF in heart failure....

The Total Artificial Heart in End-Stage Congenital Heart Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Villa, Chet R; Morales, David L S

2017-01-01

The development of durable ventricular assist devices (VADs) has improved mortality rates and quality of life in patients with end stage heart failure. While the use of VADs has increased dramatically in recent years, there is limited experience with VAD implantation in patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), despite the fact that the number of patients with end stage CHD has grown due to improvements in surgical and medical care. VAD use has been limited in patients with CHD and end stage heart failure due to anatomic (systemic right ventricle, single ventricle, surgically altered anatomy, valve dysfunction, etc.) and physiologic constraints (diastolic dysfunction). The total artificial heart (TAH), which has right and left sided pumps that can be arranged in a variety of orientations, can accommodate the anatomic variation present in CHD patients. This review provides an overview of the potential use of the TAH in patients with CHD.

Heart Motion Prediction in Robotic-Assisted Beating Heart Surgery: A Nonlinear Fast Adaptive Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan Liang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG surgery outperforms traditional on-pump surgery because the assisted robotic tools can alleviate the relative motion between the beating heart and robotic tools. Therefore, it is possible for the surgeon to operate on the beating heart and thus lessens post surgery complications for the patients. Due to the highly irregular and non-stationary nature of heart motion, it is critical that the beating heart motion is predicted in the model-based track control procedures. It is technically preferable to model heart motion in a nonlinear way because the characteristic analysis of 3D heart motion data through Bi-spectral analysis and Fourier methods demonstrates the involved nonlinearity of heart motion. We propose an adaptive nonlinear heart motion model based on the Volterra Series in this paper. We also design a fast lattice structure to achieve computational-efficiency for real-time online predictions. We argue that the quadratic term of the Volterra Series can improve the prediction accuracy by covering sharp change points and including the motion with sufficient detail. The experiment results indicate that the adaptive nonlinear heart motion prediction algorithm outperforms the autoregressive (AR and the time-varying Fourier-series models in terms of the root mean square of the prediction error and the prediction error in extreme cases.

The Palm-Heart Diameter: A Prospective Simple Screening Tool for Identifying Heart Enlargement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya

2017-11-01

CONCLUSION: This study establishes the correlation between the palm and heart diameters. Since the heart tissue and the upper limb share a similar embryonic origin, being the mesoderm, this study prospects the fact that heart enlargement could be preliminarily identified by measuring the size of the hand.

HEART TRANSPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH PREVIOUS OPEN HEART SURGERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sh. Saitgareev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Heart Transplantation (HTx to date remains the most effective and radical method of treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure. The defi cit of donor hearts is forcing to resort increasingly to the use of different longterm mechanical circulatory support systems, including as a «bridge» to the follow-up HTx. According to the ISHLT Registry the number of recipients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass surgery increased from 40% in the period from 2004 to 2008 to 49.6% for the period from 2009 to 2015. HTx performed in repeated patients, on the one hand, involves considerable technical diffi culties and high risks; on the other hand, there is often no alternative medical intervention to HTx, and if not dictated by absolute contradictions the denial of the surgery is equivalent to 100% mortality. This review summarizes the results of a number of published studies aimed at understanding the immediate and late results of HTx in patients, previously underwent open heart surgery. The effect of resternotomy during HTx and that of the specifi c features associated with its implementation in recipients previously operated on open heart, and its effects on the immediate and long-term survival were considered in this review. Results of studies analyzing the risk factors for perioperative complications in repeated recipients were also demonstrated. Separately, HTx risks after implantation of prolonged mechanical circulatory support systems were examined. The literature does not allow to clearly defi ning the impact factor of earlier performed open heart surgery on the course of perioperative period and on the prognosis of survival in recipients who underwent HTx. On the other hand, subject to the regular fl ow of HTx and the perioperative period the risks in this clinical situation are justifi ed as a long-term prognosis of recipients previously conducted open heart surgery and are comparable to those of patients who underwent primary HTx. Studies

Functional radioanatomy of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tikhonov, K.B.

1990-01-01

Extensive data on radioanatomy of the heart and main vessels as applied to standard projections are presented. Anatomic structure evolution during heart cycle is described. A current trend towards complex examination of the heart and minor circulation vessels is illustrated, including digital roentgenography, digital subtraction angiography, nmr imaging, computerized tomography, radioisotope examination of the heart and positron emission tomography. Data testifying to essential effect of resperation phase and patient's placement on X-ray picture of the heart and blood flow in the lungs. 291 refs.; 131 figs

New Medications for Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Gordin, Jonathan S.; Fonarow, Gregg C.

2016-01-01

Heart failure is common and results in substantial morbidity and mortality. Current guideline-based therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, including beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and aldosterone antagonists aim to interrupt deleterious neurohormonal pathways and have shown significant success in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure. Continued efforts to further improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction have led to the first new-in-class medications approved for heart failure since 2005, ivabradine and sacubitril/valsartan. Ivabradine targets the If channels in the sinoatrial node of the heart, decreasing heart rate. Sacubitril/valsartan combines a neprilysin inhibitor that increases levels of beneficial vasodilatory peptides with an angiotensin receptor antagonist. On a background of previously approved, guideline-directed medical therapies for heart failure, these medications have shown improved clinical outcomes ranging from decreased hospitalizations in a select group of patients to a reduction in all-cause mortality across all pre-specified subgroups. In this review, we will discuss the previously established guideline-directed medical therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the translational research that led to the development of these new therapies, and the results from the major clinical trials of ivabradine and sacubitril/valsartan. PMID:27038558

The Heart of Coaching

Science.gov (United States)

Docheff, Dennis M.; Gerdes, Dan

2015-01-01

This article challenges coaches to address the more personal, human elements of coaching--the HEART of coaching. While there is much research on numerous aspects of coaching, this article provides ideas that make a lasting impact on the hearts of athletes. Using HEART as an acronym, five elements of effective coaching are presented: Humility,…

Effects of Liraglutide on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumarathurai, Preman; Anholm, Christian; Larsen, Bjørn Strøier

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) and increased heart rate (HR) have been associated with cardiovascular mortality. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) increase HR, and studies have suggested that they may reduce HRV. We examined the effect of the GLP-1 RA...

Heart failure etiology impacts survival of patients with heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pecini, Redi; Møller, Daniel Vega; Torp-Pedersen, Christian

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The impact of heart failure (HF) etiology on prognosis of HF is not well known. METHODS: 3078 patients (median age 75years, 61% male) hospitalized with HF were studied. Patients were classified into six etiology groups: hypertension (HTN, 13.9%), ischemic heart disease (IHD, 42...

Forkhead box transcription factors in embryonic heart development and congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hong

2016-01-01

Embryonic heart development is a very complicated process regulated precisely by a network composed of many genes and signaling pathways in time and space. Forkhead box (Fox, FOX) proteins are a family of transcription factors characterized by the presence of an evolutionary conserved "forkhead"or "winged-helix" DNA-binding domain and able to organize temporal and spatial gene expression during development. They are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes, such as cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, migration, metabolism and DNA damage response. An abundance of studies in model organisms and systems has established that Foxa2, Foxc1/c2, Foxh1 and Foxm1, Foxos and Foxps are important components of the signaling pathways that instruct cardiogenesis and embryonic heart development, playing paramount roles in heart development. The previous studies also have demonstrated that mutations in some of the forkhead box genes and the aberrant expression of forkhead box gene are heavily implicated in the congenital heart disease (CHD) of humans. This review primarily focuses on the current understanding of heart development regulated by forkhead box transcription factors and molecular genetic mechanisms by which forkhead box factors modulate heart development during embryogenesis and organogenesis. This review also summarizes human CHD related mutations in forkhead box genes as well as the abnormal expression of forkhead box gene, and discusses additional possible regulatory mechanisms of the forkhead box genes during embryonic heart development that warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radioisotope heart examination during exercise to diagnose ischemic heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farsky, S.

1986-01-01

The radioisotope exercise test is discussed and its benefits characterized for the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, namely the use of 99m Tc in scintiscanning heart ventricles and of 201 Tl in scintiscanning myocardial perfusion. The exercise ventricular function and perfusion scintigraphies are compared with the common exercise ECG examination, and their superior sensitivity and specificity emphasized. Considering the constraints of scintigraphic imaging, indications are outlined for patients including those with suspect serious ischemic heart disease in whom the exercise ECG test has been negative or inconclusive, patients with the so-called nondiagnostic ECG, patients with atypical symptoms, and healthy individuals for whom the exercise ECG test indicated with respect to their occupation has been positive. Both radionuclide imaging techniques are complementary and are shown to be valuable not only in improving the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease but also in identifying the high-risk patients in whom cardiac surgery is to be considered. (L.O.)

Cardiac damage in athlete's heart: When the "supernormal" heart fails!

Science.gov (United States)

Carbone, Andreina; D'Andrea, Antonello; Riegler, Lucia; Scarafile, Raffaella; Pezzullo, Enrica; Martone, Francesca; America, Raffaella; Liccardo, Biagio; Galderisi, Maurizio; Bossone, Eduardo; Calabrò, Raffaele

2017-06-26

Intense exercise may cause heart remodeling to compensate increases in blood pressure or volume by increasing muscle mass. Cardiac changes do not involve only the left ventricle, but all heart chambers. Physiological cardiac modeling in athletes is associated with normal or enhanced cardiac function, but recent studies have documented decrements in left ventricular function during intense exercise and the release of cardiac markers of necrosis in athlete's blood of uncertain significance. Furthermore, cardiac remodeling may predispose athletes to heart disease and result in electrical remodeling, responsible for arrhythmias. Athlete's heart is a physiological condition and does not require a specific treatment. In some conditions, it is important to differentiate the physiological adaptations from pathological conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic dysplasia of the right ventricle, and non-compaction myocardium, for the greater risk of sudden cardiac death of these conditions. Moreover, some drugs and performance-enhancing drugs can cause structural alterations and arrhythmias, therefore, their use should be excluded.

CDC Vital Signs-Heart Age

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2015-09-01

This podcast is based on the September 2015 CDC Vital Signs report. Your heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels as a result of your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, your heart age will be much higher than your actual age. Learn what you can do to lower your heart age and keep it low.  Created: 9/1/2015 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/1/2015.

Taking radionuclides to heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleynhans, P.H.T.; Lotter, M.G.; Van Aswegen, A.; Minnaar, P.C.; Iturralde, M.; Herbst, C.P.; Marx, D.

1980-01-01

Ischaemic heart disease is a main cause of death in South Africa. Non-invasive ECG gated radionuclide bloodpool imaging plays an increasingly useful role in the evalution of the function of the heart as a pump, and the extent of heart muscle perfusion defects is further pinpointed by invasive krypton-81m studies to improve patient management

HeartCare+: A Smart Heart Care Mobile Application for Framingham-Based Early Risk Prediction of Hard Coronary Heart Diseases in Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoda Ahmed Galal Elsayed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Healthcare is a challenging, yet so demanding sector that developing countries are paying more attention to recently. Statistics show that rural areas are expected to develop a high rate of heart diseases, which is a leading cause of sudden mortality, in the future. Thus, providing solutions that can assist rural people in detecting the cardiac risks early will be vital for uncovering and even preventing the long-term complications of cardiac diseases. Methodology. Mobile technology can be effectively utilized to limit the cardiac diseases’ prevalence in rural Middle East. This paper proposes a smart mobile solution for early risk detection of hard coronary heart diseases that uses the Framingham scoring model. Results. Smart HeartCare+ mobile app estimates accurately coronary heart diseases’ risk over 10 years based on clinical and nonclinical data and classifies the patient risk to low, moderate, or high. HeartCare+ also directs the patients to further treatment recommendations. Conclusion. This work attempts to investigate the effectiveness of the mobile technology in the early risk detection of coronary heart diseases. HeartCare+ app intensifies the communication channel between the lab workers and patients residing in rural areas and cardiologists and specialist residing in urban places.

Ischaemic heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Houlberg Hansen, Louise; Mikkelsen, Søren

2013-01-01

Purpose. Correct prehospital diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) may accelerate and improve the treatment. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of prehospital diagnoses of ischemic heart diseases assigned by physicians. Methods. The Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU) in Odense, Denmark...

World Heart Day

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2009-09-01

For World Heart Day, learn more about what heart-healthy steps you can take in the workplace.  Created: 9/1/2009 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/9/2009.

Heart rate response to breathing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mehlsen, J; Pagh, K; Nielsen, J S

1987-01-01

Heart rate responses to stepwise and periodic changes in lung volume were studied in seven young healthy males. Stepwise inspiration and expiration both resulted in an increase in heart rate followed by a rapid decrease in heart rate. The fastest heart rate was reached in 1.6 +/- 0.5 s and in 3.......6 +/- 1.4 s in response to inspiration and expiration, respectively (P less than 0.01). The slowest heart rate was reached in 4.8 +/- 1.0 s and in 7.6 +/- 1.9 s in response to inspiration and expiration, respectively (P less than 0.01). Following this biphasic change the heart rate returned to a steady...... level. The difference between the fastest and the slowest heart rates was significantly larger in response to inspiration (21.7 +/- 7.3 beats per minute) than in response to expiration (12.0 +/- 7.3 beats per minute; P less than 0.01). Periodic changes in lung volume were performed with frequencies from...

Summary of the 2015 International Paediatric Heart Failure Summit of Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Jeffrey P; Quintessenza, James A; Karl, Tom R; Asante-Korang, Alfred; Everett, Allen D; Collins, Susan B; Ramirez-Correa, Genaro A; Burns, Kristin M; Cohen, Mitchell; Colan, Steven D; Costello, John M; Daly, Kevin P; Franklin, Rodney C G; Fraser, Charles D; Hill, Kevin D; Huhta, James C; Kaushal, Sunjay; Law, Yuk M; Lipshultz, Steven E; Murphy, Anne M; Pasquali, Sara K; Payne, Mark R; Rossano, Joseph; Shirali, Girish; Ware, Stephanie M; Xu, Mingguo; Jacobs, Marshall L

2015-08-01

In the United States alone, ∼14,000 children are hospitalised annually with acute heart failure. The science and art of caring for these patients continues to evolve. The International Pediatric Heart Failure Summit of Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute was held on February 4 and 5, 2015. The 2015 International Pediatric Heart Failure Summit of Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute was funded through the Andrews/Daicoff Cardiovascular Program Endowment, a philanthropic collaboration between All Children's Hospital and the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida (USF). Sponsored by All Children's Hospital Andrews/Daicoff Cardiovascular Program, the International Pediatric Heart Failure Summit assembled leaders in clinical and scientific disciplines related to paediatric heart failure and created a multi-disciplinary "think-tank". The purpose of this manuscript is to summarise the lessons from the 2015 International Pediatric Heart Failure Summit of Johns Hopkins All Children's Heart Institute, to describe the "state of the art" of the treatment of paediatric cardiac failure, and to discuss future directions for research in the domain of paediatric cardiac failure.

Attitude of the Saudi community towards heart donation, transplantation, and artificial hearts.

Science.gov (United States)

AlHabeeb, Waleed; AlAyoubi, Fakhr; Tash, Adel; AlAhmari, Leenah; AlHabib, Khalid F

2017-07-01

To understand the attitudes of the Saudi population towards heart donation and transplantation. Methods: A survey using a questionnaire addressing attitudes towards organ transplantation and donation was conducted across 18 cities in Saudi Arabia between September 2015 and March 2016.  Results: A total of 1250 respondents participated in the survey. Of these, approximately 91% agree with the concept of organ transplantation but approximately 17% do not agree with the concept of heart transplantation; 42.4% of whom reject heart transplants for religious reasons. Only 43.6% of respondents expressed a willingness to donate their heart and approximately 58% would consent to the donation of a relative's organ after death. A total of 59.7% of respondents believe that organ donation is regulated and 31.8% fear that the doctors will not try hard enough to save their lives if they consent to organ donation. Approximately 77% believe the heart is removed while the donor is alive; although, the same proportion of respondents thought they knew what brain death meant. Conclusion: In general, the Saudi population seem to accept the concept of transplantation and are willing to donate, but still hold some reservations towards heart donation.

Mortality by Heart Failure and Ischemic Heart Disease in Brazil from 1996 to 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaui, Eduardo Nagib; Oliveira, Gláucia Maria Moraes de; Klein, Carlos Henrique

2014-01-01

Circulatory system diseases are the first cause of death in Brazil. To analyze the evolution of mortality caused by heart failure, by ischemic heart diseases and by ill-defined causes, as well as their possible relations, in Brazil and in the geoeconomic regions of the country (North, Northeast, Center-West, South and Southeast), from 1996 to 2011. Data were obtained from DATASUS and death declaration records with codes I20 and I24 for acute ischemic diseases, I25 for chronic ischemic diseases, and I50 for heart failure, and codes in chapter XIII for ill-defined causes, according to geoeconomic regions of Brazil, from 1996 to 2011. Mortality rates due to heart failure declined in Brazil and its regions, except for the North and the Northeast. Mortality rates due to acute ischemic heart diseases increased in the North and Northeast regions, especially from 2005 on; they remained stable in the Center-West region; and decreased in the South and in the Southeast. Mortality due to chronic ischemic heart diseases decreased in Brazil and in the Center-West, South and Southeast regions, and had little variation in the North and in the Northeast. The highest mortality rates due to ill-defined causes occurred in the Northeast until 2005. Mortality due to heart failure is decreasing in Brazil and in all of its geoeconomic regions. The temporal evolution of mortality caused by ischemic heart diseases was similar to that of heart failure. The decreasing number of deaths due to ill-defined causes may represent the improvement in the quality of information about mortality in Brazil. The evolution of acute ischemic heart diseases ranged according to regions, being possibly confused with the differential evolution of ill-defined causes

Mortality by Heart Failure and Ischemic Heart Disease in Brazil from 1996 to 2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Nagib Gaui

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Circulatory system diseases are the first cause of death in Brazil. Objective: To analyze the evolution of mortality caused by heart failure, by ischemic heart diseases and by ill-defined causes, as well as their possible relations, in Brazil and in the geoeconomic regions of the country (North, Northeast, Center-West, South and Southeast, from 1996 to 2011. Methods: Data were obtained from DATASUS and death declaration records with codes I20 and I24 for acute ischemic diseases, I25 for chronic ischemic diseases, and I50 for heart failure, and codes in chapter XIII for ill-defined causes, according to geoeconomic regions of Brazil, from 1996 to 2011. Results: Mortality rates due to heart failure declined in Brazil and its regions, except for the North and the Northeast. Mortality rates due to acute ischemic heart diseases increased in the North and Northeast regions, especially from 2005 on; they remained stable in the Center-West region; and decreased in the South and in the Southeast. Mortality due to chronic ischemic heart diseases decreased in Brazil and in the Center-West, South and Southeast regions, and had little variation in the North and in the Northeast. The highest mortality rates due to ill-defined causes occurred in the Northeast until 2005. Conclusions: Mortality due to heart failure is decreasing in Brazil and in all of its geoeconomic regions. The temporal evolution of mortality caused by ischemic heart diseases was similar to that of heart failure. The decreasing number of deaths due to ill-defined causes may represent the improvement in the quality of information about mortality in Brazil. The evolution of acute ischemic heart diseases ranged according to regions, being possibly confused with the differential evolution of ill-defined causes.

Mortality by Heart Failure and Ischemic Heart Disease in Brazil from 1996 to 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaui, Eduardo Nagib, E-mail: engaui@cardiol.br; Oliveira, Gláucia Maria Moraes de [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Klein, Carlos Henrique [Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2014-06-15

Circulatory system diseases are the first cause of death in Brazil. To analyze the evolution of mortality caused by heart failure, by ischemic heart diseases and by ill-defined causes, as well as their possible relations, in Brazil and in the geoeconomic regions of the country (North, Northeast, Center-West, South and Southeast), from 1996 to 2011. Data were obtained from DATASUS and death declaration records with codes I20 and I24 for acute ischemic diseases, I25 for chronic ischemic diseases, and I50 for heart failure, and codes in chapter XIII for ill-defined causes, according to geoeconomic regions of Brazil, from 1996 to 2011. Mortality rates due to heart failure declined in Brazil and its regions, except for the North and the Northeast. Mortality rates due to acute ischemic heart diseases increased in the North and Northeast regions, especially from 2005 on; they remained stable in the Center-West region; and decreased in the South and in the Southeast. Mortality due to chronic ischemic heart diseases decreased in Brazil and in the Center-West, South and Southeast regions, and had little variation in the North and in the Northeast. The highest mortality rates due to ill-defined causes occurred in the Northeast until 2005. Mortality due to heart failure is decreasing in Brazil and in all of its geoeconomic regions. The temporal evolution of mortality caused by ischemic heart diseases was similar to that of heart failure. The decreasing number of deaths due to ill-defined causes may represent the improvement in the quality of information about mortality in Brazil. The evolution of acute ischemic heart diseases ranged according to regions, being possibly confused with the differential evolution of ill-defined causes.

Understand Your Risk for Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Heart.org Arrhythmia About Arrhythmia Why Arrhythmia Matters Understand Your Risk for Arrhythmia Symptoms, Diagnosis & Monitoring of ... Heart Defects The Impact of Congenital Heart Defects Understand Your Risk for Congenital Heart Defects Symptoms & Diagnosis ...

What Is a Pediatric Heart Surgeon?

Science.gov (United States)

... Text Size Email Print Share What is a Pediatric Heart Surgeon? Page Content Article Body If your ... require heart surgery. What Kind of Training Do Pediatric Heart Surgeons Have? Pediatric heart surgeons are medical ...

African-Americans and Heart Disease, Stroke

Science.gov (United States)

... Research for Heart.org Educator for Heart.org CPR & ECC for Heart.org Shop for Heart.org ... controlled diabetes and suffered preventable complications such as blindness, amputations, or renal failure. For diabetes and other ...

Options for Heart Valve Replacement

Science.gov (United States)

... Guide: Understanding Your Heart Valve Problem | Spanish Symptom Tracker | Spanish Pre-surgery Checklist | Spanish What Is Heart ... Cardiac Arrest: How Are They Different? 7 Warning Signs of a Heart Attack 8 Low Blood Pressure - ...

Heart transplantation for adults with congenital heart disease: current status and future prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Hikaru; Ichikawa, Hajime; Ueno, Takayoshi; Sawa, Yoshiki

2017-06-01

Increased survival rates after corrective or palliative surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD) in infancy and childhood are now being coupled with increased numbers of patients who survive to adulthood with various residual lesions or sequelae. These patients are likely to deteriorate in cardiac function or end-organ function, eventually requiring lifesaving treatment including heart transplantation. Although early and late outcomes of heart transplantation have been improving for adult survivors of CHD, outcomes and pretransplant management could still be improved. Survivors of Fontan procedures are a vulnerable cohort, particularly when single ventricle physiology fails, mostly with protein-losing enteropathy and hepatic dysfunction. Therefore, we reviewed single-institution and larger database analyses of adults who underwent heart transplantation for CHD, to enable risk stratification by identifying the indications and outcomes. As the results, despite relatively high early mortality, long-term results were encouraging after heart transplantation. However, further investigations are needed to improve the indication criteria for complex CHD, especially for failed Fontan. In addition, the current system of status criteria and donor heart allocation system in heart transplantation should be arranged as suitable for adults with complex CHD. Furthermore, there is a strong need to develop ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation or destination therapy, especially where right-sided circulatory support is needed.

Radiochemicals used to scan the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1975-01-01

Techniques for heart scanning using 201 Tl and /sup 99m/Tc pyrophosphate are discussed. Thallium-201, produced artificially in a cyclotron, concentrates in normal heart muscle but not in abnormal tissue. Technetium-99m is deposited in mitochondria of heart cells that are irreversibly damaged. The combined use of 201 Tl and /sup 99m/Tc makes it possible to identify regions of recent heart damage as well as older heart damage. Advantages of using 129 Cs for heart scanning are also discussed

Heart Disease in Hispanic Women

Science.gov (United States)

... Heart Disease in Women Heart Disease in Hispanic Women “I thought it couldn’t be true,” says ... disease is their No. 1 killer. Why Hispanic women? While heart disease doesn’t discriminate, you could ...

Heart Disease and African Americans

Science.gov (United States)

... Minority Population Profiles > Black/African American > Heart Disease Heart Disease and African Americans Although African American adults are ... were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites. African American women are ...

Valvular Heart Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mrsic, Zorana; Hopkins, Scott P; Antevil, Jared L; Mullenix, Philip S

2018-03-01

This article outlines the diagnosis and management of commonly occurring valvular heart diseases for the primary care provider. Basic understanding of pathologic murmurs is important for appropriate referral. Echocardiography is the gold standard for diagnosis and severity grading. Patients with progressive valvular heart disease should be followed annually by cardiology and imaging should be performed based on the severity of valvular dysfunction. Surgery or intervention is recommended only when symptoms dictate or when changes in left ventricular function occur. Surgery or intervention should be performed after discussion by a heart team, including cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Total artificial heart].

Science.gov (United States)

Antretter, H; Dumfarth, J; Höfer, D

2015-09-01

To date the CardioWest™ total artificial heart is the only clinically available implantable biventricular mechanical replacement for irreversible cardiac failure. This article presents the indications, contraindications, implantation procedere and postoperative treatment. In addition to a overview of the applications of the total artificial heart this article gives a brief presentation of the two patients treated in our department with the CardioWest™. The clinical course, postoperative rehabilitation, device-related complications and control mechanisms are presented. The total artificial heart is a reliable implant for treating critically ill patients with irreversible cardiogenic shock. A bridge to transplantation is feasible with excellent results.

Heart failure - fluids and diuretics

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000112.htm Heart failure - fluids and diuretics To use the sharing features ... to Expect at Home When you have heart failure, your heart does not pump out enough blood. This causes ...

What is Broken Heart Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... pumping action and blood flow, go to the Health Topics How the Heart Works article.) Researchers are trying to identify the precise way in which the stress hormones affect the heart. Broken heart syndrome may result from ...

Exercise echocardiography for structural heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Izumo, Masaki; Akashi, Yoshihiro J

2016-03-01

Since the introduction of transcatheter structural heart intervention, the term "structural heart disease" has been widely used in the field of cardiology. Structural heart disease refers to congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. In structural heart disease, valvular heart disease is frequently identified in the elderly. Of note, the number of patients who suffer from aortic stenosis (AS) and mitral regurgitation (MR) is increasing in developed countries because of the aging of the populations. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement and percutaneous mitral valve repair has been widely used for AS and MR, individually. Echocardiography is the gold standard modality for initial diagnosis and subsequent evaluation of AS and MR, although the difficulties in assessing patients with these diseases still remain. Here, we review the clinical usefulness and prognostic impact of exercise echocardiography on structural heart disease, particularly on AS and MR.

The pathophysiology of heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Clinton D; Conte, John V

2012-01-01

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that results when the heart is unable to provide sufficient blood flow to meet metabolic requirements or accommodate systemic venous return. This common condition affects over 5 million people in the United States at a cost of $10-38 billion per year. Heart failure results from injury to the myocardium from a variety of causes including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Less common etiologies include cardiomyopathies, valvular disease, myocarditis, infections, systemic toxins, and cardiotoxic drugs. As the heart fails, patients develop symptoms which include dyspnea from pulmonary congestion, and peripheral edema and ascites from impaired venous return. Constitutional symptoms such as nausea, lack of appetite, and fatigue are also common. There are several compensatory mechanisms that occur as the failing heart attempts to maintain adequate function. These include increasing cardiac output via the Frank-Starling mechanism, increasing ventricular volume and wall thickness through ventricular remodeling, and maintaining tissue perfusion with augmented mean arterial pressure through activation of neurohormonal systems. Although initially beneficial in the early stages of heart failure, all of these compensatory mechanisms eventually lead to a vicious cycle of worsening heart failure. Treatment strategies have been developed based upon the understanding of these compensatory mechanisms. Medical therapy includes diuresis, suppression of the overactive neurohormonal systems, and augmentation of contractility. Surgical options include ventricular resynchronization therapy, surgical ventricular remodeling, ventricular assist device implantation, and heart transplantation. Despite significant understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in heart failure, this disease causes significant morbidity and carries a 50% 5-year mortality. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic aspects of heart transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, R W

1995-03-01

Heart transplantation is an established treatment modality for end-stage cardiac disease. Unfortunately, relative to other health care priorities, heart transplantation has fallen into disrepute. Efforts to reform the health care system have focused on three fundamental issues--cost, quality, and access. On each count, heart transplantation is vulnerable to criticism. Managed care is an incremental approach to health care reform that imposes fiscal constraint on providers. This constraint is expressed in the form of capitation which, in turn, requires providers to assume risk and accept economic responsibility for clinical decisions. While the need for transplantation is considerable, there are both clinical and economic factors limiting the overall level of activity. In 1993, over 2200 heart transplants were performed in the United States on people who were dying of end-stage cardiac disease. The total demand for heart transplantation was estimated to be about 5900 persons, which was not met due to an insufficient supply of donor hearts. Absent donors, the fiscal consequences of heart transplantation are minimized. In 1993, actuaries estimated that the total charge per heart transplant was $209,100. By designating centers based on price and quality considerations, managed care plans have reduced this per procedure expense to less than $100,000. While the benefits of transplantation are noteworthy, there are still concerns. Sixty percent of patients report that they are able to work, but only 30% do so. Employers hope to improve upon this record by expanding the designated center approach. In conclusion, the future of heart transplantation is unclear. Opportunities for innovation are limited, although the management of heart failure is an area of increased interest.

Biomarkers in acute heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallick, Aditi; Januzzi, James L

2015-06-01

The care of patients with acutely decompensated heart failure is being reshaped by the availability and understanding of several novel and emerging heart failure biomarkers. The gold standard biomarkers in heart failure are B-type natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, which play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of acute decompensated heart failure. Novel biomarkers that are increasingly involved in the processes of myocardial injury, neurohormonal activation, and ventricular remodeling are showing promise in improving diagnosis and prognosis among patients with acute decompensated heart failure. These include midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide, soluble ST2, galectin-3, highly-sensitive troponin, and midregional proadrenomedullin. There has also been an emergence of biomarkers for evaluation of acute decompensated heart failure that assist in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea, such as procalcitonin (for identification of acute pneumonia), as well as markers that predict complications of acute decompensated heart failure, such as renal injury markers. In this article, we will review the pathophysiology and usefulness of established and emerging biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and management of acute decompensated heart failure. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Your Heart Failure Healthcare Team

Science.gov (United States)

... Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Your Heart Failure Healthcare Team Updated:May 9,2017 Patients with ... to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Heart Failure • Home • About Heart Failure • Causes and Risks for ...

Planning Ahead: Advanced Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Planning Ahead: Advanced Heart Failure Updated:May 9,2017 An important part of ... Care This content was last reviewed May 2017. Heart Failure • Home • About Heart Failure • Causes and Risks for ...

What Is a Heart Transplant?

Science.gov (United States)

... risks. Primary graft dysfunction happens when the donor heart fails and cannot function. This is the most frequent ... heart’s arteries and cause the donor heart to fail. Over time, your new heart may fail due to the same reasons that ...

The Semantics of Heart: Translation Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hortensia Pârlog

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Words hardly ever occur on their own, because they can hardly mean anything on their own, when asked about the meaning of an isolated word, in order to figure it out, what one does is try to place it in a context or use it in a collocation. The verbal contexts in which words appear influence or at least clarify their semantic value, it is because of contextual factors that a word may have more than one meaning. Therefore, the analysis above word level is extremely important. An analysis of translational decisions may also prove to be a valuable source of information in establishing the semantics of a lexical item. The above statements are illustrated by discussing the semantics of heart. The word occurs in a great number of structures in both English and Romanian, of which eight will be analysed: heart + verb, verb + heart, heart + of phrase, adjective + heart, heart + head noun, head noun +of heart, adjective + preposition + heart, heart in sayings or fixed expressions.

Alcohol and Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Caffeine and Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Protein and Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Are two hearts better than one?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, H.; Cowie, A.; Kalff, V.; Richardson, M.; Kelly, M.J.

2000-01-01

Full text: Cardiac transplantation has become routine treatment, but not all available donor hearts can be matched. Heterotopic Cardiac Transplantation (the native heart remains in-situ), a technically difficult procedure, was introduced to partly address this limitation. Post-transplantation Gated Blood Pool Scans for these patients presented two challenges - finding the best angle for imaging the transplanted left ventricle, and distinguishing the ECG signals of the native and transplanted hearts. This allowed (a) observation of serial changes in LVEF of both hearts in seven patients, and (b) resolution of the controversy of what happens to native heart function. The transplanted heart was best imaged between LAO 5 deg and RAO 45 deg. By changing ECG limb lead positions or using a wandering V lead, it was usually possible to obtain an upright QRS complex for one heart and a downward complex for the other, allowing appropriate synchronisation of the ECG trigger. The transplant heart LVEF was obtained in 20/23 studies, being always 248%. Native LVEF was obtained in all cases where it was actively sought. Preliminary findings showed that, post-transplant, native LVEF (mean±SD) deteriorated in 6/6 patients (24%±12% to 9%±4%, p 0.95). One patient's native heart was in intermittent VT making him totally dependent on the transplanted heart. In conclusion this method allowed sequential follow-up of both hearts in these patients and demonstrated that native heart function deteriorates post-heterotopic transplant. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

The heart field effect: Synchronization of healer-subject heart rates in energy therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bair, Christine Caldwell

2008-01-01

Recent health research has focused on subtle energy and vibrational frequency as key components of health and healing. In particular, intentional direction of bioenergy is receiving increasing scientific attention. This study investigates the effect of the healer's electromagnetic (EM) heart field upon subjects during energy healing as measured by synchronization of heart rates and scores on a Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) scale and a Profile of Mood States (POMS) inventory. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest design was used based on heart rate comparisons between healer and subject and correlated with pre-and posttest SUD and POMS scores. Subjects included those who sat within the 3- to 4-foot "strong" range of the independent variable, the healer's heart field, while performing self-application of WHEE (the wholistic hybrid derived from EMDR [eye movement desensitization and reprocessing], and EFT [emotional freedom technique]), a meridian-based tapping technique (n=50); and those who performed the same process beyond the 15- to 18-foot range of the healer's EM heart field (n=41). The dependent variables were heart rate, SUD, and POMS inventory. All subjects completed these measures within 1 hour. Study results showed statistically significant heart-rate synchronization with the intervention population. In addition, SUD and POMS scores demonstrated considerably more improvement than in the control population, indicating additional benefit beyond the meridian-based therapies, such as WHEE, alone. Additional findings and future research recommendations are presented in this article.

Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Heart Institute) Also in Spanish Heart-Health Screenings (American Heart Association) Picturing the Heart (National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering) Related Issues EKGs and Exercise Stress Tests: When You Need Them for Heart Disease - ...

Vitamin D and Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall Brinkley, D; Ali, Omair M; Zalawadiya, Sandip K; Wang, Thomas J

2017-10-01

Vitamin D is principally known for its role in calcium homeostasis, but preclinical studies implicate multiple pathways through which vitamin D may affect cardiovascular function and influence risk for heart failure. Many adults with cardiovascular disease have low vitamin D status, making it a potential therapeutic target. We review the rationale and potential role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. Substantial observational evidence has associated low vitamin D status with the risk of heart failure, ventricular remodeling, and clinical outcomes in heart failure, including mortality. However, trials assessing the influence of vitamin D supplementation on surrogate markers and clinical outcomes in heart failure have generally been small and inconclusive. There are insufficient data to recommend routine assessment or supplementation of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of chronic heart failure. Prospective trials powered for clinical outcomes are warranted.

Nutrition in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reci Meseri

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Heart failure is defined as decreased ability of heart due to various reasons. It%u2019s seen 2-3% but the prevalence increases sharply after the age of seventy. The objectives of nutrition therapy in heart failure are to prevent from water retention and edema, to avoid from hard digestion and to offer a balanced diet. In order to avoid fluid retention and edema, daily sodium and fluid intake must be monitored carefully. Main dilemma of the heart failure patients is the obesity-cachexia dilemma. Since one of the main reasons of heart failure is cardiovascular diseases, in first phase, the patient may be obese. In the later phases, cachexia may show up. It was shown that cachexia is associated with mortality. Within this period, patients should not be over-fed and the patient should pass from catabolic state to anabolic state slowly. If the gastrointestinal track is functional oral/enteral feeding must be preferred. Multi vitamin and mineral supportsmay be beneficial, which may replace the increased loss, increase anti-inflammatory response and be anti-oxidants. Large, controlled and well-designed studies must be conducted in order to evaluate the benefits of nutritional practices such as nutritional assessment, enteral feeding and nutrient supports in heart failure patients.

Heart rate awareness in patients with chronic stable heart failure. A multi-center observational study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Moran, D

2014-08-23

We assessed adherence to European Society of Cardiology heart rate guidelines (i.e. heart rates less than 70bpm) in patients with chronic stable heart failure. We also investigated the percent of patients on target doses of rate controlling drugs.

Heart Failure with Recovered EF and Heart Failure with Mid-Range EF: Current Recommendations and Controversies.

Science.gov (United States)

Unkovic, Peter; Basuray, Anupam

2018-04-03

This review explores key features and potential management controversies in two emerging populations in heart failure: heart failure with recovered ejection fraction (HF-recovered EF) and heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF). While HF-recovered EF patients have better outcomes than heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), they continue to have symptoms, persistent biomarker elevations, and abnormal outcomes suggesting a continued disease process. HFmrEF patients appear to have features of HFrEF and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but have a high prevalence of ischemic heart disease and may represent a transitory phase between the HFrEF and HFpEF. Management strategies have insufficient data to warrant standardization at this time. HF-recovered EF and HFmrEF represent new populations with unmet needs and expose the pitfalls of an EF basis for heart failure classification.

Heart rate variability analysis in healthy subjects, patients suffering from congestive heart failure and heart transplanted patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Argentina Leite

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to find parameters to characterize heart rate variability (HRV and discriminate healthy subjects and patients with heart diseases. The parameters used for discrimination characterize the different components of HRV memory (short and long and are extracted from HRV recordings using parametric as well as non parametric methods. Thus, the parameters are: spectral components at low frequencies (LH and high frequencies (HF which are associated with the short memory of HRV and the long memory parameter (d obtained from autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA models. In the non parametric context, short memory (α1 and long memory (α2 parameters are obtained from detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA. The sample used in this study contains 24-hour Holter HRV recordings of 30 subjects: 10 healthy individuals, 10 patients suffering from congestive heart failure and 10 heart transplanted patients from the Noltisalis database. It was found that short memory parameters present higher values for the healthy individuals whereas long memory parameters present higher values for the diseased individuals. Moreover, there is evidence that ARFIMA modeling allows the discrimination between the 3 groups under study, being advantageous over DFA.

System overview of the fully implantable destination therapy--ReinHeart-total artificial heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, Benedikt; Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Graef, Felix; Kuipers, Kristin; Laumen, Marco; Guersoy, Dilek; Steinseifer, Ulrich; Koerfer, Reiner; Tenderich, Gero

2015-01-01

Owing to the lack of suitable allografts, the demand for long-term mechanical circulatory support in patients with biventricular end-stage heart failure is rising. Currently available Total Artificial Heart (TAH) systems consist of pump units with only limited durability, percutaneous tubes and bulky external equipment that limit the quality of life. Therefore we are focusing on the development of a fully implantable, highly durable destination therapy total artificial heart. The ReinHeart-TAH system consists of a passively filling pump unit driven by a low-wear linear drive between two artificial ventricles, an implantable control unit and a compliance chamber. The TAH is powered by a transcutaneous energy transmission system. The flow distribution inside the ventricles was analysed by fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry measurements. Along with durability tests, the hydrodynamic performance and flow balance capability were evaluated in a mock circulation loop. Animal trials are ongoing. Based on fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry, blood stagnation areas have been significantly reduced. In the mock circulation loop the ReinHeart-TAH generated a cardiac output of 5 l/min at an operating frequency of 120 bpm and an aortic pressure of 120/80 mmHg. The highly effective preload sensitivity of the passively filling ventricles allowed the sensorless integration of the Frank Starling mechanism. The ReinHeart-TAH effectively replaced the native heart's function in animals for up to 2 days. In vitro and in vivo testing showed a safe and effective function of the ReinHeart-TAH system. This has the potential to become an alternative to transplantation. However, before a first-in-man implant, chronic animal trials still have to be completed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Congenital Heart Defects and CCHD

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... and more. Stony Point, NY 10980 Close X Home > Complications & Loss > Birth defects & other health conditions > Congenital heart defects and ... in congenital heart defects. You have a family history of congenital heart ... syndrome or VCF. After birth Your baby may be tested for CCHD as ...

Malignant Tumors Of The Heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubrava, J.

2007-01-01

Autoptic prevalence of the heart tumors is 0,01 – 0,3 %. 12 – 25 % of them are malignant tumors and 75 – 88 % are benign. Malignancies are more frequently found in the right heart. Metastatic tumors occur 20 – 40-times more frequently than primary neoplasms. Even 94 % of primary malignant tumors are sarcomas. Most frequent of them are angio sarcomas. Heart metastases are only found in extensive dissemination. Highest prevalence of heart metastases is observed in melanoma, followed by malignant germ cell tumors, leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer. The clinical presentation is due to the combination of heart failure, embolism, arrhythmias, pericardial effusion or tamponade. The symptoms depend on anatomical localization and the tumor size but not on the histological type. Prognosis of the heart malignancies is poor. Untreated patients die within several weeks to 2 years after the diagnosis was determined. Whenever possible the heart tumor should be resected, despite the surgery is usually neither definite nor sufficiently effective therapy. The patients with completely resectable sarcomas have better prognosis (median of survival 12 – 24 months) than the patients with incomplete resection (3 – 10 months). Complete excision is possible in only less than half of the patients. In some patients chemotherapy, radiotherapy, heart transplantation or combination of them prolonged the survival up to 2 years. Despite of this treatment median of the survival is only 1 year. (author)

Heart failure: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of heart failure in diabetes mellitus

OpenAIRE

Jorsal, Anders; Wiggers, Henrik; McMurray, John J.V.

2018-01-01

This article briefly discusses the epidemiology of heart failure and diabetes and summarizes the key findings from the recent cardiovascular outcome trials in patients with type 2 diabetes, with a focus on heart failure as an endpoint.

Syndecans in heart fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunde, Ida G; Herum, Kate M; Carlson, Cathrine C; Christensen, Geir

2016-09-01

Heart disease is a deadly syndrome affecting millions worldwide. It reflects an unmet clinical need, and the disease mechanisms are poorly understood. Cardiac fibrosis is central to heart disease. The four-membered family of transmembrane proteoglycans, syndecan-1 to -4, is believed to regulate fibrosis. We review the current literature concerning syndecans in cardiac fibrosis. Syndecan expression is up-regulated in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli in various forms of heart disease with fibrosis. Mice lacking syndecan-1 and -4 show reduced activation of pro-fibrotic signaling and increased cardiac rupture upon infarction indicating an important role for these molecules. Whereas the short cytoplasmic tail of syndecans regulates signaling, their extracellular part, substituted with heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains, binds a plethora of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules involved in fibrosis, e.g., collagens, growth factors, cytokines, and immune cell adhesion proteins. Full-length syndecans induce pro-fibrotic signaling, increasing the expression of collagens, myofibroblast differentiation factors, ECM enzymes, growth factors, and immune cell adhesion molecules, thereby also increasing cardiac stiffness and preventing cardiac rupture. Upon pro-inflammatory stimuli, syndecan ectodomains are enzymatically released from heart cells (syndecan shedding). Shed ectodomains affect the expression of ECM molecules, promoting ECM degradation and cardiac rupture upon myocardial infarction. Blood levels of shed syndecan-1 and -4 ectodomains are associated with hospitalization, mortality, and heart remodeling in patients with heart failure. Improved understanding of syndecans and their modifying enzymes in cardiac fibrosis might contribute to the development of compounds with therapeutic potential, and enzymatically shed syndecan ectodomains might constitute a future prognostic tool for heart diseases with fibrosis. Graphical Abstract Graphical abstract summarizing

Congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Rosana Cardoso M; Rosa, Rafael Fabiano M; Zen, Paulo Ricardo G; Paskulin, Giorgio Adriano

2013-06-01

To review the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations. Scientific articles were searched in the Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO databases, using the descriptors "congenital heart disease," "congenital heart defects," "congenital cardiac malformations," "extracardiac defects," and "extracardiac malformations." All case series that specifically explored the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations were included. Congenital heart diseases are responsible for about 40% of birth defects, being one of the most common and severe malformations. Extracardiac malformations are observed in 7 to 50% of the patients with congenital heart disease, bringing a greater risk of comorbidity and mortality and increasing the risks related to heart surgery. Different studies have attempted to assess the presence of extracardiac abnormalities in patients with congenital heart disease. Among the changes described, those of the urinary tract are more often reported. However, no study has evaluated all patients in the same way. Extracardiac abnormalities are frequent among patients with congenital heart disease, and patients with these alterations may present an increased risk of morbimortality. Therefore, some authors have been discussing the importance and cost-effectiveness of screening these children for other malformations by complementary exams.

Optimal Timing of Heart Transplant After HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffen, Robert J; Blackstone, Eugene H; Smedira, Nicholas G; Soltesz, Edward G; Hoercher, Katherine J; Thuita, Lucy; Starling, Randall C; Mountis, Maria; Moazami, Nader

2017-11-01

Optimal timing of heart transplantation in patients supported with second-generation left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is unknown. Despite this, patients with LVADs continue to receive priority on the heart transplant waiting list. Our objective was to determine the optimal timing of transplantation for patients bridged with continuous-flow LVADs. A total of 301 HeartMate II LVADs (Thoratec Corp, Pleasanton, CA) were implanted in 285 patients from October 2004 to June 2013, and 86 patients underwent transplantation through the end of follow-up. Optimal transplantation timing was the product of surviving on LVAD support and surviving transplant. Three-year survival after both HeartMate II implantation and heart transplantation was unchanged when transplantation occurred within 9 months of implantation. Survival decreased as the duration of support exceeded this. Preoperative risk factors for death on HeartMate II support were prior valve operation, prior coronary artery bypass grafting, low albumin, low glomerular filtration rate, higher mean arterial pressure, hypertension, and earlier date of implant. Survival for patients without these risk factors was lowest when transplant was performed within 3 months but was relatively constant with increased duration of support. Longer duration of support was associated with poorer survival for patients with many of these risk factors. Device reimplantation, intracranial hemorrhage, and postimplant dialysis during HeartMate II support were associated with decreased survival. Survival of patients supported by the HeartMate II is affected by preoperative comorbidities and postoperative complications. Transplantation before complications is imperative in optimizing survival. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nuclear cardiology and heart failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giubbini, Raffaele; Bertagna, Francesco; Milan, Elisa; Mut, Fernando; Dondi, Maurizio; Metra, Marco; Rodella, Carlo

2009-01-01

The prevalence of heart failure in the adult population is increasing. It varies between 1% and 2%, although it mainly affects elderly people (6-10% of people over the age of 65 years will develop heart failure). The syndrome of heart failure arises as a consequence of an abnormality in cardiac structure, function, rhythm, or conduction. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart failure and it accounts for this disorder in 60-70% of all patients affected. Nuclear techniques provide unique information on left ventricular function and perfusion by gated-single photon emission tomography (SPECT). Myocardial viability can be assessed by both SPECT and PET imaging. Finally, autonomic dysfunction has been shown to increase the risk of death in patients with heart disease and this may be applicable to all patients with cardiac disease regardless of aetiology. MIBG scanning has a very promising prognostic value in patients with heart failure. (orig.)

Valvular heart disease and anaesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Abhijit; Das, Sucharita

2017-09-01

Valvular heart disease presents as mixed spectrum lesion in healthcare settings in the third-world and developing countries. Rheumatic heart disease still forms the bulk of the aetiopathology of valve lesions. Mitral and aortic valve lesions top the list of valvular pathology. A thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of valvular heart disease is essential while planning anaesthesia and perioperative care for such patients. Meticulous use of optimal fluids, close monitoring of the changing haemodynamics and avoidance of situations that can cause major reduction of cardiac output and fluid shifts are mandatory to achieve good clinical outcome. We searched MEDLINE using combinations of the following: anaesthesia, aortic, mitral, regurgitation, stenosis and valvular heart disease. We also hand searched textbooks and articles on valvular heart disease and anaesthesia. This article mainly focuses on the understanding the pathophysiology of valvular heart disease in patients presenting for non-cardiac surgeries in secondary and tertiary care setting.

Nuclear cardiology and heart failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giubbini, Raffaele; Bertagna, Francesco [University of Brescia, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Brescia (Italy); Milan, Elisa [Ospedale Di Castelfranco Veneto, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Castelfranco Veneto (Italy); Mut, Fernando; Dondi, Maurizio [International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Medicine Section, Division of Human Health, Vienna (Austria); Metra, Marco [University of Brescia, Department of Cardiology, Brescia (Italy); Rodella, Carlo [Health Physics Department, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia (Italy)

2009-12-15

The prevalence of heart failure in the adult population is increasing. It varies between 1% and 2%, although it mainly affects elderly people (6-10% of people over the age of 65 years will develop heart failure). The syndrome of heart failure arises as a consequence of an abnormality in cardiac structure, function, rhythm, or conduction. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart failure and it accounts for this disorder in 60-70% of all patients affected. Nuclear techniques provide unique information on left ventricular function and perfusion by gated-single photon emission tomography (SPECT). Myocardial viability can be assessed by both SPECT and PET imaging. Finally, autonomic dysfunction has been shown to increase the risk of death in patients with heart disease and this may be applicable to all patients with cardiac disease regardless of aetiology. MIBG scanning has a very promising prognostic value in patients with heart failure. (orig.)

Heart transplantation from older donors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Poptsov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the current situation of the shortage of suitable donor organs, heart transplantation from older donors is one of the ways to increase the performance of more heart transplants, particularly, in patients with urgent need of transplantation. While planning a heart transplantation from older donor one should consider increased risk of early cardiac allograft dysfunction, preexisting coronary artery disease, accelerated transplant vasculopathy which may adversely affect early and long-term survival of recipients. Subject to careful selection of donor–recipient pairs, effective prevention and treatment of early cardiac allograft dysfunction, pre-existing atherosclerosis and transplant vasculopathy the early and long-term survival of heart transplant recipients from older donors is comparable to heart transplantation from young donors.

Cardio MRI right heart assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genova, K.

2013-01-01

Full text: Introduction: In recent years, the evaluation of the function and morphology of the right heart caused increasing interest as right sided dysfunction is an important prognostic factor in many cardiovascular diseases. Modern MRI technique is the method of choice for precise assessment of the morphology and function of the right heart and is increasingly used in routine practice. What you will learn: Selecting appropriate techniques tailored to the morphology and function of right heart and conform to accepted standards is crucial for obtaining diagnostic imaging. This requires, as knowledge of the art of study, and diseases that assessment of right heart is key. The various techniques used and the specifics of the study protocol in the underlying disease leading to right dysfunction, consistent with standards and based on our experience will be presented. Discussion: The function of the right heart and in particular right sided function affects the prognosis of a number of cardiovascular diseases. Right sided morphology and function are assessed in terms of hemodynamic and prognostic significance in a number of heart and lung diseases. This enables clinicians to refine therapy, monitoring the effect of treatment and appropriate adjustment and precise timing invasive procedure or surgery. Knowing the capabilities and limitations of the method, combined with clinically - oriented approach are prerequisites for accurate and informative assessment of the right heart. Conclusion: Cardiac MRI is a method that allows precise , non-invasive and non- ionizing radiation morphological and functional assessment of the right heart, with the evaluation of the pulmonary circulation, which determines its key importance in conditions requiring assessment of right heart

Influence of diuretic therapy on the features of heart rhythm variability changes in chronic heart failure patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K R Alyeva

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Aim. To study comparative influence of furosemide and torasemide on heart rhythm variability in patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin. Methods. The study included 48 patients (29 males and 19 females with ischemic heart disease complicated by chronic heart failure, NYHA functional classes II-IV. All patients were randomized into two groups: group 1 (25 patients received furosemide as diuretic therapy, and group 2 (23 patients received torasemide. All patient underwent clinical examination including assessment of complaints and physical examination, laboratory and instrumental tests (electrocardiography, echocardiography, 6-minute walk test, 24 Hour Holter ECG monitoring before and 30 days after starting diuretic therapy. Results. Against the background of one-month diuretic therapy, positive dynamics of clinical parameters was registered in both main groups of patients receiving both furosemide and torasemide. In furosemide group deterioration of heart rhythm variability was observed. Torasemide treatment resulted in considerable improvement of vegetative regulation of heart activity. Conclusion. Diuretic therapy with furosemide is characterized by changes of time and spectral parameters of vegetative regulation of heart rhythm towards strengthening of sympathetic and attenuation of parasympathetic influence; diuretic therapy with torasemide resulted in considerable improvement of heart rhythm variability parameters, attenuation of sympathetic and strengthening of parasympathetic influence on heart rhythm that provides additional cardioprotection in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin.

Congenital Heart Disease: Causes, Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, RongRong; Liu, Min; Lu, Lei; Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Peiying

2015-07-01

The congenital heart disease includes abnormalities in heart structure that occur before birth. Such defects occur in the fetus while it is developing in the uterus during pregnancy. About 500,000 adults have congenital heart disease in USA (WebMD, Congenital heart defects medications, www.WebMD.com/heart-disease/tc/congenital-heart-defects-medications , 2014). 1 in every 100 children has defects in their heart due to genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. The excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy and use of medications, maternal viral infection, such as Rubella virus, measles (German), in the first trimester of pregnancy, all these are risk factors for congenital heart disease in children, and the risk increases if parent or sibling has a congenital heart defect. These are heart valves defects, atrial and ventricular septa defects, stenosis, the heart muscle abnormalities, and a hole inside wall of the heart which causes defect in blood circulation, heart failure, and eventual death. There are no particular symptoms of congenital heart disease, but shortness of breath and limited ability to do exercise, fatigue, abnormal sound of heart as heart murmur, which is diagnosed by a physician while listening to the heart beats. The echocardiogram or transesophageal echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, cardiac catheterization, and MRI methods are used to detect congenital heart disease. Several medications are given depending on the severity of this disease, and catheter method and surgery are required for serious cases to repair heart valves or heart transplantation as in endocarditis. For genetic study, first DNA is extracted from blood followed by DNA sequence analysis and any defect in nucleotide sequence of DNA is determined. For congenital heart disease, genes in chromosome 1 show some defects in nucleotide sequence. In this review the causes, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments of congenital heart disease are described.

Periodontitis in Chronic Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Fröhlich, Hanna; Herrmann, Kristina; Franke, Jennifer; Karimi, Alamara; Täger, Tobias; Cebola, Rita; Katus, Hugo A; Zugck, Christian; Frankenstein, Lutz

2016-08-01

Periodontal disease has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether a correlation between periodontitis and chronic heart failure exists, as well as the nature of the underlying cause. We enrolled 71 patients (mean age, 54 ± 13 yr; 56 men) who had stable chronic heart failure; all underwent complete cardiologic and dental evaluations. The periodontal screening index was used to quantify the degree of periodontal disease. We compared the findings to those in the general population with use of data from the 4th German Dental Health Survey. Gingivitis, moderate periodontitis, and severe periodontitis were present in 17 (24%), 17 (24%), and 37 (52%) patients, respectively. Severe periodontitis was more prevalent among chronic heart failure patients than in the general population. In contrast, moderate periodontitis was more prevalent in the general population (P periodontal disease was not associated with the cause of chronic heart failure or the severity of heart failure symptoms. Six-minute walking distance was the only independent predictor of severe periodontitis. Periodontal disease is highly prevalent in chronic heart failure patients regardless of the cause of heart failure. Prospective trials are warranted to clarify the causal relationship between both diseases.

Menopause and Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Peripheral Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Menopause and Heart Disease Updated:Jun 23,2017 Heart ... can become more evident after the onset of menopause. Menopause does not cause cardiovascular diseases . However, certain ...

Heart disease - risk factors

Science.gov (United States)

Heart disease - prevention; CVD - risk factors; Cardiovascular disease - risk factors; Coronary artery disease - risk factors; CAD - risk ... a certain health condition. Some risk factors for heart disease you cannot change, but some you can. ...

Genetics of Valvular Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

LaHaye, Stephanie; Lincoln, Joy

2015-01-01

Valvular heart disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and often the result of congenital malformations. However, the prevalence is increasing in adults not only because of the growing aging population, but also because of improvements in the medical and surgical care of children with congenital heart valve defects. The success of the Human Genome Project and major advances in genetic technologies, in combination with our increased understanding of heart valve development, has led to the discovery of numerous genetic contributors to heart valve disease. These have been uncovered using a variety of approaches including the examination of familial valve disease and genome-wide association studies to investigate sporadic cases. This review will discuss these findings and their implications in the treatment of valvular heart disease. PMID:24743897

Bisoprolol for congestive heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenberg, J.; Gustafsson, F.

2008-01-01

Background: beta-Blockers are a cornerstone in the treatment of systolic heart failure treatment, but not all beta-blockers are effective or in this setting. Objective: To define the role of bisoprolol, a highly selective beta(1)-antagonist in congestive heart failure due to systolic dysfunction....... Methods: Using the keywords 'bisoprolol' and 'heart failure' PubMed and BIOSIS databases were searched for information regarding pharmacology and relevant randomised clinical trials. Supplementary publications were acquired by scrutinising reference lists of relevant papers. Additional information...... was obtained from the FDA website. Conclusion: Bisoprolol is an effective and well-tolerated first-line beta-blocker for patients with systolic heart failure. The knowledge is primarily based on study patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure from the three CIBIS trials Udgivelsesdato: 2008/2...

Heart Attack Payment - Hospital

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Payment for heart attack patients measure – provider data. This data set includes provider data for payments associated with a 30-day episode of care for heart...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults born with a heart septal defect: the Euro Heart Survey on adult congenital heart disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engelfriet, Peter M.; Duffels, Marielle G. J.; Möller, Thomas; Boersma, Eric; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; Thaulow, Erik; Gatzoulis, Michael A.; Mulder, Barbara J. M.

2007-01-01

AIM: To investigate the role of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in adult patients born with a cardiac septal defect, by assessing its prevalence and its relation with patient characteristics and outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the database of the Euro Heart Survey on adult congenital heart

Establishing the framework to support bioartificial heart fabrication using fibrin-based three-dimensional artificial heart muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Matthew; Mohamed, Mohamed; Tao, Ze-Wei; Gutierrez, Laura; Birla, Ravi

2015-02-01

Only 3000 heart transplants are performed in the USA every year, leaving some 30 000-70 000 Americans without proper care. Current treatment modalities for heart failure have saved many lives yet still do not correct the underlying problems of congestive heart failure. Tissue engineering represents a potential field of study wherein a combination of cells, scaffolds, and/or bioreactors can be utilized to create constructs to mimic, replace, and/or repair defective tissue. The focus of this study was to generate a bioartificial heart (BAH) model using artificial heart muscle (AHM), composed of fibrin gel and neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, and a decellularized scaffold, formed by subjecting an adult rat heart to a series of decellularization solutions. By suturing the AHM around the outside of the decellularized heart and culturing while suspended in media, we were able to retain functional cardiac cells on the scaffold as evinced by visible contractility. Observed contractility rate was correlated with biopotential measurements to confirm essential functionality of cardiac constructs. Cross-sections of the BAH show successful decellularization of the scaffold and contiguous cell-rich AHM around the perimeter of the heart. Copyright © 2014 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Isoproterenol effects evaluated in heart slices of human and rat in comparison to rat heart in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, Julia E.; Heale, Jason; Bieraugel, Mike; Ramos, Meg; Fisher, Robyn L.; Vickers, Alison E.M.

2014-01-01

Human response to isoproterenol induced cardiac injury was evaluated by gene and protein pathway changes in human heart slices, and compared to rat heart slices and rat heart in vivo. Isoproterenol (10 and 100 μM) altered human and rat heart slice markers of oxidative stress (ATP and GSH) at 24 h. In this in vivo rat study (0.5 mg/kg), serum troponin concentrations increased with lesion severity, minimal to mild necrosis at 24 and 48 h. In the rat and the human heart, isoproterenol altered pathways for apoptosis/necrosis, stress/energy, inflammation, and remodeling/fibrosis. The rat and human heart slices were in an apoptotic phase, while the in vivo rat heart exhibited necrosis histologically and further progression of tissue remodeling. In human heart slices genes for several heat shock 70 kD members were altered, indicative of stress to mitigate apoptosis. The stress response included alterations in energy utilization, fatty acid processing, and the up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, a marker of increased oxidative stress in both species. Inflammation markers linked with remodeling included IL-1α, Il-1β, IL-6 and TNFα in both species. Tissue remodeling changes in both species included increases in the TIMP proteins, inhibitors of matrix degradation, the gene/protein of IL-4 linked with cardiac fibrosis, and the gene Ccl7 a chemokine that induces collagen synthesis, and Reg3b a growth factor for cardiac repair. This study demonstrates that the initial human heart slice response to isoproterenol cardiac injury results in apoptosis, stress/energy status, inflammation and tissue remodeling at concentrations similar to that in rat heart slices. - Highlights: • Human response to isoproterenol induced cardiac injury evaluated in heart slices. • Isoproterenol altered apoptosis, energy, inflammation and remodeling pathways. • Human model verified by comparison to rat heart slices and rat heart in vivo. • Human and rat respond to isoproterenol

Reassessing guidelines for heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helmut Drexler

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Significant progress has been made in the last few years in the management of heart failure. In particular several trials have given significant results. It has become apparent that heart failure may be prevented in some patients by treatment of risk factors such as coronary artery disease. Experience with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE inhibitors has shown that the survival and symptomatic benefits do last in the long term, and confirm that they are the first-line treatment in heart failure. The results of a number of trials using the angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs candesartan, valsartan and losartan are presented and discussed. There is also some experience now in the use of candesartan for patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular systolic function. The COMET trial compared the β-blockers carvedilol and metoprolol tartrate, and suggests that there may be differences in clinical effect between β-blockers. The selective aldosterone receptor blocker eplerenone was evaluated in the EPHESUS trial in post-MI patients with signs of heart failure. Based on these clinical trials, heart failure guidelines are now being updated.

Insulin Signaling and Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Riehle, Christian; Abel, E. Dale

2016-01-01

Heart failure is associated with generalized insulin resistance. Moreover, insulin resistant states such as type 2 diabetes and obesity increases the risk of heart failure even after adjusting for traditional risk factors. Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes alters the systemic and neurohumoral milieu leading to changes in metabolism and signaling pathways in the heart that may contribute to myocardial dysfunction. In addition, changes in insulin signaling within cardiomyocytes develop in the failing heart. The changes range from activation of proximal insulin signaling pathways that may contribute to adverse left ventricular remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction to repression of distal elements of insulin signaling pathways such as forkhead (FOXO) transcriptional signaling or glucose transport which may also impair cardiac metabolism, structure and function. This article will review the complexities of insulin signaling within the myocardium and ways in which these pathways are altered in heart failure or in conditions associated with generalized insulin resistance. The implications of these changes for therapeutic approaches to treating or preventing heart failure will be discussed. PMID:27034277

Generation of Antigen Microarrays to Screen for Autoantibodies in Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Chruscinski

Full Text Available Autoantibodies directed against endogenous proteins including contractile proteins and endothelial antigens are frequently detected in patients with heart failure and after heart transplantation. There is evidence that these autoantibodies contribute to cardiac dysfunction and correlate with clinical outcomes. Currently, autoantibodies are detected in patient sera using individual ELISA assays (one for each antigen. Thus, screening for many individual autoantibodies is laborious and consumes a large amount of patient sample. To better capture the broad-scale antibody reactivities that occur in heart failure and post-transplant, we developed a custom antigen microarray technique that can simultaneously measure IgM and IgG reactivities against 64 unique antigens using just five microliters of patient serum. We first demonstrated that our antigen microarray technique displayed enhanced sensitivity to detect autoantibodies compared to the traditional ELISA method. We then piloted this technique using two sets of samples that were obtained at our institution. In the first retrospective study, we profiled pre-transplant sera from 24 heart failure patients who subsequently received heart transplants. We identified 8 antibody reactivities that were higher in patients who developed cellular rejection (2 or more episodes of grade 2R rejection in first year after transplant as defined by revised criteria from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation compared with those who did have not have rejection episodes. In a second retrospective study with 31 patients, we identified 7 IgM reactivities that were higher in heart transplant recipients who developed antibody-mediated rejection (AMR compared with control recipients, and in time course studies, these reactivities appeared prior to overt graft dysfunction. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the autoantibody microarray technique outperforms traditional ELISAs as it uses less patient

Influence of heart failure on nucleolar organization and protein expression in human hearts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roselló-Lletí, Esther; Rivera, Miguel; Cortés, Raquel; Azorín, Inmaculada; Sirera, Rafael; Martínez-Dolz, Luis; Hove, Leif; Cinca, Juan; Lago, Francisca; González-Juanatey, José R.; Salvador, Antonio; Portolés, Manuel

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Heart failure alters nucleolar morphology and organization. ► Nucleolin expression is significant increased in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. ► Ventricular function of heart failure patients was related with nucleolin levels. -- Abstract: We investigate for the first time the influence of heart failure (HF) on nucleolar organization and proteins in patients with ischemic (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A total of 71 human hearts from ICM (n = 38) and DCM (n = 27) patients, undergoing heart transplantation and control donors (n = 6), were analysed by western-blotting, RT-PCR and cell biology methods. When we compared protein levels according to HF etiology, nucleolin was increased in both ICM (117%, p < 0.05) and DCM (141%, p < 0.01). Moreover, mRNA expression were also upregulated in ICM (1.46-fold, p < 0.05) and DCM (1.70-fold, p < 0.05. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the highest intensity of nucleolin was into nucleolus (p < 0.0001), and it was increased in pathological hearts (p < 0.0001). Ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy showed an increase in the nucleus and nucleolus size in ICM (17%, p < 0.05 and 131%, p < 0.001) and DCM (56%, p < 0.01 and 69%, p < 0.01). Nucleolar organization was influenced by HF irrespective of etiology, increasing fibrillar centers (p < 0.001), perinucleolar chromatin (p < 0.01) and dense fibrillar components (p < 0.01). Finally, left ventricular function parameters were related with nucleolin levels in ischemic hearts (p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that HF influences on morphology and organization of nucleolar components, revealing changes in the expression and in the levels of nucleolin protein.

