For Loren Vinal, the holidays have always carried a gentle kind of magic. Loren's hometown of Corning, New York, and his winters on Jekyll Island, Georgia, offered two peaceful places where music and community shaped his daily life. 

In late 2017, everything changed. After months of worsening shortness of breath and repeated misdiagnoses, Loren — a guitarist with 40 years of experience — flew to Nashville, Tennessee, to play a show with a friend. Loren ended up in the emergency department before he could play — diagnosed with advanced heart failure. He remembers the shock of that moment. 

"Out of the blue, my life completely shifted," Loren says. 

After receiving that diagnosis, Loren spent 13 days in the hospital in Nashville. Once stable, he returned to upstate New York and continued care at a local hospital where specialists determined he needed a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The LVAD is a mechanical pump that supports the heart by helping the left ventricle circulate blood throughout the body.  

After about seven years with the LVAD, new complications in 2024 meant it was time to revisit transplant. By then, Loren already knew about Mayo Clinic in Florida. Years earlier, he had been transferred there from a nearby hospital while wintering on Jekyll Island because smaller hospitals were not equipped to manage patients with the LVAD. 

Loren never forgot the care he received then. 

"I was so impressed with the dedication and professionalism at Mayo Clinic," Loren says. 

When he learned he was a strong candidate for heart transplant, he says the decision to pursue care at Mayo Clinic felt right. 

Heart transplant

Loren received his first heart transplant on July 1, 2024. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Loren would need another new heart, and he was relisted on the transplant waiting list in May 2025. He spent nine and a half weeks waiting in the hospital before receiving his second heart transplant on July 19, 2025. 

Waiting was difficult, but he felt supported at every turn. Today, Loren shares that he exercises and plays music again — feeling stronger with each passing day.  

"A good working heart changes everything," Loren says. 

Loren speaks openly about the gratitude he feels toward his donors who gave him the incredible gift of life. "It is the greatest gift you can bestow on another human," he says. 

Throughout his journey, Loren learned more about the scope of Mayo Clinic's commitment to transplantation. As one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center provides seamless care across heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and bone marrow transplantation for both adults and children. 

The transplant center teams in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota work together to advance innovation, research and education, shaping the future of transplantation worldwide. 

Mayo Clinic also leads research in organ preservation, living donation and regenerative medicine, guided by a vision that no patient should die while waiting for a transplant. These advances have helped expand access for patients with complex needs and support successful outcomes like Loren's. 

"Loren showed extraordinary resilience," says Dr. Daniel Yip, transplant cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "Even in the face of profound challenges, he remained engaged and hopeful. Our team was committed to walking every step of this with him."  

As Loren looks toward the new year with a new heart, he feels a deeper joy in the moments he once took for granted: a strong, steady heartbeat; music returning to his fingertips; and time with the people he loves.

"I sincerely thank everyone involved, and I hope to continue to pay it forward," Loren says. 

His story now carries its own quiet holiday light — hope renewed, life restored and gratitude that stretches far beyond the season.  

The post New heart helps Loren Vinal return to music, life he loves appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

When a hockey coach and teacher in Minnesota experienced a cardiac event, a multidisciplinary team at Mayo Clinic helped him get back in the game through teamwork and quality care

On a winter Sunday in Owatonna, Minnesota, Ryan Harrison, a hockey coach and teacher, was wrapping up a youth game with his son, Justin. As the family loaded gear into the car and prepared to head home, Ryan pressed the start button and immediately slumped forward, unresponsive.

In an instant, everything changed. Chris, his wife, tried to wake him, pulling on him and calling his name, while their teenage son dialed 911. Justin ran outside the car to flag down help and, in a remarkable stroke of timing, came across a supervising nurse from Owatonna Hospital who had just left the arena. 

The nurse began CPR immediately. Her intervention became the first link in a series of lifesaving events that would involve two hospitals, dozens of specialists and some of the most advanced emergency cardiac techniques available. 

"Somebody was watching over him," Chris says. "The right people were in the right place at exactly the right time."

Paramedics transported Ryan to Owatonna Hospital, where he coded again. Dense fog ruled out airlifting Ryan, and he was rushed to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, by ground ambulance.

Emergency intervention at Mayo Clinic

The cardiac catheterization laboratory at Mayo was waiting for Ryan when he arrived in critical condition. Specialists quickly uncovered a completely blocked coronary artery and restored blood flow within minutes. But despite their swift action, his heart was still failing. 

