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 […]