ZHH
NEWS
12.
They eat what we eat, they digest what we ingest
Despite all efforts, cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes and their cardiovascular (CV) complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and death, remain the main health issues worldwide.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal (2023) 00, 1–3)
06.
Die Evaluation von Forschern und Universitäten: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen
Jede Tätigkeit muss sich heute einer Überprüfung stellen, so auch die Forschung. Ja, neben der Industrie sind staatliche Institutionen wie beispielswese der Schweizerische Nationalfonds, die Deutsche Forschunggemeinschaft, das National Institute of Health Research im United Kingdom and das National Institute of Health in den USA die wichtigsten Geldgeber.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Cardiovasc Med. 2023;25:w02266)
05.
Damit weniger Frauen sterben
Gendermedizin Frauen mit akutem Koronarsyndrom haben ein hohes Sterberisiko, das nicht sein sollte. Denn nicht alle erhalten die optimale Behandlung. Wieso ihre Situation bisher falsch eingeschätzt wurde – und wie sich das ändern kann.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Schweiz Ärzteztg. 2023;103(04):78-79)
30.
Albrecht von Haller Award 2022: Congratulations to Stefano Ministrini!
Dr. Stefano Ministrini, research assistant at the Center for Molecular Cardiology, has won this year's Albrecht von Haller Young Investigator Award for his innovative & highly translational research project focusing on the role of JCAD (Junctional protein associated with Coronary Artery Disease) in acute ischaemic stroke. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
Read more about the Albrecht von Haller Young Investigator Award
09.
Trimethylamine- N- oxide is associated with cardiovascular mortality and vascular brain lesions in patients with atrial fibrillation
Bioproducts derived from gut microbiota have gained considerable interest in the last decade both as potential biomarkers for prediction of major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events as well as causal mediators of cardiovascular damage.
Read the full article (Heart 2023;0:1–9.)
30.
«Erfolgt bringt Erfolg»
Sein Leben und Schaffen widmet Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Lüscher voll und ganz der Kardiologie – sei es am Patientenbett, im Forschungslabor oder als Autor. Und an den Ruhestand denkt der Zürcher noch lange nicht. Erst vor wenigen Jahren hat er eine Direktorenstelle an einem der grössten Spitäler Grossbritanniens angenommen.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (PraxisMag)
16.
Die Lebensweise ist entscheidend
HYPERTONIE. Weil ein zu hoher Blutdruck nicht wehtut, wird er oft zu spät erkannt. Es drohen Herzinfarkt, Schlaganfall oder Nierenschäden, sagt der Kardiologe Thomas Lüscher.
Read the full article (Beobachter Spezial 25/2022)
28.
The London postgraduate course in heart failure
The Zurich and London Heart House offer a comprehensive postgraduate course with six modules on the spectrum of heart failure and its management over two years. The concept, developed in 2014 in Zurich, has been refined and improved, to become the prime course in which the European Society for Cardiology (ESC) Heart Failure Association (HFA) collaborated.
Read the full article ( Cardiovasc Med. 2022;25:w10181)
10.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibition in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Early inflammation following acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) affects myocardial infarct (MI) size and left ventricular remodeling. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in the enhanced inflammatory response and its inhibition has exerted beneficial effects on MI size in preclinical models of acute MI.
Read the full article (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022 Nov, 80 (19) 1802–1814)
24.
InsideCardiology: New Hot Topics in Cardiology Video!
Check out the new video on "How much salt in the soup?" with Professor Thomas F. Lüscher.
New data on dietary sodium and clinical outcomes. Get the current knowledge in a nutshell at the InsideCardiology.
Watch the video and subscribe to InsideCardiology here!
10.
Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccine:incidence, presentation, diagnosis,pathophysiology, therapy, and outcomes putinto perspective. A clinical consensusdocument supported by the Heart FailureAssociation of the European Society ofCardiology (ESC) and the
Over10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines based on RNA technology, viral vectors, recombinant protein, and inactivated virus have beenadministered worldwide. Although generally very safe, post-vaccine myocarditis can result from adaptive humoral and cellular, cardiac-specificinflammation within days and weeks of vaccination
Read the full article (European Journal of Heart Failure (2022) )
29.
The future of cardiovascular research /Prof. Thomas Lüscher
Professor Thomas Lüscher talks about the future of cardiovascular research.
Watch the video!
29.
Stellenangebote ZHH
ZHH sucht eine/n
Projekt Manager/in und Personal Assistant 80%
Die vollständige Stellenanzeige finden Sie hier!
22.
Artificial Intelligence und Deep Learning: Wittgenstein schlägt Platon
Die Idee der Dinge
Im siebten Buch der Politeia lässt Platon seinen Lehrer Sokrates das Höhleingleichnis erzählen. Der sagte: Sieh nämlich Menschen wie in einer unterirdischen, höhlenartigen Wohnung, die einen gegen das Licht geöffneten Zugang längs der ganzen Höhle hat. Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Cardiovasc Med. 2022;25:w10176)
08.
Advice for Early Stage Researchers /Prof. Thomas Lüscher
Professor Thomas Lüscher gives career advice for early stage cardiovascular researchers.
Watch the video!
01.
Sex-specific evaluation and redevelopment of the GRACE score in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes in populations from the UK and Switzerland: a multinational analysis with external cohort validation
Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) account for about three quarters of acute coronary syndrome cases in women.
Read the full article (The Lancet, Published online August 29, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01483-0)
25.
SGLT-2 inhibition by empagliflozin has no effect on experimental arterial thrombosis in a murine model of low-grade inflammation
Mechanisms underlying atherosclerotic CV disease (ASCVD) intertwin with several factors including ageing, diabetes and obesity, and dominate morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chronic low-grade inflammation has emerged as a key mediator that couples obesity-induced dysmetabolism to insulin resistance, and mechanistically contributes to the high prevalence of ASCVD among these patients.
Read the full article (Cardiovascular Research (2022) 00, 1–13)
07.
InsideCardiology: New Hot Topics in Cardiology Video!
Check out the new video on "Collateral Damage" with Professor Thomas F. Lüscher.
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic goes far beyond the infection only, collateral damage, particularly for cardiac patients, is even more important. Get the current knowledge in a nutshell at the InsideCardiology.
Watch the video and subscribe to InsideCardiology here!
20.
InsideCardiology: New Hot Topics in Cardiology Video!
Check out the new video on "Long Covid" with Professor Thomas F. Lüscher.
Long Covid – the unexpected long tail of SARS-Co-19 is an epidemic on its own. Get the current knowledge in a nutshell at the InsideCardiology.
Watch the video and subscribe to InsideCardiology here!
19.
Cardiorenal risk of celecoxib compared with naproxen or ibuprofen in arthritis patients: insights from the PRECISION trial
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently used drugs, both prescribed and over the counter. The long-term cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs in patients with arthritis has engendered controversy.
Read the full article ( Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2022; 0, 1-11)
18.
Top rated scientists in Switzerland
According to Research Gate: Biomedicine, Epidemiology and Cardiology ranked first, two from the University of Bern and one from the University of Zurich are among the medalists. Among them is ZHH's Founder Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher!!!
14.
InsideCardiology: New Hot Topics in Cardiology Video!
Check out the new video on "When to intervene in aortic stenosis?" with Professor Thomas F. Lüscher.
Aortic stenosis is increasingly common and currently managed either by surgical valve replacement (SAVR) or TAVI. The question is when to intervene? Yes, aortic stenosis should be severe, but are symptoms a requirement as most Guidelines still argue? Or should we just consider the hemodynamic severity? Here is a first attempt to answer this question – provocative, but looking to the future.
Watch the video and subscribe to InsideCardiology here!
09.
EMPEROR Preserve and what it means
Heart failure? What heart failure?
What William Harvey, in 1785, called dropsy turned out to be heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), water retention and severe oedema of the lungs and peripheries. He did not know what heart failure is, nor what the underlying cause of dropsy was.
Read the full article (Cardiovasc Med. 2021;24:w10110)
25.
Calcific aortic valve disease: from molecular and cellular mechanisms to medical therapy
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common valvular heart disease in high-income countries, encompassing a disease spectrum ranging from aortic valve (AV) sclerosis (i.e. fibro-calcific leaflet remodelling without significant impairment in leaflet motion and aortic orifice narrowing) to severe left ventricular (LV) outflow obstruction by calcific AV stenosis (AS).
Read the full article (European Heart Journal (2021) 00, 1–19)
22.
Good or bad? Top cardiologist gives verdict on chocolate, coffee and wine
Exclusive: Prof Thomas Lüscher assesses the heart healthiness of some of our favourite treats.
Dark chocolate is a “joy” when it comes to keeping your heart healthy, coffee is possibly protective, but wine is “at best neutral”, according to one of the world’s leading cardiologists.
Read the full article here (The Guardian, 19.11.2021)
08.
Natürlich braucht es Privilegien für Geimpfte
Die Gegner des Covid-Zertifikats berufen sich auf die Freiheit. Wie falsch sie damit liegen, begründete der liberale Vordenker John Stuart Mill schon vor über 150 Jahren. Und die medizinischen Erkenntnisse beweisen es bis heute.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (NZZ am Sonntag 06.11.2021)
28.
Wine, chocolate, and coffee: forbidden joys?
Life is more than work, also for dedicated cardiologists; thus, we enjoy wine, drinks, sweets, and coffee—are these forbidden joys or are they possibly even protective? That is here the question! The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no—so, let us consider the evidence seriously.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal (2021) 00, 1–3)
21.
Towards personalized antithrombotic management with drugs and devices across the cardiovascular spectrum
Intravascular thrombus formation and embolization are among the most frequent events leading to a number of cardiovascular conditions with high morbidity and mortality. The underlying causes are stasis of the circulating blood, genetic and acquired coagulation disorders, and reduced antithrombotic or prothrombotic properties of the vascular wall (Virchow’s triad).
Read the full article (European Heart Journal (2021) 00, 1–24)
12.
InsideCardiology: New Paper of the Week Video!
Check out the new video on "Empagliflozin in Heart Failure with a Preserved Ejection Fraction" with Brian Halliday and Thomas F. Lüscher.
Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction, but their effects in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction are uncertain.
Watch the video discussion and subscribe to InsideCardiology here!
27.
InsideCardiology: New Video - A hole in the heart and stroke
Check out the new video on Hot Topics on Cardiology
17.
