Can an Artificial Heart Replace the Real Thing? Nov 9, 2008
The new device employs two pumps, instead of one, more accurately mimicking the function of a real heart's two ventricles, as well as a system of miniature sensors that react to physical activity and automatically increase or decrease the heart rate and blood pressure. The prosthesis also uses new composite bio-tech materials, which are made from animal tissue and chemically treated to eliminate the risk of blood clots, Carpentier says, a problem that has plagued earlier alternatives. (Time.com)
Fishing with dynamite no longer, time has come for selectors to getthe hook Nov 8, 2008
As fate would have it, the sporting teams that lodged themselves between my left and right ventricles have proved as successful as devil-worshipping Democrats in the deep south, with a wooden spoon collection to rival Gordon Ramsay's. Clumps of hair, tonsils and many cuticles have been sacrificed to futile sporting exploits. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Elevated Death Risk After Heart Attack Nov 7, 2008
The heart begins beating extremely fast, preventing the ventricles from allowing enough blood to flow throughout the body. Without blood going to the brain and other vital organs, a person quickly loses consciousness and soon dies. (WebMD)
Tech.view: A pinch too much Nov 1, 2008
One is the peak (systolic) pressure in the arteries at the beginning of a cardiac cycle when the heart s ventricles are contracting. The other is the minimum (diastolic) pressure at the end of the heat beat when the ventricles are filled with blood. (The Economist)
Scientists Identify Single MicroRNA That Controls How Heart Chambers Form Oct 30, 2008
In vertebrates (animals with backbones), special cells form a heart tube; that tube loops back on itself to form the atrium and ventricle and the canal and valve that separates them ... When the scientists used genetic engineering techniques to eliminate miR-138, cardiac function was disrupted, and the ventricles did not develop correctly, with the muscle precursor cells failing to mature properly. (Science Daily)
Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart Oct 29, 2008
Diastolic dysfunction impairs the ability of the ventricles to fill with blood and can lead to heart failure, the researchers said. These are the conclusions of three reports presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual scientific meeting, which runs from Oct. 24-29, in San Francisco. (MEDLINEplus)
Artificial Heart Gives New Hope to Patients Oct 29, 2008
"Also, the smooth shape of the internal ventricles allows a complete and rapid wash of these ventricles in order to avoid having stagnant blood in some areas of the heart and thus the formation of blood clots," Coulombier added. 1. (ABC News)
Heart device firm Myocor selling assets Oct 22, 2008
The company s Coapsys product reduces strain on the heart by reshaping the left ventricle. It also treats mitral-valve prolapse, a condition that causes blood to flow backward into the heart and one that may ultimately speed the progression of heart failure. (Twin Cities Business Journal, MN)
Dasmunsi continues to be critical Oct 14, 2008
Explaining his condition, Behl said "The function of the left ventricle is to pump blood efficiently to the body. This was not happening at the time of his admission. He was completely breathless and had lung congestion.". Dasmunsi was treated for acute coronary syndrome in a private hospital in Kolkata in July and he had undergone a primary angioplasty. (Sify.com, India)
Saved - by an artificial heart the size of a thumb that plugged ... Oct 14, 2008
I stopped James's heart with an electric pulse; I then cut a circular piece of muscle out of the left ventricle of the heart (the main pumping chamber of the heart which pumps oxygenated blood around the body). The pump takes over its role. (Daily Mail)
Medical opinion: Cardiac pacemakers work to prolong life Oct 14, 2008
There is now a process where pacemakers can assist a failing heart by pacing the stronger left ventricle of the heart instead of just the right ventricle ... Not only does pacemakers prolong life by making the heart beat in a near normal manner but now the quality of life is improved in people with "heart failure." This is done by stimulating the stronger left ventricle and reduce the strain on the weaker right ventricle. (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ)
New devices used to reduce arterial occlusions, provide cardiac support, highlighted at TCT 2008 Oct 13, 2008
5 versus Intraaortic Balloon Pump in Patients Undergoing Nonemergent High-Risk PCI." This left ventricular assist device is a leading edge, novel device that helps the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber work better. PROTECT II is the largest multicenter, prospective, controlled trial in patients needing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Its aim is to demonstrate the superiority of Impella 2.5 over the Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP). The safety of the device in... (EurekAlert!)
