Widely overlooked as the leading killer of women, cardiovascular disease is front-and-center at the Women's CARE (Cardiac Assessment and Risk Evaluation) Program at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Co-founded by Alison Schecter, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, the program provides women of all ages with state-of-the-art cardiovascular care, educational activities and opportunities to participate in heart disease research. Physicians associated with the multidisciplinary program provide comprehensive assessments and individualized prevention and treatment plans.
Diabetes and Heart Disease
Patients with diabetes are known to be at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease, but what are the best ways to manage and treat these patients? That question is at the heart of the FREEDOM Trial (Future Revascularization Evaluation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease), funded by a $25 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. One of the largest grants the NHLBI has ever funded, the FREEDOM trial is led by Dr. Valentin Fuster, M.D., Ph.D., Richard Gorlin, MD/Heart Research Foundation Professor and Director of both the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health. The multi-center study, which will focus on patients with diabetes and multi-vessel coronary disease, will recruit 2,400 patients to participate in a clinical trial to determine whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI - also known as balloon angioplasty) with drug-eluting stenting is more or less effective than the standard of care, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). In addition, the study will recruit 2,000 other patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease to be part of a registry that will allow the scope of the trial and their related analysis to be broadened.
Beyond Viagra
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have received approval to begin the first Phase 1 clinical trial of gene therapy for the treatment for erectile dysfunction. Led by Natan Bar-Chama, MD, Director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, the project is typical of the cutting-edge men's health research being conducted at Mount Sinai in areas such as male infertility, erectile dysfunction, male menopause and microsurgical reconstruction.
Genetic Factors In Thyroid Diseases
Researchers and Mount Sinai School of Medicine have made significant advances toward identifying genes susceptible for auto-immune thyroid diseases. Yaron Tomer, MD, Assistant Professor of Endocrinology, and colleagues now have solid evidence of a strong genetic predisposition to conditions in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which can result in either hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease) or hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's disease).
Radio Waves Replace Laser Light In Refractive Eye Surgery
Some 60 million Americans suffer from farsightedness (hyperopia) and have difficulty reading menus or a computer screen. Baby boomers comprise the largest segment of the farsighted population, and many view the need for reading glasses as a sign of aging. Conductive Keratoplasty, known as CK, is the first alternative to laser for treating farsightedness. The treatment uses the controlled release of radio frequency (RF) energy, instead of a laser, to reshape the cornea, eliminating the need to wear glasses. Penny Asbell, MD, Director of the Cornea Service and Refractory Surgery Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital was principal investigator for clinical trials of CK.
New Devices For Faulty Heart Valves
David Adams, MD, Professor and Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery is at the forefront of developments in repair, instead of replacement, of malfunctioning mitral valves. Co-inventor of a new ring --implanted in a patient for the first time only last fall-- that corrects for the backflow of blood that frequently follows heart attacks. Dr. Adams, who is leading the way toward a new generation of more-targeted medical devices, also is among the first heart surgeons to use a new aortic valve that is derived from animal tissue, approved by the FDA last fall, with a unique fit that allows a wider passageway for blood flow.