Bluthochdruck – die nächtliche Gefahr
Erhöhter Blutdruck in der Nacht ist besonders gefährlich. Zu den möglichen Folgen gehören Herzinsuffizienz, Herzinfarkt und Schlaganfall. Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher erklärt die Therapien.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Schweizer Illustrierte 01.09.2021)
27.
InsideCardiology: New Video - Aspirin
Check out the new video on Hot Topics on Cardiology
Aspirin under scrutiny: How good is the oldest cardiovascular drug really? It started as a fever remedy, then became the wonder drug for cardiac patients. Now its role in primary prevention is uncertain, but it remains crucial in acite myocardial infarction. Hear the whole story in a nutshell on InsideCardiology.
Watch the video and subscribe here!
18.
Cardiology Update, Davos, 24–26 October 2021, Swiss Cardiology in the European Showcase
The Cardiology Update in Davos belongs to the major meetings in the field of cardiology in Europe with a long tradition. Indeed, since 1975, this year’s edition will be the 24th Cardiology Update Course in Davos, Switzerland.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal (2021) 00, 1–2)
17.
Swiss Cardiology in the European Showcase
Cardiology Update Davos, 24–26 October 2021:
The Cardiology Update in Davos is one of the the major meetings in the field of cardiology in Europe, with a long tradition. Since 1975, this year’s meeting will be the 24th Cardiology Update Course in Davos, Switzerland.
Read the full article (Cardiovasc Med. 2021;24:w10073)
17.
Artificial intelligence: the stairway to better medicine?
Artificial intelligence in science
AI provides impressive algorithms for physicians, including those working in cardiovascular medicine, which, if confirmed in independent large datasets, may be clinically useful. To address this expanding topic, Alex Lyon, Thomas F. Lüscher, both from the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals and Imperial College, and Alan Maisel from the University of San Diego, organised at the end of May 2021 the first meeting in cardiovascular medicine focusing on AI.
Read the full article (Cardiovasc Med. 2021;24:w10075)
05.
2020 Impact Factor EHJ: 29.983!
A Farewell in joy: The EHJ IF 2019-2020 is 29.983! Many thanks to the team that made this possible - more than triple compared to 2009! Unbelievable! Many thanks to the authors who provided their best work and to the readers who cited it. All the best to Filippo Crea for 2021!
Read more here
28.
InsideCardiology: New Video - From Herbs to Pills and Genetic Tools
Check out the new video on Hot Topics on Cardiology
Medicine started with herbs and extracts, followed by molecules and eventually antibodies. Now we have something completely new: nucleic acids. The pharmacotherapy of the future uses RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotides. Soon it will also use CrispreCas9 for prolonged and effective treatment of CV conditions. Listen to the newest InsideCardiology and understand the future!
Subscribe TODAY to #InsideCardiology, it is worth it!
14.
InsideCardiology: New Paper of the Week Video!
Check out the new video on "Genetic and Phenotypic Landscape of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy" with Brian Halliday and Thomas F. Lüscher.
Goli and colleagues demonstrate similar genetic architecture in peripartum and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Should we be performing genetic testing and family screening in all women with peripartum cardiomyopathy?
Subscribe TODAY to #InsideCardiology, it is worth it!
27.
The new EU regulatory framework on medical devices
The ESC’s engagement in the revision of the EU Directive on medical devices has contributed positively to the shaping of the new EU Regulation governing the approval of medical devices, which takes effect on 26 May 2021.
Listen to the medical devices regulation podcast with Prof. Alan Fraser and Prof. Thomas Luescher as they explain it here!
26.
The first blood biomarker to distinguish between myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction
miR-72 is a novel marker to distinguish between myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction.
Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have identified the first blood biomarker for myocarditis, a cardiac disease that is often misdiagnosed as myocardial infarction. The new finding is especially pertinent now because myocarditis is a possible complication of COVID-19. Studies suggest that myocarditis may affect around 30% of COVID-19 patients hospitalized with acute respiratory syndrome and elevated troponins. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of myocarditis continues to be challenging in clinical practice. The study, led by Dr. Pilar Martín and published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, has detected the presence of the human homolog of micro RNA miR-721 in the blood of myocarditis patients. CNIC General Director Dr. Valentín Fuster emphasizes that these results of paramount importance because they establish the first validated blood marker with high sensitivity and specifity (>90%) for myocarditis. This will allow clinicians to distinguish between this disease and other cardiomyopathies like acute myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), and other inflammatory diseases with an autoimmune origin. “Our finding has great potential as a valuable clinical tool for the precise and noninvasive diagnosis of myocarditis from small drops of blood,” says Dr. Martín, whose project is funded by a Fundación BBVA Beca Leonardo award. The diagnosis of myocarditis is challenging, and the availability of a sensitive and specific marker of acute myocardial inflammation could have a major clinical impact, improving the diagnosis of myocarditis both generally and particularly in its early phases.
An inflammatory disease of the heart
Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart caused by infection, toxins, drugs, or autoimmune disorders. If untreated, myocarditis can progress to potentially fatal dilated cardiomyopathy, requiring heart transplant. The prevalence of myocarditis remains uncertain because it is often difficult to achieve a confirmed diagnosis. Myocarditis, says study co-first author Rafael Blanco-Domínguez, “is often the final diagnosis in patients with MINOCA, which accounts for 10-20% of patients meeting the criteria for myocardial infarction.” Myocarditis is usually diagnosed after coronary angiography or computed tomography scans have discarded coronary artery disease, followed by confirmation of the diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, not all centers have access to MRI technology, and the current gold standard for myocarditis diagnosis is endomyocardial biopsy, an invasive procedure normally reserved for severe cases. There is thus a pressing clinical need for the development of reliable and accessible tools for the early diagnosis of acute myocarditis. The most frequent cause of myocarditis is viral infection. Pilar Martín notes that “myocarditis can be one of the clinical presentations or complications of patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The data suggest that myocarditis may affect around 30% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome and elevated troponins, thus representing an emerging clinical problem.” This context underlines the need for a valid biomarker of myocarditis, since the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic precludes long-term follow-up of all patients by MRI or endomyocardial biopsy. “We need new biomarkers to assess these patients and the association between myocarditis and progression to dilated cardiomyopathy and other adverse cardiac events,” says Pilar Martín. This is especially relevant to the situation of professional athletes who have had COVID-19, because competitive sport can aggravate this disease worsen and its prognosis. Moreover, adds Raquel Sánchez-Díaz, “myocarditis is the most lethal secondary effect of cancer therapy with new immune checkpoint inhibitors. Among cancer patients treated with these drugs who develop myocarditis, half die.” There are currently no specific markers for the diagnosis of patients susceptible to developing myocarditis during cancer immunotherapy. “We identified miR-721 in the blood plasma of mice with autoimmune or viral myocarditis. This miRNA is produced by autoimmune Th17 cells that recognize cardiac antigens derived from proteins such as alpha-myosin,” says Rafael Blanco-Domínguez. Continuing, study co-first author Raquel Sánchez-Díaz explains that “these cells attack the myocardium, and are in large part responsible for the pathophysiology of the disease.” The research team went on to identify, clone, and validate the previously unknown human homolog of miR-721. The study confirmed that this miRNA is synthesized in the Th17 cells of myocarditis patients and its expression is exclusively detected in the plasma of these patients. The biomarker was validated by cardiologists and researchers at numerous hospitals in Spain and abroad. In Spain, key contributors include Drs. Francisco Sánchez-Madrid, Hortensia de la Fuente, Jesús Jiménez-Borreguero, Fernando Alfonso, Isidoro González, and Esteban Dauden of Hospital de la Princesa; Dr. Valentín Fuster of the CNIC, Dr. Borja Ibáñez of Fundación Jiménez Díaz and the CNIC; Dr. Héctor Bueno of Hospital Doce de Octubre; Dr. Amaia Martínez of Hospital Central de Asturias; Dr. Leticia Fernández Friera of HM Montepríncipe; Dr. Domingo Pascual-Figal of Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, and Dr. Villar Guimerans of Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Key international contributors include the University of Padua in Italy, Zürich University Hospital in Switzerland, and Massachusetts General Hospital and the Mayo Clinic in the USA.
The researchers are currently designing studies to evaluate the potential of the biomarker as a predictor of short-term and long-term risk, the persistence of myocardial inflammation, and the risk of relapse, clinical progression, and adverse ventricular remodeling. The CNIC is the sole owner of a patent related to the biomarker and its use for the diagnosis of miocarditis. The CNIC is now exploring licensing agreements with industrial partners to develop and commercialize this technology in order to make it available for clinical use. For Dr. Fuster, “this study is a shining example of how the basic research carried out at the CNIC contributes to societal wellbeing through the translation of the knowledge gained in the center’s laboratorios to clinical practice.” The study received funding from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) through the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)-Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria; the CIBERCV; the Comunidad de Madrid; a Fundación BBVA Beca Leonardo award; Fundació La Marató TV3; and European Research Council grants ERC-2011-AdG 294340-GENTRIS to F.S-M. and ERC-2018-CoG 819775-MATRIX to B.I.
About the CNIC
The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), directed by Dr. Valentín Fuster, is dedicated to cardiovascular research and the translation of knowledge gained into real benefits for patients. The CNIC, recognized by the Spanish government as a Severo Ochoa center of excellence, is financed through a pioneering public-private partnership between the government (through the Carlos III Institute of Health) and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, which brings together 12 of the most important Spanish private companies.
Information and interview requests
Fátima Lois: CNIC Head of Communications. flois@cnic.es / Tel 639282477
Rafael Ibarra: CNIC Communications Office. ribarra@cnic.es / 914531200. Ext 4232
17.
InsideCardiology: New Video - Tako Tsubo Syndrome
Check out Prof. Lüscher's new video on "Tako Tsubo Syndrome".
Tako Tsubo Syndrome: A new presentation of ACS, often overlooked, but important. Watch out for it in postmenopausal women presenting with chest pain and watch this episode of #InsideCardiology to understand the disease and keep it in mind when you see such patients. It can be serious!
Subscribe TODAY to #InsideCardiology, it is worth it!
19.
InsideCardiology: New Video - The paper of the Week!
Check out the new video on "Electrocardiogram Screening for Aortic Valve Stenosis Using Artificial Intelligence" with Brian Halliday and Thomas F. Lüscher.
Artificial intelligence is on the move: It reads ECG better that we ever do. The MAYO Clinic team showed this first to detect a history of atrial fibrillation and impaired LV Function. Now they published ECG screening for aortic stenosis in the European Heart Journal. Watch what they found and what it means in a nutshell in this weeks paper with Brian Halliday and Thomas F. Lüscher.