The team placed an Impella device — a tiny pump that steps in for the heart when it cannot pump enough blood — in Ryan. When his oxygen levels continued to decline despite the device being in place, the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) team was called in to provide the highest level of life support. 

"This is precisely why our teams prepare the way we do," says Dr. Gurpreet Sandhu, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. "When a patient like Ryan arrives, every link in the chain activates instantly. People from multiple specialties converge without hesitation. That kind of teamwork is what changes outcomes."

Even with the blockage cleared and mechanical support in place, Ryan remained in a fragile state as he was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Early neurological tests offered a quiet but meaningful hope — he could move his fingers and toes.

"That tiny movement meant everything," Chris says. "It told us Ryan was still in there fighting."

A dangerous turn

Two days later, a CT scan revealed a concerning blood clot. The scan also showed that Ryan was born with an unusual arterial configuration: a single shared artery supplying blood to his stomach, liver and bowels. Because of this rare anatomy, the clot created a complete blockage, leaving no alternate pathway for blood flow. 

Ryan still needed the Impella for circulatory support, but it was also putting pressure on the artery. Taking the device out could inadvertently move the clot into the aorta, creating the possibility that it might reach his brain or heart.

"His anatomy and the clot location created a perfect storm," says Dr. Jill Colglazier, a Mayo Clinic vascular surgeon. "We couldn't move forward without the entire care team planning every step together."

A multispecialty group of cardiologists, vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists and ECMO specialists devised a creative plan in which the cardiac catheterization team would establish an alternative circulatory pathway by placing a device in Ryan's upper chest. Following this, the Impella would be removed, allowing vascular surgery to safely restore abdominal blood flow.

"What made this possible was not one specialty, but five or six working simultaneously," Dr. Colglazier says. "Everyone brought their expertise, and everyone trusted one another completely."

The surgery lasted nearly six hours and required careful timing, real-time communication and absolute precision. When it was complete, blood flow had been successfully restored.

Turning the corner in the ICU

The next morning, Ryan woke up alert and responsive. It was a pivotal moment for both his family and the medical team.

Now the focus shifted to determining whether his heart could function without the use of ECMO. The assessment required a multidisciplinary team at the bedside, including cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, ICU physicians, heart failure specialists, anesthesiologists and echocardiography experts.

Dr. Philip Spencer, a Mayo Clinic cardiovascular surgeon who leads the ECMO and Mechanical Circulatory Support programs, recalls the moment they tested Ryan's heart function. 

"When we slowly reduce ECMO flow, we're essentially asking the heart, ‘Can you take over now?'" Dr. Spencer says. "It is a powerful moment when you see it respond. There's a sense of collective relief because every team has been working toward that one goal."

Dr. Spencer credits the seamless teamwork for Ryan's recovery. 

"It's not a handoff from one specialty to the next," Dr. Spencer says. "It's multiple teams taking care of the same patient at the same time, each doing what they do best."

Ryan's heart held steady. The ECMO was removed, and for the first time since his collapse, he was breathing, beating and healing completely on his own.

Rebuilding strength and confidence

With the immediate danger behind him, Ryan began rehabilitation. He tackled small but meaningful steps: sitting up, walking short distances, lifting light weights and completing cognitive exercises. The ICU nurses and therapists encouraged him through each milestone.

One of the things Ryan remembers most was how often staff returned to check on him — even when they were not assigned to his care that day.

"They didn't just keep me alive," Ryan says. "They lifted me up. I felt like I was everyone's patient, not just one person's. Their teamwork made me feel like I wasn't doing this alone."

Chris felt that support too, 

"They cared about Ryan as a person," Chris says. "They cared about us as a family. That kind of compassion can't be taught."

Ryan completed cardiac rehabilitation, regained his stamina and later received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator as a long-term safety measure. Slowly, life returned to the rhythm he recognized.

Life renewed

Today, Ryan walks several miles a day, has returned to golfing and is coaching hockey again. Everyday moments, such as watching Justin skate, visiting his daughter at college and waking up next to Chris, have taken on deeper meaning. He understands just how close he came to losing them.

When he reflects on his survival, he thinks about the coordinated efforts of people who may never meet one another but were nonetheless part of the same chain: the nurse in the parking lot, first responders, Owatonna clinicians, Mayo's interventional cardiology team, ECMO specialists, vascular and cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU nurses, rehabilitation therapists, and many others.

When Ryan tells his players, "We, not me," he now understands the phrase in a way only someone who has relied on an entire community of caregivers can truly understand.

"They gave me my husband back," Chris says. "I will never forget that."

