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This page shows you the latest news and research items in this category.

Assessment of Coronary Artery Stenosis by Coronary Angiography: A Head-to-Head Comparison With Pathological Coronary Artery Anatomy [Coronary Artery Disease]
Conclusions— The accuracy of CCA is quite high in detecting coronary artery stenosis in patients- and vessels-based levels. However, the diagnosis ability decreased in more severe and complex lesions, especially for distal segments. (Source: Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions)
Source: Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions - June 18, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Jiangping, S., Zhe, Z., Wei, W., Yunhu, S., Jie, H., Hongyue, W., Hong, Z., Shengshou, H. Tags: Coronary imaging: angiography/ultrasound/Doppler/CC Coronary Artery Disease Source Type: research

Left Ventricular Assist Device in a Patient With a Concomitant Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator [Images and Case Reports in Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology]
(Source: Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology)
Source: Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology - June 18, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Saeed, D., Albert, A., Westenfeld, R., Maxhera, B., Gramsch-Zabel, H., O'Connor, S., Lichtenberg, A., Winter, J. Tags: Ablation/ICD/surgery, CV surgery: transplantation, ventricular assistance, cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias, clinical electrophysiology, drugs, Chronic ischemic heart disease Images and Case Reports in Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Source Type: research

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy: Patient Outcomes, Incidence of Appropriate and Inappropriate Interventions, and Complications [Original Articles]
Conclusions— Cardiac and noncardiac mortality rates after ICD implantation in patients with ARVD/C are low. Appropriate ICD interventions occur at a rate of 9.5%/y. Inappropriate ICD interventions and complications lead to considerable ICD-related morbidity. (Source: Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology)
Source: Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology - June 18, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Schinkel, A. F. L. Tags: Myocardial cardiomyopathy disease, Ablation/ICD/surgery, Arrhythmias, clinical electrophysiology, drugs Original Articles Source Type: research

Boston Children’s Hospital To Offer World’s First Hand Transplant Program For Kids
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A Boston hospital is starting the world’s first hand transplant program for children, and doctors say it won’t be long until face transplants and other radical operations to improve appearance and quality of life are offered to kids, too. WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Karen Twomey reports play pause Children's Hospital To Start First Hand Transplant Program For Kids Karen Twomey Download ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - June 17, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kckatzman Tags: Daily Headlines Health Heard On WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Local Watch Listen Boston Children's Hospital CBS Boston Deb Lawler hand transplant program Karen Twomey Source Type: news

Boston Children’s Hospital To Offer Hand Transplants For Kids
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — A Boston hospital is starting the world’s first hand transplant program for children, and doctors say it won’t be long until face transplants and other radical operations to improve appearance and quality of life are offered to kids, too. “We consider children in a separate category from adults because they have longer to live, theoretically longer to live with the hand transplant and longer exposure to immune-suppressing drugs,” Dr. Amir Taghinia told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.”You need to ask yourself if the risk of the immune-suppressing drugs justifies the improvement in q...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - June 17, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Kckatzman Tags: Daily Headlines Health Heard On WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Local Watch Listen Boston Children's Hospital CBS Boston Deb Lawler hand transplant program Karen Twomey Source Type: news

Vasoactive–inotropic score after pediatric heart transplant: A marker of adverse outcome
This study compared clinical outcomes in children with differential VIS after pediatric OHT. A retrospective cohort study of 51 consecutive heart transplants from 2004 to 2011 was performed at a pediatric tertiary care facility. Peak VIS was computed within initial 24 and 48 h after OHT and was weighted for peak dose and administration of any or all of six pressors. Patients with peak VIS ≥ 15 constituted high VIS group. Children who persistently required a higher magnitude of pressor support for the first 48 h after OHT, as reflected by high peak VIS, had significantly longer ICU stay (30.2 vs. 15.9 days, p = 0.01)...
Source: Pediatric Transplantation - June 17, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Yamuna Sanil, Sanjeev Aggarwal Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Video: Cancer treatments carry unique health risks for children
A new study shows many children who undergo chemo, radiation, or bone marrow transplants to treat cancer develop heart and lung problems during adulthood. Dr. Jon LaPook reports. (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)
Source: Health News: CBSNews.com - June 15, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Ethics: the questions posed by our bionic bodies | Observer editorial
Science is sending us towards a posthuman future. We need to decide if that's where we should be goingIn the cult 1970s television show, The Six Million Dollar Man, astronaut Steve Austin (Lee Majors) is shown crash-landing on Earth, then being whisked into an operating theatre. "Gentleman, we have the capability to make the world's first bionic man," intones the narrator over the opening credits. "Steve Austin will be that man… Better, stronger, faster."Today, as our profile in the New Review of Bertolt Meyer, a young Swiss man whose life has been transformed by a £30,000 prosthetic device, shows, this bionic future is...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 15, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Observer editorial Tags: Biology Health Medical research Nanotechnology Society Ageing The Observer Science Editorials Comment is free Source Type: news