Implantable Device May Help Manage Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms Oct 12, 2008
The US PARACHUTE trial tests the effectiveness of placing a small device in the left ventricle, or main pumping chamber of the heart ... Over time the increased workload of the heart can lead to a change called remodeling, which is the enlargement and thinning of the left ventricle ... The goal of the study is to return the ventricle to a normal shape, decrease heart failure symptoms and prevent the heart from further deterioration, said Charles Davidson, MD, principle investigator for the... (Science Daily)
Heart Bypass Surgery: Deadly Delays Sep 23, 2008
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)
Integra Announces the Addition of a Low Profile Shunt to the OSVII Flow-Regulating Shunts Sep 22, 2008
The system shunts cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the ventricles of the brain to an appropriate drainage site, such as the peritoneal cavity or the heart's right atrium ... Hydrocephalus is most commonly treated by inserting a shunt into the ventricular system of the brain to divert the flow of cerebrospinal fluid out of the brain and through a pressure valve to maintain a normal level of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles. (Primezone Releases)
New Mechanism For Cardiac Arrhythmia Discovered Sep 20, 2008
The heart consists of two ventricles and two atria ... A detailed analysis of the animals showed that the transfer of electric signals from the atria to the ventricles does not work properly. (Science Daily)
This girl's heart was on the right side Sep 20, 2008
This rare and complicated heart problem made it a hard task for the doctors to operate on Indira through a series of surgeries to correct the wrong positioning of the ventricles and arteries in the heart ... In Indira's case, the ventricles had started failing and the valves were leaking, causing breathlessness ... Dr Devananda said putting the ventricles in the correct position was the only permanent cure but it had complications. (Times of India)
After his own heart: Resident receives experimental therapy Sep 19, 2008
The heart s mitral valve regulates blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle ... According to NIH, approximately 4 of 10 people with an enlarged heart develop MR due to the enlargement of the left ventricle. (Lincoln Journal, MA)
Minimally-invasive aortic valve bypass benefits high-risk elderly patients Sep 19, 2008
The aortic valve controls the flow of blood from the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, to the aorta, the artery that supplies blood to the rest of the body ... During the procedure, most of the blood flow from the heart is diverted through a tube containing a standard replacement valve that is placed near the apex of the left ventricle, the pointed tip at the bottom of the heart, to the aorta, the main blood vessel at the back of the chest. (EurekAlert!)
Inventor speaks at engineers' meeting Sep 18, 2008
It is "fully implanted in the body and does not replace the heart, but assists in the pumping function of the heart's left ventricle," according to the Web site. Rosenberg is a professor of surgery and bioengineering at Penn State Hershey as well as the chief of its artificial organs division. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Heart Disease in Infants Sep 17, 2008
Deoxygenated blood is then pumped out through the aorta without making it through the pulmonary circulation or the left ventricle ... Right ventricular hypertrophy, which is an enlarged right ventricle, often caused by increased workload. (Suite101.com)
The Endpoint of Heart Disease Sep 15, 2008
The heart may do this by increasing the heart rate or increasing the contraction of the ventricles. Eventually the heart can no longer meet the demand, even by compensating, and decompensated heart failure ensues, resulting in death. (Suite101.com)
Stem cell regeneration repairs congenital heart defect Sep 12, 2008
Researchers transplanted 200,000 embryonic stem cells into the wall of the left ventricle of the knockout mice. After one month the treatment improved heart performance, synchronized electrical impulses and stopped heart deterioration, ultimately saving the animal's life. (EurekAlert!)