Subscribe TODAY to #InsideCardiology, it is worth it!
15.
InsideCardiology: New Video on Covid-19
Check out Prof. Lüscher's new video
"Covid-19 is, in the end, an endothelial disease"
It’s not the virus, it’s the inflammatory response of the host. This response may, in some victims, go too far and disturb vasomotion, resulting in tissue ischemia und pulmonary hypertension, activating tissue factor and coagulation, and increasing endothelial permeability. It also can and does cause edema in the lungs and other organs, and as such is responsible for the cardiovascular complications that results in so many deaths.
Subscribe TODAY to #InsideCardiology, it is worth it!
30.
Management of refractory angina: an update
Despite the use of anti-anginal drugs and/or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting, the proportion of patients with coronary artery disease who have daily or weekly angina ranges from 2% to 24%.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal, Volume 42, Issue 3, 269–283)
08.
InsideCardiology | YouTube Channel
Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher presents InsideCardiology.
Join Thomas F. Lüscher for unique insights into cardiovascular medicine. Get crips and clear coverage of the newest developments and interviews with the giants in the field by the most experienced cardiologist, researcher and editor of journals and textbooks – in short: Cardiology in a nutshell!
To visit the YouTube Channel click here!
08.
Was für Chefärzte will die Schweiz?
Viel wurde in letzter Zeit über das Fehlverhalten von Klinikdirektoren gesprochen. Auch die Politik wurde aktiv. Der Reputationsschaden ist hoch, und es besteht die Gefahr, dass das Kind mit dem Bade ausgeschüttet wird. Gastkommentar von Thomas F. Lüscher.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (NZZ 04.02.2021)
11.
Scientific integrity: what a journal can and cannot do
Today, science advances with an unprecedented speed. The number of scientific publications has reached a considerable level with an ever-increasing trend every year. With this increase in volume, high-quality review is of even greater importance than it ever was.Indeed, scientific journals of good repute must provide to their readers the best of science available in their field.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal Volume 41, Issue 48, 4552–4555)
03.
Cardiology Update 20 India – an educational online programme of the Zurich Heart House
During the COVID-19 pandemic postgraduate education is quite challenging, as face-to-face meetings are prohibited, particularly where infection rates are high. This is especially the case for India, where in 2019 a first Cardiology Update was held in Mumbai with over 700 participants. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, a face-to-face postgraduate course was unthinkable. The virtual Cardiology Update India 2020 was run by excellent chairpersons from India, the USA, the UK and Europe and shortened to account for the online format. There were four sessions on two afternoons, Saturday and Sunday19 and 20 September. This strategy paid off, as reflected by an impressive number of participants – 7000 colleagues from across India.
Read the full article (Cardiovasc Med. 2020;23:w02131)
17.
The ESC Board 2020–2022
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is one of the largest professional societies in medicine. Indeed, it currently has over 100,000 members from 57 countries, , 7 ESC Associations and 15 ESC working groups and for its major educational programmes, such as the Annual ESC Congress, and the congresses of the ESC associations, it is able to welcome thousands of attendees.
Read the full article ( Cardiovasc Med. 2020;23:w02121)
17.
New editor-in-chief of the European Heart Journal 2020
The first edition of the European Heart Journal appeared in January 1980, as a monthly scientific magazine with Desmond Julian as its first editor, followed by Henri Kulbertus from Liege, Belgium, Kim Fox, from London, UK and Frans Van De Werf from Leuven University, Belgium. In 2009, Thomas F. Lüscher, then from Zurich, now London, took over as the fifth editor of the European Heart Journal with the vision “The European Heart Journal Goes Global”.
Read the full article (Cardiovasc Med. 2020;23:w02122)
08.
Closing Comments: Thomas F Lüscher talks to CardioPulse about a Decade of Exciting Development at the European Heart Journal
Thomas F Lüscher took up his role as Editor-in-Chief of the EHJ at a challenging time in the evolution of academic publishing characterised by the move from print to digital. Change and innovation were needed alongside an ongoing commitment to publish high-quality scientific and clinical material.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal, Volume 41, Issue 32: 3028–3037).
03.
Inflammation and features of the vulnerable plaque: from mechanisms and imaging to outcomes
The understanding of atherosclerosis has been markedly expanded in the last two decades with insights into inflammation as a major component of plaque development, erosion, and rupture. Although there is an overlap between cholesterol and inflammation, both are contributors to atherosclerosis in their own right. While atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation induced by cholesterol, as the late Rudolf Virchow stated, inflammation alters endothelial function and contributes to the disease process also independently of lipids as documented by experimental and clinical studies.
Read the full article (European Heart Journal, Volume 41, Issue 31: 2923–2927).
17.
COVID-19 pandemic and admission rates for and management of acute coronary syndromes in England
Several countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have reported a substantial drop in the number of patients attending the emergency department with acute coronary syndromes and a reduced number of cardiac procedures. We aimed to understand the scale, nature, and duration of changes to admissions for different types of acute coronary syndrome in England and to evaluate whether in-hospital management of patients has been affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full article (Lancet 2020; 396:381-89).
16.
Maskeraden in der Krise
Ein Fuchs, der auf die Beute ging, fand einen Weinstock, der voll schwerer Trauben an einer hohen Mauer hing. Sie schienen ihm ein köstlich Ding, allein beschwerlich abzuklauben. Er schlich umher, den nächsten Zugang auszuspähn. Umsonst! Kein Sprung war abzusehn. Sich selbst nicht vor dem Trupp der Vögel zu beschämen, der auf den Bäumen sass, kehrt er sich um und spricht und zieht dabei verächtlich das Gesicht: Was soll ich mir viel Mühe nehmen? Sie sind ja herb und taugen nicht. (Karl Wilhelm Ramler, nach einer Fabel von Äsop)
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Cardiovascular Medicine 2020;23:w02118).
06.
Prof. Thomas Lüscher has been elected to the Board of the European Society of Cardiology, ESC
Professor Thomas F. Lüscher, the founder and chairman of Zurich Heart House, Professor at Imperial College London and the University of Zurich and Editor-in-Chief of the European Heart Journal has been elected to the Board of the European Society of Cardiology, ESC.
View the results of the 2020 ESC elections here.
04.
Besserer Schutz für unsere Gefässe – Forschungspreis 2020 der Schweizerischen Herzstiftung
Die Schweizerische Herzstiftung verleiht den diesjährigen Forschungspreis Professor Giovanni G. Camici vom Zentrum für molekulare Kardiologie der Universität Zürich. Camicis Forschungsarbeiten haben genetische Mechanismen aufgedeckt, die zur Schädigung menschlicher Gefässe führen. Die Erkenntnisse tragen dazu bei, uns künftig besser vor einem Herzinfarkt und Hirnschlag zu schützen.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Schweizerische Herzstiftung Medienmitteilung - Bern, 2. Juni 2020).
25.
Modernes Lipid-Management
Die Cholesterinhypothese, die Herzinfarkt, gewisse ischämische Schlaganfälle und Herztod mit erhöhten Plasmaspiegeln dieser Lipide kausal in Zusammenhang bringt, gehört zu den am besten dokumentierten und erfolgreichsten Konzepten der Medizin. Die «2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemias», die vor kurzem erschienen sind, haben neue Empfehlungen erlassen.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel (Cardiovascular Medicine 2020;23: w02102).
07.
To stent or not to stent: Was tun nach dem ISCHEMIA-Trial?
Als William Heberden 1772 in seinem Vortrag in der Royal Society in London die Angina pectoris beschrieb, wusste er nicht, was ihr zugrunde lag. Aber mit dem Auge des genialen Klinikers beschrieb er sie in einer Weise, die bis heute Gültigkeit hat.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel von Thomas F. Lüscher (Cardiovascular Medicine 2020;23: w02107).
20.
"Eine simple Pumpe": der Kardiologe und die Philosophie
Der Wunsch nach Gesundheit und Langlebigkeit wird immer grösser, der Sinn des Fortschritts ist unbestritten, Ärzte sollen alles richten. Der Kardiologe und Buchautor Thomas F. Lüscher will jedem Patienten eine bestmögliche Behandlung bieten – durch den Dreiklang von praktizierender Medizin, Ausbildung und Forschung.
Als Kind wollte er Autorennen fahren. Später bastelte er Flugzeuge und träumte davon, Ingenieur zu werden. Als junger Mann klopfte sein Herz für die grossen Fragen dieser Welt. Doch nach ein paar Semestern Philosophie stellte sich Ernüchterung ein: Thomas F. Lüscher erkannte, dass jeder Philosoph etwas anderes erzählt, und war «confused at a higher level», wie er heute sagt.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel, der im Kundenmagazin der SWISSLIFE 1-2020 publiziert wurde.
14.
Warum wir unbeirrt irren
"You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts." ─Daniel Patric Moynihan
Irren ist wissenschaftlich
Auch ich irre mich laufend. Irren gehört gewissermassen zum Geschäft des Forschers. Forschen heisst sich der Wirklichkeit aussetzen, eine Frage aufwerfen, sie in einem Experiment prüfen und die Antwort akzeptieren: The experiment is always right. Und leider nicht selten erweisen sich unsere Annahmen als falsch.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel von Thomas F. Lüscher (Cardiovascular Medicine 2020;23:w02085).
13.
London Shock 2019 – Extending Options for Patients with Cardiogenic Shock
An Annual Postgraduate Course on Cardiac Arrest, Resuscitation and Circulatory Support endorsed by the ESC, at The Royal Society of Medicine London, in October 2019.
Read the detailed report by Miles Dalby published by CardioPulse (European Heart Journal, Volume 40, Issue 48, Pages 3875–3878).
02.
Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award
Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award from the American Heart Association
Congratulations to Francesco Paneni's team who received the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award from the American Heart Association for the highest ranked abstract from Switzerland at the AHA Scientific Sessions 2019.
31.
Herztod in den Bergen
Artikel zum 50. Todestag von Theodor W. Adorno.
Das Ereignis
Vierzig Jahre ist es her: Am 6. August 1969 erfuhr die deutschsprachige Öffentlichkeit vom unvermuteten Hinschied ihres Vordenkers Theodor W. Adorno (eigentlich Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno) während seines wohlverdienten Sommerurlaubs in den Schweizer Bergen, genauer am Eingang des Mattertales nahe Visp, dem Hauptort des gleichnamigen Bezirks im Kanton Wallis.
Der Artikel von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2019/09 erschienen.
23.
