Genetic errors associated with heart health may guide drug development

One family with rare gene mutation gives clues to preventing heart attacks. Natural genetic changes can put some people at high risk of certain conditions, such as breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease or high blood pressure. But in rare cases, genetic errors also can have the opposite effect, protecting individuals with these helpful genetic mistakes from […]

Study reveals ways to improve outcomes, reduce costs for common heart procedure

Hospitals can improve patient care and reduce costs associated with coronary angioplasty if cardiologists perform more of these procedures through an artery in the wrist and if they take steps to discharge such patients on the same day, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Coronary angioplasty […]

Genetic error that increases risk of aortic rupture identified

A study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has identified a genetic error that weakens the aorta, placing patients with this and similar errors at high risk of aortic aneurysms and ruptures. The findings will help diagnose, monitor and treat patients with […]

New Guidelines Open Competitive Sports to Some Athletes with Heart Conditions

New guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have loosened some restrictions placed on competitive athletes with certain heart conditions. Cardiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis led two of the task forces responsible for updating the guidelines that help doctors decide when it is safe for […]

Genetic Study Finds New Gene and Pathway that Prevent Heart Attacks

A new study of genetic data from more than 190,000 people has identified genes that, when altered in specific ways, reduce the risk of heart disease. The findings may help guide efforts to design new preventive drugs, similar to the way statins are now prescribed to lower LDL-cholesterol, that are focused on reducing the risk […]

Discovery of Atherosclerosis as “Alzheimer’s disease” of Blood Vessels

Researchers at Washington University have discovered a novel phenomenon that takes place during the formation of atherosclerosis, or the progressive buildup of plaques in artery walls. As we age and our bodies are continuously exposed to damaging agents such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the inner walls of the arteries begin to accumulate […]

Washington People: Angela L. Brown

Angela L. Brown, MD, grew up on her family’s farm in southern Arkansas. At the farm’s peak, the family and its crew cultivated 1,500 acres of cotton, rice and soybeans and managed more than 120 head of cattle. Watching her grandparents persevere through the demands of farm life, and her parents balance their careers — […]

Dietary Nitrate Increases Muscle Speed and Power in Patients with Heart Failure

Washington University researchers have demonstrated that beetroot juice, which is rich in nitrate (NO3), can increase muscle function in heart failure patients. This may enhance their ability to perform activities of daily living and hence improve their quality of life. Although heart failure starts out as a disease of the heart, it ultimately becomes a […]

Genetic Study Identifies Individuals Who Benefit Most From Statins

Researchers at Washington University have shown that a panel of genetic markers can identify individuals at increased risk for heart attack. Those same individuals appear to benefit most from statin therapy (read more). The research appears online March 5th in the Lancet. For patients at risk of heart disease, doctors routinely prescribe statins, known for […]

Multiple Rare Gene Mutations Associated With Increased Risk of Heart Attack

Research performed at Washington University and other leading biomedical research institutions found that multiple rare mutations in two genes increase an individual’s risk of heart attack. The research appears online this week in the journal Nature. Nathan Stitziel, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at Washington University School of Medicine and co-first author of the report, helped […]

New Treatment For Marfan’s Syndrome Shows Promise

An investigational treatment for Marfan’s syndrome is as effective as the standard therapy at slowing enlargment of the aorta, new research shows (read more). The findings indicate a second treatment option for Marfan’s patients, who are at high risk of sudden death from aortic dissection. “For years, standard medical therapy for Marfan’s syndrome consisted of […]

Gene Mutations in NPC1L1, the Target of the Drug Ezetimibe, Found to Reduce Cholesterol and Protect Against Heart Attack

Researchers at Washington University have shown that mutations in the gene NPC1L1 are associated with lower cholesterol and about 50% reduction in risk of heart attack. The research was led by Washington University Cardiologist Dr. Nathan Stitziel and appears online November 12th in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ezetimibe, a drug commonly prescribed to […]

The Heart’s Own Immune Cells Can Help It Heal

Researchers at Washington University have found the heart holds its own pool of immune cells capable of helping it heal after injury, according to a new study in mice at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. Research led by cardiologist Dr. Kory Levine, showed that the injured pediatric and adult heart contains two […]