The future of robotics: in a transhuman world, the disabled will be the ones without prosthetic limbs
Bertolt Meyer's amazing bionic hand controlled by an iPhone app is a glimpse of the advances being made in prosthetics. But in years to come, will everyone want one?Bertolt Meyer is used to being viewed as not fully human. Born with a stump where his left hand should have been, he spent his childhood wearing a hook connected to an elaborate pulley and harness. "To open the hook and grasp things I had to flex my shoulders like this," he says, striking a he-man pose. "The harness was very uncomfortable. To stop it chafing my skin, I had to wear a shirt underneath it at all times. I was always sweating."Even when, at the age ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 15, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Mark Honigsbaum Tags: Robots Sport Disability sport Society FutureFest Drugs in sport Technology Editorial The Observer Science Source Type: news

Selling Your Organs: Should it be Legal? Do You Own Yourself?
By Marcia Clark and William Travis Clark Imagine your little girl needs a heart transplant. If she gets it in time, she?ll live a long, healthy life. Without it, your child has, at most, one year to live. You put her on a heart donor waiting list, full of hope. A (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - June 15, 2013 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Marcia Clark Source Type: news

Disposable amperometric magnetoimmunosensor for the sensitive detection of the cardiac biomarker amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in human serum.
Abstract A novel amperometric magnetoimmunosensor using an indirect competitive format is developed for the sensitive detection of the amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The immunosensor design involves the covalent immobilization of the antigen onto carboxylic-modified magnetic beads (HOOC-MBs) activated with N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (sulfo-NHS), and further incubation in a mixture solution containing variable concentrations of the antigen and a fixed concentration of an HRP-labeled detection antibody. Accordingly, the target NT-proB...
Source: Analytica Chimica Acta - June 15, 2013 Category: Chemistry Authors: Esteban-Fernández de Ávila B, Escamilla-Gómez V, Campuzano S, Pedrero M, Pingarrón JM Tags: Anal Chim Acta Source Type: research

[Correspondence] Autologous HSCT for systemic sclerosis
Richard Burt and colleagues (March 30, p 1116) propose from a retrospective analysis of autologous haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in 90 patients with systemic sclerosis that comprehensive cardiac screening including fluid challenge improves patient selection. They ascribe the higher treatment-related mortality in the ASTIS trial (10% vs 6% in their study) to less rigorous cardiac screening, which mandated right heart catheterisation only if there was pulmonary arterial hypertension on echo. (Source: LANCET)
Source: LANCET - June 15, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Jacob M van Laar, Svetlana I Nihtyanova, Kamran Naraghi, Christopher P Denton, Alan Tyndall Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research

A father, a son, a transplant
In a Father's Day story CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta profiles a family dealing with cardiomyopathy, a dangerous heart disease. (Source: CNN.com - Health)
Source: CNN.com - Health - June 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Father and son bond over transplant
In a Father's Day story CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta profiles a family dealing with cardiomyopathy, a dangerous heart disease. (Source: CNN.com - Health)
Source: CNN.com - Health - June 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Newly Discovered Channel In The Heart Could Illuminate Unsolved Cases Of Arrhythmia
The heart's regular rhythm is crucial to the delivery of oxygenated blood and nutrients to all the organs of the body. It is regulated by a bundle of cells called "the pacemaker," which use electrical signals to set the pace of the heart. Dysfunction in this mechanism can lead to an irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia, and often necessitates the implantation of an artificial pacemaker... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - June 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cardiovascular / Cardiology Source Type: news

