Sunnybrook adopts new heart procedure to treat a condition that is common among elderly patients (Canada)

A new program at Sunnybrook's Schulich Heart Centre is improving access to a potentially lifesaving heart procedure for elderly or frail patients not well enough to undergo traditional aortic valve replacement surgery. With the introduction of the PAVI program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, patients who are considered too high risk for conventional open-heart surgery to replace or repair the aortic valve may be candidates for a substantially less invasive procedure. In this procedure, a team of doctors including an Interventional Cardiologist, Cardiac Surgeon and Vascular Surgeon are able to implant a new valve percutaneously (without opening the chest). "Surgical replacement of the diseased valve with an artificial one is considered the best treatment for aortic valve stenosis," says Dr. Sam Radhakrishnan, Interventional Cardiologist and Physician-Lead of the Percutaneous Aortic Valve Intervention (PAVI) program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "Unfortunately, many of the patients we see with this condition have significant co-existing medical issues that render them unable to withstand the physical trauma of open-heart surgery. In the past, we have had to treat these patients with drugs alone, which is proven to be less effective than with valve replacement"

Breakthrough heart scanner will allow earlier diagnosis (UK)

"An innovative cardiac scanner being developed at the University of Leeds will dramatically improve the process of diagnosing heart conditions. The portable magnetometer is being developed with the help of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Due to its unprecedented sensitivity to magnetic fluctuations, the device will be able to detect a number of conditions, including heart problems in foetuses, earlier than currently available diagnostic techniques such as ultrasound, ECG (electrocardiogram) and existing cardiac magnetometers. It will also be smaller, simpler to operate, able to gather more information and significantly cheaper than other devices currently available. Another key benefit is that, for the first time, skilled nurses as well as doctors will be able to carry out heart scans, helping to relieve pressure on hospital waiting lists. The device will also function through clothes, cutting the time needed to perform scans and removing the need for patients to undress for an examination. It could also be taken out to a patient's home, leading to a reduction in the use of hospital facilities"

Technology to give 3-D views of arteries

"Cardiologists could soon have 3-D images of patients' coronary arteries at their fingertips and better treat heart disease thanks to a new software unveiled. The technology, which has just been tested for the first time on people, remains in the early stages of testing, according to a feasibility study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, an American Heart Association journal. 'This is very exciting technology that holds great promise,' study investigator John Carroll, a professor of medicine and director of interventional cardiology in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado in Aurora, said in a statement. The study allows doctors to assess more accurately and rapidly the length, branching pattern and angles of heart arteries, as well as any blockages." - Sky

Cardiac care funding revealed for Kelowna General Hospital (Canada)

"First came news of the program. Now comes news of the building to house it in. Less than a year after the B.C. government approved Kelowna General Hospital as the fifth site in the province to provide full cardiac care service - including open heart surgery - Premier Gordon Campbell has announced $448.2 million to build a new, stand-alone building and adjacent clinical support building to house the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre. The building, for years the subject of intense lobbying by local doctors and health authority officials, will be a 12,970-square-metre, five-storey structure that will replace the existing, aging Pandosy building at the hospital. As part of the project, a new 7,850-square-metre clinical support building will also be created and there will be renovations to the existing Royal and Strathcona buildings" - Kelowna Capital News

Anonymous donor gives GBP100,000 to Nottingham University Hospitals Charity (UK)

An anonymous donor has paid GBP100,000 for a new state-of-the-art ultrasound system and research at Nottingham's Trent Cardiac Centre. The donor gave Nottingham University Hospitals Charity GBP80,000 for the equipment and GBP20,000 to be used for research into heart problems. The new 3D imaging machine will be used in one of the two theatres in the Trent Cardiac Centre, at the City Hospital, the other of which already has one of the systems. It will help surgeons get a better picture of their patients' heart functions, aiding diagnosis and assessment

