Heart Defect News and Research

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Study of non-surgically implanted replacement pulmonary valve shows strong results

The first post-FDA approval study of a non-surgically implanted replacement pulmonary valve showed strong short- and mid-term results for the device in patients with certain congenital heart defects, according to research presented by a U-M pediatric interventional cardiologist at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session Sunday.

1 Apr 2014

Protein known to promote cancer appears to give blood vessels strength and shape, researchers report

A protein known to promote cancer appears to give the blood vessels strength and shape, researchers report. When yes-associated protein, or YAP, is deleted from vascular smooth muscle cells during development, the protein makes thin-walled blood vessels that over-dilate in response to the usual pressure of blood flow, said Dr. Jiliang Zhou, vascular biologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

25 Mar 2014

Highlights: Mental health problems in Va.; Kan. autism coverage mandate; device-makers' new disclosures

After the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, Virginia lawmakers injected tens of millions of dollars into the state's mental-health system, including local mental-health agencies that are the first stop for people in crisis.

11 Mar 2014

Research discovery advances efforts to replace damaged heart muscle

In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease.

4 Mar 2014

Xeltis completes enrollment for study of spontaneous tissue growth technology

Xeltis, a privately held medical device company dedicated to transforming standards of care in heart valve replacement and vascular surgery, has announced that it has finished enrollment in a five-patient feasibility study of implantable products intended to enable for the first time the spontaneous growth of natural, healthy heart valves and vessels. With its proprietary technology, the company has pioneered an entirely new therapeutic category called Endogenous Tissue Growth, or ETG, in which surgeons use unique implants designed to allow the body to repair itself by growing natural, healthy tissue.

28 Feb 2014

Bio-inspired adhesive may help surgeons treat congenital heart defects, other heart problems

When a child is born with a heart defect such as a hole in the heart, the highly invasive therapies are challenging due to an inability to quickly and safely secure devices inside the heart.

9 Jan 2014

Nearly 1% of all newborns in Switzerland diagnosed with congenital heart defect

Approximately one percent of all newborns in Switzerland are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, roughly half of them require open heart surgery. Most children, including those with the most severe heart defects, survive because of the significant advancements in surgical techniques. Therefore, the current research focuses less on survival than on long-term consequences and quality of life of these children.

2 Dec 2013

Pregnant women's proximity to organic compounds impacts risk of heart defects in children

Children's congenital heart defects may be associated with their mothers' exposure to specific mixtures of environmental toxins during pregnancy, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.

18 Nov 2013

New recommendations for patients with congenital heart disease

The diagnosis and treatments of congenital heart disease have improved so much that many babies now born with heart defects can still look forward to a long and fulfilling life. Just two generations ago, the majority of babies born with heart defects died before their first birthday, but today many of these conditions can be corrected.

8 Nov 2013

Aortic stenosis doubles in patients with family history of the condition

Aortic stenosis is the most common heart valve disease in the elderly. It is associated with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and previous rheumatic heart disease, but is also often caused by calcification of a normal valve. Calcification of a normal valve may be associated with atherosclerotic changes in the portion of the aorta closest to the valve.

2 Sep 2013

Mutation in a gene could play role in congenital heart disease, say researchers

A mutation in a gene crucial to normal heart development could play a role in some types of congenital heart disease-the most common birth defect in the U.S. The finding, from a team in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, could help narrow the search for genes that contribute to this defect, which affects as many as 40,000 newborns a year.

30 Jul 2013

UCLA performs pulse oximetry tests for newborn babies to detect CCHD

Before he was discharged from UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, baby Gaël Villegas received the standard panel of newborn screenings to check for genetic and metabolic diseases and hearing. The results showed a healthy baby.

6 Jun 2013

WVU ICRH director named 2013 Rural Health Practitioner of the Year

Larry Rhodes, M.D., interim chair of the West Virginia University Department of Pediatrics and director of the WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health, has been named the 2013 Rural Health Practitioner of the Year by the National Rural Health Association.

13 May 2013

New research shows that spontaneous mutations contribute to congenital heart disease

Every year, thousands of babies are born with severely malformed hearts, disorders known collectively as congenital heart disease. Many of these defects can be repaired though surgery, but researchers don't understand what causes them or how to prevent them. New research shows that about 10 percent of these defects are caused by genetic mutations that are absent in the parents of affected children.

13 May 2013

Nutritional supplement may improve survival rates of babies born with heart defects

A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. Carnitine, a compound that helps transport fat inside the cell powerhouse where it can be used for energy production, is currently used for purposes ranging from weight loss to chest pain.

10 May 2013

Researchers use contrast-computed tomography for anatomical reconstruction of human heart

On April 18th JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) will publish a new video article by Dr. Paul A Iaizzo demonstrating the anatomical reconstruction of an active human heart. The research uses contrast-computed tomography (CT) to allow in-depth 3-D computer modeling of hearts that can be used for prolonged archiving.

22 Apr 2013

CWRU, UH Neurological Institute to present 2013 Neurocritical Care & Stroke Conference

University Hospitals (UH) Neurological Institute, in partnership with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, will present the 10th Annual Cleveland Neurocritical Care & Stroke Conference: With a Little Help From My Friends on March 8, 2013 at Case Western Reserve University's Iris S. and Bert L. Wolstein Research Building.

18 Dec 2012

Whole genome sequencing could become prenatal standard of care

Whole genome sequencing of the DNA code of prenatal samples accurately and quickly identifies the location of chromosomal abnormalities, and could become a prenatal standard of care, researchers propose.

9 Nov 2012

Cardiac arrhythmias: an interview with Dr Andrew Grace

Cardiac arrhythmias are disturbances of the heartbeat. The heart can either go too slowly, which might make people collapse or exhausted; or too quickly.

8 Nov 2012

Studies provide first clues of balanced de novo chromosomal rearrangements

Whole genome sequencing of the DNA code of three prenatal samples provided a detailed map of the locations of their chromosomal abnormalities in 14 days, scientists reported today at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2012 meeting in San Francisco.