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 for a scaffold that is biocompatible with the heart and able to hold the new cardiomyocytes in place while they integrate into the existing heart tissue. Matching the material to human heart muscle is also hoped to prevent deterioration of heart function before the cells take over.

Are you following me on this one? The current researchers are now understanding how stem cell-derived developing heart cells can be matured in the laboratory and how materials could be synthesized to form a patch to deliver them to damaged areas of the heart. Seriously exciting news. More has to be done and many more hours and months and years of hard work is yet to come, but just think for a second… Would you be willing to give this a try, even in its experimental stage?

Post from: Blisstree

Major Advancement For Stem Cells And Heart Repair

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 till after her death and a post mortem exam that they discovered that her heart was not “normal”. When the next sibling started with similar symptoms, they biopsied her heart and found the same… the heart muscle lacked glycogen, one of the major sources of fast energy for muscles.

How is that imperative? When the heart muscle, which is constantly at work, is strained it must derive energy from glycogen. This research could also prove to be a stepping stone for type 2 diabetes as well as saving many of children’s lives.

Post from: Blisstree

A Fatal Congenital Heart Defect Is Identified

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 of $5795.95 US dollars. Um huh, I said five thousand. It is 8 times the size of an anatomical heart at 100×90x70 cm. Wow, that is a lot of money!

3. The smallest person believed to ever have open heart surgery was just over 25 weeks gestation and about 1.4 lbs. This was back in 2002 and I think it to still be the smallest baby to have open heart. I searched and searched. If you know different, shoot me a hello.

4. Throughout your life your heart contracts about 70 times a minute and pumps about 5 liters of blood each minute. That is amazing!

5. You heart muscle, or myocardium, is unique to just that… your heart. It is not found anywhere else in your body!

6. When you are in love, you really do “feel” with your heart. Yes, it is true. Your heart, more than any other organ, feels and senses emotions and responds accordingly. Everybody now… awwwww!

7. During an average lifetime, your heart will beat over 2.5 billion times. Seriously, that is one hard working muscle!

8. About 1.2 million Americans have heart attacks every year and over 400,000 of them will never make it to the hospital.

9. The word heart, meaning soul or feeling, is termed cor in Latin.

10. The cardiovascular system is my favorite by far, and always has been. Anatomy, micro, nursing, physiology, biology, chemistry, psychology… the heart is so fascinating in every capacity! I am absolutely amazed by it and at times can not even wrap my brain around the fact that it’s muscle never, ever gets a break and keeps us going from the time we are born till the time of our death. Wow!!!

Post from: Blisstree

Top 10 Hearty Trivia Facts…

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, never tired. Wow! The cardiovascular system is my favorite. I love learning all the ins and outs that go along with it. Boy, am I a big ol’ dork or what? Haha.

Post from: Blisstree

Our Heart’s Are Absolutely Amazing

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 able to squeeze in 1 more bypass, but with the heart muscle being compromised that is chancy.

She did indeed have a negative stress test on this admission, which is good, but how darn scary! I sat with her a bit yesterday afternoon and we spoke about diet, exercise and lifestyles, as well as the familial presence behind heart disease.

I asked her if she has put herself on the transplant list. Her answer was a very profound no. What? “I have had so many procedures, take so many medicines, have to live in such a way that if they can do another bypass, that’s great, and if not, I guess I will be in the hands of God”.

Wow! I was at a loss for words for a second, which NEVER happens. I guess when you have had enough, you have had enough. Even at the very young age of 51. Heart disease is no joke!

What would you do if this was you? Would you want a transplant or would you leave it up to a higher power?

Nursing certainly keeps it all in perspective for me, that’s for sure!

Post from: Blisstree

Heart Disease Is Too Scary, Even For A Cardiac Nurse

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 stopped.

Joseph was put on a standard heart-lung machine, which is not used but for a couple of days to sustain life. There are no ventricular assist devices for children, but there was one pump that could save the young boys life.

The German built pump called the Berlin Heart, which is specifically designed to keep children alive while awaiting a transplant. Although not approved in the United States, it is being used in Europe. After many days of paperwork to file for a “compassionate release” by the FDA, the Berlin Heart was flown from Germany to Charleston.

The Berlin Heart allowed Joseph to grow stronger until nine days later, when he received the heart transplant he needed.

Technology blows my mind! Thank goodness for this cutting edge pump, it saved a 5 year old’s life.

via ABC News

Hsien Hsien Lei PhD

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The German-Built Berlin Heart Saves A US-Born 5 Year Old Boy’s Life