And Ryan, back in the game he loves, simply says, "Every day is a gift."

Watch a video of Ryan Harrison's story

The post VIDEO: Hockey coach back in the game after cardiac event, thanks to teamwork, quality care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've heard that all the stress of the holidays can lead to a heart attack. What's the link, and what can I do to reduce my risk?

ANSWER: It's easy to get caught up in the stress and chaos that accompany the holiday season. For some women, their busy lives become even more hectic, and the result can be overwhelming. Also, women often ignore the symptoms of heart disease.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer for women and men. More women die of heart disease than of breast cancer. Taking care of your heart health involves avoiding risk factors or behaviors that contribute to heart disease, recognizing symptoms, and seeking treatment.

Risk factors for heart disease

Traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking tobacco and obesity. However, nontraditional risk factors, such as stress, anxiety and depression, also affect heart health.

People often underestimate the negative effects that psychosocial stress can have on their heart health. Psychosocial stressors are life situations that cause unusual or intense stress, such as divorce, family conflicts, death of a loved one, prolonged illness or a natural catastrophe. 

Studies have shown that depression and psychosocial stress are associated with heart attacks. High stress levels also have been shown to negatively affect health recovery after a heart attack. It's important to address both traditional and nontraditional risks for heart disease and recognize that they affect men and women differently. 

How does stress lead to heart attacks?

Psychosocial stress can be short-term or long-term, and both types have been associated with heart disease. Exactly how stress leads to a heart attack is still being studied.

Emotional stress can lead to an increase in blood pressure, or hypertension, which subsequently leads to heart disease and plaque buildup in the coronary arteries. Emotional stress also can lead to increased levels of stress hormones, or cortisol. These hormones affect platelets and autonomic tone, which is how your body controls involuntary functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. All these factors play a role in heart disease.

Stress can also lead to unhealthy mechanisms for coping with stress, such as stress eating or substance abuse, and not exercising, which in turn can lead to heart disease.

Short-term, extremely stressful situations can cause severe but usually temporary heart failure. This condition is called broken heart syndrome, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy.

What are the risk factors for heart disease in women?

Women of all ages should take heart disease seriously. Women under 65, and especially those with a family history of heart disease, need to pay close attention to heart disease risk factors. These include:

• Diabetes.
• Mental stress and depression.
• Smoking.
• Inactivity.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Menopause, due to low levels of estrogen and developing menopause before 40.
• Pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or even premature delivery.
• Inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

What are heart disease symptoms in women?

Women and men are equally likely to experience chest pain, pressure or discomfort. But women are more likely to have other associated symptoms, including:

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort.
• Shortness of breath.
• Pain in one or both arms.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Sweating.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness.
• Unusual fatigue.

If you experience chest pain with the symptoms mentioned above, call 911 right away.

Managing holiday stress

For many women, the holiday season brings the most cherished moments in their lives, but it also can be among the most stressful times of the year. Often this is because people carry expectations influenced by memories and societal pressures ― a smiling, happy family photo on holiday cards, the smell of grandma's home cooking at Hanukkah, seeing a Christmas tree lit or singing your favorite Kwanzaa song. 

These sights, smells and sounds of the season become measures of happiness and satisfaction. However, these visions don't always match reality, and that can lead to stress.

At any time, but especially during the holidays, the key to coping is setting realistic expectations. Take a few moments as a family to write down what would make the holidays an enjoyable time with those you love. And let go of the things that add stress and no joy.

Other lifestyle changes that can help curb stress during the holidays and throughout the year include:

• Increase physical exercise.
• Practice relaxation exercises.
• Make a connection to your spirituality.
• Seek professional help.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Limit alcohol.
• Stop smoking.
• Monitor your heart health.
  

Niti Aggarwal, M.D., is a cardiologist in Mankato and Rochester, Minnesota.

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: Can holiday stress trigger a heart attack? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Just 5%–10% of people who need cardiac MRI get the exam because of barriers like cost, time and access, says Dr. Tim Leiner, a Mayo Clinic radiologist who, along with Dr. Jacinta Browne, a Mayo Clinic radiology researcher, leads the Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Imaging Research and Exploration Program.

Imaging of the heart, especially with MRI, is an important part of diagnosing heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

"That means they are operating without the best possible information. At Mayo the problem is lessened because we have so many resources, but, in general, this is a huge problem," Dr. Leiner says.

Mayo Clinic, in collaboration with Philips, an international health technology company, is testing a low-field MRI scanner enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) to shorten scan times and improve image quality.