VentriPoint Diagnostics Announces Private Placement of Equity Financing Sep 11, 2008
By using data produced from existing two- or three-dimensional medical imaging systems, the VentriPoint Diagnostic System creates a three-dimensional model of the right and left ventricles and generates critical heart measurements in a rapid and inexpensive manner not currently available. This breakthrough diagnostic tool is based upon technology received by VentriPoint through its technology license with the University of Washington. (PR Newswire)
Inn manager saves drowning girl, 14 Sep 10, 2008
Tasia was born with a double outlet of her right ventricle and gets yearly checkups for her condition, but otherwise is fine, Holmes said. She and the other girls were staying at the hotel for a weekend getaway. (The News-Herald)
Choosing Trig Sep 9, 2008
My parents knew well in advance that my sister would be born with the condition, and that she would be among the 40% with the heart defect (a hole in the wall separating, I believe, the left and right ventricles, allowing blue blood to mix with red blood, which is a bad thing. She had open-heart surjury at 6 months, when her heart was the size of my thumb. (Townhall.com)
Neurogenesis In Adult Brain: Association With Stress And Depression Sep 3, 2008
2, 2008) The brain is the key organ in the response to stress. It reacts in a complex, orchestrated manner that is related to the activation and inhibition of neural structures involved in sensory, motor, autonomic, cognitive and emotional processes. (Science Daily)
Viagra-This Little Blue Pill Proves a Lifesaver For 7-year-old Girl Sep 3, 2008
The pulmonary artery carries oxygen-poor blood from the lower chamber on the right side of the heart (right ventricle) to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. It causes significantly high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. (TheMedGuru)
Never normal Sep 2, 2008
Tetralogy means 'four', hence there are four main things wrong with the heart: Sub-pulmonary stenosis: A narrowing below the pulmonary valve Ventricular Septal Defect: A hole in the wall between the ventricles which means that blood can leak from one side to the other Over-riding aorta: The entrance to the aorta, which should only carry oxygenated blood, lies over the VSD allowing the right ventricle to pump some deoxygenated blood directly into it Thick right ventricle: The right ventricle... (BBC News -- Health)
Neurogenesis in the adult brain: The association with stress and depression Sep 1, 2008
Up to now, neural networks in adults have been thought to be fixed and immutable, without the potential to regenerate: This assumption was prominently pronounced by the famous Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal, who postulated that everything may die, nothing may regenerate" (Cajal, 1928). Current research has overcome this view and has shown that the formation of new nerve cells (=neurogenesis) also takes place in the adult brain. Neurogenesis can be modified by positive modulators... (EurekAlert!)
NFL: Bengals' Johnson changes his name Aug 31, 2008
The device is run by a laptop computer and works by helping the right ventricle of the heart pump blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle to pump blood to the body. It works as a bridge to a transplant and allows those awaiting transplants more time until an organ becomes available. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sam Maresh talks about his comeback Aug 31, 2008
Date: Aug 31, 2008 Sam Maresh, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker from Champlin Park, underwent open heart surgery on June 26 after a doctor discovered a congenital heart defect, an aortic valve with a serious leak and an enlarged ventricle. Maresh was considered one of the Gophers' top signees and a potential freshman starter. (GoldenSports.net)
Alzheimer's breakthroughScientists can track disease-linked protein in live brains with severe trauma Aug 30, 2008
-- Ventricles (fluid-filled spaces within the brain) grow larger. SOURCE: Alzheimer's Society. (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
Blood drive planned to support toddler with heart deformity (1015) Aug 27, 2008
The aorta should be on the left side in the left ventricle, but instead is in the right. His heart being in the right side with no artery complications would not have warranted surgery. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Cooper’s Heart Aug 26, 2008
Electrical signals move from the atria (heart s upper chamber) to the ventricles (lower chamber) ... In severe cases, extreme cardiac instability can trigger ventricular fibrillation - uncoordinated contractions of the muscle in the lower chamber (ventricles). (Thomaston Times, GA)
Brain Changes Seen in Former Anorexics Aug 22, 2008
Compared to the controls, women with a history of anorexia who remained at low weight had larger lateral ventricles, the cavities deep in the brain, and therefore smaller brain volume, the researchers report in the medical journal Pediatrics. Participants whose menstrual periods were absent or irregular, a common effect of anorexia, showed significant deficits in a broad range of mental performance measures, Katzman and her colleagues found. (MEDLINEplus)
PMC uses heart aid device Aug 16, 2008
Chacon was placed on two ventricle assist devices (VADs), one for the right and left, after complications stemming from a heart attack last Thursday ... Two of the devices were employed, an RVAD and a LVAD, one for the right and one for the left ventricle. (Pocatello Idaho State Journal, ID)
Too Tall to Live: Giant Health Risks Aug 16, 2008
That will often lead to dysfunction of the left ventricle, affecting how the blood is pumped around the body, as well as arrhythmias and high blood pressure. 1. (ABC News)
Cardiac resynchromization: Race, age, geography matter, study shows Aug 12, 2008
Cardiac resynchronization involves implanting a specialized pacemaker in the upper part of the chest and running leads into the heart to correct an electrical conduction problem that allows the two ventricles to beat separately, instead of together. In "resetting" the electrical system, CRT enables the ventricles to pump in tandem again. (EurekAlert!)
