Taking Cancer Survival to Heart – With a new director hired and a dedicated training pathwayestablished, the Cardiovascular Division is gearing up to expand its cardiooncologyprogram in a big way. This year, the Division will jumpstart a robust clinical trials program and will increase both staff and locations for subspecialty cardiooncology clinics.
Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy — aimed directly at the heart — can be used to treat patients with a life-threatening heart rhythm. They treated five patients who had irregular heart rhythms, called ventricular tachycardia, […]
Patients who go to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain often receive unnecessary tests to evaluate whether they are having a heart attack, a practice that provides no clinical benefit and adds hundreds of dollars in health-care costs, according to a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. […]
Results of a small clinical trial show promise for treating a rare neurodegenerative condition that typically kills those afflicted before they reach age 20. The disease, called Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), causes cholesterol to build up in neurons, leading to a gradual loss of brain function. In the drug trial, researchers have shown that treatment […]
Honoring the Past, Creating the Future – Cardiovascular Division Celebrates 70 Years – The Cardiovascular Division is on an upward trajectory. Over the past five years, the Division has made growth of the clinical and research programs a top strategic priority. The result is theaddition of a number of talented clinical and research faculty, the […]
Researchers have long sought ways to harness the body’s immune system to treat disease, especially cancer. Now, scientists have found that the immune system may be triggered to treat atherosclerosis and possibly other metabolic conditions, including fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis […]
Improving patients’ health while reducing costs has become a mantra in health care, but this requires new ways of thinking about patients’ medical needs and delivering care more efficiently. At the same time, the pace of scientific discovery continues to accelerate, particularly in understanding how genes, behaviors and environments affect one’s health. These developments are […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Path To Accreditation – Adult Congenital Heart Disease – This February, Washington University’s Cardiovascular Division is anticipating a site visit from the Adult CongenitalHeart Association (ACHA) as the next step in becoming one of the organization’sfirst accredited ACHD Comprehensive Care Centers in the country.
Collaborative Trends — Cardio-Neuromuscular Clinic – In just over a year and a half, a uniqueCardio-Neuromuscular Clinic (CNC) at Washington University School of Medicine is improving the coordination of care for hundreds of patients diagnosed with genetic neuromuscular diseases.
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 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 […]
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 […]
Advances in the Treatment of Ventricular Tachycardia – The section of electrophysiology has along tradition of innovation in treating atrial arrhythmias. Today electrophysiologistPhilip Cuculich, MD, and radiation oncologist Clifford Robinson, MD are continuingthis long tradition by developing a non-invasive method for treating ventriculartachycardia (VT), using stereotactic cardiac ablation radiotherapy (a.k.a. the GammaKnife). “The procedure is […]
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 — […]
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – Expanding Expertise and Research – With multiple clinical trials evaluating the first promising medications that may slow or stop the progressionof hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), Washington University School of Medicine isreinvigorating its entire HCM program and drawing national attention.
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 […]
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 […]
Women and Heart Disease – Cardiologist Kathryn Lindley, MD, says there’s a need for a specialniche in the cardiovascular field that focuses on heart disease in pregnant women.“These are the trends we see now — a higher incidence of acquired heart disease amongolder moms, trends in diabetes and obesity that increase the risk for heart […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Advanced Heart Failure Program Expands – In five years, the number of left ventricularassist devices (LVADs) implanted at Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital has more than doubled, from 52 in 2009 to 122 devices in 2013.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Cardiovascular Genetics – In the near future, it may be routine for patients to undergo genetic testing as part of their treatment for heart problems. The addition of genetic testinghas been discussed for years, but it’s only been recently that Washington Universitycardiologists have used genetic testing in wider clinical applications.
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 […]
Physician Scientists – Not an Endangered Species at WU – In the past two years, Washington University’s Cardiovascular Division has lured eight physician scientists to join its faculty. The group is researching everything from the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease to the role immune cells play in helping cardiac tissue heal after injury. Complex […]
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 […]
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 […]
Cardiovascular Division Establishes Smith-Oliver Alumni Society – In recognition of the 65th anniversary of the Cardiovascular Division, a new alumni society has been established to foster a sense of family and community among fellows who have completed their clinical and/or research training programs in our Division.
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 […]
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 […]
Honoring the Past: Cardiovascular Division Celebrates 65 Years – The Cardiovascular Division at Washington University has been at the forefront of advances in cardiologysince it was founded in 1947. From the development of cardiac positron emissiontomography (cPET) to the participation with the Division of Cardiac Surgery in the inventionand assessment of the Cox-MAZE procedure and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Complex Valvular Heart Disease: A Team Approach Brings Surgeons and Cardiologists Together in Clinic & in Surgery – In the rapidly evolving era of trans-catheter aortic valve replacements, Washington University heart specialists are working side by side, collaborating both in surgery and in multidisciplinary patient clinics. “The surgical and medical disciplines are no longer completely […]
From Welcome to Farewell: New Queeny Lobby Supports Personalized Patient Care – The ample lobby in the Queeny Tower building has been transformed, befitting the space where patients and families are welcomed to the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart &Vascular Center. Ever since the lobby opened this summer, entering patients have been connecting immediately with […]
The Heart & Vascular Center: Multidisciplinary Approach Offers Improved Patient Care – Washington University cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and vascular surgeons have partnered with Barnes-Jewish Hospital to provide a new, fully integrated approach to heart and vascular patient care, education and research. The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center is a collaborative effort to […]
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 […]