HEART OF MYTH - HEART OF SCIENCE Part I: Harriet Martineau's cardiac symptoms: a Victorian case history.

Science.gov (United States)

Bound Alberti, Fay

This article explores the history and meanings of the heart and its diseases as aspects of the histories of science and emotion. Analyzing the twofold meanings of the heart as both bodily object and cultural symbol, it explores the reasons for the apparent conflict in meanings of the heart of science and the heart of emotion in Western medical culture since the 19th century. In Part I, a case study of the writer, economist, and philosopher Harriet Martineau is used to demonstrate and trace that conflict, while Part II highlights the manifold meanings of the heart both in the past and in the present.

Insomnia Self-Management in Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-05

Cardiac Failure; Heart Failure; Congestive Heart Failure; Heart Failure, Congestive; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Chronic Insomnia; Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep; Fatigue; Pain; Depressive Symptoms; Sleep Disorders; Anxiety

Heart Attack Payment - National

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Payment for heart attack patients measure – national data. This data set includes national-level data for payments associated with a 30-day episode of care for heart...

Heart Attack Payment - State

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Payment for heart attack patients measure – state data. This data set includes state-level data for payments associated with a 30-day episode of care for heart...

Inflammation and Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Inflammation and Heart Disease Updated:Jun 13,2017 Understand the risks of ... inflammation causes cardiovascular disease, inflammation is common for heart disease and stroke patients and is thought to be ...

Aspirin and heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

... medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000092.htm Aspirin and heart disease To use the sharing features on this page, ... healthy people who are at low risk for heart disease. You provider will consider your overall medical condition ...

Deterministic Approach to Detect Heart Sound Irregularities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Mengko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A new method to detect heart sound that does not require machine learning is proposed. The heart sound is a time series event which is generated by the heart mechanical system. From the analysis of heart sound S-transform and the understanding of how heart works, it can be deducted that each heart sound component has unique properties in terms of timing, frequency, and amplitude. Based on these facts, a deterministic method can be designed to identify each heart sound components. The recorded heart sound then can be printed with each component correctly labeled. This greatly help the physician to diagnose the heart problem. The result shows that most known heart sounds were successfully detected. There are some murmur cases where the detection failed. This can be improved by adding more heuristics including setting some initial parameters such as noise threshold accurately, taking into account the recording equipment and also the environmental condition. It is expected that this method can be integrated into an electronic stethoscope biomedical system.

Valvular Disorders in Carcinoid Heart Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi-Min Yuan

Full Text Available Abstract Carcinoid heart disease is a rare but important cause of intrinsic right heart valve disorders leading to right heart failure. Occasionally, left-sided heart valves may also be involved. The characteristic cardiac pathological findings of carcinoid heart disease are endocardial thickening as a result of fibrous deposits on the endocardium. Echocardiographic examination and right heart catheterization are very useful for the diagnosis of the lesion. If more cardiac valves are affected, multiple valve replacement should be considered. The management of the pulmonary valve lesion depends on the extent of the diseased valve, either by valvulotomy, valvectomy, or valve replacement. Percutaneous valve implantations in the pulmonary and in the inferior vena cava positions have been advocated for high-risk patients.

Efficacy of trimetazidine combining with metoprolol on plasma BNP in coronary heart disease patients with heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore the effect of combined application of trimetazidine and metoprolol on plasma BNP in coronary heart disease patients with heart failure and the clinical efficacy. Methods: A total of 140 cases of coronary heart disease patients with heart failure treated in Cardiology Department of our hospital from May 2012 to January 2015 were selected and divided into study group and control group by random number table method. The control group received digitalis, diuretics, ACEI (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and other conventional drugs for treatment, the study group received combined use of trimetazidine and metoprolol on the basis of routine treatment of the control group, and treatment duration was 12 weeks. Then plasma BNP, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD, left ventricular end systolic end (LVESD and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF of two groups before and after treatment were statistically analyzed, and the overall effect was evaluated. Results: Before treatment, there were no significant differences in plasma BNP, blood pressure, heart rate, LVEDD, LVESD and LVEF between the two groups; after treatment, plasma BNP, blood pressure, heart rate, LVEDD and LVESD of both groups decreased and LVEF increased, but the changes in study group were better than those in control group. Conclusion: Trimetazidine combined with metoprolol has better application effect in plasma BNP decrease and heart function improvement in coronary heart disease patients with heart failure.

Heart disease and women

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007188.htm Heart disease and women To use the sharing features on ... please enable JavaScript. People often DO NOT consider heart disease a woman's disease. Yet cardiovascular disease is the ...

Machines versus medication for biventricular heart failure: focus on the total artificial heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabia, Francisco A; Moriguchi, Jaime D

2014-09-01

The medical/surgical management of advanced heart failure has evolved rapidly over the last few decades. With better understanding of heart failure pathophysiology, new pharmacological agents have been introduced that have resulted in improvements in survival. For those patients that fail to improve, mechanical circulatory support with left ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts (TAHs) have served as a beneficial bridge to transplantation. The TAH has continued to play a significant role as a bridge to transplantation in patients with biventricular failure and more selected indications that could not be completely helped with left ventricular assist devices. Improved survival with the TAH has resulted in more patients benefiting from this technology. Improvements will eventually lead to a totally implantable device that will permanently replace the failing human heart.

Mapping the Heart

Science.gov (United States)

Hulse, Grace

2012-01-01

In this article, the author describes how her fourth graders made ceramic heart maps. The impetus for this project came from reading "My Map Book" by Sara Fanelli. This book is a collection of quirky, hand-drawn and collaged maps that diagram a child's world. There are maps of her stomach, her day, her family, and her heart, among others. The…

Radiation-induced heart injury. Radiopathological study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Y; Niibe, H [Gunma Univ., Maebashi (Japan). School of Medicine

1975-11-01

In order to identify radiation-induced heart injury and to differentiate it from heart disease, an attempt was made to clarify post-irradiation heart injury by investigating the histological changes which occur during the interval between the irradiation and the time of demonstrable histological changes. A study was made of 83 autopsies in which most of the primary neoplasms were breast cancers, lung cancers and mediastinal tumors. In 43 of these autopsies the heart had been irradiated. Sixty eight dd-strain mice were also used for microautoradiographic study. Histological changes in the heart were observed in 27 of the 43 cases receiving irradiation. The limit of the tolerance dose to the heart for indicating histological changes was 1220 ret in humans. The latent period without histological changes was 2.7 months after initiation of radiation therapy. Greater heart injury was observed after re-irradiation or after the combined therapy of radiation and chemotherapy especially mitomycin (MMC). The histological findings after treatment with MMC were similar to those of radiation-induced heart injury. Results of the study indicate that the damage is secondary to radiation-induced changes of the vascula connective tissue.

The Relation of Heart and Mind in The Asian Societies Reasoning heart: The Case of Yunus Emre

OpenAIRE

ÇETİNKAYA, BAYRAM ALİ

2018-01-01

This article, considers thatthe relation of heart and mind in the Asian Societies. Theheart as the center of ıntuition and the mind as the emperor of the castle of body. YunusEmre describes the heart as “the throne of God” whereas he refers to heart as the center ofthe Divine Light, mysteries, the wisdom and knowledge. Whereas the mind is the emperorof the castle of body, the heart is like a treasure between the mind and the body. Thistreasure opens up with the power of love. When the heart i...

General Concepts in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutluer, Ferit Onur; Çeliker, Alpay

2018-01-20

Congenital heart disease in adults (adult congenital heart disease) is a growing burden for healthcare systems. While infant mortality due to congenital heart disease in the last four decades decreased by almost 3-fold, adult congenital heart disease prevalence increased by more than 2-fold in United States. Adult congenital heart disease prevalence is expected to increase steadily until 2050 in projections. Adult congenital heart disease is a multifaceted problem with many dimensions. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the common adult congenital heart diseases and summarize important points in management of these diseases with possible problems and complications that the patients and the physicians face.

General Concepts in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferit Onur Mutluer

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Congenital heart disease in adults (adult congenital heart disease is a growing burden for healthcare systems. While infant mortality due to congenital heart disease in the last four decades decreased by almost 3-fold, adult congenital heart disease prevalence increased by more than 2-fold in United States. Adult congenital heart disease prevalence is expected to increase steadily until 2050 in projections. Adult congenital heart disease is a multifaceted problem with many dimensions. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the common adult congenital heart diseases and summarize important points in management of these diseases with possible problems and complications that the patients and the physicians face

Outcome of patients undergoing open heart surgery at the Uganda heart institute, Mulago hospital complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Aliku, Twalib O; Lubega, Sulaiman; Lwabi, Peter; Oketcho, Michael; Omagino, John O; Mwambu, Tom

2014-12-01

Heart disease is a disabling condition and necessary surgical intervention is often lacking in many developing countries. Training of the superspecialties abroad is largely limited to observation with little or no opportunity for hands on experience. An approach in which open heart surgeries are conducted locally by visiting teams enabling skills transfer to the local team and helps build to build capacity has been adopted at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI). We reviewed the progress of open heart surgery at the UHI and evaluated the postoperative outcomes and challenges faced in conducting open heart surgery in a developing country. Medical records of patients undergoing open heart surgery at the UHI from October 2007 to June 2012 were reviewed. A total of 124 patients underwent open heart surgery during the study period. The commonest conditions were: venticular septal defects (VSDs) 34.7% (43/124), Atrial septal defects (ASDs) 34.7% (43/124) and tetralogy of fallot (TOF) in 10.5% (13/124). Non governmental organizations (NGOs) funded 96.8% (120/124) of the operations, and in only 4 patients (3.2%) families paid for the surgeries. There was increasing complexity in cases operated upon from predominantly ASDs and VSDs at the beginning to more complex cases like TOFs and TAPVR. The local team independently operated 19 patients (15.3%). Postoperative morbidity was low with arrhythmias, left ventricular dysfunction and re-operations being the commonest seen. Post operative sepsis occurred in only 2 cases (1.6%). The overall mortality rate was 3.2. Open heart surgery though expensive is feasible in a developing country. With increased direct funding from governments and local charities to support open heart surgeries, more cardiac patients access surgical treatment locally.

Air Quality and Heart Health: An Emerging Topic for Heart ...

Science.gov (United States)

Air Quality and Heart Health: An Emerging Topic for Heart Month: Ambient air particle pollution increases short- and long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Older-people, those with pre-existing heart disease and lung disease and diabetes are at higher risk. Mechanisms are under investigation and are likely related to oxidative stress, inflammation and effects on autonomic control. Improvements in air pollution levels reduce health impacts and increase life expectancy. Reductions of short-term exposure in those at highest risk are predicted to mitigate adverse health effects. EPA regularly evaluates the standards, health risks and issues improved standards when needed. Public health action is needed along with EPA standards to reduce the public health burden of short- and long-term adverse health effects of air pollution. Health risks remain and need to be addressed through integrated efforts of public health, health care, environmental health, individuals and communities. Presented at Webinar for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, February 2, 2017, Chapel Hill, NC- This webinar provided an update of environmental health information related to the effects of air pollution and heart and blood vessel disease. Such information is critically important for the Clean Air Agencies to understand as it provides the justification of their actions.

The heart and hypothyroidism

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1983-04-09

Apr 9, 1983 ... influenced by the thyroid disorder and vice versa. We recenrly ... hypothyroidism is a rare cause of heart failure other causes of heart failure must be excluded ... signs of cardiac tamponade and echocardiographic features of a.

Heart disease and intimacy

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000540.htm Heart disease and intimacy To use the sharing features on ... Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 10th ed. Philadelphia, ...

Optimizing risk stratification in heart failure and the selection of candidates for heart transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira-da-Silva, Tiago; M Soares, Rui; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Pinto, Iola; Feliciano, Joana; Almeida-Morais, Luís; Abreu, Ana; Cruz Ferreira, Rui

2018-02-01

Selecting patients for heart transplantation is challenging. We aimed to identify the most important risk predictors in heart failure and an approach to optimize the selection of candidates for heart transplantation. Ambulatory patients followed in our center with symptomatic heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% prospectively underwent a comprehensive baseline assessment including clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters. All patients were followed for 60 months. The combined endpoint was cardiac death, urgent heart transplantation or need for mechanical circulatory support, up to 36 months. In the 263 enrolled patients (75% male, age 54±12 years), 54 events occurred. The independent predictors of adverse outcome were ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO 2 ) slope (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.11-1.18), creatinine level (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.14-4.36), and left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99). VE/VCO 2 slope was the most accurate risk predictor at any follow-up time analyzed (up to 60 months). The threshold of 39.0 yielded high specificity (97%), discriminated a worse or better prognosis than that reported for post-heart transplantation, and outperformed peak oxygen consumption thresholds of 10.0 or 12.0 ml/kg/min. For low-risk patients (VE/VCO 2 slope <39.0), sodium and creatinine levels and variations in end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure on exercise identified those with excellent prognosis. VE/VCO 2 slope was the most accurate parameter for risk stratification in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Those with VE/VCO 2 slope ≥39.0 may benefit from heart transplantation. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

MIBG scintigraphy of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hacker, M.; Weiss, M.

2009-01-01

The sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in cardiovascular physiology. Planar MIBG with or without SPECT can be used to visualize the sympathetic innervation of the heart and the abnormalities in innervation caused by, for example, ischemia, heart failure, and arrhythmogenic disorders. Furthermore, cardiac neuronal imaging allows early detection of autonomic neuropathy in diabetes mellitus. Assessment of sympathetic nerve activity in patients with heart failure has been shown to provide important prognostic information, and cardiac neuronal imaging can potentially identify patients who are at increased risk of sudden death. Moreover, therapeutic effects of different treatment strategies can be evaluated by imaging. To establish the clinical utility of cardiac neuronal imaging, it will be necessary to determine the incremental value of innervation imaging to triage heart failure patients to medical therapy, CRT (with or without ICD), or heart transplantation. (orig.)

Artificial heart for humanoid robot

Science.gov (United States)

Potnuru, Akshay; Wu, Lianjun; Tadesse, Yonas

2014-03-01

A soft robotic device inspired by the pumping action of a biological heart is presented in this study. Developing artificial heart to a humanoid robot enables us to make a better biomedical device for ultimate use in humans. As technology continues to become more advanced, the methods in which we implement high performance and biomimetic artificial organs is getting nearer each day. In this paper, we present the design and development of a soft artificial heart that can be used in a humanoid robot and simulate the functions of a human heart using shape memory alloy technology. The robotic heart is designed to pump a blood-like fluid to parts of the robot such as the face to simulate someone blushing or when someone is angry by the use of elastomeric substrates and certain features for the transport of fluids.

When Your Child Needs a Heart Transplant

Science.gov (United States)

... transplant. Why Do Kids Need Heart Transplants? A child's heart might not work right for many reasons. Sometimes, babies are born with heart defects (malformations) that cause their hearts to fail. These defects are the ...

Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Enrique, Cristina; Jorde, Ulrich P; González-Costello, José

2017-05-01

Patients with advanced heart failure have a poor prognosis and heart transplant is still the best treatment option. However, the scarcity of donors, long waiting times, and an increasing number of unstable patients have favored the development of mechanical circulatory support. This review summarizes the indications for heart transplant, candidate evaluation, current immunosuppression strategies, the evaluation and treatment of rejection, infectious prophylaxis, and short and long-term outcomes. Regarding mechanical circulatory support, we distinguish between short- and long-term support and the distinct strategies that can be used: bridge to decision, recovery, candidacy, transplant, and destination therapy. We then discuss indications, risk assessment, management of complications, especially with long-term support, and outcomes. Finally, we discuss future challenges and how the widespread use of long-term support for patients with advanced heart failure will only be viable if their complications and costs are reduced. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Emerging Research Directions in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: A Report from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/Adult Congenital Heart Association Working Group

Science.gov (United States)

Gurvitz, Michelle; Burns, Kristin M.; Brindis, Ralph; Broberg, Craig S.; Daniels, Curt J.; Fuller, Stephanie M.P.N.; Honein, Margaret A.; Khairy, Paul; Kuehl, Karen S.; Landzberg, Michael J.; Mahle, William T.; Mann, Douglas L.; Marelli, Ariane; Newburger, Jane W.; Pearson, Gail D.; Starling, Randall C.; Tringali, Glenn R.; Valente, Anne Marie; Wu, Joseph C.; Califf, Robert M.

2016-01-01

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, affecting about 0.8% of live births. Advances in recent decades have allowed >85% of children with CHD to survive to adulthood, creating a growing population of adults with CHD. Little information exists regarding survival, demographics, late outcomes, and comorbidities in this emerging group, and multiple barriers impede research in adult CHD (ACHD). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Adult Congenital Heart Association convened a multidisciplinary Working Group to identify high-impact research questions in ACHD. This report summarizes the meeting discussions in the broad areas of CHD-related heart failure, vascular disease and multisystem complications. High-priority subtopics identified included heart failure in tetralogy of Fallot, mechanical circulatory support/transplantation, sudden cardiac death, vascular outcomes in coarctation of the aorta, late outcomes in single ventricle disease, cognitive and psychiatric issues, and pregnancy. PMID:27102511

Heart Disease Affects Women of All Ages

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Skip Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Heart Disease Affects Women of All Ages Past Issues / Winter ... weeks of a heart attack. For Women with Heart Disease: About 6 million American women have coronary heart ...

X-ray picture of the heart turn in echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grishkevich, A.M.; Goryanina, N.K.

1986-01-01

The paper is concerned with X-ray and echocardiographic investigation of the heart in 461 patients with mitral-tricuspidal disease. In 377 (82%) cases a turn of the heart along the longitudinal axis (counter clockwise) to the left and back was revealed. X-ray recognition of the heart turn made it possible to set an echocardiographic sensor to spot some of the cardiac cavities, interventricular septum and valvular apparatus. The correct setting of the echocardiographic sensor resulted in the determination of true sizes of each cardiac cavity, diagnosis of the nature of each valvular lesion and the recognition of such complications of rheumatic heart diseases as valvular calcinosis, left atrial thrombosis and disorder of myocardial contractility

Reduced Dietary Sodium Intake Increases Heart Rate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graudal, Niels A; Hubeck-Graudal, Thorbjørn; Jürgens, Gesche

2016-01-01

Reduced dietary sodium intake (sodium reduction) increases heart rate in some studies of animals and humans. As heart rate is independently associated with the development of heart failure and increased risk of premature death a potential increase in heart rate could be a harmful side......-effect of sodium reduction. The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of sodium reduction on heart rate. Relevant studies were retrieved from an updated pool of 176 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the period 1973-2014. Sixty-three of the RCTs including 72 study...... populations reported data on heart rate. In a meta-analysis of these data sodium reduction increased heart rate with 1.65 beats per minute [95% CI: 1.19, 2.11], p heart rate. This effect was independent of baseline blood pressure. In conclusion sodium reduction...

Influence of heart failure on nucleolar organization and protein expression in human hearts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosello-Lleti, Esther; Rivera, Miguel; Cortes, Raquel [Cardiocirculatory Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Azorin, Inmaculada [Experimental Neurology, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Sirera, Rafael [Biotechnology Department, Universidad Politecnica, Valencia (Spain); Martinez-Dolz, Luis [Cardiology Unit, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Hove, Leif; Cinca, Juan [Cardiology Unit, Hospital San Pau, Barcelona (Spain); Lago, Francisca; Gonzalez-Juanatey, Jose R. [Cardiology Unit, Institute of Biomedical Research, Hospital Clinicode Santiagode Compostela (Spain); Salvador, Antonio [Experimental Neurology, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain); Portoles, Manuel, E-mail: portoles_man@gva.es [Cell Biology and Pathology Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia (Spain)

2012-02-10

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Heart failure alters nucleolar morphology and organization. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nucleolin expression is significant increased in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ventricular function of heart failure patients was related with nucleolin levels. -- Abstract: We investigate for the first time the influence of heart failure (HF) on nucleolar organization and proteins in patients with ischemic (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A total of 71 human hearts from ICM (n = 38) and DCM (n = 27) patients, undergoing heart transplantation and control donors (n = 6), were analysed by western-blotting, RT-PCR and cell biology methods. When we compared protein levels according to HF etiology, nucleolin was increased in both ICM (117%, p < 0.05) and DCM (141%, p < 0.01). Moreover, mRNA expression were also upregulated in ICM (1.46-fold, p < 0.05) and DCM (1.70-fold, p < 0.05. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the highest intensity of nucleolin was into nucleolus (p < 0.0001), and it was increased in pathological hearts (p < 0.0001). Ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy showed an increase in the nucleus and nucleolus size in ICM (17%, p < 0.05 and 131%, p < 0.001) and DCM (56%, p < 0.01 and 69%, p < 0.01). Nucleolar organization was influenced by HF irrespective of etiology, increasing fibrillar centers (p < 0.001), perinucleolar chromatin (p < 0.01) and dense fibrillar components (p < 0.01). Finally, left ventricular function parameters were related with nucleolin levels in ischemic hearts (p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that HF influences on morphology and organization of nucleolar components, revealing changes in the expression and in the levels of nucleolin protein.

Celebrities Gather to Fight Heart Disease

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... Current Issue Past Issues Celebrities Gather to Fight Heart Disease Past Issues / Spring 2007 Table of Contents For ... Kit to offer community education programs on women's heart disease. Organize heart-health screening events and health fairs ...

Heart Valve Surgery Recovery and Follow Up

Science.gov (United States)

... Guide: Understanding Your Heart Valve Problem | Spanish Symptom Tracker | Spanish Pre-surgery Checklist | Spanish What Is Heart ... Heart Valves • Heart Valve Problems and Causes • Risks, Signs and Symptoms • Accurate Diagnosis • Treatment Options • Recovery and ...

Rethinking Heart Failure

OpenAIRE

F?rstenwerth, Hauke

2012-01-01

An increasing body of clinical observations and experimental evidence suggests that cardiac dysfunction results from autonomic dysregulation of the contractile output of the heart. Excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system and a decrease in parasympathetic tone are associated with increased mortality. Elevated levels of circulating catecholamines closely correlate with the severity and poor prognosis in heart failure. Sympathetic over-stimulation causes increased levels of catech...

Genetics Home Reference: critical congenital heart disease

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... Facebook Twitter Home Health Conditions Critical congenital heart disease Critical congenital heart disease Printable PDF Open All Close All ... for Disease Control and Prevention: Congenital Heart Defects Disease InfoSearch: Congenital Heart Defects KidsHealth from Nemours Lucile Packard Children's ...

Early inflammatory changes in radiation-induced oral mucositis. Effect of pentoxifylline in a mouse model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gruber, Sylvia; Bozsaky, Eva; Roitinger, Eva; Schwarz, Karoline [Medical University/AKH Vienna, Applied and Translational Radiobiology, Dept. Radiation Oncology/CD Lab. Med. Radiation Research for Radiation Oncology, Vienna (Austria); Schmidt, Margret [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dept. Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden (Germany); Technische Universitaet Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden (Germany); Doerr, Wolfgang [Medical University/AKH Vienna, Applied and Translational Radiobiology, Dept. Radiation Oncology/CD Lab. Med. Radiation Research for Radiation Oncology, Vienna (Austria); Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dept. Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden (Germany); Technische Universitaet Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden (Germany)

2017-06-15

Early inflammation is a major factor of mucosal reactions to radiotherapy. Pentoxifylline administration resulted in a significant amelioration of radiation-induced oral mucositis in the mouse tongue model. The underlying mechanisms may be related to the immunomodulatory properties of the drug. The present study hence focuses on the manifestation of early inflammatory changes in mouse tongue during daily fractionated irradiation and their potential modulation by pentoxifylline. Daily fractionated irradiation with 5 fractions of 3 Gy/week (days 0-4, 7-11) was given to the snouts of mice. Groups of 3 animals per day were euthanized every second day between day 0 and 14. Pentoxifylline (15 mg/kg, s. c.) was administered daily from day 5 to the day before sacrifice. The expression of the inflammatory proteins TNFα, NF-κB, and IL-1β were analysed. Fractionated irradiation increased the expression of all inflammatory markers. Pentoxifylline significantly reduced the expression of TNFα and IL-1β, but not NF-κB. Early inflammation, as indicated by the expression of the inflammatory markers TNFα, NF-κB, and IL-1β, is an essential component of early radiogenic oral mucositis. Pentoxifylline differentially modulated the expression of different inflammatory markers. The mucoprotective effect of pentoxifylline does not appear to be based on modulation of NF-κB-associated inflammation. (orig.) [German] Fruehe entzuendliche Veraenderungen sind ein bedeutender Faktor waehrend der Strahlenreaktion der Schleimhaut. Die Behandlung mit Pentoxifyllin erzielte eine signifikante Minderung strahleninduzierter oraler Mukositis im Mauszungenmodel. Die zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen sind potenziell auf die immunomodulatorischen Eigenschaften des Wirkstoffs zurueckzufuehren. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen fokussieren daher auf die Manifestation frueher entzuendlicher Veraenderungen in der Mauszunge waehrend taeglich fraktionierter Bestrahlung und deren potenzieller Modifikation

[Genetics of congenital heart diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnet, Damien

2017-06-01

Developmental genetics of congenital heart diseases has evolved from analysis of serial slices in embryos towards molecular genetics of cardiac morphogenesis with a dynamic view of cardiac development. Genetics of congenital heart diseases has also changed from formal genetic analysis of familial recurrences or population-based analysis to screening for mutations in candidates genes identified in animal models. Close cooperation between molecular embryologists, pathologists involved in heart development and pediatric cardiologists is crucial for further increase of knowledge in the field of cardiac morphogenesis and genetics of cardiac defects. The genetic model for congenital heart disease has to be revised to favor a polygenic origin rather than a monogenic one. The main mechanism is altered genic dosage that can account for heart diseases in chromosomal anomalies as well as in point mutations in syndromic and isolated congenital heart diseases. The use of big data grouping information from cardiac development, interactions between genes and proteins, epigenetic factors such as chromatin remodeling or DNA methylation is the current source for improving our knowledge in the field and to give clues for future therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Specialist Heart Failure Curriculum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McDonagh, Theresa A; Gardner, Roy S; Lainscak, Mitja

2014-01-01

Training Curricula. In addition, European Society of Cardiology (ESC) subspecialty curricula exist for Interventional Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Management. The purpose of this heart failure curriculum is to provide a framework which can be used as a blueprint for training across Europe. This blueprint...... mirrors other ESC curricula. Each section has three components: the knowledge required, the skills which are necessary, and the professionalism (attitudes and behaviours) which should be attained. The programme is designed to last 2 years. The first year is devoted to the specialist heart failure module...

Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehrke, Michael; Marx, Nikolaus

2017-06-01

Epidemiologic and clinical data from the last 2 decades have shown that the prevalence of heart failure in diabetes is very high, and the prognosis for patients with heart failure is worse in those with diabetes than in those without diabetes. Experimental data suggest that various mechanisms contribute to the impairment in systolic and diastolic function in patients with diabetes, and there is an increased recognition that these patients develop heart failure independent of the presence of coronary artery disease or its associated risk factors. In addition, current clinical data demonstrated that treatment with the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin reduced hospitalization for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and high cardiovascular risk. This review article summarizes recent data on the prevalence, prognosis, pathophysiology, and therapeutic strategies to treat patients with diabetes and heart failure. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cell migration during heart regeneration in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahara, Naoyuki; Brush, Michael; Kawakami, Yasuhiko

2016-07-01

Zebrafish possess the remarkable ability to regenerate injured hearts as adults, which contrasts the very limited ability in mammals. Although very limited, mammalian hearts do in fact have measurable levels of cardiomyocyte regeneration. Therefore, elucidating mechanisms of zebrafish heart regeneration would provide information of naturally occurring regeneration to potentially apply to mammalian studies, in addition to addressing this biologically interesting phenomenon in itself. Studies over the past 13 years have identified processes and mechanisms of heart regeneration in zebrafish. After heart injury, pre-existing cardiomyocytes dedifferentiate, enter the cell cycle, and repair the injured myocardium. This process requires interaction with epicardial cells, endocardial cells, and vascular endothelial cells. Epicardial cells envelope the heart, while endocardial cells make up the inner lining of the heart. They provide paracrine signals to cardiomyocytes to regenerate the injured myocardium, which is vascularized during heart regeneration. In addition, accumulating results suggest that local migration of these major cardiac cell types have roles in heart regeneration. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of various heart injury methods used in the research community and regeneration of the major cardiac cell types. Then, we discuss local migration of these cardiac cell types and immune cells during heart regeneration. Developmental Dynamics 245:774-787, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Plasma microvesicle analysis identifies microRNA 129-5p as a biomarker of heart failure in univentricular heart disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sweta Ramachandran

Full Text Available Biomarkers of heart failure in adults have been extensively studied. However, biomarkers to monitor the progression of heart failure in children with univentricular physiology are less well understood. We proposed that as mediators of diverse pathophysiology, miRNAs contained within circulating microvesicles could serve as biomarkers for the presence and progression of heart failure in univentricular patients. To test this, we studied the association of heart failure with elevations in specific miRNAs isolated from circulating microvesicles in a cohort of children with univentricular heart disease and heart failure. We conducted a single site cross-sectional observational study of 71 children aged 1 month-7 years with univentricular heart disease and heart failure. We demonstrated that levels of miR129-5p isolated from plasma microvesicles were inversely related to the degree of clinical heart failure as assessed by Ross score. We then showed that miR129-5p levels are downregulated in HL1 cells and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes exposed to oxidative stress. We demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2, which has been implicated in the development of pulmonary vascular disease, is a target of miR129-5p, and conversely regulated in response to oxidative stress in cell culture. Levels of miR129-5p were inversely related to the degree of clinical heart failure in patients with univentricular heart disease. This study demonstrates that miR129-5p is a sensitive and specific biomarker for heart failure in univentricular heart disease independent of ventricular morphology or stage of palliation. Further study is warranted to understand the targets affected by miR129-5p with the development of heart failure in patients with univentricular physiology.

Heart rate variability in healthy population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alamgir, M.; Hussain, M.M.

2010-01-01

Background: Heart rate variability has been considered as an indicator of autonomic status. Little work has been done on heart rate variability in normal healthy volunteers. We aimed at evolving the reference values of heart rate variability in our healthy population. Methods: Twenty-four hour holter monitoring of 37 healthy individuals was done using Holter ECG recorder 'Life card CF' from 'Reynolds Medical'. Heart rate variability in both time and frequency domains was analysed with 'Reynolds Medical Pathfinder Digital/700'. Results: The heart rate variability in normal healthy volunteers of our population was found in time domain using standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of average NN intervals (SDANN), and Square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD). Variation in heart rate variability indices was observed between local and foreign volunteers and RMSSD was found significantly increased (p<0.05) in local population. Conclusions: The values of heart rate variability (RMSSD) in healthy Pakistani volunteers were found increased compared to the foreign data reflecting parasympathetic dominance in our population. (author)

Heart check: the development and evolution of an organizational heart health assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Golaszewski, Thomas; Fisher, Brian

2002-01-01

The purpose of this article is to document the development, testing, and application of an organizational assessment tool used to measure employer support for heart health. Additional information is presented on its future research and applications plan. This article represents the pooling of results from multiple studies using a variety of designs, including pilot tests, cross-sectional analyses, and quasi-experiments. Worksites covering the spectrum of employers across industry types and size, and throughout all of New York State. Over 10,000 New York employees and 1000 New York employers are represented in the multiple phases of this research. Heart Check is a 226-item inventory designed to measure such features in the worksite as organizational foundations, administrative supports, tobacco control, nutrition support, physical activity support, stress management, screening services, and company demographics. Additional side studies used professional judgments and behavioral surveys. As an assessment tool Heart Check shows evidence for reliability and validity. Applications of the instrument show characteristics that define high-scoring companies, quasi standards for New York employers, and, when applied during interventions, positive changes in organizational support levels. A relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, and metrically tested instrument exists for measuring the construct of organizational support for employee heart health. The instrument shows promise as part of a system to enhance heart health through public health-based interventions in the workplace.

Validation of the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) in Heart Failure Population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, S.; Kayani, A.M.; Munir, R.