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-{delta} activates endothelial progenitor cells to induce angio-myogenesis through matrix metallo-proteinase-9-mediated insulin-like growth factor-1 paracrine networks
Conclusion Our results suggest that PPAR- is a crucial modulator of angio-myogenesis via the paracrine effects of EPCs, and its agonist is a good candidate as a therapeutic drug for patients with peripheral vascular diseases. (Source: European Heart Journal)
Source: European Heart Journal - June 14, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Han, J.-K., Kim, H.-L., Jeon, K.-H., Choi, Y.-E., Lee, H.-S., Kwon, Y.-W., Jang, J.-J., Cho, H.-J., Kang, H.-J., Oh, B.-H., Park, Y.-B., Kim, H.-S. Tags: BASIC SCIENCE Source Type: research

Preservation of left ventricular function and morphology in volume-loaded vs. unloaded heterotopic heart transplants.
Abstract Total mechanical unloading of the heart in classical models of heterotopic heart transplantation leads to cardiac atrophy and functional deterioration. In contrast, partial unloading of failing human hearts with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can in some patients ameliorate heart failure symptoms. Here we tested in heterotopic rat heart transplant models whether partial volume-loading (VL; anastomoses: aorta of donor to aorta of recipient, pulmonary artery of donor to left atrium of donor, superior vena cava of donor to inferior vena cava of recipient, n=27) is superior to the classical model of m...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - June 14, 2013 Category: Physiology Authors: Didie M, Biermann D, Buchert R, Hess A, Wittköpper K, Cristalla P, Döker S, Jebran F, Schöndube FA, Reichenspurner H, El-Armouche A, Zimmermann WH Tags: Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol Source Type: research

Mitral valve pathology in severely impaired left ventricles can be successfully managed using a right-sided minimally invasive surgical approach [ADULT CARDIAC]
CONCLUSIONS Mini-MV surgery in patients with significantly impaired left ventricular function can be performed with a reasonable operative mortality and acceptable long-term survival for this high-risk patient cohort. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)
Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Garbade, J., Seeburger, J., Merk, D. R., Pfannmuller, B., Vollroth, M., Barten, M. J., Borger, M. A., Mohr, F.-W. Tags: ADULT CARDIAC Source Type: research

Aortic arch reoperation in a single centre: early and late results in 57 consecutive patients [AORTIC SURGERY]
CONCLUSIONS Aortic arch reoperation, although a technically complex operation, can be performed with acceptable mortality and morbidity. Patients with aortic dissection during their previous operation required repeat surgery significantly earlier when compared with patients with arch aneurysms, and had worse long-term survival. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)
Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Moz, M., Misfeld, M., Leontyev, S., Borger, M. A., Davierwala, P., Mohr, F.-W. Tags: AORTIC SURGERY Source Type: research

Cardiac transplantation with hearts from donors after circulatory declaration of death: haemodynamic and biochemical parameters at procurement predict recovery following cardioplegic storage in a rat model [BASIC SCIENCE]
CONCLUSIONS Haemodynamic and biochemical parameters measured at the time of organ procurement could serve as predictive indicators of contractile recovery. We believe that evaluation of graft suitability is feasible prior to transplantation with DCDD, and may, consequently, increase donor heart availability. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)
Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Sourdon, J., Dornbierer, M., Huber, S., Gahl, B., Carrel, T. P., Tevaearai, H. T., Longnus, S. L. Tags: BASIC SCIENCE Source Type: research

Use of the model for end-stage liver disease score for guiding clinical decision-making in the selection of patients for emergency cardiac transplantation [TRANSPLANTATION AND MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT]
CONCLUSIONS The MELD score appears to be adequate for predicting operative mortality among patients who undergo heart transplantation. The MELD score could therefore be used to guide clinical decision-making for emergency transplantation. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)
Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Vanhuyse, F., Maureira, P., Mattei, M.-F., Laurent, N., Folliguet, T., Villemot, J. P. Tags: TRANSPLANTATION AND MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT Source Type: research

Outcomes of HeartWare Ventricular Assist System support in 141 patients: a single-centre experience [TRANSPLANTATION AND MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT]
CONCLUSIONS The HeartWare system provides a safe and effective circulatory support in a population with a wide range of body surface areas, with a satisfactory actuarial survival time and an improved quality of life. It can be used for univentricular or biventricular support, being implanted into the pericardial space with simplified surgical techniques. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)
Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Wu, L., Weng, Y.-G., Dong, N.-G., Krabatsch, T., Stepanenko, A., Hennig, E., Hetzer, R. Tags: TRANSPLANTATION AND MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT Source Type: research