The team's work initially is searching for solutions in cardiac imaging while also looking at other parts of the body where their work can make an impact. They also hope to see cardiac MRI accessible to more people.

New ways of seeing

"Mayo Clinic is always investing resources and being at the forefront, trying to solve problems," Dr. Leiner says. "I think the secret is to stay curious and surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. And you create a safe atmosphere where people can speak up and bring ideas to the table for an open discussion."

The program's approach seeks to blend hardware and software developments to achieve results the researchers hope will be as good as or better than current methods.

Dr. Leiner says the team wants to learn if a new type of scanner, a 0.6-Tesla (0.6T) low-field-strength MRI system, is able to produce high-quality images faster and more easily for patients.

"Radiology is about getting the piece of information from the imaging test that allows you to make the best decision in the patient's care management, and once you have that information, you can move on," Dr. Leiner says. "I think what we're learning is that this lower field strength is entirely capable of giving you that information."

Team of experts

The Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Imaging Research and Exploration Program brings together Mayo Clinic physicians, physicists and scientists from across specialties, including Radiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, as well as Philips, which installed the research-prototype MRI scanner in One Discovery Square on the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, Minnesota. Philips is a collaborator on research with the system.

"It's a truly multidisciplinary lab that I think can bring about a lot of progress because you're getting viewpoints from scientists, clinicians and engineers," Dr. Browne says. "That means that what you're doing will be impactful for patient care."

Dr. Browne says Philips' presence on site enhances their research as well. "What is really great is the close collaboration that we have with Philips, the fact that we can just walk into each other's offices and chat. And because we have an agreement with them, we have first access to a lot of the new work-in-progress products, and we're at the table with them so we can also influence slightly the way in which they are going to go with some of those products," she says.

"Mayo Clinic’s cardiac MRI research program has the potential to improve patient access to vital diagnostic imaging," said Dr. Ioannis Panagiotelis, business leader of MR at Philips. "Their commitment to improving patient care through faster, more accessible, and personalized imaging aligns closely with our mission, and collaborating with their multidisciplinary team allows us to contribute technology that could make a meaningful difference for patients."

The Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Imaging Research and Exploration Program is looking at what improvements may be feasible for cardiac MRI in several areas:

• Is there a way to more uniquely tailor exams in real time?
• Can scan duration be reduced?
• Can imaging distortions created by medical implants be reduced?
• Can diagnosis be improved?

"We are investigating what we can do with such a system for cardiac imaging and for other body areas," Dr. Leiner says. Both Mayo and Philips are contributing AI algorithms to integrate into the scanner.

Imaging the individual

"We're looking at having a personalized cardiac MRI examination, which is going to be autonomous," Dr. Browne says. 

She adds that the goal is for images to be segmented and measured during the first scan sequence so it can be determined if the heart is functioning normally or if there are signs of cardiac disease. Those findings can then help determine — in real time — whether additional imaging is needed and, if so, what sequences will provide the necessary information to assist in treatment planning.

"You're tailoring that examination, but you're also potentially shortening the majority of the examination, so we'll get some time savings," she says, adding that the immediacy of the information would allow for additional imaging at that time to save the patient from having to return for a follow-up.

Faster scan time

Need for cardiac imaging exceeds scanner availability, Dr. Leiner says, so it's important to use existing machines as efficiently as possible to ensure that patients get the scans they need when they need them.

He says the program is looking for ways to develop faster imaging protocols to scan patients quickly while getting the necessary clinical information for diagnosis and treatment planning. Cardiac exams are typically an hour long.

"One way we're doing that is by using AI tools to shorten the image acquisition time, though if you shorten the acquisition time, you get lower signal-to-noise in MRI (meaning the images may not be as clear)," Dr. Leiner says. "But if you denoise the images that you get, those sort of lower-quality images, you can then reconstruct images that look as good as if they were acquired with a normal spatial resolution and machine settings."

If successful, these tools may reduce scan time, he adds. "It's about making this whole pipeline more efficient and more robust."

Clearer images

With stronger MRI systems, most often 1.5T or 3T scanners, imaging patients who have implanted medical devices such as pacemakers can be challenging, Dr. Leiner says. With the higher-field-strength machines, those devices create distortions, called artifacts, in the images that can reduce anatomical visibility for physicians.

He says the researchers hope that the 0.6T scanner and AI solutions will help reduce the noise and improve the clarity in those images.

