Top in cardiology: Heart xenotransplants; link between atrial fibrillation and alcohol
Genetically engineered pig hearts were successfully transplanted into recently deceased humans as part of an effort to create a xenotransplantation protocol for patients with heart disease.
The team of surgeons who performed the investigational procedures observed no early signs of organ rejection over 72 hours. Nader Moazami, MD, surgical director of heart transplantation at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute who led the team, said it was “a milestone and a steppingstone in the right direction.” It was the top story in cardiology last week.
Another top story was about an association between alcohol intake and atrial fibrillation recurrence. A recent study showed that patients who had one or more drinks per week had a lower rate of successful atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation at 1 year than those who abstained from drinking. However, drinking alcohol was not significantly linked to AF recurrence in patients who required multiple ablations.
Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:
Genetically engineered pig hearts successfully transplanted into two brain-dead humans
A team at NYU Langone Health successfully transplanted two genetically engineered pig hearts into recently deceased humans in June and July, part of an effort to create a xenotransplantation protocol for people with heart disease. Read more.
Drinking alcohol linked to AF recurrence, not changes in atrial substrate
Alcohol intake was associated with recurrent atrial fibrillation after a single ablation but was not linked to changes in the atrial substrate, researchers reported. Read more.
DASH-style, Chinese heart-healthy diet lowers BP in adults with hypertension
In adults with mild hypertension, a Chinese cuisine-based, heart-healthy diet that reduced sodium intake by half significantly reduced systolic and diastolic BP compared with traditional Chinese diets, researchers reported. Read more.
Flu-like illness confers stroke risk in younger patients; vaccination may offer protection
Influenza-like illness conferred increased odds of 30-day stroke in young patients, but vaccination was associated with lower risk compared with non-vaccination, according to data published in Stroke. Read more.
FDA clears next-gen software to detect, identify heart murmurs
Eko Technologies announced the FDA has cleared its next-generation software for detecting and identifying heart murmurs in adult and pediatric patients. Read more.