2014-01-01

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) in a Pakistani systolic heart failure cohort in predicting mortality in this population. Study Design: Cohort study. Place and Duration of Study: The Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology - National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi, from March 2011 to March 2012. Methodology: One hundred and eighteen patients with heart failure (HF) from the registry were followed for one year. Their 1-year mortality was calculated using the SHFM software on their enrollment into the registry. After 1-year predicted 1-year mortality was compared with the actual 1-year mortality of these patients. Results: The mean age was 41.6 +- 14.9 years (16 - 78 years). There were 73.7% males and 26.3% females. One hundred and fifteen patients were in NYHA class III or IV. Mean ejection fraction in these patients was 23 +- 9.3%. Mean brain natriuretic peptide levels were 1230 A+- 1214 pg/mL. Sensitivity of the model was 89.3% with 71.1% specificity, 49% positive predictive value and 95.5% negative predictive value. The accuracy of the model was 75.4%. In Roc analysis, AUC for the SHFM was 0.802 (p<0.001). conclusion: SHFM was found to be reliable in predicting one year mortality among patients with heart failure in the pakistan patients. (author)

Developing New Treatments for Heart Failure: Focus on the Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Gheorghiade, Mihai; Larson, Christopher J; Shah, Sanjiv J; Greene, Stephen J; Cleland, John G F; Colucci, Wilson S; Dunnmon, Preston; Epstein, Stephen E; Kim, Raymond J; Parsey, Ramin V; Stockbridge, Norman; Carr, James; Dinh, Wilfried; Krahn, Thomas; Kramer, Frank; Wahlander, Karin; Deckelbaum, Lawrence I; Crandall, David; Okada, Shunichiro; Senni, Michele; Sikora, Sergey; Sabbah, Hani N; Butler, Javed

2016-05-01

Compared with heart failure (HF) care 20 to 30 years ago, there has been tremendous advancement in therapy for ambulatory HF with reduced ejection fraction with the use of agents that block maladaptive neurohormonal pathways. However, during the past decade, with few notable exceptions, the frequency of successful drug development programs has fallen as most novel therapies have failed to offer incremental benefit or raised safety concerns (ie, hypotension). Moreover, no therapy has been approved specifically for HF with preserved ejection fraction or for worsening chronic HF (including acutely decompensated HF). Across the spectrum of HF, preliminary results from many phase II trials have been promising but are frequently followed by unsuccessful phase III studies, highlighting a disconnect in the translational process between basic science discovery, early drug development, and definitive clinical testing in pivotal trials. A major unmet need in HF drug development is the ability to identify homogeneous subsets of patients whose underlying disease is driven by a specific mechanism that can be targeted using a new therapeutic agent. Drug development strategies should increasingly consider therapies that facilitate reverse remodeling by directly targeting the heart itself rather than strictly focusing on agents that unload the heart or target systemic neurohormones. Advancements in cardiac imaging may allow for more focused and direct assessment of drug effects on the heart early in the drug development process. To better understand and address the array of challenges facing current HF drug development, so that future efforts may have a better chance for success, the Food and Drug Administration facilitated a meeting on February 17, 2015, which was attended by clinicians, researchers, regulators, and industry representatives. The following discussion summarizes the key takeaway dialogue from this meeting. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cyanotic congenital heart disease and atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tarp, Julie Bjerre; Jensen, Annette Schophuus; Engstrøm, Thomas

2017-01-01

Improved treatment options in paediatric cardiology and congenital heart surgery have resulted in an ageing population of patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD). The risk of acquired heart disease such as atherosclerosis increases with age.Previous studies have speculated whether...

How the Heart Works

Science.gov (United States)

... direction that blood flows through your heart. The light blue arrow shows that blood enters the right atrium of your heart from ... to your lungs through the pulmonary arteries. The light red arrow shows oxygen-rich blood coming from your lungs through the pulmonary veins ...

Thyroid and the Heart

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Karas

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The cardiovascular signs and symptoms of thyroid disease are some of the most clinically relevant findings that accompany both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. On the basis of the understanding of the mechanisms of thyroid hormone action on the heart and cardiovascular system, it is possible to explain the changes in cardiac output, cardiac contractility, blood pressure and rhythm disturbances that result from thyroid dysfunction. In the present review will integrate what is known about the mechanisms of thyroid hormone action on the heart and the alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism that accompany chronic congestive heart failure.

Effect of mibefradil on heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, J; de Kam, PJ; Haaksma, J; Crijns, HJGM; van Veldhuisen, DJ

2000-01-01

Background: Mibefradil was recently withdrawn from the market because of an unfavorable clinical profile in patients with chronic heart failure. Although drug interactions appear to play a role, other mechanisms such as proarrhythmia and autonomic deterioration could also be relevant. Chronic heart

Heart pacemaker

Science.gov (United States)

Cardiac pacemaker implantation; Artificial pacemaker; Permanent pacemaker; Internal pacemaker; Cardiac resynchronization therapy; CRT; Biventricular pacemaker; Arrhythmia - pacemaker; Abnormal heart ...

Physical correlates of radiologic heart volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christie, D.

1978-01-01

Radiologic heart volume was calculated on a 10 per cent random sample of subjects examined in the London Civil Service Health Survey. Data were available for 1 188 men over the age of 40, and the importance of correcting radiologic heart volume for body size, age and heart rate was demonstrated. After these variables were taken into account, the most important association found was with blood pressure. Radiologic heart volume has potential value in cardiovascular screening programmes. (Auth.)

EFFECT OF FUROSEMIDE AND TORASEMIDE ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND VENTRICULAR RHYTHM DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE COMPLICATING ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE: COMPARATIVE NONRANDOMIZED STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. H. Shugushev

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To study effect of diuretic therapy with furosemide and torasemide on heart rate variability (HRV and frequency of ventriclar rhythm disorders in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF complicating ischemic heart disease (IHD.Material and methods. Patients (n=107 with CHF III-IV functional class (NYHA complicating IHD were examined. The first group of patients received furosemide, 20-60 mg QD (n=52, the second group received torasemide, 5-20 mg QD (n=55. Analysis of heart rhythm disorders and the basic HRV indicators was performed by ECG 10-minute recordings initially and after 10 days of therapy.Results. Decrease in time and spectral HRV parameters and increase in daily number of ventricular extrasystoles was found in furosemide treated patients. Improvement of HRV parameters and reduction of daily number of ventricular rhythm disorders was found torasemide treated patients.Conclusion. Torasemide therapy improves an autonomic regulation of heart rhythm and leads to the reduction of ventricular heart rhythm disorders in patients with CHF complicating IHD.

Cigarette Smoking and Incident Heart Failure: Insights From the Jackson Heart Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamimura, Daisuke; Cain, Loretta R; Mentz, Robert J; White, Wendy B; Blaha, Michael J; DeFilippis, Andrew P; Fox, Ervin R; Rodriguez, Carlos J; Keith, Rachel J; Benjamin, Emelia J; Butler, Javed; Bhatnagar, Aruni; Robertson, Rose M; Winniford, Michael D; Correa, Adolfo; Hall, Michael E

2018-06-12

Cigarette smoking has been linked with several factors associated with cardiac dysfunction. We hypothesized that cigarette smoking is associated with left ventricular (LV) structure and function, and incident heart failure (HF) hospitalization. We investigated 4129 (never smoker n=2884, current smoker n=503, and former smoker n=742) black participants (mean age, 54 years; 63% women) without a history of HF or coronary heart disease at baseline in the Jackson Heart Study. We examined the relationships between cigarette smoking and LV structure and function by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging among 1092 participants, cigarette smoking and brain natriuretic peptide levels among 3325 participants, and incident HF hospitalization among 3633 participants with complete data. After adjustment for confounding factors, current smoking was associated with higher mean LV mass index and lower mean LV circumferential strain ( P <0.05, for both) in comparison with never smoking. Smoking status, intensity, and burden were associated with higher mean brain natriuretic peptide levels (all P <0.05). Over 8.0 years (7.7-8.0) median follow-up, there were 147 incident HF hospitalizations. After adjustment for traditional risk factors and incident coronary heart disease, current smoking (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.71-4.64), smoking intensity among current smokers (≥20 cigarettes/d: hazard ratio, 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-7.32), and smoking burden among ever smokers (≥15 pack-years: hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-3.3) were significantly associated with incident HF hospitalization in comparison with never smoking. In blacks, cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for LV hypertrophy, systolic dysfunction, and incident HF hospitalization even after adjusting for effects on coronary heart disease. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Are there long-term benefits in following stable heart failure patients in a heart failure clinic?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leetmaa, Tina; Villadsen, Henrik; Mikkelsen, Kirsten

2008-01-01

Objectives and Design. This study describes the long-term outcome of 163 patients with stable mild to moderate heart failure (NYHA II-III), who already were enrolled in a heart failure clinic and now were randomized to continued follow-up in the heart failure (HF) clinic or else to usual care (UC...

Dental Health and Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Mental Health and Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

"The Heart Game": Using Gamification as Part of a Telerehabilitation Program for Heart Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dithmer, Marcus; Rasmussen, Jack Ord; Grönvall, Erik; Spindler, Helle; Hansen, John; Nielsen, Gitte; Sørensen, Stine Bæk; Dinesen, Birthe

2016-02-01

The aim of this article is to describe the development and testing of a prototype application ("The Heart Game") using gamification principles to assist heart patients in their telerehabilitation process in the Teledialog project. A prototype game was developed via user-driven innovation and tested on 10 patients 48-89 years of age and their relatives for a period of 2 weeks. The application consisted of a series of daily challenges given to the patients and relatives and was based on several gamification principles. A triangulation of data collection techniques (interviews, participant observations, focus group interviews, and workshop) was used. Interviews with three healthcare professionals and 10 patients were carried out over a period of 2 weeks in order to evaluate the use of the prototype. The heart patients reported the application to be a useful tool as a part of their telerehabilitation process in everyday life. Gamification and gameful design principles such as leaderboards, relationships, and achievements engaged the patients and relatives. The inclusion of a close relative in the game motivated the patients to perform rehabilitation activities. "The Heart Game" concept presents a new way to motivate heart patients by using technology as a social and active approach to telerehabilitation. The findings show the potential of using gamification for heart patients as part of a telerehabilitation program. The evaluation indicated that the inclusion of the patient's spouse in the rehabilitation activities could be an effective strategy. A major challenge in using gamification for heart patients is avoiding a sense of defeat while still adjusting the level of difficulty to the individual patient.

SenseMyHeart: A cloud service and API for wearable heart monitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto Silva, P M; Silva Cunha, J P

2015-01-01

In the era of ubiquitous computing, the growing adoption of wearable systems and body sensor networks is trailing the path for new research and software for cardiovascular intensity, energy expenditure and stress and fatigue detection through cardiovascular monitoring. Several systems have received clinical-certification and provide huge amounts of reliable heart-related data in a continuous basis. PhysioNet provides equally reliable open-source software tools for ECG processing and analysis that can be combined with these devices. However, this software remains difficult to use in a mobile environment and for researchers unfamiliar with Linux-based systems. In the present paper we present an approach that aims at tackling these limitations by developing a cloud service that provides an API for a PhysioNet-based pipeline for ECG processing and Heart Rate Variability measurement. We describe the proposed solution, along with its advantages and tradeoffs. We also present some client tools (windows and Android) and several projects where the developed cloud service has been used successfully as a standard for Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability studies in different scenarios.

Parallel paths to improve heart failure outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albert, Nancy M.

2013-01-01

-based, heart failure guidelines improves clinical outcomes. Thus, nurses and patients are on parallel paths related to setting the foundation for improved self-care adherence in advanced heart failure. Through research, we found that nurses were not adequately prepared as heart failure educators...... and that patients did not believe they were able to control heart failure. In 2 educational intervention studies that aimed to help patients understand that they could control fluid management and follow a strict daily fluid limit, patients had improved clinical outcomes. Thus, misperceptions about heart failure......Gaps and disparities in delivery of heart failure education by nurses and performance in accomplishing self-care behaviors by patients with advanced heart failure may be factors in clinical decompensation and unplanned consumption of health care. Is nurse-led education effectively delivered before...

201Tl heart studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, R.L.

1976-01-01

At the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine there was a preponderance of papers dealing with the heart. The most impressive papers detailed the use of monovalent cation 201 Tl in the evaluation of coronary artery disease. Thallium-201 behaves like potassium in that it enters heart muscle quickly and persists in that organ for several hours. It is unlike most radioactive potassium analogues used for heart studies in that: (1) its gamma energy peaks (69 keV and 80 keV) are more easily collimated with resultant image improvement, (2) its physical half life of 72 hours is sufficiently short to attain high counting rates without too much radiation and is sufficiently long so that storage is not prohibitive, (3) its short half life and lack of Beta radiation results in lower radiation to the patient, and (4) its uptake in heart is greater and uptake in liver and stomach less than other potassium analogues

Renal anomalies in congenital heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Hee; Kim, In One; Yeon, Kyung Mo; Yoon, Yong Soo

1987-01-01

In general, the incidence of urinary tract anomalies in congenital heart disease is higher than that in general population. So authors performed abdominal cineradiography in 1045 infants and children undergoing cineangiographic examinations for congenital heart disease, as a screening method for the detection, the incidence, and the nature of associated urinary tract anomalies. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of urinary tract anomaly associated with congenital heart disease was 4.1% (<2% in general population). 2. Incidence of urinary tract anomalies was 4.62% in 671 acyanotic heart diseases, 3.20% in 374 cyanotic heart diseases. 3. There was no constant relationship between the type of cardiac anomaly and the type of urinary tract anomaly

Xamoterol in severe congestive heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tangø, M; Lyngborg, K; Mehlsen, J

1992-01-01

Twelve patients in severe congestive heart failure were given placebo, 100 mg xamoterol (Corwin) twice daily and 200 mg xamoterol twice daily, respectively, in 3 two-week periods in a double-blind randomised study. At the end of each treatment period the patients were evaluated. No differences were...... found between placebo and xamoterol in the following parameters: New York Heart Association function group index, heart volume, body weight, exercise duration on bicycle and treadmill, heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest. However, during exercise we found significantly lower...... heart rate and rate-pressure product during xamoterol treatment. This reduction is probably indicating occupation of beta-adrenoreceptors with concomitant reduced oxygen consumption during exercise....

Learning by Heart: Students Use Heart Rate Patterns To Identify Nervous System Imbalances.

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerly, Spafford C.

2001-01-01

Introduces a science unit on heart rate variability (HVR) patterns. Uses spectral analysis to determine the effects of environmental stimulants such as music and emotional stress on heart rate. Observes relaxation techniques and their effects on the autonomous nervous system. (Contains 12 references.) (YDS)

Definition and Classification of Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitja Lainscak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A review of the definition and classification of heart failure, updated since the recent 2016 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Heart failure is defined by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC as a clinical syndrome characterised by symptoms such as shortness of breath, persistent coughing or wheezing, ankle swelling and fatigue, that may be accompanied by the following signs: jugular venous pressure, pulmonary crackles, increased heart rate and peripheral oedema. However, these signs may not be present in the early stages and in patients treated with diuretics. When apparent, they are due to a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality, leading to systolic and/or diastolic ventricular dysfunction, resulting in a reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intra- cardiac pressures at rest or during stress. According to the most recent ESC guidelines the initial evaluation of patients with suspected heart failure should include a clinical history and physical examination, laboratory assessment, chest radiography, and electrocardiography. Echocardiography can confirm the diagnosis. Beyond detecting myocardial abnormality, other impairments such as abnormalities of the valves, pericardium, endocardium, heart rhythm, and conduction may be found. The identification of the underlying aetiology is pivotal for the diagnosis of heart failure and its treatment. The authors review the definitions and classifications of heart failure.

Heart rate, heart rate variability, and arrhythmias in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Caroline Elisabeth; Falk, Bo Torkel; Zois, Nora Elisabeth

2012-01-01

Autonomic modulation of heart rhythm is thought to influence the pathophysiology of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).......Autonomic modulation of heart rhythm is thought to influence the pathophysiology of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD)....

Educational series in congenital heart disease:Congenital left-sided heart obstruction

OpenAIRE

Carr, Michelle; Curtis, Stephanie; Marek, Jan

2018-01-01

Congenital obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract remains a significant problem and multilevel obstruction can often coexist. Obstruction can take several morphological forms and may involve the subvalvar, valvar or supravalvar portion of the aortic valve complex. Congenital valvar stenosis presenting in the neonatal period represents a spectrum of disorders ranging from the hypoplastic left heart syndrome to almost normal hearts. Treatment options vary dependent on the severity of...

Sacubitril/Valsartanstive Heart Failure: Cardiogenic Shock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. A. Rawal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Sacubitril/valsartan is a combination drug described as a new class of dual-acting angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi for heart failure. We present a case of a patient with NYHA class IV systolic heart failure who was refractory to all other classes of heart failure medications and was started on this new medication. On sacubitril/valsartan, he developed cardiogenic shock. This led us to reevaluate the use and risks of this medication in the class IV heart failure population.

Sacubitril/Valsartanstive Heart Failure: Cardiogenic Shock

OpenAIRE

Rawal, H. A.; Kocheril, A. G.

2018-01-01

Sacubitril/valsartan is a combination drug described as a new class of dual-acting angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) for heart failure. We present a case of a patient with NYHA class IV systolic heart failure who was refractory to all other classes of heart failure medications and was started on this new medication. On sacubitril/valsartan, he developed cardiogenic shock. This led us to reevaluate the use and risks of this medication in the class IV heart failure population.

Visibility graph analysis of heart rate time series and bio-marker of congestive heart failure

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaduri, Anirban; Bhaduri, Susmita; Ghosh, Dipak

2017-09-01

Study of RR interval time series for Congestive Heart Failure had been an area of study with different methods including non-linear methods. In this article the cardiac dynamics of heart beat are explored in the light of complex network analysis, viz. visibility graph method. Heart beat (RR Interval) time series data taken from Physionet database [46, 47] belonging to two groups of subjects, diseased (congestive heart failure) (29 in number) and normal (54 in number) are analyzed with the technique. The overall results show that a quantitative parameter can significantly differentiate between the diseased subjects and the normal subjects as well as different stages of the disease. Further, the data when split into periods of around 1 hour each and analyzed separately, also shows the same consistent differences. This quantitative parameter obtained using the visibility graph analysis thereby can be used as a potential bio-marker as well as a subsequent alarm generation mechanism for predicting the onset of Congestive Heart Failure.

The Eurotransplant High-Urgency Heart Transplantation Program: an option for patients in acute heart failure?

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, A; Tochtermann, U; Remppis, A; Dengler, T J; Schnabel, P A; Hagl, S; Sack, F U

2006-09-01

The Eurotransplant High-Urgency (HU) Heart Transplantation Program allows urgent heart transplants to be carried out in rapidly deteriorating patients with acute-to-chronic heart failure on the elective waiting list. But do the results of HU heart transplantation justify performing primary heart transplantation in these critically ill patients and offer an acceptable outcome? Between 2000 and 2004, 64 heart transplantations (HTx) (32 elective and 32 HU-HTx) were performed in our department. After having been accepted in an auditing process based on HU criteria, intensive care patients in NYHA functional class IV (cardiac index 1.7 l/min/qm BS), in end-organ failure (creatinine 1.5 mg/dl), and with catecholamine dependence (dobutamine 8 microg/kg/min), are given priority with respect to organ allocation, and their data were compared to data from elective patients from the same period. HU requests were accepted in 97 % of cases. Two requests were not accepted, and both patients with contraindications for assist device implantation died within one week. The HU patients were 100 % in NYHA class IV, 93 % of the elective patients were in NYHA class III. Waiting time on the HU list was 13 days, and 7 of these patients died before HTx. Following heart transplantation, survival rates at 30 days and at one year of the HU group were 88 % and 85 % versus 94 % and 93 % in the elective group. This study shows that end-stage heart failure patients in the HU program can be transplanted primarily with good results if an organ is available in time. We are still in the position where the HU program only manages the organ shortage; there are still too many patients on the waiting list who die before receiving a donor organ.

American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7: Avoiding Heart Failure and Preserving Cardiac Structure and Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Folsom, Aaron R; Shah, Amil M; Lutsey, Pamela L; Roetker, Nicholas S; Alonso, Alvaro; Avery, Christy L; Miedema, Michael D; Konety, Suma; Chang, Patricia P; Solomon, Scott D

2015-09-01

Many people may underappreciate the role of lifestyle in avoiding heart failure. We estimated whether greater adherence in middle age to American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 guidelines—on smoking, body mass, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose—is associated with lower lifetime risk of heart failure and greater preservation of cardiac structure and function in old age. We studied the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort of 13,462 adults ages 45-64 years in 1987-1989. From the 1987-1989 risk factor measurements, we created a Life's Simple 7 score (range 0-14, giving 2 points for ideal, 1 point for intermediate, and 0 points for poor components). We identified 2218 incident heart failure events using surveillance of hospital discharge and death codes through 2011. In addition, in 4855 participants free of clinical cardiovascular disease in 2011-2013, we performed echocardiography from which we quantified left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. One in four participants (25.5%) developed heart failure through age 85 years. Yet, this lifetime heart failure risk was 14.4% for those with a middle-age Life's Simple 7 score of 10-14 (optimal), 26.8% for a score of 5-9 (average), and 48.6% for a score of 0-4 (inadequate). Among those with no clinical cardiovascular event, the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in late life was approximately 40% as common, and diastolic dysfunction was approximately 60% as common, among those with an optimal middle-age Life's Simple 7 score, compared with an inadequate score. Greater achievement of American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 in middle age is associated with a lower lifetime occurrence of heart failure and greater preservation of cardiac structure and function. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ischaemic heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruttley, M.

1985-01-01

Radiology has an important role in the diagnosis and management of ischaemic heart disease, notably in the investigation of angina pectoris, the monitoring of acute myocardial infarction and the assessment of its non-fatal complications; recent application of catheter techniques to the treatment of ischaemic heart disease has been a progression from Dotter's original work on peripheral arterial dilation made possible by Gruntzig's development of a suitable dilating catheter for coronary stenosis

Acute heart failure

OpenAIRE

Sénior Sánchez, Juan Manuel; Gándara Ricardo, Jairo Alfonso

2015-01-01

We describe the clinical case of a 26 year-old woman who came to Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación (Medellín, Colombia) with symptoms and signs of acute heart failure. She had been previously diagnosed with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction without clear origin, pulmonary thromboembolism and ischemic stroke, without optimal neurohormonal modulation. She was admitted with clinical findings of fluid overload and low tissue perfusion, with inotropic support requirem...

Transplantation of Hearts Donated after Circulatory Death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher W. White

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Cardiac transplantation has become limited by a critical shortage of suitable organs from brain-dead donors. Reports describing the successful clinical transplantation of hearts donated after circulatory death (DCD have recently emerged. Hearts from DCD donors suffer significant ischemic injury prior to organ procurement; therefore, the traditional approach to the transplantation of hearts from brain-dead donors is not applicable to the DCD context. Advances in our understanding of ischemic post-conditioning have facilitated the development of DCD heart resuscitation strategies that can be used to minimize ischemia-reperfusion injury at the time of organ procurement. The availability of a clinically approved ex situ heart perfusion device now allows DCD heart preservation in a normothermic beating state and minimizes exposure to incremental cold ischemia. This technology also facilitates assessments of organ viability to be undertaken prior to transplantation, thereby minimizing the risk of primary graft dysfunction. The application of a tailored approach to DCD heart transplantation that focuses on organ resuscitation at the time of procurement, ex situ preservation, and pre-transplant assessments of organ viability has facilitated the successful clinical application of DCD heart transplantation. The transplantation of hearts from DCD donors is now a clinical reality. Investigating ways to optimize the resuscitation, preservation, evaluation, and long-term outcomes is vital to ensure a broader application of DCD heart transplantation in the future.

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSTICS OF CARCINOID HEART DISEASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janez Ravnik

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Background. Carcinoid heart disease is a rare heart disease which affects endocard and heart valves on the right side of heart. It affects only patients with manifested carcinoid syndrome, which is thought to be the consequence of secretory active metastases of carcinoid tumour. The carcinoid endocardial plaques cause structural changes of tricuspid and pulmonic valve and later on their stenosis and/or insufficiency.Patients and methods. In this article we introduce a carcinoid valve heart disease (CVHD scoring system for easier end exact echocardiographic diagnostics. Four echocardiographic parameters are beeing estimated: structural changes of tricuspid valve, tricuspid valve regurgitation, stenosis of pulmonic valve and pulmonic valve regurgitation.Conclusions. The scoring system allows us to make an early diagnosis and evaluation of progression of carcinoid heart disease, which is very important for planning the treatment process. Our experiences confirm the usefulness of this scoring system in echocardiographic follow–up of patients with carcinoid syndrome.

Primary fibro sarcoma of the heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabashi, Serbeze; Hoxha, Naim; Gashi, Shkelzen; Ahmegjekaj, Ilir; Bejta, Ilir; Sadiku, Muharrem; Ymeri, Halit; Kabashi, Antigona; Bicaj, Xhavit; Mucaj, Sefedin

2013-01-01

Primary malignant heart tumors represent rare entities where fibro sarcoma represents about 3% of all. Introducing the patient: A 15 years old patient with cardiac insufficiency (heart failure) symptoms, such as weakness, cyanosis, palpitations and breathing difficulties; enlargement of upper mediastinum and pleural effusion. Through echocardiography a pericardial effusion and intracavitary thrombus in atrium was diagnosed. With computed tomography is diagnosed a tumoral mass in right atrium which is also spread in the right ventricle of the heart. Tumor is completely removed; pat histology result showed primary fibro sarcoma of the heart. At that time no metastasis was found. Conclusion. Primary malignant heart tumors may manifest like cardiac insufficiency or like systemic diseases. Fibrosarcomas are rare and have bad prognosis. On average patients can live around six months after initial symptoms appeared and diagnosis of the tumor was done. In the case of cardiac insufficiency with differential diagnosis we should also think of heart tumors, which could certainly be proved for or eliminated by echocardiography.

Is our heart a well-designed pump? The heart along animal evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bettex, Dominique A; Prêtre, René; Chassot, Pierre-Guy

2014-09-07

A carrier system for gases and nutrients became mandatory when primitive animals grew larger and developed different organs. The first circulatory systems are peristaltic tubes pushing slowly the haemolymph into an open vascular tree without capillaries (worms). Arthropods developed contractile bulges on the abdominal aorta assisted by accessory hearts for wings or legs and by abdominal respiratory motions. Two-chamber heart (atrium and ventricle) appeared among mollusks. Vertebrates have a multi-chamber heart and a closed circulation with capillaries. Their heart has two chambers in fishes, three chambers (two atria and one ventricle) in amphibians and reptiles, and four chambers in birds and mammals. The ventricle of reptiles is partially divided in two cavities by an interventricular septum, leaving only a communication of variable size leading to a variable shunt. Blood pressure increases progressively from 15 mmHg (worms) to 170/70 mmHg (birds) according to the increase in metabolic rate. When systemic pressure exceeds 50 mmHg, a lower pressure system appears for the circulation through gills or lungs in order to improve gas exchange. A four-chamber heart allows a complete separation of systemic and pulmonary circuits. This review describes the circulatory pumping systems used in the different classes of animals, their advantages and failures, and the way they have been modified with evolution. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

DNA methylation abnormalities in congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra-Juhé, Clara; Cuscó, Ivon; Homs, Aïda; Flores, Raquel; Torán, Núria; Pérez-Jurado, Luis A

2015-01-01

Congenital heart defects represent the most common malformation at birth, occurring also in ∼50% of individuals with Down syndrome. Congenital heart defects are thought to have multifactorial etiology, but the main causes are largely unknown. We have explored the global methylation profile of fetal heart DNA in comparison to blood DNA from control subjects: an absolute correlation with the type of tissue was detected. Pathway analysis revealed a significant enrichment of differential methylation at genes related to muscle contraction and cardiomyopathies in the developing heart DNA. We have also searched for abnormal methylation profiles on developing heart-tissue DNA of syndromic and non-syndromic congenital heart defects. On average, 3 regions with aberrant methylation were detected per sample and 18 regions were found differentially methylated between groups. Several epimutations were detected in candidate genes involved in growth regulation, apoptosis and folate pathway. A likely pathogenic hypermethylation of several intragenic sites at the MSX1 gene, involved in outflow tract morphogenesis, was found in a fetus with isolated heart malformation. In addition, hypermethylation of the GATA4 gene was present in fetuses with Down syndrome with or without congenital heart defects, as well as in fetuses with isolated heart malformations. Expression deregulation of the abnormally methylated genes was detected. Our data indicate that epigenetic alterations of relevant genes are present in developing heart DNA in fetuses with both isolated and syndromic heart malformations. These epimutations likely contribute to the pathogenesis of the malformation by cis-acting effects on gene expression.

Exposure of the Heart in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy: A Systematic Review of Heart Doses Published During 2003 to 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Carolyn W.; Wang, Zhe; Macaulay, Elizabeth; Jagsi, Reshma; Duane, Frances; Darby, Sarah C.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Breast cancer radiation therapy cures many women, but where the heart is exposed, it can cause heart disease. We report a systematic review of heart doses from breast cancer radiation therapy that were published during 2003 to 2013. Methods and Materials: Eligible studies were those reporting whole-heart dose (ie, dose averaged over the whole heart). Analyses considered the arithmetic mean of the whole-heart doses for the CT plans for each regimen in each study. We termed this “mean heart dose.” Results: In left-sided breast cancer, mean heart dose averaged over all 398 regimens reported in 149 studies from 28 countries was 5.4 Gy (range, <0.1-28.6 Gy). In regimens that did not include the internal mammary chain (IMC), average mean heart dose was 4.2 Gy and varied with the target tissues irradiated. The lowest average mean heart doses were from tangential radiation therapy with either breathing control (1.3 Gy; range, 0.4-2.5 Gy) or treatment in the lateral decubitus position (1.2 Gy; range, 0.8-1.7 Gy), or from proton radiation therapy (0.5 Gy; range, 0.1-0.8 Gy). For intensity modulated radiation therapy mean heart dose was 5.6 Gy (range, <0.1-23.0 Gy). Where the IMC was irradiated, average mean heart dose was around 8 Gy and varied little according to which other targets were irradiated. Proton radiation therapy delivered the lowest average mean heart dose (2.6 Gy, range, 1.0-6.0 Gy), and tangential radiation therapy with a separate IMC field the highest (9.2 Gy, range, 1.9-21.0 Gy). In right-sided breast cancer, the average mean heart dose was 3.3 Gy based on 45 regimens in 23 studies. Conclusions: Recent estimates of typical heart doses from left breast cancer radiation therapy vary widely between studies, even for apparently similar regimens. Maneuvers to reduce heart dose in left tangential radiation therapy were successful. Proton radiation therapy delivered the lowest doses. Inclusion of the IMC doubled typical heart dose.

Developments in mechanical heart valve prosthesis

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Artificial heart valves are engineered devices used for replacing diseased or damaged natural valves of the heart. Most commonly used for replacement are mechanical heart valves and biological valves. This paper briefly outlines the evolution, designs employed, materials being used,. and important factors that affect the ...

Healthy Heart Collaboration and Developed Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

Impact: EPA is raising awareness of heart disease and its link to air pollution and other environmental factors as a partner in Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The talk will provide an up to date review of the evidence linking air poll...

Clinical pattern of heart diseases in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ejaz, M.S.; Billoo, A.G.

2000-01-01

This study was done to determine various causes and clinical presentation of heart disease in children. It was a prospective hospital study conducted in Department of Pediatrics Civil Hospital, Karachi from August 1995 to February 1996. In this study, 70 patients of heart disease upto 12 years of age were inducted. There were 33 (47.14%) cases of congenital heart diseases and 37 (52.85%) cases of acquired heart diseases. The age distribution showed that heart disease was more frequent between 0-11 months of age (41.42%). Congenital heart diseases were also frequent between 0-11 months (28.57%). On the other hand acquired heart diseases were more common between 6-12 years (22.85%). In this study the males were predominantly involved, the male to female ratio was 1.05:1. In congenital heart disease it was 1.3:1 and in acquired heart diseases it was 0.85:1. Ventricular septal defect was the commonest congenital lesion reported (20%). Rheumatic fever and viral myocarditis were two frequently occurring acquired heart-diseases 17.14% each. The common presentation of heart diseases were respiratory distress (94.28%), fever (90%), feeding difficulty (57.14%) and failure to thrive (34.28%). In case of rheumatic fever, chorea was present in 8.57%, arthritis in 11.42% and S/C nodules (2.85%) cases respectively. The early management of the problem may help in decreasing morbidity and mortality due to these disease in children. Prenatal detection of congenital cardiac lesions by fetal echocardiography in high risk pregnancies, early intervention in neonatal period and counseling of the parents may help in prevention of congenital heart diseases in children. Primary prevention of rheumatic fever can be achieved by early diagnosis and treatment of streptococcal throat infection. (author)

Iron deficiency and anemia in heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Çavuşoğlu, Yüksel; Altay, Hakan; Çetiner, Mustafa; Güvenç, Tolga Sinan; Temizhan, Ahmet; Ural, Dilek; Yeşilbursa, Dilek; Yıldırım, Nesligül; Yılmaz, Mehmet Birhan

2017-03-01

Heart failure is an important community health problem. Prevalence and incidence of heart failure have continued to rise over the years. Despite recent advances in heart failure therapy, prognosis is still poor, rehospitalization rate is very high, and quality of life is worse. Co-morbidities in heart failure have negative impact on clinical course of the disease, further impair prognosis, and add difficulties to treatment of clinical picture. Therefore, successful management of co-morbidities is strongly recommended in addition to conventional therapy for heart failure. One of the most common co-morbidities in heart failure is presence of iron deficiency and anemia. Current evidence suggests that iron deficiency and anemia are more prevalent in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, as well as those with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. Moreover, iron deficiency and anemia are referred to as independent predictors for poor prognosis in heart failure. There is strong relationship between iron deficiency or anemia and severity of clinical status of heart failure. Over the last two decades, many clinical investigations have been conducted on clinical effectiveness of treatment of iron deficiency or anemia with oral iron, intravenous iron, and erythropoietin therapies. Studies with oral iron and erythropoietin therapies did not provide any clinical benefit and, in fact, these therapies have been shown to be associated with increase in adverse clinical outcomes. However, clinical trials in patients with iron deficiency in the presence or absence of anemia have demonstrated considerable clinical benefits of intravenous iron therapy, and based on these positive outcomes, iron deficiency has become target of therapy in management of heart failure. The present report assesses current approaches to iron deficiency and anemia in heart failure in light of recent evidence.