New Experimental Drug Reduces Tissue Damage Following Myocardial Infarction and Minimizes the Risk of Bleeding

Researchers at Washington University and St. Louis based APT Therapeutics Inc., show that a novel drug known as APT102 significantly reduced tissue damage to heart muscle following experimental myocardial infarction and minimized the risk of bleeding during follow-up treatments. The research team at Washington University was led by Dr. Dana Abendschein. Myocardial infarction causes damage […]

Regions of the Genome Once Mislabled as ‘Junk’ are Linked to Pathogenesis of Heart Failure

Dr. Jeanne Nerbonne and a team of Washington University researchers from the Center of Cardiovascular Research (CCR) reported results from a comprehensive analysis of different families of RNA molecules expressed in the human heart. The researchers studied non-failing hearts and failing hearts before and after patients received mechanical pump support from left ventricular assist devices […]

Nanoparticles Treat Muscular Dystrophy in Mice

A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have demonstrated a new approach to treating muscular dystrophy. (Read more) Mice with a form of this muscle weakening disease showed improved strength and heart function when treated with nanoparticles loaded with rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug recently found to improve recycling of […]

New Insights Into How Immune Cells Heal Injured Hearts

The immune system plays an important role in the heart’s response to injury. But until recently, conflicting data made it difficult to distinguish the immune factors that encourage the heart to heal following a heart attack, versus those factors that can lead to further damage. (Read more) Now, research performed by Dr. Slava Epelman and […]

2nd Annual CV Research Day

The Cardiovascular Division held its Second Annual Cardiovascular Research Day on December 5, 2013. The event drew more than 150 participants, and focused on a wide variety of basic, clinical and translational cardiovascular research efforts. Junior faculty presented on current research and both graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows offered poster presentations. The event was […]

New Study from Washington University Investigators Shows that Black Patients Undergo Aortic Valve Replacement Less Frequently

In a study, published online in the American Journal of Cardiology, Drs. Michael Yeung (Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA) and Alan Zajarias (Division of Cardiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA) noted that although prior studies have shown that Black patients undergo interventions for acute myocardial infarction less frequently […]

Dr. Jeanne Nerbonne named as new Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research

Jeanne M. Nerbonne, PhD, the Alumni Endowed Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, has been named director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research. The Center for Cardiovascular Research within the School of Medicine’s Cardiovascular Division is focused on investigating the biological processes that lead to heart and vascular disease. Nerbonne is the third director of the […]

First Annual Cardiovascular Research Day

The Cardiovascular Division held its First Cardiovascular Research Day and Alumni Celebration on December 7, 2012. The event was the highlight of the division’s 65th anniversary year. Junior faculty presented on current research and both graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows offered poster presentations. The plenary session lecturer was Eugene Braunwald, MD, Distinguished Hersey Professor […]

Over-Use of Drug-Eluting Stents Found

A review of more than 1.5 million percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures documented in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry has found that cardiologists are “routinely over-using” drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents for patients at low risk for repeat blockages of arteries. The study, published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that DES use […]

Noninvasive Imaging Technique May Help Kids with Heart Transplants

Washington University cardiologists have developed a noninvasive imaging technique that may help determine whether children who have had heart transplants are showing early signs of rejection. The technique could reduce the need for these patients to undergo invasive imaging tests every one to two years. The noninvasive technique, which involves the use of gadolinium contrast-enhanced […]

Heart Disease and Diabetes

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have received a $4.7 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study heart disease in patients with diabetes. The study is led by Jean Schaffer, MD, the Virginia Minnich Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease Center and Diabetes Research […]

Calorie-restricted diet keeps heart young

A research team led by Dr. Phyllis Stein has found that a key measure of the heart’s ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood, doesn’t decline nearly as rapidly in people who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average […]

Genetic Study Shows Racial Differences to be Factor in Mortality in Heart Attack Patients Receiving Anti-Platelet Therapy

Dr. Sharon Cresci and a team of Washington University researchers have identified the first genetic variations linked to race that begin to explain a higher risk of death among some African-American and Caucasian patients taking the clopidogrel (Plavix) after a heart attack. These variants increased patients’ risk of dying in the year following a first […]