Heart

A Maryland man who lived with a transplanted, genetically-modified pig's heart for two months may have died due to a virus that targets feral animals, The New York Times reported Thursday.  Dr. Bartley Griffith, a surgeon focused on transplants at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, performed the animal-to-human surgery on the patient, David Bennett Sr., and also reported the complication as the patient's health torpedoed.The procedure initially had been deemed a success. It took place in January 2022, after…

A preventable infection by a porcine virus might have contributed to the death of the first patient to have a heart transplant with a pig organ, MIT Technology Review reported this week. David Bennett Sr, who had severe heart disease, received a genetically modified pig heart in early January of this year — a major milestone in animal-to-human transplants, or xenotransplantation. He died in March. Initially, the hospital where the procedure was performed said that the cause of death was unknown. But last month,…

VW is adding capacity to make the ID.4 SUV-BEV VW brand operating operating profit before special items increased 4.6 percent to EUR 513 million in the first quarter. The Volkswagen brand strengthened the VW Group’s economic efficiency in the first quarter of 2022, the brand says. In the first three months, operating profit for the Volkswagen brand before special items increased to EUR 513 million (Q1 2021: EUR 490…

The Apple Watch comes preloaded with sensors that help users manage heart disease. The wearable monitors heart rate and can detect atrial fibrillation.That’s a serious condition leading to severe side effects like stroke and heart failure. Furthermore, specific Apple Watch versions let users take ECGs at home or in any other setting. But a new study from the Mayo Clinic shows that the Apple Watch might be able to do a lot more with the correct algorithm. Researchers used the Apple Watch ECG feature to detect weak…

People who smoke cannabis more than once a month have an increased risk of heart disease and heart attack, a new study has found – but the same study has also identified a mechanism and a molecule that may counteract the risk.  While links between weed and poor heart health have already been identified, the latest research sheds more light on the mechanisms behind the relationship, as well as analyzing data from a huge sample: half a million individuals.In further tests on mice, the study also found that…

The version used in Maryland came from a pig with 10 gene modifications developed by Revivicor, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics. Following promising tests of such pig organs in baboons, three US transplant teams launched the first human studies starting in late 2021. Surgeons at New York University and the University of Alabama each attached pig kidneys to brain-dead people, but the University of Maryland went a step further when Griffith stitched a pig heart into Bennett’s chest in early January. Transferring pig…

When conducting cardiac research, it would be ideal if experiments could be performed on actual living human hearts. Scientists have developed what may be the next-best thing, in the form of a tiny mechanical heart powered by real cardiac cells.Created by a team at Boston University, the flat-bodied "cardiac miniaturized Precision-enabled Unidirectional Microfluidic Pump" – or miniPUMP, for short – measures just 3 sq cm (0.5 sq in). It replicates the function of a real heart's ventricle (lower chamber), pumping water…

A robust new study led by researchers from Stanford University has found a strong association between increased risk of heart attack and regular marijuana use. The study indicates THC can trigger inflammation in blood vessel cells and the researchers call for medical marijuana users to be aware of potential cardiovascular risks.Published in the journal Cell, the new study first analyzed data from around 500,000 people, looking at the relationship between marijuana use and heart attack. After controlling for age, gender…

A new algorithm developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic can effectively detect patients with a dangerous heart dysfunction using data gathered by an Apple Watch. A large trial is now underway looking to test the clinical utility of the algorithm in one million people.Although Apple introduced electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement capabilities into its smartwatch back in 2018, it’s only recently that the technology has begun to deliver meaningful health reports. While the ECG feature on an Apple Watch can currently…

A 57-year-old man with terminal heart disease who made history as the first person to receive a genetically modified pig's heart died on Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), the hospital said.David Bennett received the transplant on January 7.His condition began deteriorating several days ago, the hospital said in a statement on Wednesday, and he was given "compassionate palliative care" after it became clear that he would not recover.Bennett "wasn't able to overcome what turned out to be the…