Personal shear rate therapy
In 1839 Richard Thoma was the first to observe that arteries respond to flow: he identified a fundamental relationship between blood flow and arterial calibre.
Extra-aortic counter pulsation
The C-Pulse, manufactured by Australian-American company Sunshine Heart, Inc. is neither a pulsatile artificial heart nor one of the well-known non-pulsatile left heart support systems
Intra-aortic balloon pump pros & cons
Since cardiac surgeon Adrian Kantrowitz, of the Maimonides Medical Centre, Brooklyn, first introduced intra-aortic balloon pulsation (IABP) into clinical practice in 1967 (Surg Clin North Am. 1969 Jun; 49 (3) :505 -11), the technique has been considered the method of choice for short-term mechanical cardiac support following a heart attack.
The time machine
While the benefits of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a temporary respiratory support for adult patients are still debated, it is undisputed that for many infants ECMO is the only chance to survive, because it provides them with time to strengthen their lungs
Cardiology drives innovation
‘Cardiology is one of the most innovative medical disciplines. Many modern technologies, such as catheterisations or imaging procedures, were triggered by cardiology,’ declared Professor Dr Gerald Maurer MD.
Renal denervation
A new procedure may help people with persistent hypertension. By burning or ablating the nerves in the renal arteries, blood pressure levels can be reduced significantly.
Cardiac disease death rates fall in the EU
Death rates from cardiac disease have more than halved in many EU countries since the early 1980s, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal.
Turbulences in ultrasound
Ultrasound expands its role in cardiac imaging with disruptive applications. Fasten your seat belt. Cardiac diagnostics is entering a zone of turbulence. Manufacturers of leading systems continue to mine data from the sonic signal that opens new fields for research. John Brosky reports
Article • Healing hearts 2
Stem cell cocktails
Nothing new has been invented in heart failure in the last 15 years, according to Christian Homsy, CEO of Belgian-based Cardio3 Biosciences. This explains the excitement surrounding an emerging treatment among cardiologists, patients and investors.
Molecular US therapy, computer diagnosis and customized medication
Which technological advancements can we expect to see in the field of medical technology? How well can diagnosis and therapy be customized for each patient?
Raising awareness of in vitro diagnosis values
Labs need to optimise their costs as well as accommodate increasing volumes – and new tests are continuously demanded.
Searching Brain Pathways for Clues on Autism
Timothy Roberts, PhD, works in the middle of an epidemic. In the 20 years the researcher has studied autism, the diagnosis rate among children in the United States has risen from one in 1,000 to one in 88. No one is sure of the cause, how to prevent it, or how to treat it.
Schizophrenia gene discovered
Working independently from different perspectives, geneticists from Finland and biochemists from Würzburg have researched the molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and cognitive impairment.
Minimally invasive stents show some advantages over bypass
Compared to open bypass, stenting keeps circulation flowing longer in some patients, small study concludes.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) – the inflammatory condition in the central nervous system (CNS) – leads to scarring, with several scars forming lesions, also called plaques. Although long assumed that only white matter is involved, this is increasingly questioned.
Do-it-yourself scientific testing
A British teenager, 17-year-old Fred Turner, has won a major accolade for building a DNA testing analyser in his own home for a few hundred euros.
Treating bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is highly challenging in terms of patient management and medical costs. As the fourth most frequent cancer in men and ninth in women in developed countries, although BC is a common disease it is still under-represented in public awareness and in cancer research .
The role of the immune system in cancer therapy
Apart from tumour immunologists themselves, for a long time oncologists have underestimated the role of the immune system in cancer treatment. Nonetheless, in recent years increasing attention has been given to this aspect of cancer.
Program May Hold Promise for Reducing Avoidable Hospital Readmissions
Recent federal legislation imposes financial penalties on hospitals that experience excessive patient readmissions within 30 days.
International accreditation for University Medical Center Utrecht
The University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) is the first hospital in the Netherlands to be awarded international JCI accreditation on their first attempt according to the latest standard.
Don´t worry, be healthy
People with cheerful temperaments are significantly less likely to suffer a coronary event such as a heart attack or sudden cardiac death, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.
Breast cancer
The charity Cancer Research UK reports that the number of breast cancer diagnoses in under 50-year-old women each year in the UK has exceeded 10,000 for the first time.
New cooperation in research on ovarian cancer
Sanofi and the Curie Institute, through its Curie-Cancer partnership under the Institut Carnot label, today announce the establishment of a three-year research collaboration to identify new therapeutic targets for the development of treatments for ovarian cancer.
Social media dramatically boosts organ donation registration
A social media push boosted the number of people who registered themselves as organ donors 21-fold in a single day, Johns Hopkins researchers found, suggesting social media might be an effective tool to address the stubborn organ shortage in the United States.
Large-Scale Switch to Digital Pathology Systems
Evolving technologies and market forces reveal that digital pathology is poised to radically affect the daily workflow and activities of pathologists and diagnostic laboratories