"What we need to do is come up with new ways in which we can get a higher signal, whether that is through the physics engineering of the pulse sequences we use in order to get the examination or whether it is through the use of AI, using denoising and image-sharpening techniques," Dr. Browne says. "There are so many unanswered questions because we don't know how this technology is going to work for all of the standard cardiac examinations."

"It's not inconceivable that in the future, AI algorithms will be able to reduce some artifacts at higher field strengths that you get in patients with devices or with other issues," Dr. Leiner says.

Shared knowledge

Research from the Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Imaging Research and Exploration Program will be shared during the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 111th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting Nov. 30—Dec. 4 in Chicago.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact:

• Ethan Grove, Mayo Clinic Radiology, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic cardiac MRI research program seeks to improve access to diagnostic imaging appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — Current genetic screening guidelines fail to identify most people with an inherited condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia that can cause dangerously high cholesterol and early heart disease, a Mayo Clinic study found. 

The condition often passes silently through families for generations. It is highly treatable, yet people who remain undiagnosed are at greater risk for heart attacks and strokes. 

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting millions of adults each year. It includes conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. One of its key risk factors is high cholesterol. 

The study, published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, suggests that routine screening could identify the majority of people with the inherited condition and, ultimately, save lives. 

Study reveals missed diagnoses 

Researchers found that nearly 90% of those with familial hypercholesterolemia would not have been flagged for standard genetic testing and were unaware they had the condition until DNA testing in a Mayo Clinic population-based research study identified them. About 1 in 5 had already developed coronary artery disease. 

"Our findings expose a blind spot in current national guidelines, which rely on cholesterol levels and family history to determine who should receive genetic testing," says Niloy Jewel Samadder, M.D., lead author and a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and cancer geneticist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. "If we can find those at risk of cardiovascular disease early, we can treat it early and change its course and likely save lives." 

Familial hypercholesterolemia is one of the most common genetic conditions, affecting an estimated 1 in 200 to 250 people worldwide. It causes very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — from birth.  

"Our findings expose a blind spot in current national guidelines, which rely on cholesterol levels and family history to determine who should receive genetic testing. If we can find those at risk of cardiovascular disease early, we can treat it early and change its course and likely save lives." 

The study analyzed data from exome sequencing, a form of genetic testing that reads the protein-coding regions of the genome — where most disease-causing variants are found. The research included more than 84,000 participants across Mayo Clinic sites in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota through the Tapestry DNA research study, part of the institution's effort to integrate genomics into everyday patient care.  

The research team identified 419 people with genetic variants known to cause familial hypercholesterolemia. They found that nearly 75% of those individuals would not have met current clinical criteria for genetic testing based on their cholesterol levels or family history. This represents a missed opportunity for disease prevention.  

Integrating genetics into preventive care 

Dr. Samadder says the next step is to bring genetic screening into routine care to identify high-risk patients earlier and start treatment sooner. 

The work is part of Mayo Clinic's Precure strategic priority, which aims to predict and prevent serious diseases before they advance. Through innovative technologies and population-based studies, Precure is designed to bring prevention-focused care directly to patients sooner.  

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study.    

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About Mayo Clinic  
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Most people with a genetic condition that causes significantly high cholesterol go undiagnosed, Mayo Clinic study finds   appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — At Mayo Clinic, cardiologists Peter Noseworthy, M.D., and John Giudicessi, M.D., Ph.D., are uncovering the earliest signs of a genetic heart condition that often strikes without warning. Their work shows that early detection, and even prevention, may be possible long before symptoms appear. 

The condition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, weakens the molecules that hold heart cells together. As those bonds deteriorate, healthy muscle is replaced with scar tissue and fat, leaving the heart weaker.  

The disease often advances silently. Sometimes the first sign is when a person suddenly collapses during exercise. For many, a diagnosis comes only after the heart is already damaged. Detecting it earlier could spare patients from heart failure, the need for a transplant or sudden death. 

"We spend so much time managing the consequences of this disease — ablations, transplants, repeated hospitalizations. It's a much better paradigm to ask: What can we do to prevent this in the first place?" 

"We spend so much time managing the consequences of this disease — ablations, transplants, repeated hospitalizations," Dr. Noseworthy says. "It's a much better paradigm to ask: What can we do to prevent this in the first place?" 

Leading a new era of heart care 

Dr. Noseworthy leads Mayo Clinic's Division of Heart Rhythm Services, where he cares for patients with heart rhythm disorders and helps guide innovation strategies across the institution. Much of his research centers on using digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect problems earlier and improve patient care. 

