Scientist Developing Artificial Heart Inspired by Cockroach Oct 4, 2009
The human heart has four chambers, but only the left ventricle is responsible for building the pressure that moves blood around the body. Depending on one chamber to do the hard work places this part of an artificial heart under enormous strain. (Fox News)
California Freshman Tierra Rogers Diagnosed with Heart Condition Oct 3, 2009
It can cause altered muscle function and abnormal electrical rhythms in the wall of the right ventricle that can often produce palpitations, fainting, chest pain and shortness of breath. In some patients, sudden cardiac death is the initial presentation of the disease, he said. (Calbears.com)
UCSF, Osiris start cardiac stem cell study Oct 2, 2009
Those patients will have a baseline ejection fraction the measurement of blood pumped out of the ventricles per heart beat of 30 percent to 45 percent. The one-time, IV infusion of Osiris Prochymal stem cell therapy at UCSF takes about a half-hour. (San Francisco Business Times, CA)
Fetal Surgery May Treat Heart Defect Oct 1, 2009
The condition, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, occurs when the fetus's left ventricle is underdeveloped and the heart cannot pump enough blood to sustain life ... "Using the new procedure, in about 30 percent of the fetuses [with technically successful operations], there was an outcome of a two-ventricle circulation after birth," said Dr. Doff B. McElhinney, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an associate in cardiology at Children's Hospital Boston ... A balloon... (MEDLINEplus)
Baby bouncing back after hole fixed in heart Sep 30, 2009
huge hole between the two ventricles of Hayden s heart and corrected a pulmonary valve blockage. The surgical procedure was a success. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
A walk for Supergirl and other heroes Sep 24, 2009
was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which impaired the ability of her left ventricle to grow as necessary to function properly. Worth said Toole had undergone eight different procedures to promote the growth, but in March 2009, blood clots blocked Toole s coronary arteries and it became apparent she would need a transplant. (Catskill Daily Mail, NY)
Two Treatment Innovations Improve Heart Function After Heart Attack Sep 22, 2009
5 percent of the left ventricle for PCI-only patients and 20 percent for the PCI plus SS02 group ... Among 154 patients whose left ventricle ejected less than 40 percent of the blood with each contraction prior to treatment, the PCI-only group had 33 ... In the same issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, Francesco Liistro, M.D., and colleagues at San Donato Hospital in Arezzo, Italy, reported that manually removing a blood clot during PCI provides STEMI patients greater heart muscle... (Science Daily)
Ventricular support device helps heart patient Sep 17, 2009
"Getting off the list because they get better is pretty rare,'' said Dr. Cedric Sheffield, director of the Heart Lung Transplant program at Tampa General Hospital. In the past seven years, 179 patients were put on a ventricular support device like the one that saved Hathcock.Only three came off the device and recovered without getting a donor heart.It's a small number, but one that offers hope to the most critical patients, given the shortage of donor hearts, Sheffield said.Hathcock, who has... (Sioux City Journal, IO)
MRI Simulation Of Blood Flow Helps Plan Child's Delicate Heart Surgery Sep 13, 2009
In the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging, the researchers describe the surgical planning methodology, detailing how the tool helped them to plan the surgery of a four-year-old girl who was born with just one functional ventricle, or pumping chamber, instead of two. Two in every 1,000 babies in the United States are born with this type of single ventricle heart defect ... These children typically suffer from low levels of oxygen in their... (Science Daily)
Abbott to buy heart-device maker Sep 11, 2009
Evalve makes devices that are used to repair the mitral valve of the heart, which controls blood flow from the left atrium, or upper chamber, to the left ventricle. Evalve said its MitraClip system can treat mitral regurgitation a condition in which the mitral valve does not close completely without open heart surgery. (Crain's Chicago Business)
Heart study finds key gene to warm-bloodedness Sep 8, 2009
Two chambers are called ventricles, and the septum separating those ventricles is the tissue where the defects occurred in the patients of Bruneau's colleague. The hearts of reptiles, like turtles and lizards, are different from warm-blooded animals: They don't have two ventricles with a septum separating each, and what they do have is unclear, Bruneau said ... Some scientists believe they may have three incomplete ventricles with two septa, while others argue that they only have one big... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Secrets of the 4 chambers revealed by reptile hearts Sep 3, 2009
It consists of two atria and one ventricle. As the right side of a frog's heart receives deoxygenated blood from the body, and the left side receives freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs, the two streams of blood mix together in the ventricle, sending out a concoction that is not fully oxygenated to the rest of the frog's body ... Turtles are a curious transition--they still have three chambers, but a wall, or septum is beginning to form in the single ventricle. (EurekAlert!)