Prevention Summit 2019 Berlin: das Zurich Heart House reicht über die Grenze hinaus
Die Prävention ist auch in der Herz- und Kreislaufmedizin von allergrösser Bedeutung. Die Möglichkeiten der Vorbeugung von Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen in der Primär- wie auch Sekundärprävention haben sich in den letzten Dekaden enorm erweitert
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel von Thomas F. Lüscher und Ruth Amstein, welcher in Cardiovascular Medicine 2019/22 erschienen ist.
16.
BMA Medical Book Awards 2019
The ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine wins the 2019 Award of the British Medical Association.
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published last November the 3rd completely redisigned edition of the ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine.
The textbook now involves two issues with 64 sections and 792 chapters written by experts in the field from around the world covering the whole spectrum of cardiovascular medicine.
The new edition is also endowed with a sophistcated electronic version, ESC CardioMed, which is accesible as a membership benefit to professional members of the ESC. Is provides a search system, videos and 3D animations.
In August 2019, the ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine was awarded as the best textbook in cardiology by the British Medical Association (BMA) with Braunwald’s Heart Disease as the runner up.
Figure: The ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine with its editors (from left to right: Thomas F. Lüscher, John A. Camm, Gerald Maurer and Patrick W. Serruys) and the BMA Award (right)
12.
Leaders in Cardiovascular Research: Thomas Lüscher
Tomasz Guzik interviews Thomas Lüscher for the 'Leaders in Cardiovascular Research' series in Cardiovascular Research.
Read the full interview published in Cardiovascular Research.
10.
Cardiology Update Davos: a remarkable tradition of postgraduate teaching in cardiovascular medicine
Between February 16th and 20th, 2019, the traditional biannual Cardiology Update Davos was again held at the Congress Centre in Davos under the auspices of the European Society of Cardiology.
Read the detailed report published in Cardiovascular Medicine 2019/22.
26.
Paul M. Vanhoutte dies at age 79
Paul M. Vanhoutte, pioneer of cardiovascular biology and mentor of numerous fellows dies at age 79 in Paris
Paul M. Vanhoutte (1940 – 2019; Figure 1), a native of Belgium and citizen of the world, studied medicine in Ghent and did his PhD at the University of Antwerp. His academic career started at the University of Gent under the mentorship of the then famous physiologist Isidor Leusen and continued as a research associate with the eminent physiologist John Shepherd, at the Mayo Cinic and Mayo Foundation in Rochester Minnesota, USA. Besides seminal work on veins and their regulation the two published a widely read textbook «The Human CardioVascular System», Raven Press, New York 1973.
When the chair of pharmacology at Antwerp University came up in 1973, he moved back to Belgium to take this position. With his fellow Jo de Mey he published, inspired by Robert F. Furchgotts seminal work, pioneering studies on endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessels.
In 1981 he returned to Rochester to become Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation. This turned out to become his scientifically most productive period with a growing number of brilliant fellows from all over the world. His team began to characterize the role of endothelial cells and their products in physiology and a number of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, cerebral vasospasm, just to mention a few. He was the first to show that the then so-called endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) was inactivated by superoxide suggesting that EDRF might be a small molecule such as nitric oxide (NO) as shortly thereafter proposed by Robert Furchgott and experimentally proven by Salvador Moncada. The monography «The Endothelium – Modulator of Cardiovascular Function» (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., USA 1988) that he wrote with Thomas F. Lüscher summarized this evolving new field and its impact in cardiovascular biology and medicine.
In 1989 he moved to the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, USA to run the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and in 1992 he accepted the position as Vice-President Research and Development, and Director of Discovery Research at the Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, in Courbevoie, Paris, France. In 2002 he escaped evolving mandatory retirement in France when he was offered to become Distinguished Visiting Professor and Director/Founder of the Biopharmaceutical Development Centre, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong where four years later he became the Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy. Since 2015 until his death, he was permanent Visiting Professor in the same department, continuing to co-supervise PhD students and to advise senior investigators of the department. In addition, he was visiting professor at the Center for Molecular Cardiology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland and at the Department of Physiology in Odense in Southern Denmark.
His amazing scientific productivity made him one of the best cited scientists worldwide with an h-index of 128. He has co-authored or edited 36 books and has published 669 original research papers, and 574 editorials, reviews or chapters in books. His major scientific contribution has been to characterize the importance of endothelial cells in the control of the underlying vascular smooth muscle in vascular health and disease, and to highlight the complexity of the molecular mechanisms of that regulation. His discoveries brought him countless awards and honorary degrees from the Universities of Antwerp and Ghent in his home country Belgium as well as from the Universities of Zurich (Figure 2) and Montreal, from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Monash University in Melbourne and the University of Strassbourg, the Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, Romania and of the University of Odense, Denmark.
Beyond that, Paul Vanhoutte was a superb mentor who fostered the career of numerous young clinicians and scientists. Indeed, many of his fellows are and were holding chairs in the United States, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark and many other countries. In Switzerland, Paul Vanhoutte trained Thomas F. Lüscher and stimulated and mentored repeatedly not only him, but also Zhihong Yang, Felix C. Tanner, Chantal Boulanger, Georg Noll, Giovanni G. Camici, Alexander Akhmedov and Isabella Sudano. Since almost 10 years he has been a Visiting Professor at the Center for Molecular Cardiology of the University of Zurich with 2-3 visits per year and extensive meetings with the fellows of the center.
Lastly, Paul Vanhoutte will be remembered because of his humour and for his famous quotes: «The tissue never lies» or «I feel a paper coming up» when seeing impressive novel data.
Figure 1: Paul M. Vanhoutte, MD, PhD (1940 – 2019)
Figure 2: Dies Academicus in 2002 at the Campus Zurich-Irchel with rector Hans Weder (center) and the honory doctors of the University of Zurich, among them Paul M. Vanhoutte (left)
25.
Cardiology Update London 2018
For the second time, last December experts from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States reviewed the year in cardiology at the Royal Society of Medicine in the heart of London.
This novel course supported by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and organized by the Zurich Heart House has grown impressively and welcomed 350 participants from all over the world.
Read the entire article in the review published in Cardiovascular Medicine (Cardiovasc Med. 2019;22:w02026) or read more in the detailed report published by CardioPulse (European Heart Journal, Volume 40, Issue 8, Pages 640–643).
16.
Schweizerische Herzstiftung verleiht Forschungspreis 2019
Die Schweizerische Herzstiftung zeichnet Dr. med. Raphael Twerenbold des Universitätsspitals Basel für seine Arbeit mit dem Forschungspreis 2019 aus.
In einer breit angelegten Studie konnte Raphael Twerenbold nachweisen, dass ein neuer, empfindlicher Bluttest schon nach einer Stunde für viele Patienten Gewissheit über einen vorliegenden Herzinfarkt liefert.
Wir gratulieren herzlich!
Zur Medienmitteilung der Schweizerischen Herzstiftung
Bild: Dr. Raphael Twerenbold, Forschungspreisträger 2019
06.
Spital-Odyssee aus Sicht eines Patienten
Der Schriftsteller Thomas Hürlimann berichtet über seine Krankengeschichte und seine Erlebnisse in diversen Spitälern. Gleichzeitig benotet er die Krankenhäuser wie ein Gastrokritiker mit Sternen.
Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel "Meine Reise ins eigene Innere. Wie ich mich und die Schweiz erst in den Spitälern von Basel bis Nidwalden richtig kennenlernte" von Thomas Hürlimann (erschienen am 28. April 2019 auf nzz.ch).
02.
Cardiology Update Davos 2019
For the twenty-second time the Cardiology Update Davos, a traditional postgraduate course on cardiovascular medicine, took place on 16–20 February 2019, again supported by the European Society of Cardiology.
Read the detailed report published by CardioPulse (European Heart Journal, Volume 40, Issue 16, 1247-1249).
31.
The London PCHF ─ A New Postgraduate Course on Heart Failure
The new London Postgraduate course in Heart Failure (THE LONDON PCHF), organised by the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals and its Institute for Medicine and Science with support from the British Cardiovascular Society and the British Society for Heart Failure offers an educational programme at the highest academic and medical level. The Zurich Heart House provides overall professional support for faculty and participants.
The first module took place on January 16-19, 2019 at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Read the full report
03.
3rd Research Day
On 19th December 2018, the 3rd Research Day of the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital took place at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Read more about the aim of these meetings and what was discussed in the detailed report.
26.
Political Correctness oder das Ende der Aufklärung
"When you suppress an idea, you suppress every debate it might inspire for all time." ─John Stuart Mill
Die Vision
Immanuel Kant, der Philosoph der Aufklärung, hat es in Worte gefasst: «Aufklärung ist der Austritt des Menschen aus seiner selbstverschuldeten Unmündigkeit. Unmündigkeit ist das Unvermögen sich seines eigene Verstandes ohne Anleitung eines anderen zu bedienen.» Aufklärung heisst Mündigkeit, Reifung zum freien Menschen. Angefangen hatte es 250 Jahre vor der Aufklärung mit Luthers Bibelübersetzung: Nicht länger sollten Priester in unverständlichem Latein die Botschaft vermitteln; nein, jeder Gläubige sollte sich selber ein Bild von Gottes Wort machen. Luther hatte die Macht der Päpste und ihrer Diener in Frage gestellt, nicht länger waren es die Priester, die den Menschen die Wahrheit näher brachten, sie sollten sie selber finden. In der Aufklärung ging es dann nicht um Gott, es ging um das eigene Denken: Sapere aude! Es ging um den Mut sich seines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen; und Mut brauchte es in den absolutistischen Monarchien, in denen Zensurbehörden und die Kirche das Denken ihrer Bürger bestimmten.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/11 erschienen.
19.
Cardiology Update Davos, 16─20 February 2019
The 23rd edition of the Cardiology Update course will be hosted in Davos, Switzerland from 16 to 20 February 2019.
This important meeting in the field of cardiology represents a joint educational programme organised by the Zurich Heart House, the University of Zurich and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), in collaboration with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the University of Michigan School of Medicine. As such, it is a truly transatlantic exchange of knowledge, highlighting both European and US cardiology practice and treatment modalities.
A distinguished international teaching faculty will contribute to an outstanding programme on the latest scientific and therapeutic developments, as well as on new intervention and treatment strategies in cardiology. Special emphasis is being placed on the presentation and clinical implementation of the new ESC guidelines published at the ESC Congress 2018 in Munich.