Dr. Giudicessi, a genetic cardiologist, focuses on inherited heart rhythm conditions and how genetic changes influence who develops disease. His work bridges patient care and laboratory research, including first-in-human clinical trials that explore the potential of gene therapy. 

Together, they turned to two powerful data sources: the genetic code that shapes the heart and the electrical signals that guide its rhythm. 

"So much of medicine is reactionary — we wait for something bad to happen. This work is ushering in the tools to push against disease and to identify it early." 

Pinpointing risk in genes and rhythm  

Their search for answers started in Mayo Clinic's new Research Data Atlas, which unites decades of genetic, clinical and biospecimen data. Within it, they identified people carrying disease-causing mutations in PKP2, the gene most often linked to this disease.  

About 1 in 2,000 people carry a mutation in the PKP2 gene, but many never develop the disease. The challenge is knowing who will — and stepping in early enough to change the outcome. That question drives Dr. Giudicessi's work. 

"So much of medicine is reactionary — we wait for something bad to happen," Dr. Giudicessi says. "This work is ushering in the tools to push against disease and to identify it early." 

To spot those early rhythm changes, the team drew on an AI model developed by Mayo Clinic cardiologist Ammar Killu, M.B.B.S., and his team.  

Analyzing electrocardiograms from patients with a PKP2 mutation, the AI helped the researchers identify faint patterns that marked the first signs of disease.  

"This research shows how AI can help us identify really subtle changes that may facilitate earlier diagnosis and then allow us to move beyond individual cases to understand patterns across populations."

"This research shows how AI can help us identify really subtle changes that may facilitate earlier diagnosis and then allow us to move beyond individual cases to understand patterns across populations," Dr. Killu says. "It's a powerful example of how we can scale early detection to reach more patients before disease takes hold." 

Those insights led to a next step. Guided by the AI findings, Dr. Noseworthy and Dr. Giudicessi provided smartwatches to people who were showing early signs of disease. The devices help track daily activity levels — important data, since strenuous exercise can accelerate the disease, while even small adjustments may help slow it. 

The researchers are also exploring gene therapy for PKP2. Still in early testing, the approach may one day restore the missing gene and keep the disease from advancing. 

Building medicine's next chapter 

Their work is part of a larger shift at Mayo Clinic: predicting and preventing disease before it takes hold. That vision drives Precure, an initiative to intercept serious conditions early enough to alter their course. With tools like the Research Data Atlas, investigators can study health patterns across large populations, detect risk sooner and potentially guide people to care before disease advances. 

For Dr. Noseworthy, Dr. Giudicessi and Dr. Killu, the vision is bigger than a single study. They are helping build the infrastructure to move medicine earlier in the course of disease, where illness can be intercepted at scale. 

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic researchers use AI and genetics to identify early signs of a rare, life-threatening heart condition appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a pioneering method to mend damaged hearts without open-heart surgery, an advance that could one day transform the treatment of heart failure. 

The new approach uses lab-grown heart tissue made from reprogrammed adult stem cells, delivered through a tiny incision rather than a surgically opened chest cavity. In preclinical testing, the stem cell patch restored heart function and improved healing.

"For patients with severe heart failure, there are very few options beyond mechanical pumps or transplants. We hope this approach will offer a new way to repair their own hearts," says Wuqiang Zhu, Ph.D., senior author of the study published in Acta Biomaterialia and a cardiovascular researcher at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Reversing the irreversible

Heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide. When blood flow to the heart is blocked, oxygen-starved cells die and are replaced by scar tissue that cannot contract or conduct electrical signals — weakening the heart’s ability to pump blood.

"The adult human heart doesn't regenerate once those cells are lost," Dr. Zhu explains. "That's why heart failure, especially chronic heart failure due to the loss of functional cardiac muscle, is often difficult to treat; the muscle simply can't repair itself."

For years, scientists have been working on ways to replace damaged tissue with healthy heart cells derived from stem cells. Early efforts showed promise, but most required open-heart surgery — a procedure too risky for many patients already struggling with severe heart failure.

Scientists have long hoped that stem cells could provide a way to rebuild what the body cannot. By reprogramming ordinary adult cells such as skin or blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), researchers can coax them into becoming replacement heart cells.

But safely and effectively delivering engineered heart tissues made from these cells has remained a major challenge.