Gene Links Reptile, Human Heart Evolution Sep 3, 2009
He explained that with four chambers two atria and two ventricles humans and all other mammals have completely separate blood flows to the lungs and to the rest of the body, which is essential for us to be warm-blooded. When it comes to reptiles, such as turtles and lizards, there is debate about whether they have one or two ventricles, which are the pumping chambers ... "The main question for us to understand the evolution of the heart was to identify the true nature of these early reptile... (Science Daily)
Cardiac Surgeons Implant World's First New DeBakey Heart Assist Device Sep 2, 2009
The device augments the pumping function of the left ventricle in an especially effective, gentle and quiet manner ... It pumps blood from the weakened or failed left ventricle into the aorta ... It is considered to be a fifth generation VAD because it can be implanted adjacent to the heart and has an exclusive flow probe that provides direct, accurate measurement of blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. (Science Daily)
Regular Electrocardiograms May Help Physicians Identify Patients At Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death Sep 2, 2009
"Because of the wealth of data collected during the LIFE study, we were able to fine-tune our efforts and control for potential confounders, such as left bundle branch block (LBBB), an electrical conduction defect that affects the ability of the left ventricle to contract properly. We also controlled for abnormal enlargement of the left ventricle, known as left ventricle hypertrophy (LVH) another common cardiac abnormality associated with sudden cardiac death. Once these variables were... (Science Daily)
Summary for Patients Sep 1, 2009
Most of the squeezing is done by the ventricles. The job of the atria is to squeeze the blood into the ventricles. (Annals of Internal Medicine)
New hope for heart failure patients Sep 1, 2009
A device implanted in the upper chest delivers electrical impulses that help synchronize contractions of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. The study included 1,820 patients from 110 centers in the United States, Canada and Europe. (EurekAlert!)
Friday Night Lights Sep 1, 2009
He is being treated for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a heart disorder in which an extra electrical connection between the atria and ventricles causes the heart to beat irregularly, sometimes resulting in cardiac arrest. Earlier this month, Hagan had a catheterization procedure performed that would allow him to continue his football career. (Bucknuts.com)
Blue Chip Chat with Chad Hagan Canon-McMillan Aug 25, 2009
Has added 25 pounds since last year, but is waiting to be cleared by a doctor for full contact after being treated for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a heart disorder in which there is an extra electrical connection between the atria and the ventricles. Hagan had a catheter ablation procedure done a few weeks ago and expects to be cleared to play Thursday. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Takotsubo study published Aug 25, 2009
The syndrome, first detected in Japan in the 1990s, is named for the globular misshape that the heart ventricle takes in affected patients. For the study, 34 patients were identified retrospectively with the syndrome from more than 9,000 patients who had had left heart catheterization at the medical center between May 2002 and November 2007. (Burlington Union, MA)
HeartWare International Surpasses 50 Implants in the US Aug 21, 2009
"We are very pleased with the early clinical results of this small pump. Its unique inflow cannula and small size enable us to place the device without a surgical pump pocket, which greatly reduces the risk of serious infection. The improved pump simplifies implantation and allows for optimal function, even in difficult cases where the myocardium is thin or the apex of the ventricle is difficult to access," said Dr. Frazier. HeartWare's ADVANCE Clinical Trial is an FDA approved IDE study... (PR Newswire)
Medical students use artworks to share life (and death) lessons of gross anatomy Aug 17, 2009
She remembers the awe that her cadaver brought her, like when she opened her heart to examine the fibers inside the ventricles and discovered they looked like thousands of tiny tree branches. I would never have expected, in my wildest dreams, that they would be that beautiful, said Baltaro. (Boston Globe)
Taking Dex Can Improve High Altitude Exercise Capacity In Certain Climbers, Study Finds Aug 14, 2009
22, 2009) Patients with abnormal diastolic function (when the heart is relaxed and expanded) in the left ventricle of the heart have a substantially lower maximum capacity for exercise, according to a new. (Jan. (Science Daily)
How Weight Loss Helps the Heart Aug 13, 2009
They found that the walls of the left and right ventricles, the blood-pumping chambers of the heart, were significantly thicker in the obese people. They also found impaired ability of the heart to hold blood at diastole, the resting point of the heartbeat, in the obese. (MEDLINEplus)
Autopsy: Cocaine a factor in Billy Mays' death Aug 10, 2009
Cocaine is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and thicken the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, one of the organ's four main pumping chambers. The autopsy also found low concentrations of ethyl alcohol "consistent with social consumption of a few beverages" as well as the narcotic drugs hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol. (CNN -- US)
