Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have previously shown the safety and efficacy of University of Wisconsin solution for hypothermic preservation of the human donor heart in a pilot group of 16 transplant recipients. The present study is a randomized clinical trial comparing University of Wisconsin solution to conventional preservation using crystalloid cardioplegia and saline storage within a 4-hour limit of ischemia. Heart transplant recipients (n = 42) were randomized into two groups: those receiving hearts preserved by University of Wisconsin solution, the UWS group (n = 22), and those receiving hearts preserved in the conventional manner, the CCS group (n = 20). Recipient age, gender, heart disease, and preoperative inotropic support and donor age, gender, and mean ischemic time in hours (UWS 2 hours 36 minutes, range 1 hour 36 minutes to 2 hours 53 minutes; CCS 2 hours 20 minutes, range 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes; p = not significant) were similar. Significant differences observed between the two groups included (1) mean time (minutes) from reperfusion to achieve a stable rhythm, (2) need for intraoperative defibrillations, (3) need for transient cardiac pacing, and (4) integrated postoperative creatinine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase release over 48 hours. There was no difference in postoperative electrocardiogram, endomyocardial biopsy, or hemodynamics. One UWS patient died of sepsis and another of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. UWS is safe for donor organ arrest and preservation despite high viscosity and potassium concentration. When compared with CCS hearts, hearts preserved in UWS regained electrical activity more rapidly and had better myocardial protection as demonstrated by enzymatic analysis. Further investigation is required to determine the effects of UWS preservation on long-term survival, to determine the prevalence of rejection and graft atherosclerosis, and to test the ability of UWS to extend donor ischemic time in human cardiac transplantation.
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PMID:University of Wisconsin solution versus crystalloid cardioplegia for human donor heart preservation. A randomized blinded prospective clinical trial. 173 83

Proven cardiovascular benefit from angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition is a cornerstone of evidence-based medicine. The first study to show dramatic benefits from ACE inhibition was the Cooperative North Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study (CONSENSUS-I), in which a 31% decrease in the rate of death was observed in patients with severe heart failure at the end of 1 year of enalapril treatment (p = 0.001). This result led to large long-term studies-including Survival and Ventricular Enlargement (SAVE), Acute Infarction Ramipril Efficacy (AIRE), Trandolapril Cardiac Evaluation (TRACE), and Study of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD)-which verified that ACE inhibition decreases heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), and mortality, and that striking benefit could be observed within 30 days. Short-term studies of patients in the acute phase of a heart attack verified that ACE inhibition provided rapid benefits. A meta-analysis of short-term (up to 8 weeks) studies of ACE inhibition (including CONSENSUS-II, Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico [GISSI]-3, International Study of Infarct Survival [ISIS]-4, and the Chinese Captopril Study [CCS]-1) demonstrated that post-MI risk was reduced by 10% within the first day of treatment. The immediacy of the benefit suggested that ACE inhibition not only improved cardiovascular function in failing hearts but also affected important mechanisms in patients without overt heart failure. Effects on more general mechanisms of heart disease suggested that patients with problems other than hypertension or heart failure might benefit from ACE inhibitors. The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study investigated the hypothesis that ACE inhibition would confer benefits to patients who were at high risk for cardiovascular events, but who were without left ventricular dysfunction or heart failure. Long-term reductions in MI, stroke, cardiac arrest, and heart failure, as well as improvements in mortality, were observed in this population after treatment with ACE inhibitors. Substudies of the HOPE study revealed that ACE inhibition reduced progression of atherosclerosis and improved myocardial remodeling. Taken together, these studies provide evidence that supports treatment of a broad population of patients at risk for cardiovascular events with ACE inhibitors. The next step is to combine ACE inhibition with other treatments to maximize patient benefit. The Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) will compare the efficacy of an ACE inhibitor (ramipril) with an angiotensin receptor blocker (telmisartan), and determine whether these treatments in combination will further reduce morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease.
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PMID:Angiotensin II and trials of cardiovascular outcomes. 1183 5

Although Joan and Edward are fictitious characters, it is very likely we have encountered or will encounter patients with similar health concerns and daily life issues. As the population ages and our lifestyles continue to promote the development of cardiovascular disease, there is an increasing need to focus on the best ways to deal with this looming crisis. The CCS recognizes this pressing concern. The publication of the 2002 Consensus Conference assists all practitioners to work with their elderly patients to manage their heart disease most effectively. The CCS also recognizes the need for additional research. Throughout the document there is a continuous call for further study of best practice in the management and treatment of older adults with cardiovascular disease-stay tuned.
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PMID:Management of cardiovascular disease in the elderly: a review of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Consensus Conference. 1556 Nov 66

The cardiac conduction system is a specialized network that initiates and closely coordinates the heart beat. Cardiac conduction system development is intricately related to the development and maturation of the embryonic heart towards its four-chambered form, as is indicated by the fact that disturbed development of cardiac structures is often accompanied by a disturbed formation of the CCS. Electrophysiological studies have shown that selected conduction disturbances and cardiac arrhythmias do not take place randomly in the heart but rather at anatomical predilection sites. Knowledge on development of the CCS may facilitate understanding of the etiology of arrhythmogenic events. In this review we will focus on embryonic development of the CCS in relation to clinical arrhythmias, as well as on specific cardiac conduction abnormalities that are observed in patients with congenital heart disease.
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PMID:Normal and abnormal development of the cardiac conduction system; implications for conduction and rhythm disorders in the child and adult. 2266 74

A 38-year-old female with anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery presented with refractory angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society [CCS] class 4). Having failed two previous internal mammary artery grafts to the left anterior descending artery and with no percutaneous revascularization options, she underwent coronary sinus reducer implantation, which improved her symptoms (CCS 0), quality of life, and corresponded to an improvement in ischemia on myocardial perfusion scanning. This case report describes an unusual case of refractory angina in the context of congenital heart disease, illustrates the benefit of this novel hourglass-shaped stent in improving ischemia, quality of life, depression and anxiety, and highlights the importance of managing these patients in multidisciplinary teams.
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PMID:Implantation of a Coronary Sinus Reducer to Treat Refractory Angina in a 38-Year-Old with an Anomalous Left Coronary Artery and No Revascularization Options. 3200 99