Ontogenetic shifts of heart position in snakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lillywhite, Harvey B; Lillywhite, Steven M

2017-08-01

Heart position relative to total body length (TL) varies among snakes, with anterior hearts in arboreal species and more centrally located hearts in aquatic or ground-dwelling species. Anterior hearts decrease the cardiac work associated with cranial blood flow and minimize drops in cranial pressure and flow during head-up climbing. Here, we investigate whether heart position shifts intraspecifically during ontogenetic increases in TL. Insular Florida cottonmouth snakes, Agkistrodon conanti, are entirely ground-dwelling and have a mean heart position that is 33.32% TL from the head. In contrast, arboreal rat snakes, Pantherophis obsoleta, of similar lengths have a mean heart position that is 17.35% TL from the head. In both species, relative heart position shifts craniad during ontogeny, with negative slopes = -.035 and -.021% TL/cm TL in Agkistrodon and Pantherophis, respectively. Using a large morphometric data set available for Agkistrodon (N = 192 individuals, 23-140 cm TL), we demonstrate there is an anterior ontogenetic shift of the heart position within the trunk (= 4.56% trunk length from base of head to cloacal vent), independent of head and tail allometry which are both negative. However, in longer snakes > 100 cm, the heart position reverses and shifts caudally in longer Agkistrodon but continues toward the head in longer individuals of Pantherophis. Examination of data sets for two independent lineages of fully marine snakes (Acrochordus granulatus and Hydrophis platurus), which do not naturally experience postural gravity stress, demonstrate both ontogenetic patterns for heart position that are seen in the terrestrial snakes. The anterior migration of the heart is greater in the terrestrial species, even if TL is standardized to that of the longer P. obsoleta, and compensates for about 5 mmHg gravitational pressure head if they are fully upright. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Highlights from the British Society for Heart Failure 20th Annual Autumn Meeting: three decades of heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, Alexandra AI

2018-05-16

The 20th Annual Autumn Meeting of the British Society for Heart Failure took place on the 23-24 November 2017 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, UK. Over 800 delegates were in attendance: a multidisciplinary league of professionals who treat patients with heart failure, including specialist nurses, trainees, cardiologists, geriatricians, pharmacists and general practitioners. The theme of the conference was 'three decades of heart failure' and celebrated the success of modern heart failure management. This report highlights the 'three decades' session, the clinical trials update, and the main discussion points from heart failure question time.

Relationship between serum thyroid hormones levels and heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Fuman; Liu Tongmei; Wang Weimin

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum thyroid hormones levels and severity of heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Serum thyroid hormones (FT 3 , FT 4 , TSH) levels were measured with RIA in 38 patients with CHD but no cardiac failure, 40 CHD patients with heat failure and 37 controls. Results: The serum FT 3 levels in patients with heart failure were significantly lower than those in the other two groups (P 4 and TSH in all these three groups of subjects. Moreover, the serum FT 3 levels in the patients with heart fail- ure were significantly positively correlated with the ejection fractions (EF) in these patients. Conclusion: Serum FT 3 levels dropped markedly in CHD patients with heart failure and the magnitude of decrease was positively correlated with the severity of the disease. (authors)

Psychosocial risk factors and heart failure hospitalization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rod, Naja Hulvej; Andersen, Ingelise; Prescott, Eva

2011-01-01

Prospective studies on the role of psychosocial factors in heart failure development are virtually nonexistent. The authors aimed to address the effect of psychosocial factors on the risk of heart failure hospitalization in men and women free of cardiovascular disease. In 1991-1993, the 8......-fourth of the population reported some degree of vital exhaustion. The vital exhaustion score was associated with a higher risk of heart failure in a dose-response manner (P risk of heart failure in both men (hazard ratio = 1.93, 95% confidence...... in the population, even a modestly higher risk of heart failure associated with vital exhaustion may be of importance in the planning of future preventive strategies for heart failure....

Reconstructed image of human heart for total artificial heart implantation, based on MR image and cast silicone model of heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komoda, Takashi; Maeta, Hajime; Uyama, Chikao.

1991-01-01

Based on transverse (TRN) and LV long axis (LAX) MR images of two cadaver hearts, three-dimensional (3-D) computer models of the connecting interface between remaining heart and total artificial heart, i.e., mitral and tricuspid valvular annuli (MVA and TVA), ascending aorta (Ao) and pulmonary artery (PA), were reconstructed to compare the shape and the size of MVA and those of TVA, the distance between the center of MVA and TVA (D G ), the angle between the plane of MVA and that of TVA (R T ), and the angles of Ao and PA, respectively, to the plane of MVA (R A , R P ), with those obtained in cast silicone models. It was found that based on LAX rather than TRN MR image, MVA and TVA might be more precisely reconstructed. The data obtained in 3-D images of MVA, TVA, Ao and PA based on silicone models of 32 hearts were as follows: D G (cm): 4.17±0.43, R T (degrees): 22.1±11.3, R A (degrees): 54.9±15.3, R P (degrees): 30.8±17.1. (author)

Heart Failure Society of America

Science.gov (United States)

... MACRA Resource Portal The Heart Failure Society of America, Inc. (HFSA) represents the first organized effort by heart failure experts from the Americas to provide a forum for all those interested ...

Heart in anatomy history, radiology, anthropology and art.

Science.gov (United States)

Marinković, S; Lazić, D; Kanjuh, V; Valjarević, S; Tomić, I; Aksić, M; Starčević, A

2014-05-01

Anthropologic, artistic and medical significance of heart inspired usto undertake this multidisciplinary study. Amongst the 24 obtained echocardiograms and phonograms, 1 was used for a Photoshop processing. In addition, over 20,000 art work reproductions were examined in this study. Artistic and symbolic presentation of heart started some 15,000 years ago. First heart models were made by the Egyptian and Olmec civilisations. Ancient cultures regarded heart as the seat of the soul, spirit and intelligence. First anatomical and artistic images of heart were created by Leonardo da Vinci in the15th century, and first wax models by the Italian anatomists in the 17th century. Mediaeval religious symbolism of heart was replaced in the Renaissance and later on mainly by its role in the romantic love. Anatomical heart art continued in the 18th and 19th centuries through the works of Sénac, Cloquet, Hirschfeldand Bourgery. Some modern artists, such as Dalí, Kahlo, Rivera, Warhol, Ivanjicki, Vital, Kober and Mastrlova, created the anatomical heart images or sculptures, whereas some others, such as Duchamp, Klee, Miró, Matisse and Dine, presented heart symbol in their artworks. New radiologic technologies produce fine images of heart, some of which are similar to the works of modern artists. Heart biology and symbolism have had a tremendous influence on our culture, including art and medical sciences. New radiologic techniques and computer technology have produced such images of heart, which substantially improved diagnosis, but also enhanced the heart aesthetics.

Radiographic heart-volume estimation in normal cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlberg, N.E.; Hansson, K.; Svensson, L.; Iwarsson, K.

1989-01-01

Heart volume mensuration was evaluated on conventional radiographs from eight normal cats in different body positions using computed tomography (CT). Heart volumes were calculated from orthogonal thoracic radiographs in ventral and dorsal recumbency and from radiographs exposed with a vertical X-ray beam in dorsal and lateral recumbency using the formula for an ellipsoid body. Heart volumes were also estimated with CT in ventral, dorsal, right lateral and left lateral recumbency. No differences between heart volumes from CT in ventral recumbency and those from CT in right and left lateral recumbency were seen. In dorsal recumbency, however, significantly lower heart volumes were obtained. Heart volumes from CT in ventral recumbency were similar to those from radiographs in ventral and dorsal recumbency and dorsal/left lateral recumbency. Close correlation was also demonstrated between heart volumes from radiographs in dorsal/ left lateral recumbency and body weights of the eight cats

Radiation-induced valvular heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Gujral, Dorothy M; Lloyd, Guy; Bhattacharyya, Sanjeev

2016-02-15

Radiation to the mediastinum is a key component of treatment with curative intent for a range of cancers including Hodgkin's lymphoma and breast cancer. Exposure to radiation is associated with a risk of radiation-induced heart valve damage characterised by valve fibrosis and calcification. There is a latent interval of 10-20 years between radiation exposure and development of clinically significant heart valve disease. Risk is related to radiation dose received, interval from exposure and use of concomitant chemotherapy. Long-term outlook and the risk of valve surgery are related to the effects of radiation on mediastinal structures including pulmonary fibrosis and pericardial constriction. Dose prediction models to predict the risk of heart valve disease in the future and newer radiation techniques to reduce the radiation dose to the heart are being developed. Surveillance strategies for this cohort of cancer survivors at risk of developing significant heart valve complications are required. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Physical training in patients with heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Fletcher, RN, MN, FAAN

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Heart failure is a primary health concern in North and South America, with hospitalizations for heart failure as the primary diagnosis continuing to rise. There is a positive relationship between the prevalence of heart failure and age. However, mortality from heart failure is on the decline due to medical advancements, pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacological interventions. One of these nonpharmacological interventions is physical training or exercise. Physical training or exercise is becoming widely accepted by the medical community as a viable option in the medical management of stable heart failure patients. Both aerobic and resistance type exercise have been shown to be efficacious in stable heart failure patients. Evidence now exists not only supporting exercise to improve or maintain physical function in heart failure patients, but also quality of life. Many studies have shown that utilizing exercise in this population improves mood and overall self-reported well being. While the myocardial benefits from exercise may be minimal in heart failure patients, the peripheral benefits leading to improved physical function and preservation of independence are indispensible. Based on the research that has been conducted in the area of exercise and heart failure to this point, clinicians working with this population have the data necessary to prescribe evidence-based exercise prescriptions that can be utilized as part of a comprehensive medical management approach. Currently, several medical position statements endorse exercise as a safe and effective modality in heart failure patients.

Design and principle of operation of the HeartMate PHP (percutaneous heart pump)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mieghem, N.M. van; Daemen, J.; Uil, C. den; Dur, O.; Joziasse, L.; Maugenest, A.M.; Fitzgerald, K.; Parker, C.; Muller, P.; Geuns, R.J.M. van

2018-01-01

The HeartMate PHP (percutaneous heart pump) is a second-generation transcatheter axial flow circulatory support system. The collapsible catheter pump is inserted through a 14 Fr sheath, deployed across the aortic valve expanding to 24 Fr and able to deliver up to 5 L/min blood flow at minimum

Differential Lectin Binding Patterns Identify Distinct Heart Regions in Giant Danio (Devario aequipinnatus) and Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Hearts

Science.gov (United States)

Manalo, Trina; May, Adam; Quinn, Joshua; Lafontant, Dominique S.; Shifatu, Olubusola; He, Wei; Gonzalez-Rosa, Juan M.; Burns, Geoffrey C.; Burns, Caroline E.; Burns, Alan R.; Lafontant, Pascal J.

2016-01-01

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins commonly used as biochemical and histochemical tools to study glycoconjugate (glycoproteins, glycolipids) expression patterns in cells, tissues, including mammalian hearts. However, lectins have received little attention in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus) heart studies. Here, we sought to determine the binding patterns of six commonly used lectins—wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin, Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin (BS lectin), concanavalin A (Con A), Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA I), and Lycopersicon esculentum agglutinin (tomato lectin)—in these hearts. Con A showed broad staining in the myocardium. WGA stained cardiac myocyte borders, with binding markedly stronger in the compact heart and bulbus. BS lectin, which stained giant danio coronaries, was used to measure vascular reconstruction during regeneration. However, BS lectin reacted poorly in zebrafish. RCA I stained the compact heart of both fish. Tomato lectin stained the giant danio, and while low reactivity was seen in the zebrafish ventricle, staining was observed in their transitional cardiac myocytes. In addition, we observed unique staining patterns in the developing zebrafish heart. Lectins’ ability to reveal differential glycoconjugate expression in giant danio and zebrafish hearts suggests they can serve as simple but important tools in studies of developing, adult, and regenerating fish hearts. PMID:27680670

A Signal Processing Module for the Analysis of Heart Sounds and Heart Murmurs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javed, Faizan; Venkatachalam, P A; H, Ahmad Fadzil M

2006-01-01

In this paper a Signal Processing Module (SPM) for the computer-aided analysis of heart sounds has been developed. The module reveals important information of cardiovascular disorders and can assist general physician to come up with more accurate and reliable diagnosis at early stages. It can overcome the deficiency of expert doctors in rural as well as urban clinics and hospitals. The module has five main blocks: Data Acquisition and Pre-processing, Segmentation, Feature Extraction, Murmur Detection and Murmur Classification. The heart sounds are first acquired using an electronic stethoscope which has the capability of transferring these signals to the near by workstation using wireless media. Then the signals are segmented into individual cycles as well as individual components using the spectral analysis of heart without using any reference signal like ECG. Then the features are extracted from the individual components using Spectrogram and are used as an input to a MLP (Multiple Layer Perceptron) Neural Network that is trained to detect the presence of heart murmurs. Once the murmur is detected they are classified into seven classes depending on their timing within the cardiac cycle using Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution. The module has been tested with real heart sounds from 40 patients and has proved to be quite efficient and robust while dealing with a large variety of pathological conditions

A Signal Processing Module for the Analysis of Heart Sounds and Heart Murmurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javed, Faizan; Venkatachalam, P A; H, Ahmad Fadzil M [Signal and Imaging Processing and Tele-Medicine Technology Research Group, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

2006-04-01

In this paper a Signal Processing Module (SPM) for the computer-aided analysis of heart sounds has been developed. The module reveals important information of cardiovascular disorders and can assist general physician to come up with more accurate and reliable diagnosis at early stages. It can overcome the deficiency of expert doctors in rural as well as urban clinics and hospitals. The module has five main blocks: Data Acquisition and Pre-processing, Segmentation, Feature Extraction, Murmur Detection and Murmur Classification. The heart sounds are first acquired using an electronic stethoscope which has the capability of transferring these signals to the near by workstation using wireless media. Then the signals are segmented into individual cycles as well as individual components using the spectral analysis of heart without using any reference signal like ECG. Then the features are extracted from the individual components using Spectrogram and are used as an input to a MLP (Multiple Layer Perceptron) Neural Network that is trained to detect the presence of heart murmurs. Once the murmur is detected they are classified into seven classes depending on their timing within the cardiac cycle using Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution. The module has been tested with real heart sounds from 40 patients and has proved to be quite efficient and robust while dealing with a large variety of pathological conditions.

Radiology of congenital heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amplatz, K.

1986-01-01

This is a text on the radiologic diagnosis of congenital heart disease and its clinical manifestations. The main thrust of the book is the logical approach which allows an understanding of the complex theory of congenital heart disease. The atlas gives a concise overview of the entire field of congenital heart disease. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of the pathophysiology and its clinical and radiological consequences. Surgical treatment is included since it provides a different viewpoint of the anatomy

Heart transplantation and arterial elasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colvin-Adams M

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Monica Colvin-Adams,1 Nonyelum Harcourt,1 Robert LeDuc,2 Ganesh Raveendran,1 Yassir Sonbol,3 Robert Wilson,1 Daniel Duprez11Cardiovascular Division, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; 2Division of Biostatistics University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; 3Cardiovascular Division, St Luke's Hospital System, Sugar Land, TX, USAObjective: Arterial elasticity is a functional biomarker that has predictive value for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in nontransplant populations. There is little information regarding arterial elasticity in heart transplant recipients. This study aimed to characterize small (SAE and large (LAE artery elasticity in heart transplant recipients in comparison with an asymptomatic population free of overt cardiovascular disease. A second goal was to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with arterial elasticity in this unique population.Methods: Arterial pulse waveform was registered noninvasively at the radial artery in 71 heart transplant recipients between 2008 and 2010. SAEs and LAEs were derived from diastolic pulse contour analysis. Comparisons were made to a healthy cohort of 1,808 participants selected from our prevention clinic database. Multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between risk factors and SAE and LAE within the heart transplant recipients.Results: LAE and SAE were significantly lower in heart transplant recipients than in the normal cohort (P <0.01 and P < 0.0001, respectively. Female sex and history of ischemic cardiomyopathy were significantly associated with reduced LAE and SAE. Older age and the presence of moderate cardiac allograft vasculopathy were also significantly associated with reduced SAE. Transplant duration was associated with increased SAE.Conclusion: Heart transplants are associated with peripheral endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in SAE and LAE when compared with a

Screening Tests for Women Who Have Heart Disease

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... Based Toolkit Logo Campaign Materials The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE HEART DISEASE ... taken up by the heart muscle. Echocardiography changes sound waves into pictures that show the heart's size, ...

Epicardium-Derived Heart Repair

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anke M. Smits

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, cell replacement therapy has emerged as a potential approach to treat patients suffering from myocardial infarction (MI. The transplantation or local stimulation of progenitor cells with the ability to form new cardiac tissue provides a novel strategy to overcome the massive loss of myocardium after MI. In this regard the epicardium, the outer layer of the heart, is a tractable local progenitor cell population for therapeutic pursuit. The epicardium has a crucial role in formation of the embryonic heart. After activation and migration into the developing myocardium, epicardial cells differentiate into several cardiac cells types. Additionally, the epicardium provides instructive signals for the growth of the myocardium and coronary angiogenesis. In the adult heart, the epicardium is quiescent, but recent evidence suggests that it becomes reactivated upon damage and recapitulates at least part of its embryonic functions. In this review we provide an update on the current knowledge regarding the contribution of epicardial cells to the adult mammalian heart during the injury response.

Cardiac resynchronization induces major structural and functional reverse remodeling in patients with New York Heart Association class I/II heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

St John Sutton, Martin; Ghio, Stefano; Plappert, Ted

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves LV structure, function, and clinical outcomes in New York Heart Association class III/IV heart failure with prolonged QRS. It is not known whether patients with New York Heart Association class I/II systolic heart failure exhibit left...... ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling with CRT or whether reverse remodeling is modified by the cause of heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Six hundred ten patients with New York Heart Association class I/II heart failure, QRS duration > or =120 ms, LV end-diastolic dimension > or =55 mm, and LV ejection...... reduction in LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes and a 3-fold greater increase in LV ejection fraction in patients with nonischemic causes of heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: CRT in patients with New York Heart Association I/II resulted in major structural and functional reverse remodeling at 1 year...

Airway Complications of Total Artificial Heart.

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Pathak, Vikas; Donovan, Colin; Malhotra, Rajiv

2017-02-01

The total artificial heart is the mechanical device which is used as a bridge to the heart transplant in patients with biventricular failure. Due to the mechanical nature of the device, patients receiving total artificial heart (TAH) require to be on anticoagulation therapy. Hemorrhage and coagulopathy are few of the known complications of TAH.

Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke

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... Disease, & Other Dental Problems Diabetes, Sexual, & Bladder Problems Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke Having diabetes means that ... help to stop. What is the link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke? Over time, high blood ...

Adults with Congenital Heart Defects

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... Ebstein's Anomaly l-Transposition of the Great Arteries Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and Regurgitation ... Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms in Women 4 Warning Signs of a Heart Attack 5 ...

Warning Signs of Heart Failure

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... the two terms are used interchangeably. View an animation of heart failure . If you have been diagnosed ... resources here Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

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... fat, cholesterol and other substances (plaque). Watch an animation of a heart attack . Many women think the ... Support Network Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Nerves Regulate Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Heart Regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Ahmed I; O'Meara, Caitlin C; Gemberling, Matthew; Zhao, Long; Bryant, Donald M; Zheng, Ruimao; Gannon, Joseph B; Cai, Lei; Choi, Wen-Yee; Egnaczyk, Gregory F; Burns, Caroline E; Burns, C Geoffrey; MacRae, Calum A; Poss, Kenneth D; Lee, Richard T

2015-08-24

Some organisms, such as adult zebrafish and newborn mice, have the capacity to regenerate heart tissue following injury. Unraveling the mechanisms of heart regeneration is fundamental to understanding why regeneration fails in adult humans. Numerous studies have revealed that nerves are crucial for organ regeneration, thus we aimed to determine whether nerves guide heart regeneration. Here, we show using transgenic zebrafish that inhibition of cardiac innervation leads to reduction of myocyte proliferation following injury. Specifically, pharmacological inhibition of cholinergic nerve function reduces cardiomyocyte proliferation in the injured hearts of both zebrafish and neonatal mice. Direct mechanical denervation impairs heart regeneration in neonatal mice, which was rescued by the administration of neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and nerve growth factor (NGF) recombinant proteins. Transcriptional analysis of mechanically denervated hearts revealed a blunted inflammatory and immune response following injury. These findings demonstrate that nerve function is required for both zebrafish and mouse heart regeneration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user's heart rate and/or heart rate variation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2012-01-01

A monitoring apparatus (4) monitors a user's heart rate and/or heart rate variation. The apparatus includes a capacitor (22) which is positionable on or near a body part of a person, for example a person's limb, for example an arm (3), such that an electrical capacitance of the capacitor (22) is

Coronary Artery Dissection: Not Just a Heart Attack

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... for Heart.org CPR & ECC for Heart.org Shop for Heart.org Causes for Heart.org Advocate ... chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, profuse sweating and dizziness. “Around 80 percent of the time, ...

Value of Serial Heart Rate Variability Measurement for Prediction of Appropriate ICD Discharge in Patients with Heart Failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Sande, Judith N.; Damman, Peter; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; de Groot, Joris R.; Knops, Reinoud E.; Wilde, Arthur A. M.; van Dessel, Pascal F. H. M.

2014-01-01

HRV and Appropriate ICD Shock in Heart Failure Introduction Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure. Our objective was to examine whether decreased HRV predicts appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocks. Methods

Focus on renal congestion in heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Afsar, Baris; Ortiz, Alberto; Covic, Adrian; Solak, Yalcin; Goldsmith, David; Kanbay, Mehmet

2016-02-01

Hospitalizations due to heart failure are increasing steadily despite advances in medicine. Patients hospitalized for worsening heart failure have high mortality in hospital and within the months following discharge. Kidney dysfunction is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure patients. Recent evidence suggests that both deterioration in kidney function and renal congestion are important prognostic factors in heart failure. Kidney congestion in heart failure results from low cardiac output (forward failure), tubuloglomerular feedback, increased intra-abdominal pressure or increased venous pressure. Regardless of the cause, renal congestion is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in heart failure. The impact on outcomes of renal decongestion strategies that do not compromise renal function should be explored in heart failure. These studies require novel diagnostic markers that identify early renal damage and renal congestion and allow monitoring of treatment responses in order to avoid severe worsening of renal function. In addition, there is an unmet need regarding evidence-based therapeutic management of renal congestion and worsening renal function. In the present review, we summarize the mechanisms, diagnosis, outcomes, prognostic markers and treatment options of renal congestion in heart failure.

Diuretics as pathogenetic treatment for heart failure

Science.gov (United States)

Guglin, Maya

2011-01-01

Increased intracardiac filling pressure or congestion causes symptoms and leads to hospital admissions in patients with heart failure, regardless of their systolic function. A history of hospital admission, in turn, predicts further hospitalizations and morbidity, and a higher number of hospitalizations determine higher mortality. Congestion is therefore the driving force of the natural history of heart failure. Congestion is the syndrome shared by heart failure with preserved and reduced systolic function. These two conditions have almost identical morbidity, mortality, and survival because the outcomes are driven by congestion. A small difference in favor of heart failure with preserved systolic function comes from decreased ejection fraction and left ventricular remodeling which is only present in heart failure with decreased systolic function. The magnitude of this difference reflects the contribution of decreased systolic function and ventricular remodeling to the progression of heart failure. The only treatment available for congestion is fluid removal via diuretics, ultrafiltration, or dialysis. It is the only treatment that works equally well for heart failure with reduced and preserved systolic function because it affects congestion, the main pathogenetic feature of the disease. Diuretics are pathogenetic therapy for heart failure. PMID:21403798

S values for selected radionuclides and organs with the heart wall and heart contents as source organs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coffey, J.L.; Watson, E.E.

1981-01-01

The generalized heart model of MIRD Pamphlet No. 5, Revised has no separation of heart wall from heart contents, and no phi values were listed for heart as either a source or target organ. Because of this, the heart model of the heterogeneous phantom for dosimetry calculations was revised and a description of this model and specific absorbed fractions will be published in MIRD Pamphlet No. 13. The purpose of this study is to use the specific absorbed fractions from MIRD-13 and decay scheme data to produce tables of S values (absorbed dose per unit cumulated activity) for selected radionuclides with the heart wall and heart contents as the source organs. As in the MIRD reports the activity is assumed to be uniformly distributed in the source organs. The phi values for the photon energies of a given radionuclide were found by lineraly interpolating between the energies listed in MIRD-13. When the source and target are the same, all nonpenetrating radiations are assumed to be absorbed in the organ in which they originate. For organs with walls and with the contents as the source, the dose to the wall from nonpenetrating radiations is assumed to be half of the dose to the contents

Hyperthyroidism and the Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Osuna, Patricia Mejia; Udovcic, Maja; Sharma, Morali D

2017-01-01

Thyroid hormones have a significant impact on cardiac function and structure. Excess thyroid hormone affects cardiovascular hemodynamics, leading to high-output heart failure and, in late stages, dilated cardiomyopathy. In this review, we discuss how hyperthyroidism affects cardiovascular pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms and examine the complications caused by excess thyroid hormone, such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Hypothyroidism and the Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Udovcic, Maja; Pena, Raul Herrera; Patham, Bhargavi; Tabatabai, Laila; Kansara, Abhishek

2017-01-01

Hypothyroidism is a commonly encountered clinical condition with variable prevalence. It has profound effects on cardiac function that can impact cardiac contractility, vascular resistance, blood pressure, and heart rhythm. With this review, we aim to describe the effects of hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism on the heart. Additionally, we attempt to briefly describe how hypothyroid treatment affects cardiovascular parameters.

New Trends in Heart Regeneration: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kochegarov A

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this review, we focus on new approaches that could lead to the regeneration of heart muscle and the restoration of cardiac muscle function derived from newly-formed cardiomyocytes. Various strategies for the production of cardiomyocytes from embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, adult bone marrow stem cells and cardiac spheres from human heart biopsies are described. Pathological conditions which lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease often are followed by myocardial infarction causing myocardial cell death. After cell death, there is very little self-regeneration of the cardiac muscle tissue, which is replaced by non-contractile connective tissue, thus weakening the ability of the heart muscle to contract fully and leading to heart failure. A number of experimental research approaches to stimulate heart muscle regeneration with the hope of regaining normal or near normal heart function in the damaged heart muscle have been attempted. Some of these very interesting studies have used a variety of stem cell types in combination with potential cardiogenic differentiation factors in an attempt to promote differentiation of new cardiac muscle for possible future use in the clinical treatment of patients who have suffered heart muscle damage from acute myocardial infarctions or related cardiovascular diseases. Although progress has been made in recent years relative to promoting the differentiation of cardiac muscle tissue from non-muscle cells, much work remains to be done for this technology to be used routinely in translational clinical medicine to treat patients with damaged heart muscle tissue and return such individuals to pre-heart-attack activity levels.

“The Heart Game”: Using Gamification as Part of a Telerehabilitation Program for Heart Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Dithmer, Marcus; Grönvall, Erik; Spindler, Helle; Hansen, John; Nielsen, Gitte; Sørensen, Stine Bæk; Dinesen, Birthe

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: The aim of this article is to describe the development and testing of a prototype application (“The Heart Game”) using gamification principles to assist heart patients in their telerehabilitation process in the Teledialog project. Materials and Methods: A prototype game was developed via user-driven innovation and tested on 10 patients 48–89 years of age and their relatives for a period of 2 weeks. The application consisted of a series of daily challenges given to the patients and relatives and was based on several gamification principles. A triangulation of data collection techniques (interviews, participant observations, focus group interviews, and workshop) was used. Interviews with three healthcare professionals and 10 patients were carried out over a period of 2 weeks in order to evaluate the use of the prototype. Results: The heart patients reported the application to be a useful tool as a part of their telerehabilitation process in everyday life. Gamification and gameful design principles such as leaderboards, relationships, and achievements engaged the patients and relatives. The inclusion of a close relative in the game motivated the patients to perform rehabilitation activities. Conclusions: “The Heart Game” concept presents a new way to motivate heart patients by using technology as a social and active approach to telerehabilitation. The findings show the potential of using gamification for heart patients as part of a telerehabilitation program. The evaluation indicated that the inclusion of the patient's spouse in the rehabilitation activities could be an effective strategy. A major challenge in using gamification for heart patients is avoiding a sense of defeat while still adjusting the level of difficulty to the individual patient. PMID:26579590

Holiday season for a healthy heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamps, Deborah C; Carr, Marcella L

2012-12-01

The term "holiday heart" is defined as an acute cardiac arrhythmia or conduction disturbance associated with heavy alcohol intake in individuals with no known heart disease, but in whom heart rhythm is restored to normal with abstinence of alcohol. This article provides a brief overview of the literature on this topic, discusses causes of increased cardiac events during the holiday season, describes a patient profile and the effect on patients' health as well as on their families, and provides suggestions to decrease the risk of holiday heart during the festive season. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Danish Heart Failure Registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schjødt, Inge; Nakano, Anne; Egstrup, Kenneth

2016-01-01

AIM OF DATABASE: The aim of the Danish Heart Failure Registry (DHFR) is to monitor and improve the care of patients with incident heart failure (HF) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: The DHFR includes inpatients and outpatients (≥18 years) with incident HF. Reporting to the DHFR is mandatory......: The main variables recorded in the DHFR are related to the indicators for quality of care in patients with incident HF: performance of echocardiography, functional capacity (New York Heart Association functional classification), pharmacological therapy (angiotensin converting enzyme/angiotensin II...

Pulmonary Hypertension After Heart Transplantation in Patients Bridged with the Total Artificial Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Rachit; Patel, Dhavalkumar B; Mankad, Anit K; Rennyson, Stephen L; Tang, Daniel G; Quader, Mohammed A; Smallfield, Melissa C; Kasirajan, Vigneshwar; Shah, Keyur B

2016-01-01

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) among heart transplant recipients is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Pulmonary hemodynamics improves after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation; however, the impact of PH before total artificial heart (TAH) implantation on posttransplant hemodynamics and survival is unknown. This is a single center retrospective study aimed to evaluate the impact of TAH implantation on posttransplant hemodynamics and mortality in two groups stratified according to severity of PH: high (≥3 Woods units [WU]) and low (heart catheterization performed at baseline (before TAH) and posttransplant at 1 and 12 months. Patients in the high PVR group (n = 12) experienced improvement in PVR (baseline = 4.31 ± 0.7; 1-month = 1.69 ± 0.7, p heart transplantation (HT), but remained elevated. There was no significant difference in survival between the two groups at 12 months follow-up. Patients with high PVR who are bridged to transplant with TAH had improvement in PVR at 12 months after transplant, and the degree of PVR did not impact posttransplant survival.

[An artificial heart: bridge to transplantation or permanent?].

Science.gov (United States)

de Mol, Bas A J M; Lahpor, Jaap

2013-01-01

An artificial heart is a continuous-flow pump device with a constant output, which usually supports the left ventricle. Over the past five years, survival rates with an artificial heart have increased dramatically, but with an annual mortality of 10% per year compared with 6% for heart transplantation the artificial heart is mainly a 'bridge to transplantation' or an alternative for those patients who are not suitable for heart transplant, 'destination therapy'. It is anticipated that the number and severity of complications will decrease as a result of technological progress. The artificial heart could then become a long-term treatment option providing a good quality of life and thus become equivalent to a heart transplant.

The global burden of paediatric heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Musa, Ndidiamaka L; Hjortdal, Vibeke; Zheleva, Bistra

2017-01-01

An estimated 15 million children die or are crippled annually by treatable or preventable heart disease in low- and middle-income countries. Global efforts to reduce under-5 mortality have focused on reducing death from communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries with little...... to no attention focusing on paediatric CHD and acquired heart disease. Lack of awareness of CHD and acquired heart disease, access to care, poor healthcare infrastructure, competing health priorities, and a critical shortage of specialists are important reasons why paediatric heart disease has not been addressed...... in low resourced settings. Non-governmental organisations have taken the lead to address these challenges. This review describes the global burden of paediatric heart disease and strategies to improve the quality of care for paediatric heart disease. These strategies would improve outcomes for children...

Right heart dysfunction and failure in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: mechanisms and management. Position statement on behalf of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorter, Thomas M; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Bauersachs, Johann; Borlaug, Barry A; Celutkiene, Jelena; Coats, Andrew J S; Crespo-Leiro, Marisa G; Guazzi, Marco; Harjola, Veli-Pekka; Heymans, Stephane; Hill, Loreena; Lainscak, Mitja; Lam, Carolyn S P; Lund, Lars H; Lyon, Alexander R; Mebazaa, Alexandre; Mueller, Christian; Paulus, Walter J; Pieske, Burkert; Piepoli, Massimo F; Ruschitzka, Frank; Rutten, Frans H; Seferovic, Petar M; Solomon, Scott D; Shah, Sanjiv J; Triposkiadis, Filippos; Wachter, Rolf; Tschöpe, Carsten; de Boer, Rudolf A

2018-01-01

There is an unmet need for effective treatment strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Until recently, attention in patients with HFpEF was almost exclusively focused on the left side. However, it is now increasingly recognized that right heart dysfunction is common and contributes importantly to poor prognosis in HFpEF. More insights into the development of right heart dysfunction in HFpEF may aid to our knowledge about this complex disease and may eventually lead to better treatments to improve outcomes in these patients. In this position paper from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the Committee on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction reviews the prevalence, diagnosis, and pathophysiology of right heart dysfunction and failure in patients with HFpEF. Finally, potential treatment strategies, important knowledge gaps and future directions regarding the right side in HFpEF are discussed. © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2017 European Society of Cardiology.