Cardiology Update was founded in 1975 by the two renowned cardiologists, Bertram Pitt from Ann Arbor and the deceased Paul Lichtlen, former chairman of Hannover. The number of participants has grown substantially since then, to 600 individuals from 46 countries in 2017. Bertram Pitt and Thomas F. Lüscher, the European course directors for more than 20 years, recently welcomed two world-class opinion leaders from Boston to the board: Peter Libby and Marc Pfeffer. In addition, two outstanding Swiss cardiologists and experts in the field of preventive and interventional cardiology, namely François Mach from the University Hospital Geneva and Stephan Windecker from the University Hospital Bern, will join the team to conduct the course in 2019.
The highly acclaimed CME-accredited programme provides four days of comprehensive education in all major areas of cardiovascular medicine. The educational objectives are to review and disseminate the latest knowledge about advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiology Update is designed for clinicians specialised in cardiology, but is also worthwhile for internal and general medicine specialists with an interest in cardiovascular disease. The main features of the course are state-of-the art lectures, interactive case presentations and clinical decision seminars. In addition, video live cases, “Meet the Expert” sessions, and poster sessions further complement the programme. In order to foster participation of young cardiologists, a dedicated session designed by SCOT, Swiss Cardiologists of Tomorrow, will be organised. The spirit of the course is a stimulating working and learning environment, combined with many opportunities for networking among faculty members and participants.
Programme and registration: www.cardiologyupdate.ch
25.
Blick zurück auf grosse Ärzte, ihre Taten und die Folgen
Die Medizin braucht wie alles im Leben Vorbilder, denen die nächsten Generationen nacheifern können. Was Pioniere auszeichnet, ist ihre Fähigkeit, scheinbar fest Verankertes in Frage zu stellen, Grenzen zu überschreiten und Unerwartetes zu nutzen. Wenn die Erinnerung uns erneut daran denken lässt, haben die Jahrestage ihre Wirkung getan.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/10 erschienen.
22.
Prevention Summit 2018 ─ Lipide in Klinik und Praxis
Vorbeugen ist besser als Heilen – dies gilt heute mehr denn je, seit die Möglichkeiten der primären und sekundären Prävention sich unglaublich erweitert haben.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/10 erschienen.
01.
Ein voller Saal am Publikumsvortrag über Herzinfarkt in Luzern
Das Zurich Heart House lud im September gemeinsam mit der Schweizerischen Herzstiftung zur öffentlichen Vortragsveranstaltung im KKL Luzern ein.
Das Thema war: «Herzinfarkt – kann man ihn vermeiden?»
Die Ankündigung des Programms stiess auf riesiges Interesse in der Bevölkerung. Rund 350 interessierte Teilnehmer strömten in den Saal, der bis auf den letzten Platz voll besetzt war.
Das Programm stand unter der Leitung des Chefarztes der Kardiologie am Herzzentrum des Luzerner Kantonsspitals, PD Dr. med. Richard Kobza. Zusammen mit dem Co-Chefarzt und Leiter des Herzkatheterlabors, PD Dr. med. Florim Cuculi und Dr. med. Urs Jeker, Leitender Arzt, bestritt er ein spannendes Programm. Dr. Cuculi berichtete, wie ein Herzinfarkt entstehen kann und welche Risikofaktoren man kennen muss. Dazu gehören der hohe Blutdruck, hohes Cholesterin, Diabetes, Tabakkonsum, Bewegungsarmut und Übergewicht. Ein spezieller Fokus wurde auf das LDL-Cholesterin gerichtet, dessen Bedeutung oftmals verkannt wird. Der LDL-Cholesterinwert sollte spätestens ab 50 Jahren bei einem Check-up bestimmt werden. Sollte er zu hoch sein (je nach Risiko >3.0 mmol/L), muss der Arzt eine entsprechende Therapie mit einem Statin oder einem der neueren Medikamente, wie den PCSK9 Inhibitoren, einleiten. Dr. Kobza erklärte auf anschauliche Weise mögliche Komplikationen nach einem Herzinfarkt infolge von Narbenbildungen, wie Herzrhythmusstörungen oder eine Herzmuskelschwäche. Schlussendlich wies Dr. Jeker darauf hin, dass sich mit einem gesunden Lebensstil, wozu eine gesunde Ernährung, ein Bewegungsprogramm und Rauchstopp gehören, ein Herzinfarkt vermeiden lässt. Um Komplikationen nach einem Infarkt zu verhindern, ist auch die regelmässige Einnahme von Medikamenten zur Cholesterinsenkung und Blutverdünnung wichtig.
Der Publikumsvortrag wurde ermöglicht dank einem uneingeschränkten Ausbildungsbeitrag von Amgen.
25.
The European Heart Journal: a Success Story
With EHJ now the highest-ranking cardiology journal in the world, the journal hosted a brilliant Editorial Board Meeting this August at the world’s leading cardiovascular congress – the ESC Congress 2018 in Munich.
With the European Heart Journal continuing to hold the number one spot among global cardiology journals, Editor-in-Chief Thomas F. Lüscher outlined the superb performance over the last 12 months at the publication’s annual editorial board meeting. The meeting - held in the grand setting of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich – experienced an impressive attendance of cardiologists from around the world.
Performance and Impact
During the meeting Professor Lüscher recapped on the five-year strategic goals of the journal in the area of impact, influence, reach, and sustainability and growth, and in particular to be known as the number one journal for cardiovascular medicine globally with continued growth and influence.
Submissions in 2017 were 3,173, with an acceptance rate of around 8%.
Submissions for 2018 so far are 54.3% from Europe, 20.1% from east and south-east Asia, 17.8% from North America and the remainder from Africa, central Asia and south and central America and Oceania. The listening experts were also pleased with the launch of a Japanese edition of the EHJ under the editorship of Hiroaki Shimokawa, merited associate editor of the EHJ.
Impact Factors
A crucial marker remains the Impact Factor. The EHJ tops the Impact Factor table with 2017 figures of 23.425, up 3.213 from 20.212 in 2016. That compares with 2017 figures for Circulation of 18.880 and Journal of the American College of Cardiology of 16.834.
In terms of Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems raking, the European Heart Journal is number one out of 128 journals.
EHJ also leads the immediacy index, which while similar to the Impact Factor, measures the activity within a single calendar year (7.055 compared to 5.982 for Circulation in 2017).
Influence and Downloads
“Our usage report looked good last year with eight million downloads and this year I suspect we are going to get even higher, particularly with all the Late Breaking trials published from this year’s congress.”
Reviewers and Editors
In honouring the best scientific peer reviewers of the EHJ, he presented the Reviewer of the Year award to Professor Allan Jaffe from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA and honoured the leading elite reviewers with a certificate of special recognition. These were Professors Johann Auer, from Austria, Thomas Bartel from the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Bernard Iung from Paris, and Jurgen Prochaska from Mainz, Germany.
The EHJ Editor of the year is Christian Matter.
Allen Jaffe (Reviewer-of-the-year), EHJ Editor-in-chief Thomas F. Lüscher and Christian Matter (Editor-of-the-Year)
Group Awards (from left to right): Fernando Alfonso, Thomas Bartel, Hugo Katus, Nico Bruining, Allan Jaffe, EHJ Editor-in-chief Thomas F. Lüscher, Christian Matter, Johann Auer, Bernard Iung, Xavier Garcia-Moll, Malte Kelm, Kurt Huber, Nico van de Veire, Luigi Biasucci.
Thomas F. Lüscher
All photo credits: Sam Rogers
20.
Auch Glücksgefühle können das Herz brechen
Traumatische Erfahrungen wie der Tod eines nahen Angehörigen oder eine unerwartete Trennung können bekanntermassen zum Syndrom des "gebrochenen Herzens" führen. Aktuellen Studien zufolge kann dieses Phänomen aber auch durch ein besonders freudiges Erlebnis wie einen Lottogewinn oder eine Hochzeit auftreten - die Studienautoren nennen es das Happy-Heart-Syndrom.
Traumatische Erfahrungen wie der Tod eines nahen Angehörigen oder eine unerwartete Trennung können bekanntermassen zum Syndrom des "gebrochenen Herzens" führen. Aktuellen Studien zufolge kann dieses Phänomen aber auch durch ein besonders freudiges Erlebnis wie einen Lottogewinn oder eine Hochzeit auftreten - die Studienautoren nennen es das Happy-Heart-Syndrom.
Der Artikel ist in Die Presse am Sonntag vom 12. August 2018 erschienen.
09.
New Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure London
The New Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure London (PCHF London) is taking-off in January 2019.
Heart failure is the end stage of most forms of heart disease and the new epidemic of the 21st century. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients over 65 years of age and associated with enormous healthcare costs. These developments require physicians to be familiar with these diagnostic and therapeutic options and competent to use them in their everyday practice.
25.
Very, very British
Viewpoint: Letters across the channel - Teil 1 | London ist London, man spürt es bereits beim Sinkflug über der Stadt mit Sicht auf Themse, Towerbridge, Big Ben und Chelsea. Wenn man aus Zürich in Heathrow ankommt, gelangt man in den Terminal 2 von 5; nicht bloss zwei Terminals wie in der trauten Heimatstadt, das Personal kommt sichtbar aus aller Welt, der Subway führt in alle Richtungen – Heathrow Express, Piccadilly Line und andere mehr.
Der gesamte Erfahrungsbericht von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/06 erschienen.
06.
Elena Osto erhält Venia Legendi
Elena Osto erhält Venia Legendi als Privatdozentin an der Medizinischen Fakultät der UZH.
02.
The German Society of Cardiology‘s Annual Meeting 2018: From Bench to Bedside
The European Heart Journal again organized together with Prof. Michael Boehm, Editor-in-Chief of the German Cardiology Journal a symposium on Publication Highlights in the year 2017 with great success.
Traditionally, a symposium on Publishing Highlights in 2017 was held under the chairmanship of Michael Boehm (fig. 1), Editor-in-Chief of the German Cardiology Journal and Thomas F. Lüscher, Editor-in-Chief of the European Heart Journal. This year also the Vice-President of the American College of Cardiology Dr. C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC from Lynchburg Virginia joined the team.
As every year the large auditorium was packed with interested participants listening to lectures on the newest publications in heart failure reviewed by Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher, intervention reviewed by Dr. Valentine, arrhythmias reviewed by PD Dr. Rostock (fig. 2) from Mainz and valvular heart disease by Prof. Möllmann (fig. 3) from Dortmund. The session did indeed provide an optimal overview on the most recent developments in the most important fields of cardiology and was highly appreciated by the participants.
22.
Was ist ein normaler Blutdruck?
Viewpoint: Zum über den Atlantik geführten Streit um Ziel-Blutdruckwerte.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/02 erschienen.