For the Darners, life goes on, 'one hour at a time' Aug 12, 2008
Fluid buildup is an ongoing concern, because as the tumor grew, it destroyed ventricles in the brain that normally drain body fluids, Connie said. The fluid pressure also pressed down on her pituitary gland, which is why she wasn't growing. (Florida Times-Union)
FDA Issues Warning On Cholesterol Heart Drug Interaction Aug 10, 2008
Amiodarone is predominantly used to treat irregular rhythms in the ventricles, the heart chambers that collect blood from the atria and pump it out of the heart. People should contact their doctors immediately in case they develop muscle spasms, cramps, pain, tenderness or stiffness, the agency said. (eFluxMedia)
FDA: Some Cholesterol, Heart Drugs Don't Mix Aug 9, 2008
The heart medication is mainly used to treat irregular rhythms in the ventricles, the heart chambers that pump blood to the lungs and body. A previous warning dating back to 2002 about the drug interaction apparently has not put an end to the problem. (Fox News)
North Iowan awaits heart transplant Aug 5, 2008
His problem is a low-functioning left ventricle, the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out into the body. The LVAD is what keeps his heart pumping. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
Beating the odds, chasing a dream Aug 5, 2008
According to the American Heart Association, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome involves an extra conduction pathway in the heart and the electrical signal sent to the heart may arrive at the ventricles too soon. It s recognized by certain changes on the electrocardiogram, which is a graphical record of the heart s electrical activity. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Arjun Singhs condition stable Aug 3, 2008
Singh, 77, was admitted to the AIIMS on the night of July 30 and was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis, cardio-artery disease, left ventricle failure, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy and chronic obstructive airway disease. . (Sify.com, India)
Patch May Help After Heart Attack Aug 2, 2008
The patch also appeared to help the heart's left ventricle -- which pumps blood out of the heart -- not become enlarged, as it would in heart failure. But implanting the patch when the rats already had heart failure didn't affect left ventricle size. (CBS News)
Patch Helps Mend Damaged Hearts Aug 1, 2008
After a heart attack, he explained, there is abnormal enlargement of the left ventricle, which pumps blood to the body. The ventricle also works harder, which can ultimately lead to heart failure. (MEDLINEplus)
Structure Of Heart Can Be Changed Through Exercise Jul 29, 2008
In general, all the studies carried out with echocardiography for sports people with high levels of heart adaptation (rowers, cyclists, long distance runners;) have proven that the effects of heart training are increases in the size of the cavities (mainly the left ventricle) and thickness of the myocardium. Nonetheless, the regression of echocardiographic measurements caused by the decrease in training intensity has so far shown contradictory results. (Science Daily)
Adult Stem Cells Activated In Mammalian Brain Jul 25, 2008
Evidence strongly shows that the true stem cells in the mammalian brain are the ependymal cells that line the ventricles in the brain and spinal cord, rather than cells in the subventricular zone as biologists previously believed. Brain ventricles are hollow chambers filled with fluid that supports brain tissue, and a layer of ependymal cells lines these ventricles ... Ependymal cells line the fluid-filled ventricles, so a drug to activate the cells could theoretically travel through this fluid... (Science Daily)
Spinal Cord Stem Cells Could Be Basis Of Nonsurgical Treatment For Spinal-cord Injuries Jul 23, 2008
These cells make up the thin membrane lining the inner-brain ventricles and the connecting central column of the spinal cord. "We have been able to genetically mark this neural stem cell population and then follow their behavior," Meletis said. (Science Daily)
Heart Of A Champ Jul 23, 2008
"It means the wall between my left and right ventricle is thicker than it should be. "If I overstress my heart through exercise or adrenaline, it could cause my heart to go into cardiac arrest. " For four months of her senior year, she tried to figure a way to compete and went to the jumps. "Mary Kate, who had been sprinter, middle distance runner became Mary Kate field event athlete," said her coach Dave Hennessy. "She had dabbled in some of the field events earlier but this time, we became... (R News)
Killer Of Ghanaian Jailed In London Jul 22, 2008
Surgeons from the Helicopter Emergency Service were seen performing open heart surgery at the scene to try and close a hole in the right ventricle but failed. He was declared dead at 10. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Spinal Cord Stem Cells May Act as Nerve Repair System Jul 22, 2008
and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that neural stem cells in the adult spinal cord are limited to a layer of cells called ependymal cells, which make up the thin membrane lining the inner-brain ventricles and the connecting central column of the spinal cord. "We have been able to genetically mark this neural stem cell population and then follow their behavior. We find that these cells proliferate upon spinal cord injury, migrate toward the injury site and differentiate over... (Health-Finder)
Detecting Coronary Disease Early: Nuclear Stress Test Can Detect More Than Blockages Jul 18, 2008
By using a nuclear stress test to look at how fast blood flows into the heart s pumping chamber the left ventricle they can determine if a patient s left ventricle is having trouble. When the ventricle fails to properly fill with blood because it s stiff and unable to relax, it s called diastolic dysfunction, accounting for 40 to 60 percent of patients with heart failure, according to the American Heart Association ... "If someone has a slow fill rate, that means the left ventricle is not... (Science Daily)
First human use of new device to make arrhythmia treatment safer Jul 17, 2008
During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two upper chambers (the atria) beat chaotically, out of synch with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. This causes poor blood flow to the body, resulting in symptoms such as shortness of breath, weakness and confusion. (EurekAlert!)
