Cardiovascular

Obesity and the painful autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis are becoming more common, raising the question: Could one have something to do with the other? Reasearchers at ...

JOURNALISTS: Mayo Clinic is presenting several abstracts at the American Academy of Neurology 2012 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.  Mayo experts are available for comment.  Contact: Brian Kilen 507-284-5005 ...

Extreme athletes who can summit Mt. Everest have more in common than you might think with people who suffer from heart failure.  Mayo Clinic researchers say climbers or ...

Chest pain is the No. 2 reason people seek emergency care at U.S. hospitals and it accounts for about $8 billion in health care costs ...

Being in the hospital after major surgery is no fun. On top of dealing with pain, patients have to make sure they gather and retain ...

How to predict outcomes for common heart procedures is the focus of a Mayo Clinic study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of ...

A recent Mayo Clinic study might change the way we assess obesity in individuals with heart disease. The researchers found individuals who were “skinny” according to BMI, ...

Stem cells derived from heart failure patients’ own bone marrow and injected into their hearts improved the function of the left ventricle, the heart’s pumping ...

CHICAGO — A research network led by a Mayo Clinic physician found that stem cells derived from heart failure patients' own bone marrow and injected into their hearts improved the function of the left ventricle, the heart's pumping chamber. Researchers also found that certain types of the stem cells were associated with the largest improvement and warrant further study. The results were presented today at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Meeting in Chicago. They will also be published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This Phase II clinical trial, designed to test this strategy to improve cardiac function, is an extension of earlier efforts in Brazil in which a smaller number of patients received fewer stem cells. For this new network study, 92 patients received a placebo or 100 million stem cells derived from the bone marrow in their hips in a one-time injection. This was the first study in humans to deliver that many bone marrow stem cells. "We found that the bone marrow cells did not have a significant impact on the original end points that we chose, which involved reversibility of a lack of blood supply to the heart, the volume of the left ventricle of the heart at the end of a contraction, and maximal oxygen consumption derived through a treadmill test," says Robert Simari, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He is chairman of the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN), the network of five academic centers and associated satellite sites that conducted the study. The CCTRN is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which also funded the study. "But interestingly, we did find that the very simple measure of ejection fraction was improved in the group that received the cells compared to the placebo group by 2.7 percent," Dr. Simari says. Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle during each contraction. Study principal investigators Emerson Perin, M.D., Ph.D., and James Willerson, M.D., of the Texas Heart Institute, explain that even though 2.7 percent does not seem like a large number, it is statistically significant and means an improvement in heart function for chronic heart failure patients who have no other options. "This was a pretty sick population," Dr. Perin says. "They had already had heart attacks, undergone bypass surgery, and had stents placed. However, they weren't at the level of needing a heart transplant yet. In some patients, particularly those who were younger or whose bone marrows were enriched in certain stem cell populations, had even greater improvements in their ejection fractions." The average age of study participants was 63. The researchers found that patients younger than 62 improved more. Their ejection fraction improved by 4.7 percent. The researchers looked at the makeup of these patients' stem cells from a supply stored at a biorepository established by the CCTRN. They found these patients had more CD34+ and CD133+ type of stem cells in their mixture.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Mayo Clinic's Cardiorenal Research Laboratory to conduct a highly innovative research project, "Cardiovascular Peptides and Myocardial Infarction." The research will seek to further understand the potential of a novel, engineered guanylyl cyclase (GC) activator, cenderitide, to reduce the level of cardiac and renal injury following a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Researchers will try to determine whether the therapy could help prevent deterioration of cardiac and renal function following a heart attack, and potentially reduce further heart failure in the future in treated patients. Mayo researchers invented cenderitide to activate two different subtypes of GC receptors, which uniquely differentiates cenderitide from other GC stimulating peptides. Cenderitide, a designer peptide derived from the venom of the green mamba snake, may aid in the preservation of cardiac and renal function following serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and acute decompensated heart failure. At the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in November 2011, Fernando Martin, M.D., a research fellow in the Cardiorenal Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, presented key research data demonstrating the ability of cenderitide to prevent the death of heart cells. The NHLBI grant will support basic research in the laboratory and a small proof-of-concept clinical study. Mayo plans to enroll 60 patients into the study at Mayo Clinic sites in Rochester, Minn., and Jacksonville, Fla. The endpoints of the study include safety, 30-day cardiac function, circulating hormones levels and other cardiorenal biomarkers. To learn more about the clinical study, physicians can call 507-284-4838.

Dear Mayo Clinic: I have read that drinking alcohol can have positive effects on the heart, but that drinking too much alcohol can ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Heart disease is the nation's No. 1 killer for both men and women. But what's most astonishing is that almost 80 percent of heart disease is preventable, and even small lifestyle changes can have a big impact. Based on an innovative yet simple "Eat 5, Move 10, Sleep 8" program, Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart For Life! provides the latest, clinically proven information on heart disease prevention and a step-by-step quick-start plan that breaks through the clutter and helps people understand exactly where to focus: Eat 5 or more vegetables or fruits per day. It's not just the protective nutrients they supply, but also that you'll have less room for junk. Move 10 extra minutes each day. Recent studies show that a sedentary lifestyle may increase your risk of heart attack as much as smoking does. It's as simple as standing instead of sitting as much as possible. Sleep at least 8 hours per day. Chronic sleep deprivation has devastating effects on your heart. It is not a luxury, it's a necessity. In addition, enjoy life. Discover what brings you joy and satisfaction. Your mental and emotional state influence heart health just as your genetic makeup and lifestyle habits can. "As soon you pick up the book, you can start making a difference in your heart health," says Mayo Clinic cardiologist, Martha Grogan, M.D. medical editor-in-chief of Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart For Life! "And, it's easier than you might think. For example, moving even 10 minutes a day for someone who's been sedentary can reduce the risk for heart disease by 50 percent." In this book, Dr. Grogan and a multi-disciplinary team of Mayo Clinic experts discuss key actions to jump-start heart health. The book also offers management strategies for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions; explains how the heart works and what can go wrong; and offers additional tools, tips and resources to overcome obstacles and support your heart disease prevention plan.