Warning Signs of Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest

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... for Heart.org CPR & ECC for Heart.org Shop for Heart.org Causes for Heart.org Advocate ... SIGNS may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. Learn more about heart attack ...

How to Prevent Heart Disease: MedlinePlus Health Topic

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... and your heart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get How to Prevent ... your heart Stress and your heart Related Health Topics Blood Thinners Cholesterol Heart Diseases Heart Health Tests ...

Heart and brain interaction in patients with heart failure: overview and proposal for a taxonomy. A position paper from the Study Group on Heart and Brain Interaction of the Heart Failure Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Doehner, Wolfram; Ural, Dilek; Haeusler, Karl Georg; Čelutkienė, Jelena; Bestetti, Reinaldo; Cavusoglu, Yuksel; Peña-Duque, Marco A; Glavas, Duska; Iacoviello, Massimo; Laufs, Ulrich; Alvear, Ricardo Marmol; Mbakwem, Amam; Piepoli, Massimo F; Rosen, Stuart D; Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Vitale, Cristiana; Yilmaz, M Birhan; Anker, Stefan D; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Seferovic, Petar; Coats, Andrew J S; Ruschitzka, Frank

2018-02-01

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome with multiple interactions between the failing myocardium and cerebral (dys-)functions. Bi-directional feedback interactions between the heart and the brain are inherent in the pathophysiology of HF: (i) the impaired cardiac function affects cerebral structure and functional capacity, and (ii) neuronal signals impact on the cardiovascular continuum. These interactions contribute to the symptomatic presentation of HF patients and affect many co-morbidities of HF. Moreover, neuro-cardiac feedback signals significantly promote aggravation and further progression of HF and are causal in the poor prognosis of HF. The diversity and complexity of heart and brain interactions make it difficult to develop a comprehensive overview. In this paper a systematic approach is proposed to develop a comprehensive atlas of related conditions, signals and disease mechanisms of the interactions between the heart and the brain in HF. The proposed taxonomy is based on pathophysiological principles. Impaired perfusion of the brain may represent one major category, with acute (cardio-embolic) or chronic (haemodynamic failure) low perfusion being sub-categories with mostly different consequences (i.e. ischaemic stroke or cognitive impairment, respectively). Further categories include impairment of higher cortical function (mood, cognition), of brain stem function (sympathetic over-activation, neuro-cardiac reflexes). Treatment-related interactions could be categorized as medical, interventional and device-related interactions. Also interactions due to specific diseases are categorized. A methodical approach to categorize the interdependency of heart and brain may help to integrate individual research areas into an overall picture. © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2017 European Society of Cardiology.

Heart Failure Virtual Consultation: bridging the gap of heart failure care in the community - A mixed-methods evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Joseph; James, Stephanie; Keane, Ciara; Fitzgerald, Annie; Travers, Bronagh; Quigley, Etain; Hecht, Christina; Zhou, Shuaiwei; Watson, Chris; Ledwidge, Mark; McDonald, Kenneth

2017-08-01

We undertook a mixed-methods evaluation of a Web-based conferencing service (virtual consult) between general practitioners (GPs) and cardiologists in managing patients with heart failure in the community to determine its effect on use of specialist heart failure services and acceptability to GPs. All cases from June 2015 to October 2016 were recorded using a standardized recording template, which recorded patient demographics, medical history, medications, and outcome of the virtual consult for each case. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviewing of 17 participating GPs were also undertaken. During this time, 142 cases were discussed-68 relating to a new diagnosis of heart failure, 53 relating to emerging deterioration in a known heart failure patient, and 21 relating to therapeutic issues. Only 17% required review in outpatient department following the virtual consultation. GPs reported increased confidence in heart failure management, a broadening of their knowledge base, and a perception of overall better patient outcomes. These data from an initial experience with Heart Failure Virtual Consultation present a very positive impact of this strategy on the provision of heart failure care in the community and acceptability to users. Further research on the implementation and expansion of this strategy is warranted. © 2017 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Heart Disease and Asians and Pacific Islanders

Science.gov (United States)

... Data > Minority Population Profiles > Asian American > Heart Disease Heart Disease and Asians and Pacific Islanders Overall, Asian American ... are less likely than white adults to have heart disease and they are less likely to die from ...

Preservation of Skin Integrity in Heart Failure

OpenAIRE

DEMİR BARUTCU, Canan

2018-01-01

Congestive heart failure is an international health problem with its high incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality rates. Congestive heart failure is the most common reason of hospitalization in patients older than 65 and it causes more than a million hospitalizations a year. Patients with congestive heart failure experience a number of complications due to physiopathologic reasons, side effects of drugs, accompanying comorbid diseases and limitations caused by congestive heart failure....

Infant open heart surgery (image)

Science.gov (United States)

During open-heart surgery an incision is made through the breastbone (sternum) while the child is under general anesthesia. ... During open-heart surgery an incision is made through the breastbone (sternum) while the child is under general anesthesia.

Heart disease and gender in mass print media.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Juanne

2010-03-01

Heart disease is a major cause of death, disease and disability in the developed world for both men and women. Women appear to be under-diagnosed and treated both because they fail to visit the doctor or hospital with relevant symptoms and because doctors tend to dismiss the seriousness of women's symptoms of heart disease. This review examined the way that popular mass print media present the possible association between gender and heart disease. It found that there was: [1] an under-representation of heart disease as a possible concern to women, [2] a dismissing or sensationalization of women's heart disease, [3] a tendency to blame women's complex menopausal bodies for the causes of heart disease, [4] an association of women with the heart disease of their husbands, [5] a linking of heart disease with masculinity and [6] a promotion of the idea of the need for women to fear of heart disease and the necessity of taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. The review concluded with suggestions for further research and for practice. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypothyroidism and the Heart

Science.gov (United States)

Udovcic, Maja; Pena, Raul Herrera; Patham, Bhargavi; Tabatabai, Laila; Kansara, Abhishek

2017-01-01

Hypothyroidism is a commonly encountered clinical condition with variable prevalence. It has profound effects on cardiac function that can impact cardiac contractility, vascular resistance, blood pressure, and heart rhythm. With this review, we aim to describe the effects of hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism on the heart. Additionally, we attempt to briefly describe how hypothyroid treatment affects cardiovascular parameters. PMID:28740582

Heart Failure in the Elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Cost (Bernard)

2000-01-01

textabstractHeart failure is a clinical syndrome with various causes for which no universally accepted definition exists. Packer's definition of heart failure "representing a complex clinical syndrome characterised by abnonnalities of left ventricular function and neurohumoral regulation. which are

When the heart kills the liver: acute liver failure in congestive heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saner FH

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Congestive heart failure as a cause of acute liver failure is rarely documented with only a few cases. Although the pathophysiology is poorly understood, there is rising evidence, that low cardiac output with consecutive reduction in hepatic blood flow is a main causing factor, rather than hypotension. In the setting of acute liver failure due to congestive heart failure, clinical signs of the latter can be absent, which requires an appropriate diagnostic approach. As a reference center for acute liver failure and liver transplantation we recorded from May 2003 to December 2007 202 admissions with the primary diagnoses acute liver failure. 13/202 was due to congestive heart failure, which was associated with a mortality rate of 54%. Leading cause of death was the underlying heart failure. Asparagine transaminase (AST, bilirubin, and international normalized ratio (INR did not differ significantly in surviving and deceased patients at admission. Despite both groups had signs of cardiogenic shock, the cardiac index (CI was significantly higher in the survival group on admission as compared with non-survivors (2.1 L/min/m2 vs. 1.6 L/min/m2, p = 0.04. Central venous - and pulmonary wedge pressure did not differ significantly. Remarkable improvement of liver function was recorded in the group, who recovered from cardiogenic shock. In conclusion, patients with acute liver failure require an appropriate diagnostic approach. Congestive heart failure should always be considered as a possible cause of acute liver failure.

Biofeedback in the treatment of heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Michael G; Moravec, Christine S

2010-07-01

Biofeedback training can be used to reduce activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and increase activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). It is well established that hyperactivation of the SNS contributes to disease progression in chronic heart failure. It has been postulated that underactivation of the PNS may also play a role in heart failure pathophysiology. In addition to autonomic imbalance, a chronic inflammatory process is now recognized as being involved in heart failure progression, and recent work has established that activation of the inflammatory process may be attenuated by vagal nerve stimulation. By interfering with both autonomic imbalance and the inflammatory process, biofeedback-assisted stress management may be an effective treatment for patients with heart failure by improving clinical status and quality of life. Recent studies have suggested that biofeedback and stress management have a positive impact in patients with chronic heart failure, and patients with higher perceived control over their disease have been shown to have better quality of life. Our ongoing study of biofeedback-assisted stress management in the treatment of end-stage heart failure will also examine biologic end points in treated patients at the time of heart transplant, in order to assess the effects of biofeedback training on the cellular and molecular components of the failing heart. We hypothesize that the effects of biofeedback training will extend to remodeling the failing human heart, in addition to improving quality of life.

State of the Art Coronary Heart Disease Risk Estimation based on the Framingham Heart Study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Reissigová, Jindra; Tomečková, Marie

2005-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 4 (2005), s. 180-186 ISSN 0022-1732 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : Framingham heart study * coronary heart disease * risk validation study * calibration * discrimination Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

Interactions of the heart and the liver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Søren; Bernardi, Mauro

2013-01-01

There is a mutual interaction between the function of the heart and the liver and a broad spectrum of acute and chronic entities that affect both the heart and the liver. These can be classified into heart diseases affecting the liver, liver diseases affecting the heart, and conditions affecting...... the heart and the liver at the same time. In chronic and acute cardiac hepatopathy, owing to cardiac failure, a combination of reduced arterial perfusion and passive congestion leads to cardiac cirrhosis and cardiogenic hypoxic hepatitis. These conditions may impair the liver function and treatment should...... be directed towards the primary heart disease and seek to secure perfusion of vital organs. In patients with advanced cirrhosis, physical and/or pharmacological stress may reveal a reduced cardiac performance with systolic and diastolic dysfunction and electrophysical abnormalities termed cirrhotic...

A vital role for complement in heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lappegård, Knut T; Garred, Peter; Jonasson, Lena

2014-01-01

fibrillation often share risk factors both with coronary heart disease and heart failure, and there is some evidence implicating complement activation in atrial fibrillation. Moreover, Chagas heart disease, a protozoal infection, is an important cause of heart failure in Latin America, and the complement...

[Hypothyroidism in patients with heart disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiskra, Jan

Hypothyroidism is frequently found in patients with heart disease. It is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease and has a direct negative effect on both the left and right ventricular functions (hypothyroidism-induced cardiomyopathy). The confirmed manifest hypothyroidism is always a reason for replacement therapy with levothyroxine; regarding patients with heart disease, we always begin treatment with a small dose and increase it gradually. The treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with heart disease is disputable and its benefits probably depend on age. At a higher age, the therapy-related risks often outweigh its benefits, so we make do with the target levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone being within the upper band of the normal range, or even slightly above it, rather than overdosing the patient. To summarize in a simplified way, the treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with heart disease is the most effective in younger individuals, mainly those aged below 65, while at a higher age > 80 years the risk usually outweighs the benefit.Key words: cardiovascular risk - hypothyroidism - ischemic heart disease - left ventricular dysfunction - right ventricular dysfunction - subclinical hypothyroidism - thyroid peroxidase antibodies.

Heart Failure Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Science.gov (United States)

... Peripheral Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Heart Failure Questions to Ask Your Doctor Updated:May 9, ... you? This content was last reviewed May 2017. Heart Failure • Home • About Heart Failure • Causes and Risks for ...

Risks for Heart Valve Problems

Science.gov (United States)

... and Live Our Interactive Cardiovascular Library has detailed animations and illustrations to help you learn about conditions, treatments and procedures related to heart disease and stroke. Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Effects of social stress on heart rate and heart rate variability in growing pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, de I.C.; Sgoifo, A.; Lambooij, E.; Korte, S.M.; Blokhuis, H.J.; Koolhaas, J.M.

2000-01-01

The effects of social stress on heart rate, heart rate variability and the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias were studied in 12 growing pigs. Social stress was induced during a good competition test with a pen mate, and subsequently during a resident-intruder test with an unacquainted pig in which

Effects of social stress on heart rate and heart rate variability in growing pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, IC; Sgoifo, A; Lambooij, E; Korte, SM; Blokhuis, HJ; Koolhaas, JM

The effects of social stress on heart rate, heart rate variability and the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias were studied in 12 growing pigs. Social stress was induced during a good competition test with a pen mate, and subsequently during a resident-intruder test with an unacquainted pig in which

"The Heart Truth:" Using the Power of Branding and Social Marketing to Increase Awareness of Heart Disease in Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Terry; Taubenheim, Ann; Wayman, Jennifer; Temple, Sarah; Ruoff, Beth

2008-03-01

In September 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute launched The Heart Truth, the first federally-sponsored national campaign aimed at increasing awareness among women about their risk of heart disease. A traditional social marketing approach, including an extensive formative research phase, was used to plan, implement, and evaluate the campaign. With the creation of the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, the campaign integrated a branding strategy into its social marketing framework. The aim was to develop and promote a women's heart disease brand that would create a strong emotional connection with women. The Red Dress brand has had a powerful appeal to a wide diversity of women and has given momentum to the campaign's three-part implementation strategy of partnership development, media relations, and community action. In addition to generating its own substantial programming, The Heart Truth became a catalyst for a host of other national and local educational initiatives, both large and small. By the campaign's fifth anniversary, surveys showed that women were increasingly aware of heart disease as their leading cause of death and that the rise in awareness was associated with increased action to reduce heart disease risk.

Race By Hearts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonne, Tobias; Jensen, Mads Møller

2014-01-01

In this paper, we explore the qualities of sharing biometric data in re- al-time between athletes, in order to increase two motivational factors for gym- goers: Enjoyment and social interaction. We present a novel smartphone appli- cation, called Race By Hearts, which enables competition based...... on heart rate data sharing between users in real-time. Through an empirical study conducted in the gym, we show that sharing biometric data in real-time can strengthen so- cial relations between participants, increase motivation, and improve the en- joyment of the fitness activity. Nevertheless, we found...

Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive

Science.gov (United States)

... MIDCAB; Robot-assisted coronary artery bypass; RACAB; Keyhole heart surgery; CAD - MIDCAB; Coronary artery disease - MIDCAB ... To perform this surgery: The heart surgeon will make a 3- to 5-inch (8 to 13 centimeters) surgical cut in the left part of your chest ...

Study Heart Rate by Tools from Complex Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makowiec, D.; Wdowczyk-Szulc, J.; Zarczynska-Buchowiecka, M.; Gruchala, M.; Rynkiewicz, A.

2011-01-01

Heart rate measured as beat-to-beat time intervals varies in time. It is believed that time intervals between subsequent normal heart contractions carry information about the regulatory system of the heart. How to quantify such signals is not clear and because of that heart rate variability is still apart from the clinic routine. In the following, we propose a method for representing a heart rate signal as a directed network. Then we study the signal properties by complex network tools. The signals to study were collected from patients recovering after the heart transplantation. The aim is to classify the progress of adapting of the new heart - graft. Moreover, it is expected that the method allows for visual classification. Our investigations are preliminary, however the obtained results are promising. (authors)

Genetics of Congenital Heart Disease: Past and Present.

Science.gov (United States)

Muntean, Iolanda; Togănel, Rodica; Benedek, Theodora

2017-04-01

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital anomaly, representing an important cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Congenital heart disease represents a group of heart anomalies that include septal defects, valve defects, and outflow tract anomalies. The exact genetic, epigenetic, or environmental basis of congenital heart disease remains poorly understood, although the exact mechanism is likely multifactorial. However, the development of new technologies including copy number variants, single-nucleotide polymorphism, next-generation sequencing are accelerating the detection of genetic causes of heart anomalies. Recent studies suggest a role of small non-coding RNAs, micro RNA, in congenital heart disease. The recently described epigenetic factors have also been found to contribute to cardiac morphogenesis. In this review, we present past and recent genetic discoveries in congenital heart disease.

Echocardiographic specrtrum of heart disease in a secondary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HHD (58%) was the most common heart disease followed by dilated cardiomyopathy (7.4%) and valvular heart disease(6.1%).61(8.1%) subjects had normal echocardiogram. Conclusion:Hypertensive heart disease is the most common indication for echocardiography and also the predominant cause of heart disease in ...

The American Heart Association Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Blacks: The Jackson Heart Study

OpenAIRE

Effoe, Valery S.; Carnethon, Mercedes R.; Echouffo‐Tcheugui, Justin B.; Chen, Haiying; Joseph, Joshua J.; Norwood, Arnita F.; Bertoni, Alain G.

2017-01-01

Background: The concept of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), defined by the American Heart Association primarily for coronary heart disease and stroke prevention, may apply to diabetes mellitus prevention among blacks. Methods and Results: Our sample included 2668 adults in the Jackson Heart Study with complete baseline data on 6 of 7 American Heart Association CVH metrics (body mass index, healthy diet, smoking, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and physical activity). Incident diabetes me...

Palliative Care in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Mert

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Heart failure is an important health problem since its incidence and prevalence is increasing year by year. Since symptom burden and mortality are high in heart failure, supportive and palliative care should be provided. However, very few patients are referred to palliative care services. In comparison with cancer patients, it is difficult to identify end of life care for patients with heart failure, because these patients are hospitalized when the signs of acute decompensation appear, and their symptoms decrease and functional status improve before they are discharged. Therefore, palliative care, which is a holistic approach aiming to improve patients’ quality of life, to detect and treat the attacks of the disease before they become severe, and to deal with patients’ physical, psychological, social, and mental health altogether during their care, should be integrated into heart failure patients’ care. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(2.000: 217-222

Phylogeny, ecology, and heart position in snakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gartner, Gabriel E A; Hicks, James W; Manzani, Paulo R; Andrade, Denis V; Abe, Augusto S; Wang, Tobias; Secor, Stephen M; Garland, Theodore

2010-01-01

The cardiovascular system of all animals is affected by gravitational pressure gradients, the intensity of which varies according to organismic features, behavior, and habitat occupied. A previous nonphylogenetic analysis of heart position in snakes-which often assume vertical postures-found the heart located 15%-25% of total body length from the head in terrestrial and arboreal species but 25%-45% in aquatic species. It was hypothesized that a more anterior heart in arboreal species served to reduce the hydrostatic blood pressure when these animals adopt vertical postures during climbing, whereas an anterior heart position would not be needed in aquatic habitats, where the effects of gravity are less pronounced. We analyzed a new data set of 155 species from five major families of Alethinophidia (one of the two major branches of snakes, the other being blind snakes, Scolecophidia) using both conventional and phylogenetically based statistical methods. General linear models regressing log(10) snout-heart position on log(10) snout-vent length (SVL), as well as dummy variables coding for habitat and/or clade, were compared using likelihood ratio tests and the Akaike Information Criterion. Heart distance to the tip of the snout scaled isometrically with SVL. In all instances, phylogenetic models that incorporated transformation of the branch lengths under an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model of evolution (to mimic stabilizing selection) better fit the data as compared with their nonphylogenetic counterparts. The best-fit model predicting snake heart position included aspects of both habitat and clade and indicated that arboreal snakes in our study tend to have hearts placed more posteriorly, opposite the trend identified in previous studies. Phylogenetic signal in relative heart position was apparent both within and among clades. Our results suggest that overcoming gravitational pressure gradients in snakes most likely involves the combined action of several cardiovascular and

Xinyinqin: a computer-based heart sound simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, X X; Pei, J H; Xiao, Y H

1995-01-01

"Xinyinqin" is the Chinese phoneticized name of the Heart Sound Simulator (HSS). The "qin" in "Xinyinqin" is the Chinese name of a category of musical instruments, which means that the operation of HSS is very convenient--like playing an electric piano with the keys. HSS is connected to the GAME I/O of an Apple microcomputer. The generation of sound is controlled by a program. Xinyinqin is used as a teaching aid of Diagnostics. It has been applied in teaching for three years. In this demonstration we will introduce the following functions of HSS: 1) The main program has two modules. The first one is the heart auscultation training module. HSS can output a heart sound selected by the student. Another program module is used to test the student's learning condition. The computer can randomly simulate a certain heart sound and ask the student to name it. The computer gives the student's answer an assessment: "correct" or "incorrect." When the answer is incorrect, the computer will output that heart sound again for the student to listen to; this process is repeated until she correctly identifies it. 2) The program is convenient to use and easy to control. By pressing the S key, it is able to output a slow heart rate until the student can clearly identify the rhythm. The heart rate, like the actual rate of a patient, can then be restored by hitting any key. By pressing the SPACE BAR, the heart sound output can be stopped to allow the teacher to explain something to the student. The teacher can resume playing the heart sound again by hitting any key; she can also change the content of the training by hitting RETURN key. In the future, we plan to simulate more heart sounds and incorporate relevant graphs.

Radiation-induced heart disease due to intrathonacic tumor radiotherapy of a single dose to the rabbits' heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Weibing; Feng Yan; Chen Jiayi; Luo Quanyong

2007-01-01

Objective: To observe the changes of radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) in the rabbits irradiated in clinical related dose, and to evaluate the apoptosis and hypoxia in the irradiated heart by the new scintigraphic agents of 99 Tc m -HL91 and 99 Tc m -Annexin V of heart SPECT. Methods: Tenty-four New Zealand white rabbits 4-month old and 2-3 kg by weight were divided into two groups. Group 1 (clinical related dose group): 16 irradiated by a single close from 0 to 18 Gy. Group 2 (high dose group): 8 irradiated dose from 22 to 80 Gy. The serum cTnI/CKMB, ECG, and heart SPECT(using 99 Tc m -MIBI, 99 Tc m -HL91 and 99 Tc m -Annexin V as agents) were detected before and after irradiation. The animals were followed for 5 months. Then biopsy of rabbit heart was performed and pathologic examination was made by H.E. stain. Results: In the 16 rabbits of clinical related dose group, none died of RIHD. Whereas 2 rabbits died of RIHD in the high dose group. One died of myocardial infarction and the other of congestive heart failure. According to the Stewart introduced heart lesion grading system, of the clinical close ann, there were moderate in 1 rabbit, minimal in 14; and of the high dose ann, it was severe in 2, marked in 1, moderate in 5. The parallel relation was observed between the ECG results and the pathological changes (χ 2 =0.08, P=0.771). Serum value of cTnI, was elevated at the 12th hour after irradiation reaching the peak and maintained for 4 months. However, it came down in the 5th month. The difference of serum cTnI value before and after radiation was statistically significant. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy tested by heart SPECT ( 99 Tc m -MIBI) showed defects was present in all irradiated rabbits. The relationship between the defects and radiation dose or between the defects and the real RIHD was uncertain. The SPECT images displayed that 99 Tc m -HL91 and 99m Tc-Annexin V did not accumulate in the irradiated heart. Conclusions: No serious damage is

Current state of total artificial heart therapy and introduction of the most important total artificial heart systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Hergesell, Vera; Wasler, Andrae; Dapunt, Otto

2018-06-14

Due to the declining instances of organ donation, total artificial heart (TAH) therapy is of increasing importance for the management of end-stage biventricular heart failure. We introduce the currently most important established and novel TAH systems (SynCardia, CARMAT, ReinHeart, BiVACOR), report clinical outcomes and discuss technical requirements for the successful implementation of TAH therapy as an alternative to cardiac transplantation.

Health in adults with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuypers, Judith A A E; Utens, Elisabeth M W J; Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W

2016-09-01

Since the introduction of cardiac surgery, the prospects for children born with a cardiac defect have improved spectacularly. Many reach adulthood and the population of adults with congenital heart disease is increasing and ageing. However, repair of congenital heart disease does not mean cure. Many adults with congenital heart disease encounter late complications. Late morbidity can be related to the congenital heart defect itself, but may also be the consequence of the surgical or medical treatment or longstanding alterations in hemodynamics, neurodevelopment and psychosocial development. This narrative review describes the cardiac and non-cardiac long-term morbidity in the adult population with congenital heart disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reirradiation tolerance of the rat heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wondergem, Jan; Ravels, Frank J.M. van; Reijnart, Ivonne W.C.; Strootman, Erwin G.

1996-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the influence of reirradiation on the tolerance of the heart after a previous irradiation treatment. Methods and Materials: Female Wistar rats were locally irradiated to the thorax. Development of cardiac function loss was studied with the ex vivo working rat heart preparation. To compare the retreatment experiments, initial, and reirradiation doses were expressed as the percentage of the extrapolated tolerance dose (ETD). Results: Local heart irradiation with a single dose led to a dose-dependent and progressive decrease in cardiac function. The progressive nature of irradiation-induced heart disease is shown to affect the outcome of the retreatment, depending on both the time interval between subsequent doses and the size of the initial dose. The present data demonstrate that hearts are capable of repairing a large part of the initial dose of 10 Gy within the first 24 h. However, once biological damage as a result of the first treatment is fixed, the heart does not show any long-term recovery. At intervals up to 6 months between an initial treatment with 10 Gy and subsequent reirradiation, the reirradiation tolerance dose slightly decreased from 74% of the ETD ref (at 24-h interval) to 68% of the ETD ref (at 6-month interval). Between 6 and 9 months, reirradiation tolerance dose dropped more even to 43% of the ETD ref . Treatment of the heart with an initial dose of 17.5 Gy, instead of 10 Gy, 6 months prior to reirradiation, also led to a further decrease of the reirradiation tolerance dose ( ref ). Conclusions: The outcome of the present study shows a decreased tolerance of the heart to reirradiation at long time intervals (interval > 6 months). This has clinical implications for the estimation of reirradiation tolerance in patients whose mediastinum has to be reirradiated a long time after a first irradiation course

Exercise Intolerance in Heart Failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brassard, Patrice; Gustafsson, Finn

2016-01-01

Exercise tolerance is affected in patients with heart failure (HF). Although the inability of the heart to pump blood to the working muscle has been the conventional mechanism proposed to explain the lowered capacity of patients with HF to exercise, evidence suggests that the pathophysiological...

Metabolic Modulators in Heart Disease: Past, Present, and Future.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopaschuk, Gary D

2017-07-01

Ischemic heart disease and heart failure are leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. They continue to be major burden on health care systems throughout the world, despite major advances made over the past 40 years in developing new therapeutic approaches to treat these debilitating diseases. A potential therapeutic approach that has been underutilized in treating ischemic heart disease and heart failure is "metabolic modulation." Major alterations in myocardial energy substrate metabolism occur in ischemic heart disease and heart failure, and are associated with an energy deficit in the heart. A metabolic shift from mitochondrial oxidative metabolism to glycolysis, as well as an uncoupling between glycolysis and glucose oxidation, plays a crucial role in the development of cardiac inefficiency (oxygen consumed per work performed) and functional impairment in ischemic heart disease as well as in heart failure. This has led to the concept that optimizing energy substrate use with metabolic modulators can be a potentially promising approach to decrease the severity of ischemic heart disease and heart failure, primarily by improving cardiac efficiency. Two approaches for metabolic modulator therapy are to stimulate myocardial glucose oxidation and/or inhibit fatty acid oxidation. In this review, the past, present, and future of metabolic modulators as an approach to optimizing myocardial energy substrate metabolism and treating ischemic heart disease and heart failure are discussed. This includes a discussion of pharmacological interventions that target enzymes involved in fatty acid uptake, fatty acid oxidation, and glucose oxidation in the heart, as well as enzymes involved in ketone and branched chain amino acid catabolism in the heart. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NMR-tomography of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weikl, A.; Bachmann, K.

1987-01-01

The NMR-tomography as a non-invasive imaging process is examined regarding to the value to answer clinical issues. This method allows an evaluation of qualitative, quantitative, morphological and functional parameters. The diagnostic use on the heart shows early myocardial changes, thrombosis, changes in the dynamics of the left ventricle (EDV, ESV, EF), the quantitative wall movement and the blood flow in a shunt defect. The placed value of echocardiography, myocardial scintigraphy and coronary angiography in the diagnosis of acquired valvular heart disease, myocardial perfusion and coronary heart disease is not lowered by the above mentioned method. (orig.) [de

NMR-tomography of the heart

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weikl, A.; Bachmann, K.

1987-04-03

The NMR-tomography as a non-invasive imaging process is examined regarding to the value to answer clinical issues. This method allows an evaluation of qualitative, quantitative, morphological and functional parameters. The diagnostic use on the heart shows early myocardial changes, thrombosis, changes in the dynamics of the left ventricle (EDV, ESV, EF), the quantitative wall movement and the blood flow in a shunt defect. The placed value of echocardiography, myocardial scintigraphy and coronary angiography in the diagnosis of acquired valvular heart disease, myocardial perfusion and coronary heart disease is not lowered by the above mentioned method.

iHeartLift: a closed loop system with bio-feedback that uses music tempo variability to improve heart rate variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Thomas C T; Chen, Xiang

2011-01-01

"Musica delenit bestiam feram" translates into "Music soothes the savage beast". There is a hidden truth in this ancient quip passed down from generations. Besides soothing the heart, it also incites the heart to a healthier level of heart rate variability (HRV). In this paper, an approach to use and test music and biofeedback to increase the heart rate variability for people facing daily stress is discussed. By determining the music tempo variability (MTV) of a piece of music and current heart rate variability, iHeartLift is able to compare the 2 trends and locate a musical piece that is suited to increase the user's heart rate variability to a healthier level. With biofeedback, the 2 trends are continuously compared in real-time and the musical piece is changed in accordance with the current comparisons. A study was conducted and it was generally found that HRV can be uplifted by music regardless of language and meaning of musical lyrics but with limitations to musical genre.

Preventing Heart Disease - At Any Age

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

Understanding Heart Valve Problems and Causes

Science.gov (United States)

... Check Recipe Certification Program Nutrition Requirements Heart-Check Professional Resources Contact the Heart-Check Certification Program Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering ...

FPGA Implementation of Heart Rate Monitoring System.

Science.gov (United States)

Panigrahy, D; Rakshit, M; Sahu, P K

2016-03-01

This paper describes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of a system that calculates the heart rate from Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. After heart rate calculation, tachycardia, bradycardia or normal heart rate can easily be detected. ECG is a diagnosis tool routinely used to access the electrical activities and muscular function of the heart. Heart rate is calculated by detecting the R peaks from the ECG signal. To provide a portable and the continuous heart rate monitoring system for patients using ECG, needs a dedicated hardware. FPGA provides easy testability, allows faster implementation and verification option for implementing a new design. We have proposed a five-stage based methodology by using basic VHDL blocks like addition, multiplication and data conversion (real to the fixed point and vice-versa). Our proposed heart rate calculation (R-peak detection) method has been validated, using 48 first channel ECG records of the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. It shows an accuracy of 99.84%, the sensitivity of 99.94% and the positive predictive value of 99.89%. Our proposed method outperforms other well-known methods in case of pathological ECG signals and successfully implemented in FPGA.

Research and Implementation of Heart Sound Denoising

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Wang, Yutai; Wang, Yanxiang

Heart sound is one of the most important signals. However, the process of getting heart sound signal can be interfered with many factors outside. Heart sound is weak electric signal and even weak external noise may lead to the misjudgment of pathological and physiological information in this signal, thus causing the misjudgment of disease diagnosis. As a result, it is a key to remove the noise which is mixed with heart sound. In this paper, a more systematic research and analysis which is involved in heart sound denoising based on matlab has been made. The study of heart sound denoising based on matlab firstly use the powerful image processing function of matlab to transform heart sound signals with noise into the wavelet domain through wavelet transform and decomposition these signals in muli-level. Then for the detail coefficient, soft thresholding is made using wavelet transform thresholding to eliminate noise, so that a signal denoising is significantly improved. The reconstructed signals are gained with stepwise coefficient reconstruction for the processed detail coefficient. Lastly, 50HZ power frequency and 35 Hz mechanical and electrical interference signals are eliminated using a notch filter.

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolorz, J.; Linden, A.; Schicha, H.; Sechtem, U.

1988-01-01

NMR imaging is a noninvasive technique that has been shown to provide high-quality images of the heart. Due to the signal characteristics of flowing blood, inherent contrast between blood pool and myocardium is achieved without the use of contrast media. This paper briefly describes technical aspects of NMR imaging of the heart, normal cardiovascular anatomy, applications of the technique in patients with ischemic heart disease, and the potential of NMR imaging for functional studies in various forms of heart disease. (orig.)

Heart Attack

Science.gov (United States)

... properly causes your body's blood sugar levels to rise, increasing your risk of heart attack. Metabolic syndrome. This occurs when you have obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Having metabolic ...