Pediatric patient radiation dosage during endomyocardial biopsies and right heart catheterization using a standard “ALARA” radiation reduction protocol in the modern fluoroscopic era
Conclusions: The use of a novel ALARA protocol for RHC and EMB in pediatric cardiac transplantation patients markedly reduced radiation exposure to levels far below any previously reported values without negatively affecting the safety or efficacy of these procedures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions)
Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions - June 13, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Nicole J. Sutton, Jacqueline Lamour, Laura A. Gellis, Robert H. Pass Tags: Original Studies Source Type: research

In Vitro Cardiovascular System Emulator (Bioreactor) for the Simulation of Normal and Diseased Conditions With and Without Mechanical Circulatory Support
This article presents a new device designed to simulate in vitro flow rates, pressures, and other parameters representing normal and diseased conditions of the human cardiovascular system. Such devices are sometimes called bioreactors or “mock” simulator of cardiovascular loops (SCVLs) in literature. Most SCVLs simulate the systemic circulation only and have inherent limitations in studying the interaction of left and right sides of circulation. Those SCVLs that include both left and right sides of the circulation utilize header reservoirs simulating cycles with constant atrial pressures. The SCVL described in this art...
Source: Artificial Organs - June 11, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Paula Ruiz, Mohammad Amin Rezaienia, Akbar Rahideh, Thomas R. Keeble, Martin T. Rothman, Theodosios Korakianitis Tags: Main Text Article Source Type: research

Alterations of naïve and memory B‐cell subsets are associated with risk of rejection and infection in heart recipients
Abstract Rejection and infection are relevant causes of mortality in heart recipients. We evaluated the kinetics of the maturation status of B lymphocytes and its relationship with acute cellular rejection and severe infection in heart recipients. We analyzed B‐cell subsets using 4‐color flow cytometry in a prospective follow‐up study of 46 heart recipients. Lymphocyte subsets were evaluated at specific times before and up to 1 year after transplantation. Higher percentages of pretransplant class‐switched memory B cells (CD19+CD27+IgM‐IgD‐ >14%) were associated with a 74% decrease in the risk of severe infe...
Source: Transplant International - June 10, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Nallibe Lanio, Elizabeth Sarmiento, Antonio Gallego, Leticia Calahorra, María Jaramillo, Joaquin Navarro, Jesus Palomo, Juan Fernandez‐Yañez, Manuel Ruiz, Eduardo Fernandez‐Cruz, Javier Carbone Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

The Berlin Heart EXCOR Pediatric ventricular assist device: history, North American experience, and future directions
Options for long‐term mechanical circulatory support to sustain pediatric heart failure patients requiring cardiac transplantation while they wait for donor hearts have been unsatisfactory. The conventional approach has been to use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), but its lack of feasibility for long‐term use and the major complications associated with the technology have limited its use, especially in light of lengthy waiting lists for donor hearts. With the advent of the Berlin Heart EXCOR® Pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD), pediatric heart failure specialists have gained an important tool for hel...
Source: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences - June 10, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Charles D. Fraser, Robert D.B. Jaquiss Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Paediatric ventricular assist devices: current achievements.
Abstract In chronic cardiomyopathy, mechanical circulatory support plays an increasingly important role for children as the shortage of suitable donor hearts increases times on the transplant waiting list. Ventricular assist devices (VADs) for adults have evolved dramatically over the last decade, both as a bridge to transplantation and for permanent support. In contrast, VADs designed for children, especially for all age groups, are still in their infancy. The Medos HIA and the Berlin Heart Excor are specially designed for children with a body surface area <1.2 m2. Increased experience with existing paediatric ...
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - June 8, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Schweiger M, Dave H, Romanchenko O, Lemme F, Hübler M Tags: Swiss Med Wkly Source Type: research

Vitamins: stop taking the pills
This article was corrected on 7 June 2013. During editing, a line in the fifth from last paragraph, beginning 'Another example is St John's wort…' was accidentally transposed, leading to the suggestion that serotonin was a medicine rather than a brain chemical.Alternative medicineHealth & wellbeingHealthCancerCancerMedical researchPharmaceuticals industryDepressionguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 7, 2013 Category: Science Tags: The Guardian Depression Pharmaceuticals industry Health Medical research & wellbeing Society Extracts Features Cancer Life and style Alternative medicine Science Source Type: news