The Canadian Index of Wellbeing

"The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is the signature product of the Institute of Wellbeing. The CIW is a new way of measuring wellbeing that goes beyond narrow economic measures like GDP. It will provide unique insights into the quality of life of Canadians – overall, and in specific areas that matter: our standard of living, our health, the quality of our environment, our education and skill levels, the way we use our time, the vitality of our communities, our participation in the democratic process, and the state of our arts, culture and recreation. In short, the CIW is the only national index that measures wellbeing in Canada across a wide spectrum of domains. The CIW goes beyond conventional silos and shines a spotlight on the interconnections among these important areas: for example, how changes in income and education are linked to changes in health. The CIW is a robust information tool, one that policy shapers, decision makers, media, community organizations and the person on the street will be able to use to get the latest trend information in an easily understandable format"

Blood pressure harm from smoke 'may explain cot death'

Smoke exposure during pregnancy damages a baby's blood pressure control, which may explain why such babies' risk of cot death is higher, say experts. Maternal smoking remains one of the biggest risk factors for cot death. A team at Sweden's Karolinksa Institute found smoke-exposed babies had abnormal surges in blood pressure, even when sleeping undisturbed in their cots. These surges put extra demand on the heart, making it pump faster and harder, the journal Hypertension says. The study suggests damage to the circulation may be a factor in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), although it set out to look at the effects of smoking on the newborn rather than cot death per se - BBC

CARG Newsletter - February 2010

The CARG Newsletter - February 2010 is now available for download or for reading below:

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2010 Annual Report on Canadians' Health

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2010 Annual Report on Canadians' Health warns that a "perfect storm" of risk factors and demographic changes are converging to create an unprecedented burden on Canada's fragmented system of cardiovascular care, and no Canadian - young or old - will be left unaffected. Adding to the perfect storm, troubling disparities persist between provinces and territories. "In a very short time, the face of heart disease in Canada has changed to include groups that have historically been immune to the threats of heart disease," says Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "But the combination of new groups at-risk of heart disease and the explosion of unhealthy habits across Canada have accelerated the impact of these threats which are now converging and erasing the progress we've made in treating heart disease over the last 50 years."

Case Notes: Aspirin (BBC Radio Four)

"Aspirin is being used to prevent miscarriage, heart disease and cancer, but it's not suitable for everyone and can sometimes do more harm than good. Mark Porter unpicks the confusing messages about aspirin and when it should be taken" - BBC Radio Four

Diabetes on Track for CARG & 1st Step: Do you have a question regarding your diabetes?

Marlene Matiko, Diabetes Nurse Educator, and Rochelle Anthony, Dietitian, will be in the track area to answer your questions on:

Thursday, March 11 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am
Monday, March 29 2010 from 8:00 to 11:00 am

Please bring your logbook and blood sugar meter. No appointments required.

Also coming up:

Diabetes group session: "Putting YOU in charge of your diabetes"

* Monday, April 26 2010
* 8:00 to 11:30 am
* breakfast provided
* to register, talk to your exercise therapist

CARG and First Step: Do you have a question for the Dietitian?

Rochelle Anthony, Registered Dietitian, will be in the track area on Monday, March 15 2010 from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Stop by and get your nutrition questions answered. No appointments required

Guidelines for Choosing a Weight Loss Program (Dietitians of Canada)

Changing habits isn't easy. If you are thinking of joining a weight loss program here's a guide from Dietitians of Canada to help you choose one that is nutritionally balanced, safe and effective over the long term

Clinical trial to explore link between vitamin D and cholesterol

"An unusual finding in previous studies of vitamin D-deficient patients has prompted Rockefeller University researchers to launch a new clinical study to determine whether there is a causative link between vitamin D supplementation and changes in cholesterol levels in people at risk for cardiovascular disease. Led by Manish Ponda, instructor in clinical investigation in Jan L. Breslow's Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, the clinical trial is currently recruiting subjects" - PhysOrg.com

7th African Heart Seminar

The 7th African Heart Seminar will take place June 5-8, 2010 in Accra, Ghana, West Africa