Circulatory Health nieuws
Circulatory Health nieuws
Bart van der Worp Professor of Acute Neurology
Bart van der Worp has been appointed Professor of Acute Neurology, with a special interest in cerebrovascular diseases, at the Faculty of Medicine of Utrecht University with effect from 1 March 2021.
Read moreTwo grants (NWO and ZonMW) for Utrecht researchers
Utrecht researchers Magdalena Harakalova, Frank van Steenbeek, Folkert Asselbergs and Jeroen Bakkers have obtained prestigious funding to further build infrastructure on genetic cardiomyopathies (severe diseases of the cardiac muscle).
Read moreLaunch of European research into radiotherapy for cardiac arrhythmias
On June 15th and 16th, the STOPSTORM consortium coordinated by the UMC Utrecht met virtually to discuss early project progress. The project, which officially started on May 1st, will begin researching the use of radiotherapy in treating cardiac arrhythmias. Patients who suffer from life-threatening ventricular tachycardia (VT) are often treated with medication and the implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator that can correct a rapid heart rate with an electric shock.
Read moreCollaborative project of researchers from UMC Utrecht, Hubrecht Institute and Amsterdam UMC receives funding from ZonMw Open Competition
Researchers from the groups of Folkert Asselbergs and Magdalena Harakalova (UMC Utrecht), Jeroen Bakkers (Hubrecht Institute) and Frédéric Vaz (Amsterdam UMC) receive €936.000 from the ZonMw Open Competition for their CONTRACT project. They will study how mutations in the PLN gene affect the energy supply of the heart. The results will contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for heart muscle diseases.
Read moreFirst successful DCD heart donations in the Netherlands
The UMC Utrecht is the first to have performed DCD heart donation procedures in the Netherlands. This helps more waiting heart patients.
Read moreFirst successful DCD heart donations in the Netherlands
Doctors attached to the UMC Utrecht, Erasmus MC and UMC Groningen have performed the first DCD heart donation procedures in the Netherlands. The arrested heart of a deceased donor is placed outside the body in a machine where it starts beating again upon being supplied with oxygen and blood. The heart is then transplanted.
Read moreMutations in gene Tnnt2a cause severe cardiomyopathy
Researchers from the group of Jeroen Bakkers discovered that mutations in the gene Tnnt2a cause a severe form of cardiomyopathy in zebrafish. The fish undergo structural cardiac changes, increased stress and stiffening of the wall of the heart. Additionally, they are subjected to changes in heart rhythm, contraction and calcium sensitivity. These traits are similar to those observed in human cardiomyopathies, which makes the model ideal for research into drugs for this type of disease. The results were published in the special issue on ‘Zebrafish Heart Development, Regeneration and Disease Modelling’ in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease on April 20th.
Read moreVici grant for researcher Jaco Zwanenburg
This week, researcher Jaco Zwanenburg from the UMC Utrecht, was awarded a Vici grant by NWO, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. This 1.5-million-euro grant enables him to conduct innovative research and expand his research group for five years.
Read moreFew, but severe strokes in hospitalised COVID-19 patients
Strokes do not often occur in hospitalised COVID-19 patients, but when they occur they are often severe, according to research led by scientists at UMC Utrecht. Of stroke patients 71.1% became severely disabled or died. Pulmonary embolisms occur more often, especially in COVID-19 patients who end up in intensive care. The researchers published this online at medRxiv.org. The Dutch Heart Foundation funded this research.
Read moreSevere heart failure increases mortality risk in COVID-19 patients
Of COVID-19 patients with heart disease who are admitted to the hospital, patients with severe heart failure are found to have the highest mortality rate. COVID-19 patients with other heart conditions, including a previous myocardial infarction, appear to have a lower mortality rate. Researchers, brought together by the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA), published this today online at medRxiv.org. The Dutch Heart Foundation funded this research.
Read more