Earlier Detection of Heart Attack and Stroke To Help Save Lives According to Alzheimer's and Aging Research Center.News Editors/Business Editors BIOWIRE2K SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2003 The Alzheimer's and Aging Research Center today announced that one its award grantees, Dr. Alan Kleinfeld, has developed a rapid, sensitive, cost effective means for detecting heart attacks and strokes much earlier than current methods. Studies show early detection and treatment of heart attack and stroke, within one hour of symptom onset, can reduce mortality by 50 to 90%. Dr. Kleinfeld presented his findings to colleagues at symposia for the American College of Cardiology The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is a nonprofit medical association established in 1949 to educate, research and influence health care public policy. The president for the 2006–2007 year is Steven E. Nissen. [1] The organization has 39 chapters in the U.S. and the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. in 2002. Funded in part by the Alzheimer's and Aging Research Center, Dr. Kleinfeld studies the molecular and physiological behavior of free fatty acids (FFA FFA free fatty acids. ) and their relation to a host of health conditions. Patients with ischemia, diabetes, cancer and other aging-related conditions exhibit elevated levels of FFA, making these molecules attractive targets for study. Whether these molecules play a role in disease etiology or merely indicate their presence remains to be determined. Dr. Kleinfeld's recent results indicate levels of unbound free fatty acids (FFAu) in the bloodstream can be used as an effective predictor of ischemia, the initial event of a heart attack or stroke indicating restriction of blood flow to the heart or brain. Routine measurements of FFA are not performed because they are insensitive, time consuming and expensive. The advent of ADIFAB, a fluorescent molecular probe developed by Dr. Kleinfeld, makes rapid, sensitive detection of serum FFA possible. Dr. Kleinfeld presented his results, "Serum Levels of Unbound Free Fatty Acids Reveal High Sensitivity for Early Detection of Acute Myocardial Infarction acute myocardial infarction (  ·kyōōtˑ mī·ō·karˑ·dē· in Patient Samples From the TIMI II Trial," in March 2002 at the American College of Cardiology 51st Annual Scientific Session. In another study, Dr. Kleinfeld determined FFAu levels can aide in the diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome acute coronary syndrome n. A sudden, severe coronary event that mimics a heart attack, such as unstable angina. acute coronary syndrome (ACS (Asynchronous Communications Server) See network access server. ), an umbrella term used to describe a variety of serious heart disease conditions, such as unstable angina, which often lead directly to heart attack. Dr. Kleinfeld presented the findings, "Measurement of Levels of Unbound Free Fatty Acid Allows the Early Identification of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome," at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in November 2002. Dr. Kleinfeld received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Rutgers University. He held positions at the University of Cologne The University of Cologne (German Universität zu Köln) is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, the largest university in Germany. , Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is a prestigious American medical school located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. and Medical Biology Institute before joining Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies The Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, also commonly referred to as TPIMS, is a non-profit biomedical research institute "dedicated to the discovery of causes, treatments and cures for a wide variety of diseases and afflictions including heart disease, cancer, in 1998. The Alzheimer's and Aging Research Center supports biomedical research to find treatments and cures for Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and other aging-related conditions. The Center fosters scientific collaborations, trains new scientists and provides education to the public worldwide. For more information visit our website at www.alz-aging-research.org. |
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