2009

Study suggests sleep apnea, arrhythmia relationship
(The Reporter, November 2009)
Vanderbilt cardiologist Ken Monahan, M.D., is the lead author of a study to help determine if sleep apnea, and the breathing disturbances associated with it, can trigger certain types of arrhythmia.The findings were reported in the Nov. 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Stem cells may offer promise for damaged hearts
(CNN, August 2009)
Scientists are making headway in using stem cells to treat heart conditions.  Some scientists predict that FDA-approved stem cell therapies could widely available within the next 4 - 10 years. 

Computer-based phone calls raise awareness, control of blood pressure
(American Heart Association, May 2009)
An automated system that regularly contacts hypertension patients helps them to reduce their blood pressure.  If proven cost-effective and widely accepted, the program could greatly reduce risks associated with high blood pressure.  Click here to read more.

Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
(Health, May 2009)
Researchers have long suggested that estrogen protects the heart in pre-menopausal women, and a new study, which appeared in the May 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that having just the right amount of estrogen may be helpful to men as well.  Click here to read more.  

Urine screening test may one day predict coronary artery disease
(American Heart Association, April 2009)
A small study indicates that newly created urine analysis may identify patients with certain proteins and accurately diagnose coronary disease.  Click here to read more.

1 "polypill" may replace 5 heart drugs
(USA Today, March 2009)
The "polypill" is a single pill combining aspirin, cholesterol medicine, and blood pressure drugs in a cheap, generic form has taken place.  The pill needs far more testing as well as approval from the FDA, but this breakthrough could make heart disease prevention more common and effective.  Click here to read more.

Skin Cells Turned into Working Heart Muscle
(Breakthrough Digest, February 2009)
It may be possible to use skin cells to create stem cells that can repair damaged hearts according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Click here to read more. 

Safe new therapy for genetic heart disease
(Medical News Today, January 2009)
A new clinical trial suggests that long-term use of a drug currently used to treat hypertension may significantly reduce the symptoms of genetic heart disease.  Click here to read more.

Studies point to novel arrhythmia treatment target
(The Reporter, January 2009)
Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a new molecular mechanism associated with arrhythmias, which could lead to new arrhythmia treatments in the future.  Click here to read more. 

Study shows bypass imaging helps reduce graft defects
(The Reporter, January, 2009)
Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiac surgeons and cardiologists have found a way to improve short-term and long-term success of coronary arty bypass graft surgery. Click here to read more.   

2008

Heart and stroke death rates down, some risk factors still too high
(American Heart Association 2008 year-end report)
Coronary artery disease death rates are down 30.7%, and stroke rates are down 29.2%, marking the achievement of major milestones set by the American Heart Association.  However the major risk factors for heart disease have not seen the same decline, and several are rising.  Other important research from 2008 has made data on the early signs of cardiovascular disease available for the first time. Click here to read more.    

Vitamin D may be essential for heart health
(CNN, December
Low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a report published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  Click here to read more.

Receptor linked to development of atherosclerosis
(The Reporter, December 2008)
A team of Vanderbilt Medical Center investigators has demonstrated that a certain receptor plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis, a disease that is an underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes.  Click here to read more.

'Cool' protocol saves brain function after heart attack
(The Reporter, December 2008)
Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute physicians are using a relatively new protocol to help limit the extent of brain damage caused by sudden cardiac arrest by lowering the patient's body temperature.  Click here to read more. 

Cholesterol Drug May Cut Heart Attack Risk
(CBS News, November 2008) 
A recent study has found that people with low cholesterol and low risk for heart disease dramatically lowered their chances of having a heart attack if they took a cholesterol drug.  The American Heart Association is hailing the study as a watershed event in heart disease prevention.  Click here to read more.

Interferon reduces, eliminates viral infections in heart failure patients
(American Heart Association, November 2008)
Giving interferon to heart failure patients with evidence of a chronic viral infection safely eliminated two viruses from their systems and reduced levels of a third virus.  Click here to read more.

French scientist unveils artificial heart
(CNN, October 2008)
French scientists have unveiled a working prototype of a fully artificial heart.  Click here to read more.   

Device Monitors Heart Rhythm Remotely
(The Reporter, September 2008)
Vanderbilt Heart & Vascular Institute was the first in Nashville to use new wireless remote implantable ECG monitoring system to diagnose a heart rhythm problem as the cause of syncope (fainting). Click hereto read more.

Study's Latest Phase Examines Angina Treatments
(The Reporter, Aug. 15, 2008)
The findings of latest COURAGE trial, which studies two different treatments for chronic, stable angina were published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week.  Click hereto read more.  