Adenovirus Infections in Heart Transplantation
Adenovirus infections have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. The clinical significance of adenovirus disease in heart transplantation is not well-defined; in particular, the significance of adenovirus identification in myocardium remains unclear. Although severe adenovirus disease has been described in heart transplant recipients, adenovirus infections seem to be more frequently associated with increased risk of adverse cardiac events, such as rejection, ventricular dysfunction, coronary vasculopathy, need for retransplantation, and graft loss because of death. Cidofovir i...
Source: Cardiology in Review - June 6, 2013 Category: Cardiology Tags: Review Article Source Type: research

Significant Mortality Rate Among Adolescent Non-Adhering Heart Transplant Recipients
After receiving an organ transplant, patients must follow a regimented medication routine to maintain the health of their graft (transplanted organ). Failure to do so, known as non-adherence (NA), can result in life-threatening illness. NA has long been a concern among adolescent patients, but a new study from Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates the problem may be more serious than previously understood... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - June 6, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Transplants / Organ Donations Source Type: news

Transplantation of modified human adipose derived stromal cells expressing VEGF165 results in more efficient angiogenic response in ischemic skeletal muscle
Conclusions: Transplantation of AAV-VEGF- gene modified hADSC resulted in stronger therapeutic effects in the ischemic skeletal muscle and may be a promising clinical treatment for therapeutic angiogenesis. (Source: Journal of Translational Medicine)
Source: Journal of Translational Medicine - June 6, 2013 Category: Research Authors: Evgeny ShevchenkoPavel MakarevichZoya TsokolaevaMaria BoldyrevaVeronika SysoevaVsevolod TkachukYelena Parfyonova Source Type: research

Transition from ECMO to left ventricular support via trans-septal cannula using a single CentriMag device.
Abstract A 67-year-old male presented in cardiogenic shock and multi-system organ failure requiring emergent venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). He was deemed ineligible for heart transplantation and a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was thought to be high risk due to persistent right heart failure. To determine if he could tolerate left ventricular support alone, a trans-septal cannula was placed via the left femoral vein. Transition from veno-arterial ECMO to isolated left-sided support allowed for risk assessment for LVAD implantation and extubation, providing the patient an opportu...
Source: Perfusion - June 6, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Denino W, Yeager C, Steinberg D, Toole J, Shackelford A, Peura J Tags: Perfusion Source Type: research

Cardiac stem cell therapy and the promise of heart regeneration.
Abstract Stem cell therapy for cardiac disease is an exciting but highly controversial research area. Strategies such as cell transplantation and reprogramming have demonstrated both intriguing and sobering results. Yet as clinical trials proceed, our incomplete understanding of stem cell behavior is made evident by numerous unresolved matters, such as the mechanisms of cardiomyocyte turnover or the optimal therapeutic strategies to achieve clinical efficacy. In this Perspective, we consider how cardiac stem cell biology has led us into clinical trials, and we suggest that achieving true cardiac regeneration in pat...
Source: Cell Stem Cell - June 6, 2013 Category: Stem Cells Authors: Garbern JC, Lee RT Tags: Cell Stem Cell Source Type: research

Home at last thanks to a heart transplant, the little girl who spent her first birthday fighting for her life
Carina Marcangelo, from Esher, Surrey, has cardiomyopathy, a disease that damages the heart. She underwent a nine-hour transplant operation in April. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - June 5, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Kids with New Hearts Often Skip Meds (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) -- Failure to adhere to their immunosuppressive medication regimen is relatively common among pediatric heart transplant recipients, and is associated with a high mortality rate, researchers found. (Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular)
Source: MedPage Today Cardiovascular - June 5, 2013 Category: Cardiology Source Type: news

Under-Utilization of Donor Hearts in the Initial Era of the Heart Transplant Program in Korea.
Conclusions: Although shortage of donor organs is an emerging issue, most donor hearts have been under-utilized in the past in Korea. In particular, aged and female donor hearts with minor echocardiographic abnormalities had a low rate of utilization. PMID: 23739546 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Circulation Journal)
Source: Circulation Journal - June 5, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Cha MJ, Lee HY, Cho HJ, Hwang HY, Kim KB, Oh BH Tags: Circ J Source Type: research

