Oh boy, I get so darn excited when I read anything about the progress of stem cell research. Yes, you know which side of the debate I sit on. Scientists are getting closer and closer to the use of stem cells to help rejuvenate damaged cardiac tissue!
The two major hurdles that needed to be tackled are becoming a reality…
…via Science Daily- solve two problems in the development of a stem cell heart patch. The first is undesirable side effects, such as arrhythmia, that can result from immature and undeveloped cardiomyocytes being introduced to the heart. The second is the need …read more

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have discovered a previously unknown congenital disease that is caused by a genetic defect resulting in muscle cells not being able to store energy from sugar. In the worst case, the disease can lead to the heart stopping.
The researchers identified three sisters who had previously had an undetermined disease. Their parents must have both been carriers as that is what is needed for this congenital heart defect to transpire. The eldest of the siblings collapsed suddenly while on a playground and died. She had previously been treated for epilepsy with diminished energy and strength.
It wasn’t …read more

I am bringing you a list of 10 Hearty trivia facts. Some are oh so crazy and off the wall, others are expected. Enjoy! And don’t forget to check out all of my fellow science and health bloggers “top 10 lists”. I think it is a fun way to relay information, both clinically and personally…
Top 10 Hearty Trivia Facts
1. Author of Frankenstein Mary Shelley kept her dead husband’s, poet Percy Shelley, heart wrapped in silk until she died. Imagine how that smelled!
2. You can purchase the largest model of a human heart for a small price …read more

Do you ever ponder how your body actually runs like a well oiled machine? When you think about it, it is absolutely amazing. Your heart… It beats every single second of your life, and never rests.
I was actually laying on my husbands chest watching tv the other night and started listening to his heart. I started thinking about the physiology of what happens with every beat of that amazing heart muscle. When you get down to it, it is mind blowing.
Boom, boom, boom… All the time, never a minute off, never a second to rest, …read more

I have a sad but very true wake up call for all who think that heart disease is “just another hospital stay”. Now, I know that most of you understand the importance and seriousness of cardiac issues, but after thinking about this all day yesterday and most of last night, I feel the need to share it with you.
I had a female patients who at 51 years old has had 2 bypass’, 5 way each, surgeries, 16 stents placed, 18 catherizations in all, 5 MI’s, and an EF, ejection fraction, of 25%. So…. she might be …read more

Life has forever been changed for 5 year old Joseph Greenwood. He was a happy, healthy young boy until March, when he unexpectantly collapsed.
After CPR by his father, being taken via 911 to the closest hospital and then airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, life saving decisions had to be made.
Doctors determined his heart had failed and diagnosed the problem as dilated cardiomyopathy. They suspected a virus that Joseph contracted a year ago had caused his immune system to attack and destroy his heart muscle. Gradually, his heart grew bigger and weaker until it finally …read more