Author Interviews, BMJ, Heart Disease / 27.09.2018

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Prash Sanders Director, Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders NHMRC Practitioner Fellow, Knapman-NHF Chair of Cardiology Research, University of Adelaide | SAHMRI Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology & Pacing, Royal Adelaide Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: CLINICALLY WE HAVE HAD SOME PATIENTS WHO HAVE SURVIVED SUDDEN DEATH EPISODES AND HAVE NOTED THAT THEY HAD MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE. THIS STIMULATED US TO UNDERTAKE A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Genetic Research, Heart Disease, Nature / 18.08.2015

Susan A. Slaugenhaupt PhD Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School Associate Geneticist, Department of Neurology, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit Center for Human Genetic Research Massachusetts General HospitalMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Susan A. Slaugenhaupt PhD Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School Associate Geneticist, Department of Neurology, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit Center for Human Genetic Research Massachusetts General Hospital   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Slaugenhaupt: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common human diseases affecting 1 out of every 40 people worldwide.  The mitral valve is found between two chambers of the heart, and mitral valve prolapse results when the valve does not close properly.  By studying families in which multiple members have mitral valve prolapse, we have identified a biological explanation for the disease.  Mutations in the DCHS1 gene cause mitral valve prolapse in three families, and suggest that early defects in heart valve formation during development contribute to the progressive deterioration of the valve. (more…)