Repetitive Implantations of Short‐ and Long‐Term Mechanical Circulatory Support in Acute Severe Heart Failure: Pushing the Limits?
(Source: Artificial Organs)
Source: Artificial Organs - June 5, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Anton Sabashnikov, Prashant Mohite, Bart Zych, Aron Frederik Popov, Diana Garcia, André Simon Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research

National review: Non-adherence among teenage heart transplant recipients is widespread, often fatal
(Boston Children's Hospital) After receiving an organ transplant, patients must follow a regimented medication routine to maintain the health of their graft. Failure to do so, known as non-adherence (NA), can result in life-threatening illness. NA has long been a concern among adolescent patients, but a new study from Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates the problem may be more serious than previously understood. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - June 4, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Cardiopoietry in Motion Primed Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy *
Exciting advances in stem cell biology, combined with continued high morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients, have resulted in a growing number of clinical trials using adult cells to repair injured myocardium (1,2,3,4,5,6). To date, cell types for clinical trials have been derived from skeletal muscle, bone marrow/peripheral blood, and, most recently, the heart itself. Cell therapy has a demonstrated good safety profile thus far, but results have been variable and benefits modest. In addition to the blood-forming cells, for which it is famous, marrow also has a rich stromal-vascular compartment. Marrow stromal c...
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions - June 3, 2013 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Enalapril and Carvedilol for Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Patients With Malignant Hemopathies The OVERCOME Trial (preventiOn of left Ventricular dysfunction with Enalapril and caRvedilol in patients submitted to intensive ChemOtherapy for the treatment of Malignant hEmopathies)
This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of enalapril and carvedilol to prevent chemotherapy-induced left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in patients with hematological malignancies.BackgroundCurrent chemotherapy may induce LVSD. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers prevent LVSD in animal models of anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy.MethodsIn this randomized, controlled study, 90 patients with recently diagnosed acute leukemia (n = 36) or patients with malignant hemopathies undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (n = 54) and without LVSD were randomly assig...
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions - June 3, 2013 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Clinical predictors of post–liver transplant new‐onset heart failure
In conclusion, pretransplant risk factors, hemodynamic variables, and echocardiographic variables are important predictors of post‐LT heart failure. In patients undergoing LT, postoperative onset of systolic or diastolic heart failure was found to be an independent predictor of mortality. Liver Transpl, 2013. © 2013 AASLD. (Source: Liver Transplantation)
Source: Liver Transplantation - June 3, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Waqas Qureshi, Chetan Mittal, Umair Ahmad, Zaid Alirhayim, Syed Hassan, Sophia Qureshi, Fatima Khalid Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Derivation and cardiomyocyte differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells from heart failure patients
Conclusions Human-induced pluripotent stem cells can be established from patients with advanced heart failure and coaxed to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, which can integrate with host cardiac tissue. This novel source for patient-specific heart cells may bring a unique value to the emerging field of cardiac regenerative medicine. (Source: European Heart Journal)
Source: European Heart Journal - June 1, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Zwi-Dantsis, L., Huber, I., Habib, M., Winterstern, A., Gepstein, A., Arbel, G., Gepstein, L. Tags: BASIC SCIENCE Source Type: research

Advances and Future Directions for Mechanical Circulatory Support
Although cardiac transplant remains the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage heart failure, limited donor organ availability and growing numbers of eligible recipients have increased the demand for alternative therapies. Limitations of first-generation left ventricular assist devices for long-term support of patients with end-stage disease have led to the development of newer second-generation and third-generation pumps, which are smaller, have fewer moving parts, and have shown improved durability, allowing for extended support. The HeartMate II (second generation) and HeartWare (third generation) are 2 devices th...
Source: Anesthesiology Clinics - June 1, 2013 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Michelle Capdeville, Nicholas G. Smedira Source Type: research

Interleukin-1 Beta Induces an Inflammatory Phenotype in Human Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells Through Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta.
CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin-1β induced an inflammatory phenotype in human AVICs, which was prevented by inhibition of nuclear factor-κβ. These data implicate IL-1β in the pathogenesis of aortic stenosis. PMID: 23735716 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery)
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - June 1, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Nadlonek N, Lee JH, Reece TB, Weyant MJ, Cleveland JC, Meng X, Fullerton DA Tags: Ann Thorac Surg Source Type: research