Total Artificial Heart Implantation as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation in an Active Duty Service Member With Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Scully, Michael S; Wessman, Dylan E; McKee, James M; Francisco, Gregory M; Nayak, Keshav R; Kobashigawa, Jon A

2017-03-01

Cardiac involvement by light-chain (AL) amyloid occurs in up to 50% of patients with primary AL amyloidosis. The prognosis of amyloid heart disease is poor with 1-year survival rates of 35 to 40%. Historically, heart transplantation was considered controversial for patients with AL amyloid cardiomyopathy (CM) given the systemic nature of the disease and poor survival. We present a case report of an active duty service member diagnosed with advanced cardiac amyloid who underwent total artificial heart transplant as a bridge to heart transplant and eventual autologous stem cell transplant. A 47-year-old active duty male initially evaluated for atypical chest pain was found to have severe concentric left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiogram but normal voltage on electrocardiogram. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, laboratory studies, and bone marrow biopsy established the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. At the time of diagnosis, the patient's prognosis was very poor with a median survival of 5 months on the basis of the Mayo Clinic revised prognostic staging system for amyloidosis. The patient developed rapidly progressive left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure leading to cardiac arrest. The patient received a total artificial heart as a bridge to orthotopic heart and kidney transplantation and eventual stem cell transplant. He continues to be in remission and has a fair functional capacity without restriction in activities of daily living or moderate exercise. Amyloid CM is a rare and devastating disease. The natural course of the disease has made heart transplant in these patients controversial. Modern advancements in chemotherapies and advanced heart failure treatments have improved outcomes for select patients with AL amyloid CM undergoing heart transplantation. There is ongoing research seeking improvement in treatment options and outcomes for patients with this deadly disease. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Heart Failure as an Aging-Related Phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Hiroyuki; Komuro, Issei

2018-01-27

The molecular pathophysiology of heart failure, which is one of the leading causes of mortality, is not yet fully understood. Heart failure can be regarded as a systemic syndrome of aging-related phenotypes. Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the p53 pathway, both of which are key regulators of aging, have been demonstrated to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Circulating C1q was identified as a novel activator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, promoting systemic aging-related phenotypes including sarcopenia and heart failure. On the other hand, p53 induces the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in the failing heart. In these molecular mechanisms, the cross-talk between cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes (e,g,. endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, macrophages) deserves mentioning. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of the molecular pathophysiology underlying heart failure, focusing on Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the p53 pathway.

Bisoprolol for congestive heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenberg, J.; Gustafsson, F.

2008-01-01

was obtained from the FDA website. Conclusion: Bisoprolol is an effective and well-tolerated first-line beta-blocker for patients with systolic heart failure. The knowledge is primarily based on study patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure from the three CIBIS trials Udgivelsesdato: 2008/2...

What Are Congenital Heart Defects?

Science.gov (United States)

... a baby with a congenital heart defect. Family history and genetics Congenital heart disease is not usually passed along ... you or your child to a specialist in genetic testing. Cardiac MRI to diagnose a ... Factors to review family history, smoking, and medicines that increase your risk of ...

Heart Performance Determination by Visualization in Larval Fishes: Influence of Alternative Models for Heart Shape and Volume

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prescilla Perrichon

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding cardiac function in developing larval fishes is crucial for assessing their physiological condition and overall health. Cardiac output measurements in transparent fish larvae and other vertebrates have long been made by analyzing videos of the beating heart, and modeling this structure using a conventional simple prolate spheroid shape model. However, the larval fish heart changes shape during early development and subsequent maturation, but no consideration has been made of the effect of different heart geometries on cardiac output estimation. The present study assessed the validity of three different heart models (the “standard” prolate spheroid model as well as a cylinder and cone tip + cylinder model applied to digital images of complete cardiac cycles in larval mahi-mahi and red drum. The inherent error of each model was determined to allow for more precise calculation of stroke volume and cardiac output. The conventional prolate spheroid and cone tip + cylinder models yielded significantly different stroke volume values at 56 hpf in red drum and from 56 to 104 hpf in mahi. End-diastolic and stroke volumes modeled by just a simple cylinder shape were 30–50% higher compared to the conventional prolate spheroid. However, when these values of stroke volume multiplied by heart rate to calculate cardiac output, no significant differences between models emerged because of considerable variability in heart rate. Essentially, the conventional prolate spheroid shape model provides the simplest measurement with lowest variability of stroke volume and cardiac output. However, assessment of heart function—especially if stroke volume is the focus of the study—should consider larval heart shape, with different models being applied on a species-by-species and developmental stage-by-stage basis for best estimation of cardiac output.

American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7: Avoiding Heart Failure and Preserving Cardiac Structure and Function

Science.gov (United States)

Folsom, Aaron R.; Shah, Amil M.; Lutsey, Pamela L.; Roetker, Nicholas S.; Alonso, Alvaro; Avery, Christy L.; Miedema, Michael D.; Konety, Suma; Chang, Patricia P.; Solomon, Scott D.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Many people may underappreciate the role of lifestyle in avoiding heart failure. We estimated whether greater adherence in middle age to American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 guidelines -- on smoking, body mass, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose -- is associated with lower lifetime risk of heart failure and greater preservation of cardiac structure and function in old age. METHODS We studied the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort of 13,462 adults aged 45-64 years in 1987-89. From the 1987-89 risk factor measurements, we created a Life’s Simple 7 score (range 0-14, giving 2 points for ideal, 1 point for intermediate, and 0 points for poor components). We identified 2,218 incident heart failure events using surveillance of hospital discharge and death codes through 2011. In addition, in 4,855 participants free of clinical cardiovascular disease in 2011-13, we performed echocardiography from which we quantified left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. RESULTS One in four participants (25.5%) developed heart failure through age 85. Yet, this lifetime heart failure risk was 14.4% for those with a middle-age Life’s Simple 7 score of 10-14 (optimal), 26.8% for a score of 5-9 (average), and 48.6% for a score of 0-4 (inadequate). Among those with no clinical cardiovascular event, the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in late life was approximately 40% as common, and diastolic dysfunction was approximately 60% as common, among those with an optimal middle-age Life’s Simple 7 score compared with an inadequate score. CONCLUSIONS Greater achievement of American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 in middle-age is associated with a lower lifetime occurrence of heart failure and greater preservation of cardiac structure and function. PMID:25908393

Fluid mechanics of heart valves.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoganathan, Ajit P; He, Zhaoming; Casey Jones, S

2004-01-01

Valvular heart disease is a life-threatening disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide and leads to approximately 250,000 valve repairs and/or replacements each year. Malfunction of a native valve impairs its efficient fluid mechanic/hemodynamic performance. Artificial heart valves have been used since 1960 to replace diseased native valves and have saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, despite four decades of use, these devices are less than ideal and lead to many complications. Many of these complications/problems are directly related to the fluid mechanics associated with the various mechanical and bioprosthetic valve designs. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art experimental and computational fluid mechanics of native and prosthetic heart valves in current clinical use. The fluid dynamic performance characteristics of caged-ball, tilting-disc, bileaflet mechanical valves and porcine and pericardial stented and nonstented bioprostheic valves are reviewed. Other issues related to heart valve performance, such as biomaterials, solid mechanics, tissue mechanics, and durability, are not addressed in this review.

Design and principle of operation of the HeartMate PHP (percutaneous heart pump).

Science.gov (United States)

Van Mieghem, Nicolas M; Daemen, Joost; den Uil, Corstiaan; Dur, Onur; Joziasse, Linda; Maugenest, Anne-Marie; Fitzgerald, Keif; Parker, Chris; Muller, Paul; van Geuns, Robert-Jan

2018-02-20

The HeartMate PHP (percutaneous heart pump) is a second-generation transcatheter axial flow circulatory support system. The collapsible catheter pump is inserted through a 14 Fr sheath, deployed across the aortic valve expanding to 24 Fr and able to deliver up to 5 L/min blood flow at minimum haemolytic risk. As such, this device may be a valuable adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of challenging lesions in high-risk patients or treatment of cardiogenic shock. This technical report discusses: (i) the HeartMate PHP concept, (ii) the implantation technique, (iii) the haemodynamic performance in an in vitro cardiovascular flow testing set-up, and (iv) preliminary clinical experience. An update on the device, produced by St. Jude Medical/Abbott Laboratories, can be found in the Appendix.

Emerging hemodynamic signatures of the right heart (Third International Right Heart Failure Summit, part 2).

Science.gov (United States)

Maron, Bradley A

2014-12-01

Despite the importance of preserved right ventricular structure and function with respect to outcome across the spectrum of lung, cardiac, and pulmonary vascular diseases, only recently have organized efforts developed to consider the pulmonary vascular-right ventricular apparatus as a specific unit within the larger context of cardiopulmonary pathophysiology. The Third International Right Heart Failure Summit (Boston, MA) was a multidisciplinary event dedicated to promoting a dialogue about the scientific and clinical basis of right heart disease. The current review provides a synopsis of key discussions presented during the section of the summit titled "Emerging Hemodynamic Signatures of the Right Heart." Specifically, topics emphasized in this element of the symposium included (1) the effects of pulmonary vascular dysfunction at rest or provoked by exercise on the right ventricular pressure-volume relationship, (2) the role of pressure-volume loop analysis as a method to characterize right ventricular inefficiency and predict right heart failure, and (3) the importance of a systems biology approach to identifying novel factors that contribute to pathophenotypes associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension and/or right ventricular dysfunction. Collectively, these concepts frame a forward-thinking paradigm shift in the approach to right heart disease by emphasizing factors that regulate the transition from adaptive to maladaptive right ventricular-pulmonary vascular (patho)physiology.

Prediction of heart abnormality using MLP network

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Fakroul Ridzuan; Januar, Yulni; Mat, Muhammad Hadzren; Rizman, Zairi Ismael; Awang, Mat Kamil

2018-02-01

Heart abnormality does not choose gender, age and races when it strikes. With no warning signs or symptoms, it can result to a sudden death of the patient. Generally, heart's irregular electrical activity is defined as heart abnormality. Via implementation of Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) network, this paper tries to develop a program that allows the detection of heart abnormality activity. Utilizing several training algorithms with Purelin activation function, an amount of heartbeat signals received through the electrocardiogram (ECG) will be employed to condition the MLP network.

Epidemiology of acquired valvular heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Iung, Bernard; Vahanian, Alec

2014-09-01

Population-based studies including systematic echocardiographic examinations are required to assess the prevalence of valvular heart disease. In industrialized countries, the prevalence of valvular heart disease is estimated at 2.5%. Because of the predominance of degenerative etiologies, the prevalence of valvular disease increases markedly after the age of 65 years, in particular with regard to aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation, which accounts for 3 in 4 cases of valvular disease. Rheumatic heart disease still represents 22% of valvular heart disease in Europe. The prevalence of secondary mitral regurgitation cannot be assessed reliably but it seems to be a frequent disease. The incidence of infective endocarditis is approximately 30 cases per million individiuals per year. Its stability is associated with marked changes in its presentation. Patients are getting older and staphylococcus is now becoming the microorganism most frequently responsible. Heath care-associated infections are the most likely explanation of changes in the microbiology of infective endocarditis. In developing countries, rheumatic heart disease remains the leading cause of valvular heart disease. Its prevalence is high, between 20 and 30 cases per 1000 subjects when using systematic echocardiographic screening. In conclusion, the temporal and geographical heterogeneity illustrates the effect of socioeconomic status and changes in life expectancy on the frequency and presentation of valvular heart disease. A decreased burden of valvular disease would require the elaboration of preventive strategies in industrialized countries and an improvement in the socioeconomic environment in developing countries. Copyright © 2014 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heart rate profile during exercise in patients with early repolarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cay, Serkan; Cagirci, Goksel; Atak, Ramazan; Balbay, Yucel; Demir, Ahmet Duran; Aydogdu, Sinan

2010-09-01

Both early repolarization and altered heart rate profile are associated with sudden death. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate an association between early repolarization and heart rate profile during exercise. A total of 84 subjects were included in the study. Comparable 44 subjects with early repolarization and 40 subjects with normal electrocardiogram underwent exercise stress testing. Resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and decrement were analyzed. Both groups were comparable for baseline characteristics including resting heart rate. Maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and heart rate decrement of the subjects in early repolarization group had significantly decreased maximum heart rate, heart rate increment and heart rate decrement compared to control group (all P decrement (multiple-adjusted OR of the risk of presence of early repolarization was 2.98 (95%CI 1.21-7.34) (P = 0.018) and 7.73 (95%CI 2.84-21.03) (P decrement compared to higher levels, respectively. Subjects with early repolarization have altered heart rate profile during exercise compared to control subjects. This can be related to sudden death.

[Management of heart failure in cardiology and primary care (MICCAP) program: Improving the management of patients with heart failure].

Science.gov (United States)

Barrios, V; Escobar, C; Pallares, V; Egocheaga, M I; Lobos, J M; Bover, R; Gómez Doblas, J J; Cosín, J

2018-03-26

Despite current treatments, morbidity and mortality of patients with heart failure remain high. The late diagnosis of heart failure, the insufficient heart failure treatment (i.e. not using the appropriate drugs, prescribing lower doses of drugs than recommended, etc.), and a poor coordination between different health care levels, may explain, at least in part, these figures. The Management of Heart Failure in Cardiology and Primary Care (MICCAP) program has been developed with the aim of optimising the integrated management of patients with heart failure between Primary Care and Cardiology, through the improvement of coordination between both health care levels. This includes continuous medical education to reinforce the diagnostic and therapeutic skills of general practitioners in the field of heart failure. The rationale and objectives of the MICCAP program are summarised in this article. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular mechanisms of SSRI drugs and their benefits and risks in ischemic heart disease and heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Chittaranjan; Kumar, Chethan B; Surya, Sandarsh

2013-05-01

Depression and heart disease are commonly comorbid. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression. In March 2011, we carried out a 15-year search of PubMed for preclinical and clinical publications related to SSRIs and ischemic heart disease (IHD) or congestive heart failure (CHF). We identify and discuss a number of mechanisms by which SSRIs may influence cardiovascular functioning and health outcomes in patients with heart disease; many of the mechanisms that we present have received little attention in previous reviews. We examine studies with positive, neutral, and negative outcomes in IHD and CHF patients treated with SSRIs. SSRIs influence cardiovascular functioning and health through several different mechanisms; for example, they inhibit serotonin-mediated and collagen-mediated platelet aggregation, reduce inflammatory mediator levels, and improve endothelial function. SSRIs improve indices of ventricular functioning in IHD and heart failure without adversely affecting electrocardiographic parameters. SSRIs may also be involved in favorable or unfavorable drug interactions with medications that influence cardiovascular functions. The clinical evidence suggests that, in general, SSRIs are safe in patients with IHD and may, in fact, exert a cardioprotective effect. The clinical data are less clear in patients with heart failure, and the evidence for benefits with SSRIs is weak.

Cartan frames for heart wall fiber motion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Samari, Babak; Aumentado-Armstrong, Tristan; Strijkers, Gustav J.; Froeling, Martijn; Siddiqi, Kaleem

2017-01-01

Current understanding of heart wall fiber geometry is based on ex vivo static data obtained through diffusion imaging or histology. Thus, little is known about the manner in which fibers rotate as the heart beats. Yet, the geometric organization of moving fibers in the heart wall is key to its

Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

... Other diseases. Chronic diseases — such as diabetes, HIV, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or a buildup of iron (hemochromatosis) or ... transplantation or support with a ventricular assist device. Prevention The key to preventing heart failure is to ...

Computed Flow Through An Artificial Heart Valve

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Stewart E.; Kwak, Dochan; Kiris, Cetin; Chang, I-Dee

1994-01-01

Report discusses computations of blood flow through prosthetic tilting disk valve. Computational procedure developed in simulation used to design better artificial hearts and valves by reducing or eliminating following adverse flow characteristics: large pressure losses, which prevent hearts from working efficiently; separated and secondary flows, which causes clotting; and high turbulent shear stresses, which damages red blood cells. Report reiterates and expands upon part of NASA technical memorandum "Computed Flow Through an Artificial Heart and Valve" (ARC-12983). Also based partly on research described in "Numerical Simulation of Flow Through an Artificial Heart" (ARC-12478).

Predictors of incident heart failure in patients after an acute coronary syndrome: The LIPID heart failure risk-prediction model.

Science.gov (United States)

Driscoll, Andrea; Barnes, Elizabeth H; Blankenberg, Stefan; Colquhoun, David M; Hunt, David; Nestel, Paul J; Stewart, Ralph A; West, Malcolm J; White, Harvey D; Simes, John; Tonkin, Andrew

2017-12-01

Coronary heart disease is a major cause of heart failure. Availability of risk-prediction models that include both clinical parameters and biomarkers is limited. We aimed to develop such a model for prediction of incident heart failure. A multivariable risk-factor model was developed for prediction of first occurrence of heart failure death or hospitalization. A simplified risk score was derived that enabled subjects to be grouped into categories of 5-year risk varying from 20%. Among 7101 patients from the LIPID study (84% male), with median age 61years (interquartile range 55-67years), 558 (8%) died or were hospitalized because of heart failure. Older age, history of claudication or diabetes mellitus, body mass index>30kg/m 2 , LDL-cholesterol >2.5mmol/L, heart rate>70 beats/min, white blood cell count, and the nature of the qualifying acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction or unstable angina) were associated with an increase in heart failure events. Coronary revascularization was associated with a lower event rate. Incident heart failure increased with higher concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide >50ng/L, cystatin C>0.93nmol/L, D-dimer >273nmol/L, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >4.8nmol/L, and sensitive troponin I>0.018μg/L. Addition of biomarkers to the clinical risk model improved the model's C statistic from 0.73 to 0.77. The net reclassification improvement incorporating biomarkers into the clinical model using categories of 5-year risk was 23%. Adding a multibiomarker panel to conventional parameters markedly improved discrimination and risk classification for future heart failure events. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phobic anxiety and ischaemic heart disease.

OpenAIRE

Haines, A P; Imeson, J D; Meade, T W

1987-01-01

A prospective study of the relation between scores on the six subscales of the Crown-Crisp experiential index and subsequent incidence of ischaemic heart disease was undertaken among participants in the Northwick Park heart study. Results from 1457 white men aged 40-64 at recruitment showed that phobic anxiety was strongly related to subsequent major ischaemic heart disease (fatal and non-fatal events combined) when other associated variables were taken into account. The phobic anxiety score ...

Biomarker Guided Therapy in Chronic Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Bektas, Sema

2015-01-01

This review article addresses the question of whether biomarker-guided therapy is ready for clinical implementation in chronic heart failure. The most well-known biomarkers in heart failure are natriuretic peptides, namely B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP. They are well-established in the diagnostic process of acute heart failure and prediction of disease prognosis. They may also be helpful in screening patients at risk of developing heart failure. Although studied by 11 small- to medium-scale trials resulting in several positive meta-analyses, it is less well-established whether natriuretic peptides are also helpful for guiding chronic heart failure therapy. This uncertainty is expressed by differences in European and American guideline recommendations. In addition to reviewing the evidence surrounding the use of natriuretic peptides to guide chronic heart failure therapy, this article gives an overview of the shortcomings of the trials, how the results may be interpreted and the future directions necessary to fill the current gaps in knowledge. Therapy guidance in chronic heart failure using other biomarkers has not been prospectively tested to date. Emerging biomarkers, such as galectin-3 and soluble ST2, might be useful in this regard, as suggested by several post-hoc analyses. PMID:28785440

Brain-Heart Interaction: Cardiac Complications After Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhili; Venkat, Poornima; Seyfried, Don; Chopp, Michael; Yan, Tao; Chen, Jieli

2017-08-04

Neurocardiology is an emerging specialty that addresses the interaction between the brain and the heart, that is, the effects of cardiac injury on the brain and the effects of brain injury on the heart. This review article focuses on cardiac dysfunction in the setting of stroke such as ischemic stroke, brain hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The majority of post-stroke deaths are attributed to neurological damage, and cardiovascular complications are the second leading cause of post-stroke mortality. Accumulating clinical and experimental evidence suggests a causal relationship between brain damage and heart dysfunction. Thus, it is important to determine whether cardiac dysfunction is triggered by stroke, is an unrelated complication, or is the underlying cause of stroke. Stroke-induced cardiac damage may lead to fatality or potentially lifelong cardiac problems (such as heart failure), or to mild and recoverable damage such as neurogenic stress cardiomyopathy and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The role of location and lateralization of brain lesions after stroke in brain-heart interaction; clinical biomarkers and manifestations of cardiac complications; and underlying mechanisms of brain-heart interaction after stroke, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; catecholamine surge; sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation; microvesicles; microRNAs; gut microbiome, immunoresponse, and systemic inflammation, are discussed. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

CARDIAC EMERGENCY: LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

50 000 deaths every year in France following heart problems. You or someone close to you, a friend, a relative, a colleague at work. You all probably know someone who has had a heart attack. Noting that 80% of all deaths occur outside hospital, the Fédération Française de Cardiologie, working in collaboration with first aid groups (rescue associations, etc.), are launching a nationwide campaign to train as many people as possible in what to do for cardiac first aid. According to specialists, more than half of all heart attack victims could have survived if someone nearby had been quick at doing what was needed. The CERN Fire Brigade is helping in this campaign by offering two free training sessions, each lasting three hours and mainly based on recognizing a heart attack, the proper way of calling for help, and practice in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage. The courses will be held on 20 November and 6 December from4 to 7 p.m. at Building 65. So don’t wait, stop b...

[Emotional distress in elderly people with heart disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez Santamaría, Emilia; Lameiras Fernández, María; González Lorenzo, Manuel; Rodríguez Castro, Yolanda

2006-06-30

To analyse the emotional distress associated with ageing, and its prevalence among elderly people who suffer from heart disease. Personal interviews with elderly people with and without heart problems. Interviews were conducted in public hospitals and old people's homes in the south of Galicia, Spain. The sample was made up of 130 elderly people (65 with heart problems and 65 without). The Inventory of Coping Strategies, of Halroyd and Reynolk (1984); Scheir, Caver, and Bridges Test (1984); the Life Satisfaction Scale of Diener, Emmuns, Larsen, and Griffen (1985); Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965); and an instrument to measure Associated Symptoms (SCL-90; Derogatis, 1975). Elderly people with heart problems experienced greater anxiety and had lower self-esteem than those without such problems. Heart patients also tended to suffer more phobic anxiety and to retreat from social interaction more. With the passing of time, heart patients over 60 showed more anxiety, irritability and psychosomatic disorders. This study clearly shows the existence of emotional distress in elderly heart patients. This makes it particularly important to conduct risk-prevention programmes, since a lot of heart disease is brought on by unhealthy conduct.

A system for heart sounds classification.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Redlarski

Full Text Available The future of quick and efficient disease diagnosis lays in the development of reliable non-invasive methods. As for the cardiac diseases - one of the major causes of death around the globe - a concept of an electronic stethoscope equipped with an automatic heart tone identification system appears to be the best solution. Thanks to the advancement in technology, the quality of phonocardiography signals is no longer an issue. However, appropriate algorithms for auto-diagnosis systems of heart diseases that could be capable of distinguishing most of known pathological states have not been yet developed. The main issue is non-stationary character of phonocardiography signals as well as a wide range of distinguishable pathological heart sounds. In this paper a new heart sound classification technique, which might find use in medical diagnostic systems, is presented. It is shown that by combining Linear Predictive Coding coefficients, used for future extraction, with a classifier built upon combining Support Vector Machine and Modified Cuckoo Search algorithm, an improvement in performance of the diagnostic system, in terms of accuracy, complexity and range of distinguishable heart sounds, can be made. The developed system achieved accuracy above 93% for all considered cases including simultaneous identification of twelve different heart sound classes. The respective system is compared with four different major classification methods, proving its reliability.

Radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis of ischemic heart disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komarek, P; Chalabala, M [Institut pro Dalsi Vzdelavani Lekaru a Farmaceutu, Prague (Czechoslovakia)

1982-01-01

Radiopharmaceuticals used for diagnosing ischemic heart disease in the experimental and clinical practice are reviewed. The mechanism of their retention by the heart muscle is briefly described. The respective radiopharmaceuticals are divided into preparations imaging disorders in the blood supply of the cardiac muscle, diagnosing the myocardial infarction, and evaluating the contractility of the heart.

Diabetes - preventing heart attack and stroke

Science.gov (United States)

Diabetes complications - heart; Coronary artery disease - diabetes; CAD - diabetes; Cerebrovascular disease - diabetes ... People with diabetes have a higher chance of having heart attacks and strokes. Smoking and having high blood pressure and high ...

Growth of the zebrafish heart

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Pater, E.M.

2010-01-01

Outline of this thesis In order to find new genetic factors, which are involved in cardiac growth we performed a forward genetic screen and we report the outcome of this screen in chapter 2. We screened at 5 days post fertilization (dpf) for mutants with either an enlarged heart or reduced heart

Diuretics for heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Faris, Rajaa F; Flather, Marcus; Purcell, Henry; Poole-Wilson, Philip A; Coats, Andrew J S

2012-02-15

Chronic heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diuretics are regarded as the first-line treatment for patients with congestive heart failure since they provide symptomatic relief. The effects of diuretics on disease progression and survival remain unclear. To assess the harms and benefits of diuretics for chronic heart failure Updated searches were run in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL Issue 1 of 4, 2011), MEDLINE (1966 to 22 February 2011), EMBASE (1980 to 2011 Week 07) and HERDIN database (1990 to February 2011). We hand searched pertinent journals and reference lists of papers were inspected. We also contacted manufacturers and researchers in the field. No language restrictions were applied. Double-blinded randomised controlled trials of diuretic therapy comparing one diuretic with placebo, or one diuretic with another active agent (e.g. ACE inhibitors, digoxin) in patients with chronic heart failure. Two authors independently abstracted the data and assessed the eligibility and methodological quality of each trial. Extracted data were analysed by determining the odds ratio for dichotomous data, and difference in means for continuous data, of the treated group compared with controls. The likelihood of heterogeneity of the study population was assessed by the Chi-square test. If there was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity and pooling of results was clinically appropriate, a combined estimate was obtained using the fixed-effects model. This update has not identified any new studies for inclusion. The review includes 14 trials (525 participants), 7 were placebo-controlled, and 7 compared diuretics against other agents such as ACE inhibitors or digoxin. We analysed the data for mortality and for worsening heart failure. Mortality data were available in 3 of the placebo-controlled trials (202 participants). Mortality was lower for participants treated with diuretics than for

Selection of patients for heart transplantation in the current era of heart failure therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Javed; Khadim, Ghazanfar; Paul, Kimberly M; Davis, Stacy F; Kronenberg, Marvin W; Chomsky, Don B; Pierson, Richard N; Wilson, John R

2004-03-03

We sought to assess the relationship between survival, peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO(2)), and heart failure survival score (HFSS) in the current era of heart failure (HF) therapy. Based on predicted survival, HF patients with peak VO(2) 14 ml/min/kg (p = 0.04). Of the patients with peak VO(2) of 10 to 14 ml/min/kg, 55% had low-risk HFSS and exhibited 88% one-year event-free survival. One-year survival after transplantation was 88%, which is similar to the 85% rate reported by the United Network for Organ Sharing for 1999 to 2000. Survival for HF patients in the current era has improved significantly, necessitating re-evaluation of the listing criteria for heart transplantation.

Pig models for the human heart failure syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hunter, Ingrid; Terzic, Dijana; Zois, Nora Elisabeth

2014-01-01

Human heart failure remains a challenging illness despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients. There is a need for further improvement of our understanding of the failing myocardium and its molecular deterioration. Porcine models provide an important research tool...... in this respect as molecular changes can be examined in detail, which is simply not feasible in human patients. However, the human heart failure syndrome is based on symptoms and signs, where pig models mostly mimic the myocardial damage, but without decisive data on clinical presentation and, therefore, a heart...... to elucidate the human heart failure syndrome....

Calcium Supplements: A Risk Factor for Heart Attack?

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... factor for heart attack? I've read that calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack. ... D. Some doctors think it's possible that taking calcium supplements may increase your risk of a heart ...

Heart Disease in Women | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

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... this page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Women's Heart Disease Heart Disease in Women Past Issues / Winter 2014 Table of ... United States, 1 in 4 women dies from heart disease. In fact, coronary heart disease (CHD)—the most ...

Comorbid Conditions in Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Ganga; Ratner, Veniamin; Bacha, Emile; Aspelund, Gudrun

2016-08-01

The objectives of this review are to discuss the pathophysiology, clinical impact and treatment of major noncardiac anomalies, and prematurity in infants with congenital heart disease. MEDLINE and PubMed. Mortality risk is significantly higher in patients with congenital heart disease and associated anomalies compared with those in whom the heart defect occurs in isolation. Although most noncardiac structural anomalies do not require surgery in the neonatal period, several require surgery for survival. Management of such infants poses multiple challenges. Premature infants with congenital heart disease face challenges imposed by their immature organ systems, which are susceptible to injury or altered function by congenital heart disease and abnormal circulatory physiology independent of congenital heart disease. For optimal outcomes in premature infants or in infants with multiple congenital anomalies, a collaborative interdisciplinary approach is necessary.

Heart Failure in Children and Adolescents

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... the lungs where oxygen is added. Watch an animation of blood flow in the heart All the ... resources here Popular Articles 1 Understanding Blood Pressure Readings 2 Sodium and Salt 3 Heart Attack Symptoms ...

Genetic Counseling for Congenital Heart Defects

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... Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Genetic Counseling for Congenital Heart Defects Updated:Jan 19,2018 ... with congenital heart disease considers having children. Genetic counseling can help answer these questions and address your ...

Diseases of the heart and main vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiseleva, I.P.; Ivanitskij, A.V.

1988-01-01

The problems of roentgenoanatomy of children and adolescent heart are considered. Various methods of roentgenological examinations in diagnosis of cardo-vascular diseases (roentgenoscopy, roentgenography, tomography, roentgenokymography) are described. A scheme of data study of roentgenolocial examinations is given. Roentgenograms of children heart with various congenital and acquired heart diseases, as well as myocarditis, pericarditis, endocardium fibroelastosis are presented

Chemotherapy Side Effects: A Cause of Heart Disease?

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... Can chemotherapy side effects increase the risk of heart disease? Answers from Timothy J. Moynihan, M.D. Chemotherapy side effects may increase the risk of heart disease, including weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and ...

Noise detection during heart sound recording using periodicity signatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, D; Carvalho, P; Paiva, R P; Henriques, J; Antunes, M

2011-01-01

Heart sound is a valuable biosignal for diagnosis of a large set of cardiac diseases. Ambient and physiological noise interference is one of the most usual and highly probable incidents during heart sound acquisition. It tends to change the morphological characteristics of heart sound that may carry important information for heart disease diagnosis. In this paper, we propose a new method applicable in real time to detect ambient and internal body noises manifested in heart sound during acquisition. The algorithm is developed on the basis of the periodic nature of heart sounds and physiologically inspired criteria. A small segment of uncontaminated heart sound exhibiting periodicity in time as well as in the time-frequency domain is first detected and applied as a reference signal in discriminating noise from the sound. The proposed technique has been tested with a database of heart sounds collected from 71 subjects with several types of heart disease inducing several noises during recording. The achieved average sensitivity and specificity are 95.88% and 97.56%, respectively

Heart Failure Management - Evolution Over The Ages

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KV Sahasranam

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The simplest definition of heart failure is "A condition in which the heart fails to discharge its contents adequately". Even though the prevalence is quoted at 4 - 20 / 1000 population, in the elderly above 65 years, the figures may exceed 100/1000. After the age of 45, it is found that the relative incidence of heart failure which is approximately 1 - 5 /1000, double for each decade of life. As modernization increases and healthcare improves over the years, the prevalence of heart failure also increases due to the increase in longevity of individuals.

Lipid metabolism in the heart. Contribution of BMIPP to the diseased heart

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nohara, Ryuji [Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Inst., Osaka (Japan). Kitano Hospital

2001-10-01

Lipid contributes greatly in cardiac metabolism to produce high energy ATPs, and is suggested to be related to the progression and deterioration of heart disease. It is fortunate that the I-123-betamethyliodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) imaging technique is now available in determining heart condition, but we must be cautious about the interpretation of images obtained with new tracer. From the uptake of BMIPP into the cell to breakdown and catabolism of it, there exist so many critical enzymatical pathways relating to the modification of BMIPP imaging. In clinical evaluation, the image will be translated as the integral effects of these pathways. In order words, we must be aware of these critical pathways regulating lipid metabolism and modifying factors in order to correctly understand BMIPP imaging. Lipid transport is affected by the albumin/FFA ratio in the blood, and extraction with membrane transporter proteins. Fatty acid binding protein (FABP) in the cytosole will play an important role in regulating lipid flux and following metabolism. Lipid will be utilized either for oxidation, triglyceride or phospholipid formation. For oxidation, carnitine palmitoil transferase is the key enzyme for the entrance of lipid into mitochondria, and oxidative enzymes such as acyl CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD, LCAD, HAD) will determine lipid use for the TCA cycle. ATPs produced in the mitochondria again limit the TG store. It is well known that BMIPP imaging completely changes in the ischemic condition, and is also shown that lipid metabolical regulation completely differs from normal in the very early phase of cardiac hypertrophy. In the process of deteriorating heart failure, metabolical switching of lipid with glucose will take place. In such a different heart disease conditions, it is clear that lipid metabolical regulation, including many lipid enzymes, works differently from in the healthy condition. These lipid enzymes are regulated by nuclear factor peroxisome

Fetal Echocardiography/Your Unborn Baby's Heart

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... Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Fetal Echocardiography / Your Unborn Baby's Heart Updated:Oct 6,2016 ... Your Risk • Symptoms & Diagnosis Introduction Common Tests Fetal Echocardiography/Your Unborn Baby's Heart - Fetal Echocardiogram Test - Detection ...

