New UAB Research Says Heart Failure Worse When Right Ventricle Goes Bad
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) suggests that the ability of right side of the heart to pump blood may be an indication of the risk of death to heart-failure patients whose condition is caused by low function by the left side of their heart.
The ability of the two chambers of the heart, the left and right ventricles, to pump blood is described as ejection fraction. Healthy individuals typically have ejection fractions between 50 and 65 percent in both chambers.
In findings reported in January in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, researchers at UAB say that low right-ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) increased the risk of death in patients with systolic heart failure - heart failure associated with low left-ventricular ejection fraction.
“The role of the right ventricle in chronic systolic heart failure has been overlooked for many years, in part because it was considered to be merely a passive chamber,“ said Ali Ahmed, M.D, MPH., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and the senior author of the study. “Studies of the effect of RVEF on outcomes in heart failure have been limited by small sample size and short follow-up.“
Using data from 2,008 patients with advanced chronic systolic heart failure in the Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, the UAB team discovered that death rates went up as RVEF went down.
Patients with a RVEF of greater than 40 percent had a death rate of 27 percent during the two-year study. But when the RVEF dropped to less than 20 percent, the death rate increased to nearly half, or 47 percent, of the patients.
“Our study suggest that RVEF is a marker of poor prognosis in patients with heart failure and should be routinely measured to better identify these at-risk patients and provide appropriate therapy for them,“ said Ahmed. “Future studies need to determine the risk factors for RVEF impairment and to develop and test interventions that may improve outcomes in heart failure patients with low RVEF.“
The study was conducted by Philippe Meyer, M.D., of the University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland, while a research fellow at the Montreal Heart Institute and under the mentorship of UAB’s Ahmed, and Michel White, M.D., a cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute. The rest of the UAB team was Mustafa I. Ahmed, M.D., Ami E. Iskandrian, M.D., Vera Bittner, M.D., MSPH, Gilbert J. Perry, M.D., Inmaculada B. Aban, Ph.D., Marjan Mujib, MBBS, MPH, and Louis J. Dell’Italia, M.D., along with Gerasimos S. Filippatos, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Athens, Greece.
About UAB
Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the state of Alabama’s largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center whose professional schools and specialty patient care programs are consistently ranked as among the nation’s top 50; find more information at http://www.uab.edu and http://www.uabmedicine.org.
Courtesy UAB REPORTER
UAB Research Warns of Risks of Low Potassium in Heart Failure Patients With CKD
February 8, 2010.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) says low potassium levels produce an increased risk of death or hospitalization in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
In findings reported in January in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association, the researchers say that even a mild decrease in serum potassium level increased the risk of death in this patient group.
“Hypokalemia, or low potassium, is common in heart-failure patients and is associated with poor outcomes, as is chronic kidney disease,“ said C. Barrett Bowling, M.D., a fellow in the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care. “But little is known about the prevalence and effect of hypokalemia in heart-failure patients who also have CKD.“
Bowling, a graduate of the UAB Internal Medicine residency program, said these findings indicate that in patients with heart failure and CKD the serum potassium levels should be monitored routinely and carefully maintained within a safe range.
The UAB researchers studied data from 1,044 patients with heart failure and CKD in the Digitalis Investigation Group study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health. Normal potassium levels were expressed at between 4 and 4.9 mEq/L. Mild hypokalemia was defined as between 3.5 to 3.9 mEq/L and low hypokalemia as below 3.5 mEq/L.
Death occurred in 48 percent of the patients with hypokalemia during the 57-month follow-up period, compared with only 36 percent of patients with normal potassium. The vast majority of subjects, 87 percent, had mild hypokalemia. Hospitalization also was slightly higher for subjects with low potassium, 59 percent compared with 53 percent for those with normal potassium levels.
“It has long been considered that high potassium levels were more common in heart-failure patients with CKD,“ said Ali Ahmed, M.D., senior author of the study and associate professor of medicine in the Divisions of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care and Cardiovascular Disease. “Our findings indicate that low potassium may be even more common in these patients, and clinicians need to be aware of the risks associated with even mildly low potassium levels and monitor and treat their patients accordingly.“
Others from UAB involved in the study are Mustafa I. Ahmed, M.D.; Inmaculada B. Aban, Ph.D.; Paul W. Sanders, M.D.; Marjan Mujib, BS, MPH; Ruth C. Campbell, M.D.; and Richard M. Allman, M.D. Also involved are Bertram Pitt, M.D., University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; Thomas E. Love, Ph.D., Case Western University; Wilbert S. Aronow, M.D., New York Medical College; and George L. Bakris, M.D., University of Chicago.
About UAB
Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the state of Alabama’s largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center whose professional schools and specialty patient care programs are consistently ranked as among the nation’s top 50; find more information at http://www.uab.edu and http://www.uabmedicine.org.
Courtesy UAB REPORTER
Other Illnesses, Body Weight Do Not Explain Racial Disparities in Colon Cancer Survival -Researchers
November 23, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A new study by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers shows that body-mass index (BMI) and co-existing medical conditions (co-morbidity) do not explain the decreased survival observed among African-Americans compared to Caucasians who also have colon cancer. The study is published online Nov. 23 in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society.