Mays' Family: Never Saw Signs Of Cocaine Use Aug 9, 2009
Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause thickening of the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said. The toxicology tests also showed therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. (Click2Houston, TX)
Autopsy: Billy Mays Used Cocaine Days Before His DeathToxicology results confirm cocaine contributed to his death by heart disease. Aug 8, 2009
Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly thickening the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, accelerating atheriosclerosis or fatty deposits on the artery wall, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office. The pitchman. (ABC News)
Fresh Garlic Better for Heart than Processed Jul 31, 2009
"Both crushed and processed garlic reduced damage from lack of oxygen, but the fresh garlic group had a significantly greater effect on restoring good blood flow in the aorta and increased pressure in the left ventricle of the heart," Das said. . (Newsmax)
Crushed garlic better for the heart Jul 30, 2009
"Both crushed and processed garlic reduced damage from lack of oxygen, but the fresh garlic group had a significantly greater effect on restoring good blood flow in the aorta and increased pressure in the left ventricle of the heart," Das said. The findings are slated for publication in the August issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (India Times, India)
Gene Cause of Cardiomyopathy in Box... Jul 28, 2009
This change in the heart tissues can spread to the wall between the heart chambers and even the left ventricle, and will be clearly seen if an autopsy is performed on the dog s heart after death. Boxers are particularly susceptible to this condition, which can be fatal and frequently occurs when the animals exercise or become excited. (Suite101.com)
Chase Medical nabs $8.1 million Jul 28, 2009
A key product line from Chase is a device called the Mannequin, which helps the heart maintain its shape while going through reconstruction of the left ventricle. Congestive heart failure happens when the left ventricle fails. (Dallas Business Journal, TX)
Atrial Septal Defects Jul 23, 2009
After the bending into place of the early heart tube structures, the upper chambers of the heart, the atria (also previously referred to as the auricles) are separated from the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. Ultimately, once completely formed, the ventricles will pump blood from the heart out to the structures of the body ... They then pump the blood into the ventricles. (Suite101.com)
NURSE’S NOTES - Aortic dissection requires urgent care Jul 22, 2009
The aorta originates from the left ventricle of the heart upward. This part is known as the ascending aorta. (Missoulian, MT)
Novel Gene Found For Dilated Cardiomyopathy Jul 22, 2009
In DCM the major pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, is dilated, often without any obvious cause. DCM occurs more frequently in men than in women and is most common between the ages of 20 and 60 years, although it also occurs in fetuses, newborns and children. (Science Daily)
Young runner collapses during race, can't be revived Jul 20, 2009
In another rare genetic heart condition, the muscle of the right ventricle is replaced by fat and fibrosis, which also causes abnormal heart rhythms. It's to blame for one-fifth of the cardiac arrest deaths of people under 35, according to Johns Hopkins University. (Anchorage Daily News)
Alumnus' novel preaches kindness Jul 17, 2009
The book tells the inspirational truth-based story of Jeri Paholek's "walk with God" and her life struggle with Common Ventricle, a rare disease with which the patient is born without a septum, forcing his or her heart to work at an alarming rate. It's a moving story of a fearless woman who faces death daily, tied in with strong Christian commentary throughout. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Heart-warming breakthrough Jul 12, 2009
Her condition was complicated by a rare defect in which the pulmonary valve that controls blood flow from the right ventricle (pumping chamber) to the pulmonary artery (which supplies the lungs with blood) was absent. She had already been through two operations, at ages two and 13, in which an artificial valve was implanted in her heart. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Brave little girl inspires her equally brave mother Jul 9, 2009
She's missing a ventricle, and her heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the oxygen her body needs. Some day, likely within the next few months, Christina will die quietly in her sleep, her mom said. (Modesto Bee, CA)
New strategies to improve treatment and ultimately prevent heart failure in children Jul 8, 2009
The symposium focused on the growth of the ventricular wall in development and disease, and on the diagnosis and treatment of non-compaction of the left ventricle - an abnormality of the major pumping chamber of the heart which often leads to heart failure ... D., associate professor of pediatrics, reported that he and colleagues are gaining a greater understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms of noncompaction of the left ventricle, with the ultimate goal of finding potential new... (EurekAlert!)