05.
Erster Cardiology Update London
Rückblick auf den ersten Cardiology Update London Postgraduate-Kurs
Lesen Sie dazu die beiden Artikel "Die Administratoren übernehmen die Medizin!" und "Prävention im Fokus des Cardiology Update London" von Thomas F. Lüscher, welche in der Medical Tribune vom 19. Januar 2018 erschienen sind.
01.
Stents bei Angina pectoris: Wie wirksam sind sie wirklich?
Gedanken zum ORBITA-Trial und dem Medienecho.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2018/01 erschienen.
23.
Alter in einer alternden Gesellschaft
Plädoyer für ein Umdenken.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2017/11 erschienen.
24.
Luthers Herz
Martin Luther war ein beherzter Mann, doch ein kraftstrotzender Fels war er nicht. Er litt immer wieder unter schweren Herzattacken – heute würde man von koronarer Herzkrankheit sprechen.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2017/10 erschienen.
25.
Grimmige Märchen – alternative Facts über das böse Cholesterin
Die Cholesterinhypothese ist eine der bestdokumentierten Hypothesen der Medizingeschichte.
Der Artikel zum Thema von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2017/06 erschienen.
18.
Cardiovascular Roundtable, CARTA 2016: Gesundheitswesen zwischen Regulierung und freiem Markt
Der «Cardiovascular Roundtable» (CARTA) am UniversitätsSpital Zürich will den Dialog zwischen den verschiedenen Partnern im Gesundheitswesen, das gegenseitige Verständnis und die konstruktive Zusammenarbeit fördern.
Der Artikel ist erschienen in Cardiovascular Medicine 2017/20(6)
01.
Gibt es Dogmen in der Medizin?
Der Artikel von Thomas F. Lüscher ist in Cardiovascular Medicine 2017/05 erschienen.
20.
Trauernachricht Fritz Bühler
28.
Cardiovascular Round Table 2016 – Gesundheitswesen zwischen Markt und Regulierung
"Ist eine Therapie von 150'000 Franken vertretbar?" fragen immer öfter auch Gesundheitspolitiker – und sie haben recht. Das letzte CARTA-Treffen lieferte kreative Ansätze, welche Journalistin Felicitas Witte in einem Tagungsbericht festgehalten hat. Der Artikel ist in der Schweizerischen Ärztezeitung 2017/08 erschienen.
19.
Happy Heart Syndrome unter den 100 meist-zitierten wissenschaftlichen Artikeln 2016
Der Altmetric Score sammelte im vergangenen Jahr aus mehr als 17 Millionen Medienmitteilungen von 2.7 Millionen verschiedenen Research Ergebnissen die 100 meist-zitierten wissenschaftlichen Artikel. Die Arbeit "Happy heart syndrome: role of positive emotional stress in Takotsubo Syndrom" von den Autoren Jelena R. Ghadri, Annahita Sarcon, Johanna Diekmann, Dana Roxana Bataiosu, Victoria L. Cammann, Stjepan Jurisic, Lars Christian Napp, Milosz Jaguszewski, Frank Scherff, Peter Brugger, Lutz Jäncke, Burkhardt Seifert, Jeroen J. Bax, Frank Ruschitzka, Thomas F. Lüscher, Christian Templin, welche im European Heart Journal im März 2016 veröffentlicht wurde , fiel unter die Top 0.003%.
14.
Ein Leben für das Herz
Der Kardiologe Thomas F. Lüscher ist Leiter der Klinik für Kardiologie am UniversitätsSpital Zürich. In seiner Forschung ergründet er die Ursachen der Arteriosklerose und sucht nach neuen Behandlungswegen. Der Journalist Adrian Ritter hat Thomas F. Lüscher einen Tag lang begleitet und ein Porträt geschrieben, das in der Schweizerischen Ärztezeitung erschienen ist.
31.
Schweizerische Herzstiftung ehrt Takotsubo-Forschung
Die Schweizerische Herzstiftung zeichnet die beiden Forschenden Dr. Jelena R. Ghadri und PD Dr. Dr. Christian Templin des Universitären Herzzentrums Zürich für ihre Arbeit auf dem Gebiet der Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie mit dem Forschungspreis 2016 aus.
2011 haben Dr. Jelena R. Ghadri und PD Dr. Dr. Christian Templin das Internationale Takotsubo-Register (InterTAK Registry) ins Leben gerufen – die weltweit grösste Datenbank für das sogenannte Broken-Heart Syndrome –, in dem aktuell mehr als 2000 Patienten aus 10 Ländern und 30 Zentren eingeschlossen wurden.
Im März 2016 haben die beiden Forscher neue Erkenntnisse über die Rolle von positivem emotionalem Stress als Auslöser der Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie im European Heart Journal veröffentlicht. Die Studie „Happy heart syndrome: role of positive emotional stress in takotsubo syndrome“ zeigt erstmals, dass nicht nur negative, sondern auch positive Lebensereignisse das Takotsubo-Syndrom auslösen können.
Die Schweizerische Herzstiftung ehrt die Forschung auf diesem Gebiet mit dem Forschungspreis 2016.
Wir gratulieren herzlich!
Zur Medienmitteilung der Schweizerischen Herzstiftung
BIld: Dr. med. Jelena-Rima Templin-Ghadri und Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Christian Templin bei der Preisverleihung der Schweizerischen Herzstiftung im Museum Chaplin’s World in Corsier-sur-Vevey (VD).
31.
Christian Templin und Jelena-Rima Templin-Ghadri erhalten den Götz-Preis 2015
Im Rahmen des Tages der Klinischen Forschung wurde am 31. März 2016 der Georg Friedrich Götz-Preis für das Jahr 2015 verliehen. Zu den Preisträgern 2015 gehören die Kardiologen Dr. med. Jelena-Rima Templin-Ghadri und PD Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Christian Templin vom Universitären Herzzentrum Zürich.
Die Götz-Preis-Kommission würdigt damit die Arbeit der beiden Wissenschaftler, die – gemeinsam mit ihrem Forschungsteam – „in den letzten Jahren Entscheidendes im Bereich der Takotsubo Kardiomyopathien geleistet“ haben. Dank ihrer Initiative gibt es seit 2011 das Internationale Takotsubo-Register (InterTAK Registry) – die weltweit grösste Datenbank für das ‚Broken-Heart Syndrome‘ –, in dem aktuell mehr als 2000 Patienten aus 10 Ländern und 30 Zentren eingeschlossen wurden. Die Takotsubo Kardiomyopathie, auch Stress-Kardiomyopathie genannt, hat ihren Namen vom japanischen Wort für Tintenfischfalle, mit der die ballonartige Aufblähung der linken Herzkammer verglichen wird.
Im Herbst 2015 haben die beiden Forscher neue Erkenntnisse über die klinische Charakterisierung, Prognose und Behandlung der Takotsubo Kardiomyopathie im New England Journal of Medicine publiziert, die auch in der breiten Öffentlichkeit Resonanz fanden. Weitere Arbeiten wurden im European Heart Journal und JAMA Cardiology veröffentlicht.
Dank der Initiative von Dr. med. Templin-Ghadri und Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Templin „ist ein grosses Forschungsprogramm über die Takotsubo Kardiomyopathie in Zürich unter internationaler Beteiligung entstanden. Weiterhin habe sich die Klinik für Kardiologie durch die bisherige öffentliche Wahrnehmung als internationales Referenzzentrum für diese Erkrankung einen Namen gemacht“, wie es in der Laudatio heisst.
Die Stiftung für Herz- und Kreislaufforschung gratuliert ganz herzlich!
Mehr Informationen zur Takotsubo-Forschungsgruppe finden Sie hier ...
Bild: Götz-Preisverleihung 31.3.2016 (v.l.n.r.): Prof. Dr. Michael Hengartner, Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Christian Templin und Dr. med. Jelena-Rima Templin-Ghadri
10.
Cardiology Update 2017 - Online Registration now open!
We are pleased to announce the 22nd Cardiology Update Course, taking place in Davos, Switzerland from 11 – 15 February 2017.
This four-day programme will offer a comprehensive update of major topics in cardiology, presented by a distinguished international teaching faculty. Since its foundation in 1975, Cardiology Update has been held every second year in Davos, and the course has benefited from a growing reputation and increasing number of participants over the years. The course is a joint educational programme of the Zurich Heart House / Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
For further information please visit www.cardiologyupdate.ch
Cardiology Update on Twitter: #CardUp17
08.
2. Zurich ARVC Research Prize
The Zurich Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) Program announces the second ARVC Research Prize (30 000 Swiss Francs), for the best research in basic science and clinical science in the field of ARVC
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetically determined disease primarily affecting the right ventricle. The disease usually manifests at a young age, often with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
Established in 2011 by Professors Corinna Brunckhorst MD and Firat Duru MD from the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service of the University Heart Center in Zurich, Switzerland, the Zurich ARVC Program aims to increase awareness for this challenging disease. The program focuses on providing clinical excellence for the care of these patients and promoting in-depth clinical and basic research in this field at an international level.
Two ARVC researchers (one basic scientist and one clinical scientist) with the most outstanding and pioneering recent contribution in this field, published or in-press, will be awarded the ARVC Research Prize. The prize consists of a sum of 30 000 Swiss Francs (15 000 Swiss Francs for the basic science research prize and 15 000 Swiss Francs for the clinical science research prize) and an invitation to the Zurich ARVC Symposium 2016, including travel and accommodation costs.
A selection committee composed of international key opinion leaders in this field will select the prize winner from among the candidates. The prize award ceremony will be held at the Third International Zurich ARVC Symposium in Switzerland, on 22 September 2016.
ARVC researchers are invited to send their applications to arvc@usz.ch prior to the deadline of 5 September 2016.
03.
Auch Glück kann das Herz brechen
Das Syndrom des „gebrochenen Herzens“, auch Takotsubo-Syndrom (TTS) genannt, ist eine akute, meist durch emotionalen oder physischen Stress ausgelöste Erkrankung. Auch psychiatrische oder neurologische Leiden spielen eine bedeutende Rolle. Neue Auswertungen im Rahmen einer weltweiten Studie, deren erste Ergebnisse im Jahr 2015 veröffentlicht wurden, haben nun erstmals gezeigt, dass die Erkrankung auch nach einem freudigen Erlebnis auftreten kann.
