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Unexplained sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major health problem, and prediction and identification of high-risk populations remain a challenge. Epinephrine stress testing could help to identify individuals at risk of SCD, but more research is required before this test could be recommended for routine use.
Exercise training is an effective treatment option for patients with chronic heart failure to improve aerobic capacity and quality of life via a reduction in major cardiovascular events, including cardiac mortality. However, low adherence rates to exercise training pose a challenge to widespread application of this treatment.
The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is largely the result of myocardial anomalies. In this Review, the authors discuss the mechanisms that lead to myocardial damage and cardiac dysfunction in patients with OSA, and the potential beneficial effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on cardiac symptoms and hemodynamic parameters in these patients.
An epidemic of obesity and related cardiovascular comorbidities is occurring worldwide. In this comprehensive Review, the authors describe the various forms of adipose tissue and the complex roles of adipokines in cardiac health and disease. They also discuss the contribution of adipose tissue to inflammatory processes, and finally review the potential use of stem cells derived from adipose tissue in cardiac tissue engineering.
In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the function of the heart is altered by the change in the shape of the left ventricle. Restoring the natural 'ellipse' of the heart from the dilated, spherical form using surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) can correct the relationship between structure and function. This technique is often combined with other interventions to simultaneously treat the vessels, valves, and ventricle. Buckberg and colleagues discuss the role and reported benefits of this procedure in patients with ischemic DCM with systolic dysfunction, and consider future uses for SVR.
Ca2+ cycling defects in cardiac myocytes are a hallmark of heart failure. Roger Hajjar and colleagues discuss the association between abnormalities in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+handling proteins and heart failure as well as the potential therapeutic benefits of novel treatment strategies that target these proteins.
