The Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. But what causes sudden heart attacks or loss of a heartbeat is thought to differ between the sexes. Researchers need donated hearts to test the hypothesis that arteries in the hearts of women are more prone to potentially life-threatening spasms than those of men. Such spasms may foster heart attacks and sudden death.
Investigators also use donated hearts to gain a better understanding of the causes of heart failure in the elderly. Heart failure is an inability of the heart to pump blood effectively throughout the body. There are several theories for what causes heart failure including changes in the muscle fibers of the heart that lessen the force of heartbeat contractions. Researchers need donated hearts to explore this possibility, which might offer new targets for heart failure drugs.
Many drugs for minor conditions, such as allergies and heartburn, have proven fatal to individuals prone to these drugs’ effects on the heart. Consequently, another major thrust of research is to develop a better understanding of how certain drugs affect the heart, and what tests might predict the side effects of new drugs before they enter the market.
Researchers need donated hearts delivered within 15 to 24 hours post cross clamp. NDRI will place hearts from donors of any age, as long as they had no chronic cardiac disease, and did not test positive for an infectious disease such as hepatitis. We will accept donation after cardiac death (DCD) on a case by case basis. Most researchers require an echocardiogram. Flush and store heart in histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution or University of Wisconsin (UW) solution.