'Healthy' sterols may pose health risk Jul 15, 2008
Aortic valve stenosis (AS) results from cholesterol accumulation in the valve between the left ventricle and aorta; this impedes the flow of blood and puts extra pressure on the heart. About 2% of individuals over 65 (and over 5% of those over 85) have AS, and as the population ages, it is becoming an increasing problem. (EurekAlert!)
Scientists unlock Alzheimer's riddle Jul 14, 2008
The researchers found that brain ventricles -- fluid-filled cavities in the brain -- grew in size over a six-month period at different rates, depending on whether a person was aging normally, had mild cognitive impairment or was developing Alzheimer's ... "People who are aging normally have ventricles that are expanding very slowly, about 1.5 per cent over six months. "People that have mild cognitive impairment are expanding at 3. (London Free Press)
MRI scan may offer faster way to detect Alzheimer's Jul 14, 2008
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario looked at the use of magnetic resonance imaging scans to monitor the expansion of fluid-filled cavities -- or ventricles -- in the brain, and the death of surrounding brain tissue ... They found that in healthy seniors, ventricles grow at a rate of about 1 ... However, in seniors who exhibit early signs of cognitive difficulties, ventricles grow at a rate of about 3. (CTV.ca)
Little-Used Device Gives Life to Boy With Failing... Jul 13, 2008
The bi-VAD has assumed the duties of both the left and right ventricles of the heart and is pumping blood out to bo 00000593 th the lungs and the body, Joashi said. It s designed to be a long-term device, so it's actually tunneled under the skin, Joashi said. (Fox News)
Biological Marker For Alzheimer's Holds Promise For Earlier Diagnosis And Treatment Jul 13, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 12, 2008) Researchers at Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario have found clear evidence that increases in the size of the brain ventricles are directly associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer s disease ... Ventricles are fluid-filled cavities in the brain ... The research, led by Robarts scientist Robert Bartha, shows the volume of the brain ventricles expands as surrounding tissue dies. (Science Daily)
Gender Differences And Heart Disease Jul 4, 2008
The condition is a thickening and enlargement of muscle of the left ventricle of the heart and a marker for future heart disease ... (June 21, 2007) Excessive body weight is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart muscle in the left ventricle, the heart's pumping chamber. (Science Daily)
VentriPoint Appoints Mary-Pierre Waiss Vice President of Clinical Development Jul 1, 2008
In this capacity, she collects and analyzes data, as well as evaluates and develops protocols related to the anatomy, function and volume calculations of the right ventricle. "Mary-Pierre's experience in cardiac imaging will be beneficial as we continue the development of the VentriPoint Diagnostic System," said Joseph Ashley, president and CEO of VentriPoint Diagnostics. (Canada Newswire)
Davis says officers didn't use excessive force in man's death Jul 1, 2008
Woodman was born with a condition known as Transposition of the Great Arteries, which led to an enlarged right ventricle. Doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess told the family that Woodman did not have a heart attack, but they were still trying to determine what led him to stop breathing that night. (Boston Globe -- Sports)
So happy together Jun 27, 2008
Older songs ("Ventricle" and "See You Happy") are recast with a bit more oomph, but the new material is the real draw. "Walkin' in the City" bounces along to a jangly guitar melody. (Boston Globe)
Stem cell treatment in clinical trial at Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Jun 26, 2008
Physicians use a 3-D imaging technology which maps the electrical and mechanical function of the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. The stem cells are injected into damaged but still viable areas of the heart muscle. (Pearland Journal, TX)