Erste Ergebnisse der Studie, die im Rahmen des im Jahr 2011 von den Kardiologen PD Dr. Dr. Christian Templin und Dr. Jelena-Rima Ghadri am UniversitätsSpital Zürich eingerichteten Internationalen Takotsubo Registers (InterTAKregistry) durchgeführt wurde, veröffentlichte das New England Journal of Medicine im September 2015. Dabei zeigten Templin und Ghadri erstmals, dass neben negativen emotionalen oder physischen Stressereignissen, wie der Verlust einer geliebten Person oder Mobbing am Arbeitsplatz, auch akute neurologische Erkrankungen wie Hirnschlag, Epilepsie oder Hirnblutungen zu TTS führen können.
Weitere Auswertungen der Studie, bei der sich unter Zürcher Leitung 26 kardiologische Zentren aus neun Ländern beteiligten und die 1'750 Patientinnen und Patienten einbezog, liessen nun bei 485 Studienteilnehmern definitiv auf emotionale Auslöser der Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie schliessen, wie eine neue Publikation im European Heart Journal (siehe Hinweis am Ende der Mitteilung) aufzeigt. Von diesen hatten 20 Personen, bzw. 4 Prozent, eine akute TTS-Erkrankung, der ein freudiges Ereignis vorausging, wie eine Geburtstagsparty, eine Hochzeit, der Sieg des Lieblings-Rugby-Teams oder die Geburt eines Enkelkindes. Hingegen wiesen 96 Prozent der Patienten ein negatives emotionales Ereignis auf. Im Gegensatz zu diesen Patienten mit dem „Broken-Heart Syndrom" nannten die Studienleiter die Erkrankung derjenigen Studienteilnehmer, die ein freudiges Ereignis erlebten „Happy-Heart Syndrom".
Neue Erkenntnisse für die klinische Anwendung
Die bisherigen Erkenntnisse, dass vor allem Frauen nach der Menopause an TTS erkranken, bestätigten sich auch in dieser Auswertung. Sowohl in der „Happy-Heart"- wie in der „Broken-Heart"-Gruppe machten Frauen 95 Prozent der Erkrankten aus, wobei das Durchschnittsalter bei 65 Jahren in der „Happy-Heart"- und bei 71 Jahren in der „Broken-Heart"-Gruppe lag. Die Ergebnisse sind deutlich, wie Dr. Ghadri sagt: „Einer Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie muss nicht zwingend ein negatives Stressereignis vorausgehen. Auch positive Emotionen können ein TTS auslösen. Das wird Auswirkungen auf die Anamnese der Patienten haben. Ärzte in den Notfallstationen und -praxen sollten wissen, dass Patienten mit Anzeichen eines Herzinfarktes, wie Brustschmerz und Atemnot, die zuvor ein fröhliches Erlebnis hatten, an einem Takotsubo-Syndrom leiden könnten. Genauso wie Patienten, die nach einer Stresssituation mit diesen Symptomen vorstellig werden.“
Weitere Forschung nötig
PD Dr. Dr. Templin ergänzt: „Wir denken, dass beim TTS ein enger pathophysiologischer Zusammenhang in Form einer aktivierten „Hirn-Herz-Achse" existiert. Diese Wechselwirkung zwischen Hirn und Herz untersuchen wir derzeit in einer weiteren klinischen Studie näher mittels funktionellem MRI". Die Mechanismen der Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie bergen also noch Geheimnisse, die durch die Kardiologen in künftigen Forschungsarbeiten der Studie gelüftet werden sollen.
Die Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie, auch als „Syndrom des gebrochenen Herzens" bekannt, wurde erstmalig 1990 von japanischen Wissenschaftlern beschrieben. Sie nannten die Erkrankung „Takotsubo" (übersetzt Tintenfischfalle), da die linke Herzkammer in der Erkrankungsphase diesen speziellen, zum Tintenfischfang benutzten Tonkrügen ähnelt (enger Hals und bauchiger Körper). Bei der Takotsubo-Kardiomyopathie handelt es sich um eine akute Pumpfunktionsstörung des Herzens, welche mehrheitlich Frauen betrifft. Die Erkrankung ähnelt in der akuten Phase einem Herzinfarkt, so dass eine Unterscheidung nur mittels Herzkatheteruntersuchung gelingt, wobei sich – im Gegensatz zum Herzinfarkt – offene Herzkranzgefässe nachweisen lassen. Als Ursache wird unter anderem eine vorübergehende Verkrampfung der kleinsten Gefässe im Herzmuskel vermutet, die zu einer Minderdurchblutung bis hin zum lebensbedrohlichen Pumpversagen führt.
Download der Vollversion des Papers vom EHJ
Webseite: www.takotsubo-registry.com
Bild: Die erkrankte Herzkammer (links) gleicht dem japanischen Tonkrug für den Tintenfischfang.
Quelle: Medienmitteilung USZ
03.
Happiness can break your heart too
Happy events can trigger a heart condition known as takotsubo syndrome, according to research published today (Thursday) in the European Heart Journal [1].
Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is known as “broken heart syndrome” and is characterised by a sudden temporary weakening of the heart muscles that causes the left ventricle of the heart to balloon out at the bottom while the neck remains narrow, creating a shape resembling a Japanese octopus trap, from which it gets its name. Since this relatively rare condition was first described in 1990, evidence has suggested that it is typically triggered by episodes of severe emotional distress, such as grief, anger or fear, with patients developing chest pains and breathlessness. It can lead to heart attacks and death.
Now, for the first time, researchers have systematically analysed data from the largest group of patients diagnosed with TTS worldwide, and found that some patients have developed the condition after a happy or joyful event; they have named it “happy heart syndrome”.
In 2011, Dr Christian Templin, principle investigator and consultant cardiologist, together with Dr Jelena Ghadri, resident cardiologist, established the first International Takotsubo Registry (www.takotsubo-registry.com) at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland. For this study they have analysed data from the first 1750 patients registered from the 25 collaborating centres in nine different countries [2].
They found 485 patients where there was a definite emotional trigger. Of these, 20 (4%) had TTS that had been precipitated by happy and joyful events, such as a birthday party, wedding, surprise farewell celebration, a favourite rugby team winning a game, or the birth of a grandchild; 465 (96%) had occurred after sad and stressful events, such as death of a spouse, child or parent, attending a funeral, an accident, worry about illness, or relationship problems; one occurred after an obese patient got stuck in the bath.
Ninety-five percent of the patients were women in both the “broken hearts” and “happy hearts” groups, and the average age of patients was 65 among the “broken hearts” and 71 among the “happy hearts”, confirming that the majority of TTS cases occur in post-menopausal women.
Dr Ghadri said the new findings should lead to a paradigm shift in clinical practice.
“We have shown that the triggers for TTS can be more varied than previously thought. A TTS patient is no longer the classic “broken hearted” patient, and the disease can be preceded by positive emotions too. Clinicians should be aware of this and also consider that patients who arrive in the emergency department with signs of heart attacks, such as chest pain and breathlessness, but after a happy event or emotion, could be suffering from TTS just as much as a similar patient presenting after a negative emotional event. Our findings broaden the clinical spectrum of TTS. They also suggest that happy and sad life events may share similar emotional pathways that can ultimately cause TTS.”
The researchers found that “happy heart” patients were more likely to have hearts that had ballooned in the mid-ventricle than “broken heart” patients (35% versus 16%). Although this is a new and interesting finding, the small number of patients in this group means that more research needs to be conducted in order to discover whether or not it sheds any light on the mechanisms involved in TTS.
Dr Templin said further research was needed to understand the exact mechanisms underlying both the “broken” and “happy” heart variants of TTS.
“We believe that TTS is a classic example of an intertwined feedback mechanism, involving the psychological and/or physical stimuli, the brain and the cardiovascular system. Perhaps both happy and sad life events, while inherently distinct, share final common pathways in the central nervous system output, which ultimately lead to TCS.”
The researchers are working to understand further the relationship between the heart and the brain; they are using functional MRI to look at the workings of parts of the brain known to be involved in the processing of emotions, reactions, behaviour, decision-making and memory, such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.
References:
[1] “Happy heart syndrome: role of positive emotional stress in takotsubo syndrome”, by Jelena R. Ghadri et al. European Heart Journal. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehv757
[2] The nine countries are Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, UK and USA.
Website: www.takotsubo-registry.com
Source: Press release ESC
10.
The 2nd Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure (PCHF) – 2016-2017
After the success of the first course, the course directors together with the organizers were very pleased to announce in May 2015 during the Heart Failure Association Congress in Seville the start of the 2nd PCHF in January 2016. The course aims to reach young cardiologists who want to become heart failure specialists and to train them as the ambassadors of heart failure in their countries.
PCHF is based on the curriculum of the ESC Heart Failure Association1 and leads to a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Heart Failure delivered by the University of Zurich (UZH) “Certificate of Advanced Studies UZH in Heart Failure” and a Certificate of Attendance delivered by the European Heart Academy and the European Heart Failure Association of the ESC.
In order to be eligible for the course, candidates have to be board certified in cardiology (or just before) and to have a strong interest in modern heart failure management. This time, the selection committee received 200 applications from 46 countries. The selection process was very competitive since the course can unfortunately only accept a limited number of participants. The selection committee was in the very difficult position of having to refuse many candidates who without doubts were very skilled and had much to offer. 65 participants from 32 countries were selected to attend the course. The international orientation of the course in reflected in the faculty and the participants coming from Europe but also from Asia and Africa.
Here again the 2nd PCHF course consists of a 2-year program with seven modules taking place at the University Hospital of Zurich and one module held at the training center of St Jude Medical in Brussels for a very practical oriented program. The course will cover the entire spectrum of heart failure management from diagnosis of heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction, to different imaging modalities, drug treatment up to mechanical assist-devices and transplantation. Up to 120 faculty members from the University Hospital Zurich as well as from Europe, the US and Singapore will take part to the modules as chairpersons, speakers or hands-on-teachers.
The first module will take place on January 28th at the University Hospital of Zurich with a 2.5 days program co-lead by Theresa McDonagh from the King’s College and John Cleland from the Imperial College in London (see figure 4). The content of the course will consist of lectures, discussions and rapid fire sessions where the participants will discuss clinical cases in small groups presented by the excellent team from the department of cardiology lead by Thomas F. Lüscher and Frank Ruschitzka.
One of the key success factors of PCHF - besides the scientific quality of the program - is the fact that participants can also exchange their know-how and practice among peers with the same professional interests and get in contact with worldwide heart failure experts in a very nice and relaxed atmosphere.
The Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure is an educational project of the European Society of Cardiology, the European Heart Academy and the Heart Failure Association of the ESC organized in collaboration with the University of Zurich, the University Hospital of Zurich and the Zurich Heart House.