The finding indicates that although BMI and co-morbidity are independent predictors of poor survival for all patients, these factors do not explain the increased risk of death associated with African-Americans. “Therefore, more research is needed to gain a fuller understanding of how race and ethnicity are involved in colon cancer survival following surgery,“ says Upender Manne, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UAB Department of Pathology and the lead study author.
Jubilant Organosys, India, UAB and Southern Research Enter Into Drug Discovery Joint Venture
November 23, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. USA/ Noida (UP) India-Nov. 23, 2009-Jubilant Organosys, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and Southern Research Institute today announced a joint venture that will focus on leveraging their collective innovation and enabling technologies in the areas of Oncology, Metabolic Disease and Infectious Diseases.
It is a unique U.S.-India arbitraged and leveraged partnership that will accelerate the development of affordable therapies for patients worldwide. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today in Washington, DC. Key components of the agreement include:
•Selecting the most promising biological targets discovered by biomedical researchers at UAB, Southern Research and Jubilant;
•Developing new drugs around these targets through work performed at UAB and Southern Research, and Jubilant in India;
•Using early research data to secure federal funding to create new research jobs;
•Developing drugs through Preclinical and or Phase 2 clinical trials to maximize value to potential licensees, and securing partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry; and,
•Licensing drugs to the pharmaceutical industry with revenues distributed to investment participants in milestone payments and royalty streams.
Commenting on the development Shyam S. Bhartia, Chairman and Managing Director, and Hari S Bhartia, Co-chairman and Managing Director, Jubilant Organosys, said, “This novel academic and industrial collaboration demonstrates our commitment to partner with globally renowned academia in order to identify and deliver affordable innovation and healthcare solutions to the patients worldwide. We are happy to join hands with UAB and Southern Research Institute, known for its strengths in the areas of oncology, metabolic disease and infectious diseases. The collective innovation capabilities of this partnership further augments our mission to be the most innovative Drug Discovery and Development group in India, accelerating global drug development.“
Jubilant, through subsidiaries like Biosys, Chemsys and Clinsys, has developed strong partnerships in the area of research with leading academic institutions to support them in translation of early stage science and with innovative pharmaceutical companies to accelerate their drug discovery programs.
UAB receives more than $400 million annually in research grants and contracts and ranks in the top 25 nationally in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding; it is a rich source of biological targets for drug development.
Exercise Keeps Dangerous Visceral Fat Away a Year After Weight Loss
Oct 28, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A study conducted by exercise physiologists in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Human Studies finds that as little as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or resistance training helps not only to prevent weight gain, but also to inhibit a regain of harmful visceral fat one year after weight loss.
Visceral Fat from uabnews on Vimeo.
2009 Charles Barkley Excellence in Mentoring Awards
September 25, 2009
Upender Manne, MS, PhD, an Associate Professor in Department of Pathology at UAB School of Medicine was among the recipients.
The awards were presented by Mr. Barkley at the MHRC Fifth Annual Gala on September 25 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. The black-tie event included a reception, dinner, and an evening with Dr. Maya Angelou.
(Dr. Manne with UAB President Dr. Garrison)
The purpose of the Charles Barkley Health Disparities Research Awards is to stimulate research in health disparities and encourage young investigators to pursue careers in minority health research.
These awards recognize faculty members who have provided outstanding mentoring and have contributed substantially to the career development and retention of students and faculty.
Dr. Manne was nominated by Harvey L. Bumpers, MD, FACS, Professor and Interim Chairman of Surgery and Director of Surgical Oncology in Dept. of Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine.
UAB Study Uncovers How Tuberculosis Agent Survives on Fatty Acids
September 1, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered a key mechanism behind the survival instinct of tuberculosis. TB is the leading cause of death in the world from a single bacterial infection, and it kills 1.5 million people per year. The research team includes Amit Singh, Ph.D.; David K. Crossman, Ph.D.; Deborah Mai, Loni Guidry, Martin I. Voskuil, Ph.D. and Matthew B. Renfrow, Ph.D.
The researchers looked at how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, survives on fatty acids and regulates its metabolism to persist in humans for extended periods. Understanding Mtb persistence paves the way for finding new drugs and better vaccines to fight TB’s drug-resistant latent state, the researchers said.
New NIH Funding to Support UAB Total Joint Replacement Research Collaboration
- Research for better joint replacement technology
- Creates collaboration with industry leading company
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Newly announced National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding will expand the reach of ongoing University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) research into a unique nanostructured coating to improve the performance and longevity of total joint replacement components. The broadened UAB research opportunity is funded by a four-year, $790,931 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Parkinson’s disease: Do we have a cure yet?
By Saurabh Sen, Ph.D.
Center for Neurodegeneration & Experimental Therapeutics (CNET), University of Alabama at Birmingham
Parkinson’s Disease (commonly referred to and acronymed as PD) is the second most common neurological disorder (a movement disorder disease) affecting about 2% of population. PD is a disorder of the brain where-in the brain cells responsible for the secretion of dopamine (a neurotransmitter which controls the movement and coordination within our body) are damaged and degraded.
Ritu Arora helps UAB win People’s choice award at Microsoft’s Imagine cup
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A team of students in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Computer and Information Sciences have won the 2009 People’s Choice Award at the U.S. region finals of the seventh annual Microsoft-sponsored Imagine Cup international technology competition.
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