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cardiovascular sciences
Taking care of hypertensive heart disease Research in the Cardiovascular Sciences Division focuses on identifying substances present in the blood which can help in the early diagnosis of people at risk for heart failure and myocardial infarction, as well as strokes, so that they can be treated in time to prevent complications. Scientists in this division are studying molecules which play a role in the deterioration of heart function in patients with high blood pressure, and in the complication of a plaque in patients with atherosclerosis. The ultimate goal is to guide treatment and to develop new, more effective drugs that prevent or reduce the complications arising from these conditions. The studies are mainly applied to patients with metabolic syndrome, —which has reached epidemic proportions in our society— who are already at high risk for cardiovascular disease. An emerging line of investigation focuses on stem cells harbored in the heart, capable of regenerating large amounts of functional myocardium, which points to new opportunities for myocardial repair in cardiac patients. This division forms part of the European Network of Excellence (VI EU Framework Program) for research into arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Joint projects are carried out with centers such as the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School, the Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Center of the University of Milan, the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the New York Medical College and the Karolinska Institut, Stockholm. |
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