New Way To Fix Leaking Mitral Heart Valves Safe In Initial Testing, Study Shows Jul 6, 2009
The mitral valve controls the flow of blood from the heart s upper left chamber (left atrium) into the lower left chamber (left ventricle). If the mitral valve leaks, a condition known as mitral regurgitation occurs where small to large quantities of blood flow back into the left atrium rather than to the aorta and subsequently on to the rest of the body. (Science Daily)
I'm 50. Should I worry about a heart attack? Recent deaths draw attention to Baby Boomer health Jul 5, 2009
An autopsy showed he had both high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, which led to a thickening of his left ventricle and a narrowing of a coronary artery, the Hillsborough County medical examiner said. "Such disease is capable of causing sudden death," the medical examiner said. (The Palm Beach Post)
Phoenix boy's surgery a risk worth taking Jul 4, 2009
He was born with one ventricle instead of two. His heart points right, instead of left. (AZCentral -- News)
Brain malformations significantly associated with preterm birth, Wake Forest research shows Jul 3, 2009
Among the malformations studied with the highest rates of preterm birth were hydrocephaly, an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain (65. 2 percent); anencephaly, a defect in the closure of the neural tube during fetal development resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp (57. (EurekAlert!)
Gwyneth Paltrow says Spain changed her life Jul 2, 2009
Go and Do - Central Valley, CA Entertainment Guide. Enter Zip Code to search local listings. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Cell transplantation and cardiac repair Jul 2, 2009
Researchers used radiolabeled cells to evaluate cell distribution patterns in the heart and their relationship with left ventricle function improvement. "BMMNC retention by damaged heart tissue was apparently higher when the anterograde approach was used, although further studies are required to confirm this data," said corresponding author Dr. Hans Dohman of the Hospital Pro-Cardiaco in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (EurekAlert!)
What Celebrity Deaths Teach Us About Surviving Our 50s Jul 2, 2009
Mays, according to a coroner, was suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which may have led to a thickening of his left ventricle and an enlarged heart. Alvarez suggests that men and women in their 50s get annual physicals, and have their blood pressure checked every two years and their cholesterol checked every five years. (Fox News)
La Toya Jackson scene removed from `Bruno' movie Jun 30, 2009
Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of Mays' heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged. ENTERTAINMENT NEWS. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Clues in Mays’ death Jun 30, 2009
Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of Mays heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged. Mays, 50, known for hawking OxiClean, was found dead Sunday by his wife in their Tampa condominium. (Boston Globe)
Colo. boy dies after being trampled by rodeo bull Jun 30, 2009
The coroner's office says Richard died after the left ventricle of his heart ruptured when the bull stomped on him. The boy's mother, Angie Hamar, says her son loved riding bulls and that no one should be blamed for his death. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
LISTEN: 'He's Gone' -- Dramatic 911 Call for MaysBilly Mays dies from heart disease and not head trauma. Jun 30, 2009
The autopsy results for the salesman with the recognizable voice who was known for hawking products like Orange Glo and OxiClean, noted extensive heart disease and muscular thickening of the left ventricle. But authorities are withholding the cause of death until all tests are complete. (ABC News)
Early heart attack therapy with bone marrow extract improves cardiac function Jun 30, 2009
Left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), or the measurement of blood pumped out of the ventricles per heart beat, fell uniformly in each group after heart attack from a level of about 57. 2 percent to 38. (EurekAlert!)