Course Directors
Stefan Anker, Berlin; Gerasimos Filippatos, Athens; Francesco Maisano, Thomas F. Luscher, Frank Ruschitzka, all Zurich
Advisory Board
Jeroen J. Bax, Leiden; Gerhard Hindricks, Leipzig; Michel Komajda, Paris; Theresa McDonagh, London; Fausto Pinto, Lisbon; Piotr Ponikowski, Wroclaw; Karl B. Swedberg, Gothenburg; Alec Vahanian, Paris; Panos Vardas, Heraklion.
1. McDonagh TA, Gardner RS, Lainscak M et al. Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Specialist Heart Failure Curriculum. Eur J Heart Fail 2014; 16:151 – 162.
09.
Certification Ceremony of the 1st Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure
The first Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure, an initiative of the ESC Heart Failure Association, the ESC Heart Academy, the University of Zurich as well as the Zurich Heart House was announced in 2013 as the first course of this new educational initiative of the European Society of Cardiology and its constituent bodies.
The first Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure accepted 59 participants from 31 countries (Figure 1) in Europe, but also from India, Soudan, North Africa, South America and Aruba. The participants came to Zurich for seven modules and to a practical device-oriented module to Brussels four times a year for 2.5 days to attend lectures, interactive case presentations, rapid-fire sessions, clinical rounds as well as hands-on experiences with different imaging modalities as well as virtual training of heart failure-related interventions
After each module, the participants had to pass multiple choice exams with 25 questions. The minimal percentage of right questions required to pass was 70%. There was a possibility to re-do the exam if failed in the first attempt.
The course covered the entire spectrum of heart failure management from diagnosis of heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction, to different imaging modalities, drug treatment up to mechanical assist-devices and transplantation. 120 faculty members from the University Hospital Zurich as well as from Europe, the US and Singapore took part to the modules as chairpersons, speakers or hands-on-teachers.
The first Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure was successfully concluded with a memorable graduation ceremony that took place on Friday, October 30, 2015 at the University of Zurich. The participants received the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Heart Failure of the University of Zurich and the Certificate of Attendance from the ESC, HFA and the European Heart Academy. At the certification ceremony, the legendary Eugene Braunwald MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, gave the keynote lecture entitled “The new generation of heart failure specialists” (Figure 2). Furthermore, the Director of Education of the ESC Academy, Alec Vahanian, MD, FESC from Paris, Gerasimos Filippatos, MD, FESC, President of the ESC Heart Failure Association, Panos Vardas, MD, FESC, Director of the Brussels Office of the European Society of Cardiology and past-president as well as the Directors of the Course in Zurich, Thomas F. Lüscher, MD, FESC, Francesco Maisano, MD and Frank Ruschitzka, MD, FESC as well as other members of the Heart Failure Association did also participate to the ceremony (Figures 3 and 4).
The memorable ceremony was followed by a swinging party in the Tower Restaurant of the University of Zurich.
A PCHF alumni event will be held once a year at the occasion of the HFA congress with all previous and current PCHF participants and faculty members in order to maintain the contact and to follow up on the different heart failure initiatives undertaken by the participants in their own country after attending the PCHF.
The course is supported by educational grants from St. Jude Medical, Servier, Novartis and Bayer Healthcare
Course Directors
Stefan Anker, Berlin; Gerasimos Filippatos, Athens; Francesco Maisano, Frank Ruschitzka, and Thomas F. Luscher, all Zurich
Advisory Board
Jeroen J. Bax, Leiden; Gerhard Hindricks, Leipzig; Michel Komajda, Paris; Theresa McDonagh, London; Fausto Pinto, Lisbon; Piotr Ponikowski, Wroclaw; Karl B. Swedberg, Gothenburg; Alec Vahanian, Paris; Panos Vardas, Heraklion.
27.
„Das gesunde und das kranke Herz“
Der Herzinfarkt ist sprichwörtlich in aller Munde, über Lungenembolien liest man regelmässig in der Zeitung, man hört von Herzschwäche und Thrombose in der Verwandtschaft und Bekanntschaft. Oder man ist selbst von einer Herzerkrankung betroffen. Das vorliegende Buch behandelt in verständlicher Sprache alle wichtigen Herzkreislauferkrankungen, ihre Entstehung und Risikofaktoren sowie die wichtigsten Elemente der Behandlung. Das Buch dient als Ratgeber und Leitfaden für Patienten und ihre Angehörigen, aber auch für Interessierte als Nachschlagewerk – Nicht nur, um entstandene Fragen nach einem Arztbesuch zu erklären, sondern auch, um das wunderbare Organ Herz besser verstehen zu lernen.
27.
„Über das Herz hinaus“
Essays sind Versuche, und im Versuch steckt auch das Wort «suchen»: In Essays sucht man im Schreiben Antworten zu finden. Ärztliches Handeln wiederum muss sich unentwegt mit seiner Begründung befassen, und das hat zu den hier vorgestellten Gedanken über den guten Arzt, die richtige Medizin und über die Rolle von Regeln und Gesetzen in der Gesellschaft und vieles mehr geführt. Diese Monographie versammelt Texte, die der Autor aus persönlicher Sicht zu diesen Themen verfasst hat.
Thomas F. Lüscher ist ein klinisch und interventionell tätiger Kardiologe mit einem breiten wissenschaftlichen Interesse. Er ist Ordinarius für Kardiologie und Direktor der Klinik für Kardiologie am UniversitätsSpital Zürich und des Center for Molecular Cardiology im Campus Schlieren der Universität Zürich. Seine Forschung umfasst die Endothelfunktion von Gefässen, Lipide und Arteriosklerose, hohen Blutdruck, Herzinfarkt und Herzschwäche. Er erhielt zahlreiche Forschungspreise im In- und Ausland, hat über 500 Originalarbeiten, zahlreiche Übersichtsartikel und Buchkapitel verfasst und ist Herausgeber von zwei Lehrbüchern und Chefredaktor zweier kardiologischer Fachzeitschriften.
06.
Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher erhält CardioCentro Award 2014
Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher, Klinikdirektor Kardiologie, wurde am Weihnachtsfest des CardioCentro Ticino in Lugano am 12. Dezember 2014 mit dem CardioCentro Award 2014 geehrt.
Die Ehrung erfolgte für seine Verdienste um die Kardiologie und für die vertraglich vereinbarte Anbindung des CardioCentro Ticino an die Universität und das UniversitätsSpital Zürich als offizieller Partner.
Zwischen dem USZ und dem CardioCentro Ticino besteht ein enger Austausch von Assistent- und Oberärzten, eine international erfolgreiche Forschungstätigkeit im Bereich Klappenerkrankungen, Herzinfarkt und Stammzelltherapie und eine klinische Zusammenarbeit im Bereich angeborene Herzfehler und Herztransplantation.
Quelle: Unternehmenskommunikation, USZ
06.
Cardiocentro Award 2014 goes to Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher
Head of Cardiology at University Hospital Zurich, Prof. Lüscher has been recognised for his great work in the field of Cardiology and for his closely collaborative relationship with Cardiocentro.
Guest of honour at the Cardiocentro Ticino Christmas meal on 5 December 2014, Prof. Thomas F. Lüscher was presented the Cardiocentro Award. This is a symbolic prize that has been given for many years to individuals that have made a particularly valuable contribution to improving the quality and prestige of the Company.
Head of Cardiology at University Hospital Zurich, Prof. Lüscher, received the award from the Cardiocentro management: Prof. Tiziano Moccetti, Healthcare Director; and Lic. Oec. Fabio A. Rezzonico, Managing Director. Those present were reminded of Prof. Lüscher's achievements and international renown, including his key role in the project which now sees Cardiocentro Ticino as an official partner of the University of Zurich. Formalised in 2012, the partnership with University Hospital Zurich sees an important exchange of experience and collaboration in terms of training, clinical cardiology and research, and also in terms of regenerative cardiology and stem-cell techniques.
(Source: Press release CardioCentro Ticino)
08.
Cardiology Update 2015 - Online Registration now open!
Cardiology Update 2015, 08–12 February, Davos, Switzerland
Online Registration now open! More...
12.
6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship in Cardiovascular Medicine
Thomas F. Lüscher is the 6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship in Cardiovascular Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA.
The Krakoff family, entrepreneurs in fashion in the US and patients at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, donated an Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship at Harvard Medical School to foster exchange among institutions of excellence worldwide.
Thomas F. Lüscher, MD, FRCP, professor and chairman of cardiology at the University Heart Center in Zurich, has been invited by Mark Pfeffer, M.D., professor of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School, to become the 6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship in Cardiovascular Medicine on April 9 – 11, 2014 and to give Grand Rounds at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital on „From Eisenhower’s heart attack to modern concepts of acute coronary syndromes“ as well as a Vascular Biology Series seminar on „Aging and longevity genes and cardiovascular disease“.
Previous awardees of the Krakoff Lecture were Peter J. Schwartz (Pavia, Italy), William McKenna (London, UK), P. Gabriel Steg (Paris, France), Andreas Zeiher and Stefanie Dimmeler (Frankfurt, FRG), and Sir Rory Collins (Oxford, UK).
12.
6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship in Cardiovascular Medicine
Thomas F. Lüscher erhielt die 6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship in Cardiovascular Medicine am Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA.
Die Familie Krakoff, Textilunternehmer in den USA und Patienten des Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, stiftete 2009 die Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship an der Harvard Medicine School, um den weltweiten Wissenstransfer zwischen führenden Institutionen und herausragenden Forschern zu fördern.
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas F. Lüscher, Chefarzt der Kardiologie am Universitären Herzzentrum des UniversitätsSpitals Zürich, wurde von Prof. Dr. med. Mark Pfeffer, Professor für Kardiovaskuläre Medizin an der Harvard Medical School, zur „6th Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship“ (9.-11. April 2014) eingeladen, um eine Grand Round mit dem Titel „From Eisenhower‘s heart attack to modern concepts of acute coronary syndromes“ sowie ein Seminar im Rahmen der ‚Vascular Biology Series‘ über „Aging and longevity genes and cardiovascular disease“ zu halten.
Bisher wurde die Annual Robert L. Krakoff International Lectureship von Peter J. Schwartz (Pavia, IT), William McKenna (London, UK), P. Gabriel Steg (Paris, FR), Andreas Zeiher und Stefanie Dimmeler (Frankfurt, DE) sowie Sir Rory Collins (Oxford, UK) gehalten.