Flu and Heart Disease and Stroke

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... Seasonal Avian Swine Variant Pandemic Other Flu and Heart Disease & Stroke Language: English (US) Español Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir People with Heart Disease* and Those Who Have Had a Stroke Are ...

Effects of intravenous home dobutamine in palliative end-stage heart failure on quality of life, heart failure hospitalization, and cost expenditure.

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, Pieter; Vercammen, Jan; Ceyssens, Wendy; Jacobs, Linda; Luwel, Evert; Van Aerde, Herwig; Potargent, Peter; Renaers, Monique; Dupont, Matthias; Mullens, Wilfried

2018-01-17

In patients with palliative end-stage heart failure, interventions that could provide symptomatic relief and prevent hospital admissions are important. Ambulatory continuous intravenous inotropes have been advocated by guidelines for such a purpose. We sought to determine the effect of intravenous dobutamine on symptomatic status, hospital stay, mortality, and cost expenditure. All consecutive end-stage heart failure patients not amenable for advanced therapies and discharged with continuous intravenous home dobutamine from a single tertiary centre between April 2011 and January 2017 were retrospectively analysed. Dobutamine (fixed dose) was infused through a single-lumen central venous catheter with a small pump that was refilled by a nurse on a daily basis. Symptomatic status was longitudinally assessed as the change in New York Heart Association class and patient global assessment scale. Antecedent and incident heart failure hospitalizations were determined in a paired fashion, and cost impact was assessed. A total of 21 patients (age 77 ± 9 years) were followed up for 869 ± 647 days. At first follow-up (6 ± 1 weeks) after the initiation of dobutamine, patients had a significant improvement in New York Heart Association class (-1.29 ± 0.64; P heart failure hospitalizations assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months were significantly reduced (P heart failure hospitalizations over the same time period. Cost expenditure was significantly lower at 3 (P heart failure is feasible and associated with improved symptomatic status, heart failure hospitalizations, and health-care-related costs. Nevertheless, results should be interpreted in the context of the small and retrospective design. Larger studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of dobutamine in palliative end-stage heart failure. © 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Camera-cinematography of the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, W.E.; Meyer, G.; Bitter, F.; Kampmann, H.; Bargon, G.; Stauch, M.; Ulm Univ.

1975-01-01

By 'camera-cinematography' of the heart, we mean an isotope method which permits detailed observation of cardiac mechanics without the use of a catheter. All that is necessary is an intravenous injection of 10 to 15 mCisup(99m)Tc human serum albumin followed after ten minutes by a five to ten minute period of observation with a scintillation camera. At this time the isotope has become distributed in the blood. Variations in the precordial impulses correspond with intra-cardiac changes of blood volume during a cardiac cycle. Analysis of the R-wave provides adequate information of cyclical volume changes in limited portions of the heart. This is achieved by a monitor with a pseudo-3-dimensional display; contraction and relaxation of the myocardium can be shown for any chosen longitudinal or horizontal diameter of the heart. Our programme allows simultaneous presentation of the movement of any point on the myocardium as a time-activity curve. The method is recommended as an addition to chest radiography, heart screening or cardiac kymography before carrying out cardiac catheterisation. (orig.) [de

The evolution of heart gene delivery vectors

Science.gov (United States)

Wasala, Nalinda B.; Shin, Jin-Hong; Duan, Dongsheng

2012-01-01

Gene therapy holds promise for treating numerous heart diseases. A key premise for the success of cardiac gene therapy is the development of powerful gene transfer vehicles that can achieve highly efficient and persistent gene transfer specifically in the heart. Other features of an ideal vector include negligible toxicity, minimal immunogenicity and easy manufacturing. Rapid progress in the fields of molecular biology and virology has offered great opportunities to engineer various genetic materials for heart gene delivery. Several nonviral vectors (e.g. naked plasmids, plasmid lipid/polymer complexes and oligonucleotides) have been tested. Commonly used viral vectors include lentivirus, adenovirus and adeno-associated virus. Among these, adeno-associated virus has shown many attractive features for pre-clinical experimentation in animal models of heart diseases. We review the history and evolution of these vectors for heart gene transfer. PMID:21837689

Spirituality and well being among elders: differences between elders with heart failure and those without heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary T Quinn Griffin

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Mary T Quinn Griffin1, Yi-Hui Lee2, Ali Salman1, Yaewon Seo1, Patricia A Marin3, Randall C Starling3, Joyce J Fitzpatrick11Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH; 2College of Nursing and Health Wright State University Dayton, OH; 3Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OhioAbstract: Heart failure is a chronic debilitating disease that affects all aspects of a person’s life, including physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. The associations among these dimensions, and the relationship to overall health status, have not been clearly identified. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to explore differences between spirituality, depressive symptoms, and quality of life among elders with and without heart failure. A total of 44 elders with heart failure and 40 non-heart failure elders completed several questionnaires including: The Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES, Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D, and SF-12™ Health Survey. There were significant differences in the groups on gender and ethnicity; thus these variables were controlled in the analyses related to the dependent variables. After controlling for gender and ethnicity, there were significant differences in the physical component of quality of life and spiritual well-being. The heart failure patients had significantly lower physical quality of life but more spiritual well-being than the non-heart failure patients. There were no significant differences in daily spiritual experiences, mental component of quality of life, and depressive symptoms between the two groups.Keywords: spiritual experience, spiritual well-being, heart failure, depressive symptoms, quality of life, elders

MRI in ischemic heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazirolan, T.

2012-01-01

Full text: The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of ischemic heart disease has increased over the last years. Cardiac MRI is the only imaging modality that provides 'one stop shop' assessment. Information about ventricular function, myocardial ischemia and myocardial viability can be obtained in a single cardiac MRI session. Additionally, Cardiac MRI has become a gold standard method in evaluation of myocardial viability and in assessment of ventricular mass and function. As a result, cardiac MRI enable radiologist to comprehensively assess ischemic heart disease. The aim of this presentation is to provide the reader a state-of-the art on how the newest cardiac MRI techniques can be used to study ischemic heart disease patients.

Right heart on multidetector CT

Science.gov (United States)

Gopalan, D

2011-01-01

Right ventricular function plays an integral role in the pathogenesis and outcome of many cardiovascular diseases. Imaging the right ventricle has long been a challenge because of its complex geometry. In recent years there has been a tremendous expansion in multidetector row CT (MDCT) and its cardiac applications. By judicious modification of contrast medium protocol, it is possible to achieve good opacification of the right-sided cardiac chambers, thereby paving the way for exploring the overshadowed right heart. This article will describe the key features of right heart anatomy, review MDCT acquisition techniques, elaborate the various morphological and functional information that can be obtained, and illustrate some important clinical conditions associated with an abnormal right heart. PMID:22723537

[Definition of acute heart failure].

Science.gov (United States)

Metra, Marco; Carbone, Giorgio; Lombardi, Carlo; Borghi, Claudio; Vescovo, Giorgio

2014-02-01

Acute heart failure (AHF) is a potentially life-threatening condition that may arise as a deterioration of a previous heart failure or may be the first presentation of heart failure. Several causes or precipitating factors have been listed, as well as different mechanisms have been described, thus leading to a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. Symptoms and signs of AHF have a strong clinical and prognostic significance and are kept into consideration to guide disease management. In particular, a higher clinical severity or a worse prognosis are associated with lower blood pressure levels, fluid overload, evidence of myocardial ischemia or renal impairment. Putatively, interventions addressed to restore these factors may play a role in the management of AHF.

A recognition method research based on the heart sound texture map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huizhong Cheng

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the Heart Sound recognition rate and reduce the recognition time, in this paper, we introduces a new method for Heart Sound pattern recognition by using Heart Sound Texture Map. Based on the Heart Sound model, we give the Heart Sound time-frequency diagram and the Heart Sound Texture Map definition, we study the structure of the Heart Sound Window Function principle and realization method, and then discusses how to use the Heart Sound Window Function and the Short-time Fourier Transform to obtain two-dimensional Heart Sound time-frequency diagram, propose corner correlation recognition algorithm based on the Heart Sound Texture Map according to the characteristics of Heart Sound. The simulation results show that the Heart Sound Window Function compared with the traditional window function makes the first (S1 and the second (S2 Heart Sound texture clearer. And the corner correlation recognition algorithm based on the Heart Sound Texture Map can significantly improve the recognition rate and reduce the expense, which is an effective Heart Sound recognition method.

Treatment of chronic heart failure with aldosterone-blocking agents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Veldhuisen, Dirk J.; Swedberg, Karl

Three large randomized trials in advanced heart failure (RALES), in heart failure after myocardial infarction (EPHESUS), and most recently mild heart failure (EMPHASIS-HF) have firmly established the place of aldosterone-blocking agents in patients with heart failure. In this paper we will shortly

Review of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Practice guidelines for management of heart failure in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Colan, Steven D

2015-08-01

In 2004, practice guidelines for the management of heart failure in children by Rosenthal and colleagues were published in conjunction with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. These guidelines have not been updated or reviewed since that time. In general, there has been considerable controversy as to the utility and purpose of clinical practice guidelines, but there is general recognition that the relentless progress of medicine leads to the progressive irrelevance of clinical practice guidelines that do not undergo periodic review and updating. Paediatrics and paediatric cardiology, in particular, have had comparatively minimal participation in the clinical practice guidelines realm. As a result, most clinical practice guidelines either specifically exclude paediatrics from consideration, as has been the case for the guidelines related to cardiac failure in adults, or else involve clinical practice guidelines committees that include one or two paediatric cardiologists and produce guidelines that cannot reasonably be considered a consensus paediatric opinion. These circumstances raise a legitimate question as to whether the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation paediatric heart failure guidelines should be re-reviewed. The time, effort, and expense involved in producing clinical practice guidelines should be considered before recommending an update to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Paediatric Heart Failure guidelines. There are specific areas of rapid change in the evaluation and management of heart failure in children that are undoubtedly worthy of updating. These domains include areas such as use of serum and imaging biomarkers, wearable and implantable monitoring devices, and acute heart failure management and mechanical circulatory support. At the time the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines were published, echocardiographic tissue Doppler, 3 dimensional

Mental load, heart rate and heart rate variability.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blitz, P.S.; Hoogstraten, J.; Mulder, G.

1970-01-01

"Several investigators have shown that diminished sinus arrhythmia can be seen as an indication of increased mental load. The present experiment deals with the influence of different levels of mental load, operationalized as the number of binary choices per minute, on the regularity of the heart

Modern treatment methods for heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bojan Vrtovec

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Chronic heart failure is a clinical syndrome that can result from many cardiac diseases, the most common being cardiomyopathies and coronary artery disease. According to recent epidemiological data, heart failure is the only cardiologic entity whose prevalence is actually increasing and is present in 2–5 % of general population and in 10 % of people older than 65 years. The scope of this paper includes algorithms of initial heart failure diagnostic work-up , medical management and contemporary non-medical treatment options.

Chromogranin A in the mammalian heart

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lasse H.; Darkner, Stine; Svendsen, Jesper H.

2017-01-01

Aim: To investigate whether chromogranin A (CgA) is secreted from the heart into circulation.  Materials & methods: Porcine cardiac tissue was analyzed for the presence of CgA-derived glycopeptides using a global O-glycoproteomic strategy. Blood was sampled from the femoral vein, right atrium...... from the heart (coronary sinus [795 pmol/l] vs left atrium [678 pmol/l]; p heart could be established (p = 0.6366).  Conclusion: The cardiac atria express but do not secrete CgA into circulation in patients with atrial disease....

Gender and post-ischemic recovery of hypertrophied rat hearts

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Popov Kirill M

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gender influences the cardiac response to prolonged increases in workload, with differences at structural, functional, and molecular levels. However, it is unknown if post-ischemic function or metabolism of female hypertrophied hearts differ from male hypertrophied hearts. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that gender influences post-ischemic function of pressure-overload hypertrophied hearts and determined if the effect of gender on post-ischemic outcome could be explained by differences in metabolism, especially the catabolic fate of glucose. Methods Function and metabolism of isolated working hearts from sham-operated and aortic-constricted male and female Sprague-Dawley rats before and after 20 min of no-flow ischemia (N = 17 to 27 per group were compared. Parallel series of hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 5.5 mM [5-3H/U-14C]-glucose, 1.2 mM [1-14C]-palmitate, 0.5 mM [U-14C]-lactate, and 100 mU/L insulin to measure glycolysis and glucose oxidation in one series and oxidation of palmitate and lactate in the second. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way analysis of variance. The sequential rejective Bonferroni procedure was used to correct for multiple comparisons and tests. Results Female gender negatively influenced post-ischemic function of non-hypertrophied hearts, but did not significantly influence function of hypertrophied hearts after ischemia such that mass-corrected hypertrophied heart function did not differ between genders. Before ischemia, glycolysis was accelerated in hypertrophied hearts, but to a greater extent in males, and did not differ between male and female non-hypertrophied hearts. Glycolysis fell in all groups after ischemia, except in non-hypertrophied female hearts, with the reduction in glycolysis after ischemia being greatest in males. Post-ischemic glycolytic rates were, therefore, similarly accelerated in hypertrophied male and female hearts and higher in

A Role for the Cytoskeleton in Heart Looping

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Kersti K. Linask

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past 10 years, key genes involved in specification of left-right laterality pathways in the embryo have been defined. The read-out for misexpression of laterality genes is usually the direction of heart looping. The question of how dextral looping direction occurred mechanistically and how the heart tube bends remains unknown. It is becoming clear from our experiments and those of others that left-right differences in cell proliferation in the second heart field (anterior heart field drives the dextral direction. Evidence is accumulating that the cytoskeleton is at the center of laterality, and the bending and rotational forces associated with heart looping. If laterality pathways are modulated upstream, the cytoskeleton, including nonmuscle myosin II (NMHC-II, is altered downstream within the cardiomyocytes, leading to looping abnormalities. The cytoskeleton is associated with important mechanosensing and signaling pathways in cell biology and development. The initiation of blood flow during the looping period and the inherent stresses associated with increasing volumes of blood flowing into the heart may help to potentiate the process. In recent years, the steps involved in this central and complex process of heart development that is the basis of numerous congenital heart defects are being unraveled.

Fluorine-18 heart dosimetry in myocardial perfusion imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toledo, Janine M.; Trindade, Bruno; Campos, Tarcísio P.R., E-mail: janine.toledo@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Técnicas Nucleares

2017-07-01

This paper conducts a recalling in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) followed by a spatial dosimetric investigation of the Fluorine-18 distributed at the myocardium by self-absorption of the heart uptake. Methods and Results: Radiological data manipulation was prepared and a computational heart voxelized model was assembled. A set of images from the abdominal aorta and angiotomography of the thorax was set up providing anatomic and functional information for heart modeling in SISCODES code. A homogeneous distribution of fluorine-18 was assumed into the heart myocardial wall. MCNP – Monte Carlo Code was used to provide the photon transport into the heart model taken in consideration the interactions into the tissues. The spatial dose distribution and histogram dose versus volume are presented. An analytical alternative model was addressed to the data validation. The present developed tools can produce spatial dose distribution in MPI at heart. Specially, the dosimetry performed elucidates imparted dose in the myocardial muscle per unit of injected Fluorine-18 activity by self-absorption of the heart uptake, which can contribute to future deterministic effect investigations. (author)

Fluorine-18 heart dosimetry in myocardial perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toledo, Janine M.; Trindade, Bruno; Campos, Tarcísio P.R.

2017-01-01

This paper conducts a recalling in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) followed by a spatial dosimetric investigation of the Fluorine-18 distributed at the myocardium by self-absorption of the heart uptake. Methods and Results: Radiological data manipulation was prepared and a computational heart voxelized model was assembled. A set of images from the abdominal aorta and angiotomography of the thorax was set up providing anatomic and functional information for heart modeling in SISCODES code. A homogeneous distribution of fluorine-18 was assumed into the heart myocardial wall. MCNP – Monte Carlo Code was used to provide the photon transport into the heart model taken in consideration the interactions into the tissues. The spatial dose distribution and histogram dose versus volume are presented. An analytical alternative model was addressed to the data validation. The present developed tools can produce spatial dose distribution in MPI at heart. Specially, the dosimetry performed elucidates imparted dose in the myocardial muscle per unit of injected Fluorine-18 activity by self-absorption of the heart uptake, which can contribute to future deterministic effect investigations. (author)

FUNCTIONALLY UNIVENTRICULAR HEARTS: IMPACT OF PRE-NATAL DIAGNOSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Francesco Corno

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Within the last few decades the pre-natal echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital heart defects has made substantial progresses, particularly for the identification of complex malformation. Functionally univentricular hearts categorize a huge variety of heart malformations. Since no one of the patients with these congenital heart defects can ever undergo a bi-ventricular type of repair, early recognition and decision-making from the neonatal period are required in order to allow for appropriate multiple-step diagnostic and treatment procedures, either of interventional cardiology and/or surgery, on the pathway of univentricular heart. In the literature strong disagreements exist about the potential impact of the pre-natal diagnosis on the early and late outcomes of complex congenital heart defects. This review of the recent reports has been undertaken to better understand the impact of pre-natal diagnosis in functionally univentricular hearts taking into consideration the following topics:•pre-natal screening•outcomes and survival•general morbidity•neurologic and developmental consequences•pregnancy management and delivery planning•resources utilization and costs/benefits issues•ethical implications, parents counseling, interruption of pregnancy versus treatment

Tbx1 coordinates addition of posterior second heart field progenitor cells to the arterial and venous poles of the heart

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rana, M. Sameer; Théveniau-Ruissy, Magali; de Bono, Christopher; Mesbah, Karim; Francou, Alexandre; Rammah, Mayyasa; Domínguez, Jorge N.; Roux, Marine; Laforest, Brigitte; Anderson, Robert H.; Mohun, Timothy; Zaffran, Stephane; Christoffels, Vincent M.; Kelly, Robert G.

2014-01-01

Cardiac progenitor cells from the second heart field (SHF) contribute to rapid growth of the embryonic heart, giving rise to right ventricular and outflow tract (OFT) myocardium at the arterial pole of the heart, and atrial myocardium at the venous pole. Recent clonal analysis and cell-tracing

The Hriday Card: A checklist for heart failure

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Sandeep Seth

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Use of a simple checklist can drastically lower the likelihood of heart failure patient readmission and improve quality of life. The Hriday Card is a simple 4 page booklet which combines patient education material teaching the patient about heart failure, how to tackle daily emergencies, how to look after their fluid balance with appropriate use of diuretics. It also contains medication and daily weight charts for the patient and a heart failure checklist for the heart failure nurse or doctor which covers points like vaccination, presence of LBBB or Atrial fibrillation and use or lack of use of ACE inhibitors and beta blockers and many other points related to heart failure. This checklist can be filled in less than a minute. It is a simple tool to enhance heart failure care and medication adherence.

Genome-wide association studies and resting heart rate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oskari Kilpeläinen, Tuomas

2016-01-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revolutionized the search for genetic variants regulating resting heart rate. In the last 10 years, GWASs have led to the identification of at least 21 novel heart rate loci. These discoveries have provided valuable insights into the mechanisms...... and pathways that regulate heart rate and link heart rate to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. GWASs capture majority of genetic variation in a population sample by utilizing high-throughput genotyping chips measuring genotypes for up to several millions of SNPs across the genome in thousands...... of individuals. This allows the identification of the strongest heart rate associated signals at genome-wide level. While GWASs provide robust statistical evidence of the association of a given genetic locus with heart rate, they are only the starting point for detailed follow-up studies to locate the causal...

Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Your Heart

Science.gov (United States)

... of the American Heart Association Cardiology Patient Page Breast Cancer Chemotherapy and Your Heart Christine Unitt , Kamaneh Montazeri , ... Disclosures Footnotes Figures & Tables Info & Metrics eLetters Introduction Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. ...

Coronary Artery Disease - Coronary Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... not as great as men's. Heredity (Including Race) Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and a higher risk of heart ...

Understand Your Risk of Heart Attack

Science.gov (United States)

... not as great as men's. Heredity (Including Race) Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and a higher risk of heart ...

Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?

Science.gov (United States)

... or a substance called resveratrol, have heart-healthy benefits. Red wine seems to have heart-healthy benefits. But it's ... may have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine. Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, ...

Pathophysiological relationships between heart failure and depression and anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapa, Deborah W; Akintade, Bimbola; Son, Heesook; Woltz, Patricia; Hunt, Dennis; Friedmann, Erika; Hartung, Mary Kay; Thomas, Sue Ann

2014-04-01

Depression and anxiety are common comorbid conditions in patients with heart failure. Patients with heart failure and depression have increased mortality. The association of anxiety with increased mortality in patients with heart failure is not established. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the similarities of the underlying pathophysiology of heart failure, depression, and anxiety by using the Biopsychosocial Holistic Model of Cardiovascular Health. Depression and anxiety affect biological processes of cardiovascular function in patients with heart failure by altering neurohormonal function via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, autonomic dysregulation, and activation of cytokine cascades and platelets. Patients with heart failure and depression or anxiety may exhibit a continued cycle of heart failure progression, increased depression, and increased anxiety. Understanding the underlying pathophysiological relationships in patients with heart failure who experience comorbid depression and/or anxiety is critical in order to implement appropriate treatments, educate patients and caregivers, and educate other health professionals.

Immunostaining of dissected zebrafish embryonic heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jingchun; Xu, Xiaolei

2012-01-10

Zebrafish embryo becomes a popular in vivo vertebrate model for studying cardiac development and human heart diseases due to its advantageous embryology and genetics. About 100-200 embryos are readily available every week from a single pair of adult fish. The transparent embryos that develop ex utero make them ideal for assessing cardiac defects. The expression of any gene can be manipulated via morpholino technology or RNA injection. Moreover, forward genetic screens have already generated a list of mutants that affect different perspectives of cardiogenesis. Whole mount immunostaining is an important technique in this animal model to reveal the expression pattern of the targeted protein to a particular tissue. However, high resolution images that can reveal cellular or subcellular structures have been difficult, mainly due to the physical location of the heart and the poor penetration of the antibodies. Here, we present a method to address these bottlenecks by dissecting heart first and then conducting the staining process on the surface of a microscope slide. To prevent the loss of small heart samples and to facilitate solution handling, we restricted the heart samples within a circle on the surface of the microscope slides drawn by an immEdge pen. After the staining, the fluorescence signals can be directly observed by a compound microscope. Our new method significantly improves the penetration for antibodies, since a heart from an embryonic fish only consists of few cell layers. High quality images from intact hearts can be obtained within a much reduced procession time for zebrafish embryos aged from day 2 to day 6. Our method can be potentially extended to stain other organs dissected from either zebrafish or other small animals. Copyright © 2012 Journal of Visualized Experiments

Changing Landscape of Congenital Heart Disease.

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Bouma, Berto J; Mulder, Barbara J M

2017-03-17

Congenital heart disease is the most frequently occurring congenital disorder affecting ≈0.8% of live births. Thanks to great efforts and technical improvements, including the development of cardiopulmonary bypass in the 1950s, large-scale repair in these patients became possible, with subsequent dramatic reduction in morbidity and mortality. The ongoing search for progress and the growing understanding of the cardiovascular system and its pathophysiology refined all aspects of care for these patients. As a consequence, survival further increased over the past decades, and a new group of patients, those who survived congenital heart disease into adulthood, emerged. However, a large range of complications raised at the horizon as arrhythmias, endocarditis, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure, and the need for additional treatment became clear. Technical solutions were sought in perfection and creation of new surgical techniques by developing catheter-based interventions, with elimination of open heart surgery and new electronic devices enabling, for example, multisite pacing and implantation of internal cardiac defibrillators to prevent sudden death. Over time, many pharmaceutical studies were conducted, changing clinical treatment slowly toward evidence-based care, although results were often limited by low numbers and clinical heterogeneity. More attention has been given to secondary issues like sports participation, pregnancy, work, and social-related difficulties. The relevance of these issues was already recognized in the 1970s when the need for specialized centers with multidisciplinary teams was proclaimed. Finally, research has become incorporated in care. Results of intervention studies and registries increased the knowledge on epidemiology of adults with congenital heart disease and their complications during life, and at the end, several guidelines became easily accessible, guiding physicians to deliver care appropriately. Over the past decades

Computed Tomography of Prosthetic Heart Valves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Habets, J.

2012-01-01

Prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction is an infrequent but potentially life-threatening disease with a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Patients with PHV dysfunction clinically can present with symptoms of congestive heart failure (dyspnea, fatigue, edema), fever, angina pectoris, dizziness

Geographic differences in heart failure trials.

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Ferreira, João Pedro; Girerd, Nicolas; Rossignol, Patrick; Zannad, Faiez

2015-09-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential to develop advances in heart failure (HF). The need for increasing numbers of patients (without substantial cost increase) and generalization of results led to the disappearance of international boundaries in large RCTs. The significant geographic differences in patients' characteristics, outcomes, and, most importantly, treatment effect observed in HF trials have recently been highlighted. Whether the observed regional discrepancies in HF trials are due to trial-specific issues, patient heterogeneity, structural differences in countries, or a complex interaction between factors are the questions we propose to debate in this review. To do so, we will analyse and review data from HF trials conducted in different world regions, from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HF-PEF), heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-REF), and acute heart failure (AHF). Finally, we will suggest objective and actionable measures in order to mitigate regional discrepancies in future trials, particularly in HF-PEF where prognostic modifying treatments are urgently needed and in which trials are more prone to selection bias, due to a larger patient heterogeneity. © 2015 The Authors European Journal of Heart Failure © 2015 European Society of Cardiology.

[Comorbidities of heart failure: sleep apnea].

Science.gov (United States)

Woehrle, H; Oldenburg, O; Stadler, S; Arzt, M

2018-05-01

Since sleep apnea often occurs in heart failure, physicians regularly need to decide whether further diagnostic procedures and/or treatment are required. Which types of sleep apnea occur in heart failure patients? When is treatment needed? Which treatments and treatment goals are appropriate? Clinical trials and guidelines as well as their implementation in clinical practice are discussed. At least 40% of patients with heart failure, both with reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF and HFpEF, respectively), suffer from relevant sleep apnea. In heart failure patients both obstructive and central sleep apnea are associated with increased mortality. In HFrEF as well as in HFpEF patients with obstructive sleep apnea, treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) achieves symptomatic and functional improvements. In patients with HFpEF, positive airway pressure treatment of central sleep apnea may be beneficial. In patients with HFrEF and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45%, adaptive servoventilation is contraindicated. Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in heart failure patients and its treatment in specific patient groups can improve symptoms and functional outcomes. Thus, testing for sleep apnea is recommended.

Enhanced and updated American Heart Association heart-check front-of-package symbol: efforts to help consumers identify healthier food choices

Science.gov (United States)

A variety of nutrition symbols and rating systems are in use on the front of food packages. They are intended to help consumers make healthier food choices. One system, the American Heart Association Heart (AHA) Heart-Check Program, has evolved over time to incorporate current science-based recommen...

A case of peripartum heart failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annalisa Vinci

2008-03-01

Full Text Available A 32-year-old woman was admitted in congestive heart failure (CHF 3 days after delivery. She had no history of cardiovascular disease and impaired left ventricular Ejection Fraction (EF 35%. She underwent complete heart catheterisation, selective coronary angiography and right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (EMB.Coronary arteries were normal and EMB revealed active virus negative myocarditis. Serum was positive for anti-heart autoantibodies (AHA. Thus myocarditis was classified as autoimmune and the patient was treated with immunosuppressive therapy, with clinical and hemodynamic improvement. At 27 months follow-up EMB showed healed myocarditis. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM is a rare disorder in which left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure occur in the peripartum period in previously healthy women. The etiology is still unknown but a sizable proportion of patients may have an underlying organ-specific autoimmune myocarditis.

Heart failure—potential new targets for therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Nabeebaccus, Adam; Zheng, Sean; Shah, Ajay M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction/background Heart failure is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This review covers current heart failure treatment guidelines, emerging therapies that are undergoing clinical trial, and potential new therapeutic targets arising from basic science advances. Sources of data A non-systematic search of MEDLINE was carried out. International guidelines and relevant reviews were searched for additional articles. Areas of agreement Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers are first line treatments for chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular function. Areas of controversy Treatment strategies to improve mortality in heart failure with preserved left ventricular function are unclear. Growing points Many novel therapies are being tested for clinical efficacy in heart failure, including those that target natriuretic peptides and myosin activators. A large number of completely novel targets are also emerging from laboratory-based research. Better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms driving heart failure in different settings (e.g. hypertension, post-myocardial infarction, metabolic dysfunction) may allow for targeted therapies. Areas timely for developing research Therapeutic targets directed towards modifying the extracellular environment, angiogenesis, cell viability, contractile function and microRNA-based therapies. PMID:27365454

“The Heart Truth:” Using the Power of Branding and Social Marketing to Increase Awareness of Heart Disease in Women

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Terry; Taubenheim, Ann; Wayman, Jennifer; Temple, Sarah; Ruoff, Beth

2008-01-01

In September 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute launched The Heart Truth, the first federally-sponsored national campaign aimed at increasing awareness among women about their risk of heart disease. A traditional social marketing approach, including an extensive formative research phase, was used to plan, implement, and evaluate the campaign. With the creation of the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, the campaign integrated a branding strategy into its social marketing framework. The aim was to develop and promote a women's heart disease brand that would create a strong emotional connection with women. The Red Dress brand has had a powerful appeal to a wide diversity of women and has given momentum to the campaign's three-part implementation strategy of partnership development, media relations, and community action. In addition to generating its own substantial programming, The Heart Truth became a catalyst for a host of other national and local educational initiatives, both large and small. By the campaign's fifth anniversary, surveys showed that women were increasingly aware of heart disease as their leading cause of death and that the rise in awareness was associated with increased action to reduce heart disease risk. PMID:19122892

[Sex differences in congenital heart disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Aubry, P; Demian, H

2016-12-01

Gender influences the clinical presentation and the management of some acquired cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, resulting in different outcomes. Differences between women and men are also noticed in congenital heart disease. They are mainly related to the prevalence and severity of some congenital heart defects at birth, and in adulthood to the prognosis, incidence of Eisenmenger syndrome and risks of pregnancy. The role of gender on the risk of operative mortality of congenital heart surgery remains debated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Establishment of heart teams in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa Uva, M; Leite Moreira, A; Gavina, C; Pereira, H; Lopes, M G

2014-01-01

Whenever several therapeutic options exist, multidisciplinary decision-making is beneficial for the patient and for society at large. The main obstacles to the establishment of heart teams in Portugal are organizational and logistical. Implementing a heart team approach entails definition of the situations requiring multidisciplinary discussion, creation of clear lines of communication, written protocols and obtaining patient informed consent. The European Society of Cardiology guidelines define the clinical scenarios where intervention of the heart team is recommended. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

NEUROTICISM PROFILE IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE

OpenAIRE

Bhargava, S. C.; Sharma, S. N.; Agarwal, B. V.

1980-01-01

SUMMARY Thirty seven cases of coronary heart disease and 30 normal healthy controls were administered Hindi version of MHQ. The coronary heart disease patients scored significantly higher on total neuroticism, free-floating anxiety and somatic anxiety subscales of MHQ.

Hippo pathway deficiency reverses systolic heart failure after infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, John P; Heallen, Todd; Zhang, Min; Rahmani, Mahdis; Morikawa, Yuka; Hill, Matthew C; Segura, Ana; Willerson, James T; Martin, James F

2017-10-12

Mammalian organs vary widely in regenerative capacity. Poorly regenerative organs, such as the heart are particularly vulnerable to organ failure. Once established, heart failure commonly results in mortality. The Hippo pathway, a kinase cascade that prevents adult cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration, is upregulated in human heart failure. Here we show that deletion of the Hippo pathway component Salvador (Salv) in mouse hearts with established ischaemic heart failure after myocardial infarction induces a reparative genetic program with increased scar border vascularity, reduced fibrosis, and recovery of pumping function compared with controls. Using translating ribosomal affinity purification, we isolate cardiomyocyte-specific translating messenger RNA. Hippo-deficient cardiomyocytes have increased expression of proliferative genes and stress response genes, such as the mitochondrial quality control gene, Park2. Genetic studies indicate that Park2 is essential for heart repair, suggesting a requirement for mitochondrial quality control in regenerating myocardium. Gene therapy with a virus encoding Salv short hairpin RNA improves heart function when delivered at the time of infarct or after ischaemic heart failure following myocardial infarction was established. Our findings indicate that the failing heart has a previously unrecognized reparative capacity involving more than cardiomyocyte renewal.

HE4 Serum Levels Are Associated with Heart Failure Severity in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Piek, Arnold; Meijers, Wouter C.; Schroten, Nicolas F.; Gansevoort, Ron T.; de Boer, Rudolf A.; Sillje, Herman H. W.

Background: The novel biomarker human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) shows prognostic value in acute heart failure (HF) patients. We measured HE4 levels in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and correlated them to HF severity, kidney function, and HF biomarkers, and determined its predictive

3D confocal imaging in CUBIC-cleared mouse heart

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