Patch may prevent heart failure after heart attack
(American Heart Association, July 2008)
  Basic laboratory research suggests that a heart patch, when implanted, may reverse both functional and structural changes that occur after a heart attack.  Researchers are pursuing use of the patch for other purposes as well.  Click here to read more.

Monitoring Strategy Keeps Close Eye on Warfarin Dosing
(The Reporter, June 20, 2008)
A multi-disciplinary team at Vanderbilt Medical Center has designed a new, unique concept to monitor a common anti-clotting drug with many potential side effects to improve its safety for patients.  Click here to read more.   

Researchers grow human blood vessels in mice from adult progenitor cells
(American Heart Association, June 2008)
For the first time, researchers have grown functioning human blood vessels in mice from cells obtained from adult blood and bone marrow.  This research could eventually lead to treatments for heart attack, acute injuries, and may facilitate new growing organs.  Click here to read more.

Study seeks genetic clues to irregular heart rhythm
(The Reporter, May 2008)
Vanderbilt Heart physician Dawood Darbar, M.D. and colleagues reported findings that a specific gene defect appears to be responsible for an inherited form of atrial fibrillation, which could lead to more effective treatment for the most common form of irregular heart rhythm.  Click here to read more.

The Latest Medical Breakthroughs for Heart
(Health, April 2008)   
The top women's heart health news from 2006.  Highlights include using a cholesterol medication to actually shrink clogs blocking patients' arteries and finding differences between how cholesterol accumulates in men's and women's arteries.  Click here to read more.

New system eases abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
(The Reporter, April 2008)
Vanderbilt vascular surgeon Tom Naslund, M.D. is studying a new technique for aortic aneurysm repair.  This new technique is less invasive and addresses two complications of the procedure. Click here to read more.

System reverses blood flow to ease stent surgery risks
(The Reporter, March 2008)
Vanderbilt Heart is one of 30 centers in the U.S. to offer a new procedure for carotid artery stenting that reverses blood flow to reduce the risk of stroke during the procedure.  Click hereto read more.  

New approach eases cardiac surgery
(The Reporter, March 2008)
Vanderbilt Heart is one of the few places using the relatively new minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft procedure not only for single-vessel bypass but also for multi-vessel bypass.  Click here to read more.

New hope may lie in lab-created heart
(CNN, January 2008)
Creating a replacement heart for some of the sickest patients may be one step closer, if new research in rats pans out in humans.  Click here to read more.
 

2007

Top research advances include studies on genetics and stem cell research 
(American Heart Association 2007 year-end report) 
This is a list highlighting the top 10 major advances in heart disease and stroke research.  Some major milestones include a study that may change how lives are saved using a new method of cardiopulmonary resuscitation as well as studies that shed light on the debate regarding the use of coronary stents.  Click here to read more. 

Stem cell pioneer
(Lens Magazine, October 2007)
A professor at Vanderbilt becomes the first person in Tennessee to undergo a new therapy to repair his heart.  Click here to read more. 

Cardiac regeneration:  Conferring Healing Superpowers to the Heart
(Lens Magazine, October 2007)
Currently there is no way to replace or renew damaged heart tissue, but recent progress in regenerative medicine using stem cell therapy is showing promise in healing these hearts.  Click here to read more.

Gridlock Puts Breaks on Heart Growth: Study
(The Reporter, September 2007) 
Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a factor that regulates heart size, which affects how the heart develops. Click here to read more.

Vitamin E's Lack of Heart Benefit Linked to Dosage
(The Reporter, August 2007)
The reported failure of vitamin E to prevent heart attacks may be due to underdosing, according to a new study led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Click here to read more. 

Breakthrough for Treatment of Fatal Heart Condition
(Science Daily, June 2007)
Researchers at the University of Leeds found a mechanism to prevent a potentially fatal heart condition called cardiac hypertrophy, which can strike without warning.  Click here to read more.

Extending Therapy Boosts Drug-eluting Stents’ Benefits
(The Reporter, February 2007)
Initially, drug-eluting stents provided clear benefits, but there was some risk of clotting.  Vanderbilt physicians took the initiative to find a solution to this issue by extending dual anti-platelet therapy.  Extending therapy is now an official FDA recommendation, and drug-eluting stents are even more beneficial to patients.  Click here to read more. 

Hybrid OR gets to the heart of the matter

Vanderbilt Heart is one of six centers in the U.S. exploring the idea of a hybrid OR, which gives patients the "best of both worlds" through the collaboration of cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology.  Click here to read the full story.