Innovation at heart

In collaboration with engineers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Mayo researchers developed a flexible, paper-thin patch made of nano- and microfibers coated with gelatin. This hybrid scaffold supports a blend of human heart muscle cells, blood vessel cells and fibroblasts—cells that form the tissue’s structural framework—to create a living, beating piece of heart tissue. Before transplantation, the tissue is infused with bioactive factors such as fibroblast growth factor 1 and CHIR99021 that encourage the growth of new blood vessels and help the cells survive once they are in place.

"The beauty of this design," says Dr. Zhu, "is that it can be folded like a piece of paper, loaded into a slender tube, and delivered precisely where it's needed through a small incision in the chest. Once in place, it unfolds and adheres naturally to the heart's surface."

Instead of using stitches, the team used a biocompatible surgical adhesive that holds the patch in place while minimizing additional trauma to the surrounding tissue.

Testing in preclinical models showed that the minimally invasive method improved heart function, reduced scarring, enhanced vascular growth and lessened inflammation compared with conventional approaches.

"Our results show that these engineered tissues not only survive but actually help the heart heal itself," says Dr. Zhu. "That's the ultimate goal: to replace what's lost and restore function."

A step toward regeneration

The research aligns closely with Mayo Clinic's Genesis Initiative, which aims to accelerate discoveries that restore or regenerate human organs and tissues.

"Genesis is about pioneering new ways to repair and rebuild the human body," Dr. Zhu says. "What we're doing here is exactly that — using regenerative science and minimally invasive delivery to give the heart a chance to recover."

Currently, more than 4,000 heart transplants are performed in the United States each year, while thousands more patients die waiting for a donor organ. Dr. Zhu hopes this technology could eventually offer another option.

"Our vision," he says, "is that patients could one day receive engineered heart tissue made from their own reprogrammed cells, delivered through a minimally invasive procedure — no donor organ, no long recovery, just a repaired heart."

Next steps

The Mayo Clinic team plans to advance this work through larger-scale preclinical testing to ensure the therapy's safety and effectiveness before moving to human clinical trials, a process that Dr. Zhu estimates could take five years or more.

"Heart failure remains a devastating condition," he says. "If we can make stem cell treatment accessible to more patients, especially those too fragile for open-heart surgery, we could save lives."

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic researchers identify a new stem cell patch to gently heal damaged hearts appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that can identify obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using the results from an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a common heart test. The innovation could make it faster, cheaper, and easier to spot sleep apnea, particularly in women, who are often underdiagnosed.

A common but underrecognized condition

OSA affects more than 936 million adults ages 30-69 worldwide and poses significant cardiovascular risks. People with OSA experience repeated episodes of upper airway collapse or blockage during sleep. This collapse causes breathing to stop or become shallow repeatedly, which often leads to loud snoring and gasping. Despite its prevalence, it often goes undiagnosed.

"Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA is a highly prevalent disease with important cardiovascular consequences," says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., Alice Sheets Marriott Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and senior author of the study published in JACC: Advances. "OSA affects the heart to the point where AI algorithms can detect the OSA signature from the ECG, which in essence is a representation of the electrical activity of the heart muscle cells," Dr. Somers adds.

AI model shows strong performance — especially for women

In the study, the researchers used AI algorithms to review the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) test results of 11,299 patients at Mayo Clinic who had undergone the test along with sleep evaluations. More than 7,000 of them had a known diagnosis of OSA, and 4,000 were controls.

"The most surprising finding was the increased visibility on the ECG of OSA in the females compared to the males, even though the OSA severity was less in the females," says Dr. Somers.

"This is relevant since emerging data consistently suggest that females have a greater relative likelihood of suffering the cardiovascular consequences of OSA, even if their OSA may be considered 'milder' by standard diagnostic criteria," he adds.

The test also strongly suggests women may suffer more damage to their heart muscle cells from OSA, Dr. Somers says.

Dr. Somers underscores that this approach may have the potential to evaluate whether a given OSA treatment may be able to reduce a patient's cardiovascular risk.

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post How Mayo Clinic experts are using AI to better detect sleep apnea, especially in women appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The American Heart Association and the Minnesota Department of Health recently recognized Mayo Clinic in Rochester as a Heart Safe business. This honor reflects the commitment of Mayo's teams to prepare for cardiac emergencies, provide exceptional care and lead by example in the community. 

What the designation means 

The designation program aims to save people from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by helping businesses assess their preparedness for cardiac emergencies and find gaps where improvements can be made. Recognition is earned by demonstrating strength in key areas such as: 

• CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training: Equipping staff with lifesaving skills.  
• Cardiac Emergency Response Plan: Establishing clear, written steps to follow, allowing people to act quickly during a cardiac arrest to reduce deaths.  
• AED placement: Ensuring AEDs are readily accessible. 
• Community and awareness: Hosting education sessions, social media campaigns and community CPR/AED events.   
• Workforce well-being initiatives: Offering resources and tools to support employee health.  