Heart rate variability arterial hypertension in young heart‐transplanted recipients: Association progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy?
Abstract Hypertension and reduced HRV are frequent in heart‐transplanted recipients. We studied 26 young recipients to investigate the relationship between BP and HRV during simultaneous 24‐h monitoring. Presence of CAV was considered. All HRV measures were significantly lower than normal values. Significant correlations were found between mean daytime systolic BP and the rMSSD (p = 0.04), and mean daytime DBP and SDANN for all 5‐min segments (p = 0.03) and between rMSSD and mean nighttime DBP (p = 0.03). Four patients were hypertensive during daytime, seven had a reduced nocturnal fall and two had a nocturnal ...
Source: Pediatric Transplantation - June 1, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Ugo Giordano, Guido Michielon, Francesca Calò Carducci, Lucilla Ravà, Sara Alfieri, Francesco Parisi, Giorgia Grutter Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Coronary plaque composition assessed by intravascular ultrasound virtual histology: Association with long‐term clinical outcomes after heart transplantation in young adult recipients
Conclusions. This study supports the hypothesis that time‐dependent differences in plaque composition, as assessed by VH‐IVUS, occur after HTx in young adult recipients, probably determining an increased risk of long‐term clinical events. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions)
Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions - June 1, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Fabrizio Tomai, Rachele Adorisio, Leonardo De Luca, Mara Pilati, Alessandro Petrolini, Anna S. Ghini, Francesco Parisi, Giacomo Pongiglione, Maria Giulia Gagliardi Tags: Original Study Source Type: research

EBV‐positive low‐grade marginal zone lymphoma in the breast with massive amyloid deposition arising in a heart transplant patient: A report of an unusual case
We describe the case of an 18‐yr‐old female with history of heart transplant who developed a breast mass, but was otherwise completely asymptomatic. Surgical excision of the mass and histopathologic examination showed a low‐grade B‐cell lymphoma most consistent with marginal zone lymphoma with massive amyloid deposition; furthermore, numerous tumor cells were positive for EBV by in situ hybridization for EBV‐encoded RNA. The patient was treated with reduction in immunosuppression, and no additional lesions developed. This case describes an atypical presentation of post‐transplant low‐grade B‐cell lymphoma, ...
Source: Pediatric Transplantation - June 1, 2013 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Samer Nassif, Metin Ozdemirli Tags: Case Report Source Type: research

Coping strategies after heart transplantation: psychological implications
CONCLUSION: Patients with a transplanted heart make use of all coping strategies, with a predominance of the problem-focused strategy. Psychologically prepared individuals used more active coping strategies, which highlights the importance of psychological support during the process.OBJETIVOS: Verificar as estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas por indivíduos que tiveram o coração transplantado e suas relações com percepção da doença e do transplante. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com análise quantitativa e qualitativa. A amostra de 32 pacientes foi avaliada pela Escala Modos de Enfretamento de Problemas e questi...
Source: Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular - May 31, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research

Analysis of left ventricular function in patients with heart failure undergoing cardiac resynchronization
CONCLUSION: There was a significant improvement of left ventricular function analyzed by echocardiography at six months, in patients with advanced heart failure undergone implantation of cardiac resynchronizer.FUNDAMENTOS: O tratamento cirúrgico da insuficiência cardíaca padrão-ouro é o transplante cardíaco, porém, em decorrência das dificuldades desse tratamento, outras propostas cirúrgicas têm sido relatadas, entre elas o implante de ressincronizador cardíaco. OBJETIVO: Analisar a função ventricular esquerda, por meio da ecocardiografia, de pacientes portadores de insuficiência cardíaca avançada com dissi...
Source: Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular - May 31, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research

Safety of transradial cardiac catheterization in patients with end‐stage liver disease
Conclusion: Upper extremity right and left heart catheterization appears to be a safe method to evaluate coronary anatomy and hemodynamics in a severely ill population of patients with ESLD awaiting transplant. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions)
Source: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions - May 31, 2013 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Evan Jacobs, Vikas Singh, Abdulla Damluji, Neil R Shah, Jessica L. Warsch, Ravi Ghanta, Paul Martin, Carlos E. Alfonso, Claudia A. Martinez, Mauro Moscucci, Mauricio G. Cohen Tags: Original Study Source Type: research