Death of pitchman Billy Mays could affect area firm’s ads Jun 30, 2009
A medical examiner said Monday that Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of his heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged. An official cause of death will be issued after toxicology and other tests are completed in eight to 10 weeks. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
McKees Rocks mourns its pitchman Jun 30, 2009
said Mr. Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, with the wall of the left ventricle of Mr. Mays' heart and the wall of one of his arteries enlarged. But further tests are needed to be sure of the cause of death, said Medical Examiner Vernard Adams. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Mays died of heart disease, medical examiner says Jun 30, 2009
Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of Mays' heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged ... Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Vernard Adams said pitchman Billy Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease, and the wall of the left ventricle of Mays' heart and the wall of one of his arteries were enlarged. (Florida Today)
Rare heart surgery performed on baby Jun 29, 2009
The baby was born without the heart's left ventricle (pumping chamber of the heart), blocking blood supply to the body ... In the first, the baby is operated and the heart's right ventricle is connected to the aorta to restore blood supply to the rest of the body ... An artificial tube is implanted in the ventricle to serve as the pulmonary artery, which supplies blood to the lungs. (India Times, India)
Click to read: Jackson Doctor Under Increased Scrutiny Jun 28, 2009
"I think so, especially - and I'm not the only one who says he's a drug addict. ... But I think so. The coroner said (they saw) no visible signs of trauma, so that tells me his anorexia did not cause a diseased heart. They didn't say they saw a diseased heart or a bad ventricle or artery. So, it's something else that killed him.". Dimond notes that, in 1984, Jackson was doing a Pepsi commercial, and his hair caught on fire and, "At that point, my sources inside the Jackson family and company,... (CBS News -- Early Show)
Escovedo fights way back into cage Jun 27, 2009
"He did not, literally, start cage fighting at age 12, but you know what she means. As a teenager, he fought all takers and did drugs and misbehaved to the point where the principal at Sierra High asked Laura to come to the school and she walked into a gathering of all his teachers in a room with a sheriff's deputy outside.When she started to bolt, the principal told her Cole would be expelled if she left, and then she did it anyway. Laura Robitschek is a proud woman who broke wild mustangs and... (Fresno Bee)
Sleep Disorders Linked to Arrhythmias Jun 25, 2009
Obstructive sleep apnea -- which involves the partial or complete blockage of airways and is the most common type of sleep-related breathing disorder -- was associated with irregular heartbeats involving the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). Central sleep apnea -- caused by a malfunction in brain signals that control breathing muscles -- was more strongly associated with irregular heart rhythms in the heart's upper chambers (atria). (MEDLINEplus)
Common ECG Finding, Formerly Considered Insignificant, May Indicate Serious Cardiac Problems Jun 25, 2009
A prolonged PR interval represents a delay in the time it takes for the signal to move across the atria at the top of the heart, which receive blood flowing in from the veins, into the ventricles at the bottom of the heart, which pump blood out into the arteries. Although a prolonged PR interval can signify conduction problems related to serious conditions such as a heart attack, a prolonged PR interval is most commonly seen in generally healthy, middle-aged to older adults and has been thought... (Science Daily)
Electrocardiogram Blip Signals Heart Trouble Jun 25, 2009
The PR interval records the time that the electrical activity of the heart moves across the atria, the two upper chambers of the heart that receive blood flowing from the body, into the ventricles, the lower blood-pumping chambers. EKG activity is recorded in thousandths of seconds, and a PR interval is said to be prolonged if it is greater than 200 milliseconds. (MEDLINEplus)
New Heart Valve Repair System Tested for Safety Jun 25, 2009
In the heart, the mitral valve controls the flow of blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle (from the upper left chamber into the lower left chamber). A leaking mitral valve causes blood to flow back into the left atrium. (MEDLINEplus)
Boston Scientific Says Heart Device Study Met Goal Jun 24, 2009
company said patients implanted with the devices, which recoordinate the action of the right and left ventricles, were 29 percent less likely to die or need surgery than patients who had implantable cardioverter defibrillators. ICDs are designed to restore a normal heart rhythm by delivering an electric shock. (ABC News -- Wire)
Atrial fibrillation in endurance athletes still poses problems for sports cardiologists Jun 22, 2009
CPVA is a recently introduced technique which identifies the signals causing the atrial fibrillation and isolates their source in the pulmonary veins from the left ventricle of the heart. The technique has been successfully used in routine patients with atrial fibrillation and, according to new data presented here in Berlin, is now as effective in AF secondary to endurance sports as in other causes. (EurekAlert!)
Severe Obesity Increases Risks Of Health Problems During Surgery Jun 22, 2009
Cardiologists weave an eight gram pump through an artery in the groin into the left ventricle, where it pumps up to five liters of blood per minute. . (Science Daily)
Dentures: 3D Digital Images Of Tooth Contours May Replace Plaster Models Jun 16, 2009
2, 2004) Dutch medical researchers have developed a technique by which a computer can determine the condition of the left heart chamber or ventricle. The computer draws the contours of the heart on the X-ray. (Science Daily)