How Mayo Clinic achieved this designation 

The idea to apply for the Heart Safe business designation came from Jessica Nelson, a registered nurse in Heart Rhythm Services at Mayo Clinic, who brought it to the Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Nursing Division Coordinating Council. The Council recognized the program's alignment with the Department of Nursing’s goal to be a global leader and set the application process in motion, supported by a broad coalition across Mayo Clinic, including the leadership teams of Nursing, Legal, Emergency Medical Services (EMS - Gold Cross), Administration, Communications, Stroke and the Cardiovascular Department.  

In a statement, members of the Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Nursing Division Coordinating Council shared, "Because we are Mayo Clinic and set the example for many other healthcare institutions, we felt we should pursue this designation to highlight the outstanding work that the Department of Cardiology does in alignment with Mayo Clinic's top ratings." 

This designation serves as a recognition of the hard work, dedication and excellence of Mayo Clinic's staff and reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to patient care, staff safety and community leadership. 

Next Step: Heart Safe Community 

This recognition is one of several affirmations of Mayo Clinic's highest level of care. The next goal is to pursue the Heart Safe Community designation in partnership with the City of Rochester.  

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About Mayo Clinic 

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network  for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contacts:  

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

The post Mayo Clinic earns Heart Safe Business designation  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've read so much about the health benefits of tracking my steps. But there's a lot of confusing information out there. How many is the right number? Are some "steps" better for you than others? Please help.

ANSWER: Whether you're tracking steps with your phone, a smartwatch or an old-school pedometer, the result is the same: you'll have a good indicator of how much you're moving during the day. The best device for you is the one you'll use. With many devices, you can set up alerts and goals that remind you to move. And that's what counts. The ultimate goal is to move 150 minutes per week.

Reaping the benefits

You're right about the health benefits of getting in your steps. Here's what walking can help you do:

• Control your blood pressure.
• Lose or maintain weight.
• Improve balance and coordination.
• Increase core strength.
• Manage stress and improve mood by releasing endorphins.
• Manage your diabetes.
• Reduce the risk of a heart attack.
• Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Stay strong and active.

Walking also has been shown to:

• Improve sleep.
• Slow mental decline.
• Lower the risk of dementia.
• Reduce the risk of some cancers.
• Help you lead a longer life.
• Maintain independent living into older age.

If you're on a medically assisted weight-loss journey, whether that's bariatric surgery or a GLP-1 drug, being physically active will help burn calories, build strength, maintain muscle mass and bone density, and promote sustainable weight loss. It also can help medications work better.

Tracking steps

Is there a magic number of steps for reaping these health benefits? Not really. If you can get in 10,000 steps a day, great. Research has shown that 10,000 steps a day can lead to reductions in premature death, with a majority of that reduction happening between 4,000 and 8,000 steps. After 10,000, you'll still see benefits, but they start to plateau. 

How you get your steps doesn't really matter. Walking has a cumulative effect on your body across your day. So whether you walk your dog for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night, go for a brisk 30-minute walk or spend an hour moving around the house or working in the yard, those steps all count.

Getting started

The best way to start tracking your steps is to take it slow and steady. Listen to your body — it will tell you whether you're trying to do too much. Work more steps into your day by parking farther away from entrances, walking in place while you're waiting for the timer on the microwave to go off, and making multiple trips to bring in packages rather than loading up in just one. You may want to consider getting a walking pad and use it while watching TV or doing food prep in the kitchen.

Setting the pace

When you're advised to go for a brisk walk, what does that mean? "Brisk" is different for everyone. The average walking speed to aim for is 3 to 3.5 mph, which a device can help you measure. If you can walk faster safely, great. However, walking slowly is better than not walking at all and will still give you the benefits of moving your body.

The talk test is an easy way to identify a proper intensity. If you're able to talk but find it difficult to carry on a full conversation, that's "brisk" for you. You may not be out of breath, but your breathing is definitely elevated. New research indicates that brisk walking can boost brain function and well-being, as well as physical health.

Even if you're able to get in a little bit of walking every day, your body responds to this exercise, and you gain the benefits.

By Mackenzie Long, Physical Therapy/Sports Medicine, Mayo Clinic Health System, La Crosse and Onalaska, Wisconsin

The post Mayo Clinic Q&A: Health benefits of counting steps appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.