The course on Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, organized by AICARM Aps, saw the participation of the best Italian specialists. HCM surgery has made significant strides towards minimally invasive techniques, which reduces trauma and allows patients to quickly return to their daily lives. Clear information becomes important to encourage acceptance of the intervention. The establishment of a register of innovative therapies has been announced.
The calls to the "Hearts in listening" service highlight the via crucis that patients have to face before the special driving license commission. Valerio Pelini, vice president of Aicarm, talks about his experience. The sentence is always the same, taken on the basis of inadequate guidelines: renewal for one year. The Senate's agenda paves the way towards national guidelines, which provide for a different evaluation of different situations.
The actress and singer Giorgia Fiori, a member of Aicarm, was awarded the Margutta Prize - cinema and solidarity section during the XXVII edition of the "ModArt" event, Friday 14 June 2024. This is the motivation: "The Margutta Prize a young actress for her extraordinary talent and significant social commitment." The award was presented to her by Paolo Petrecca, Director of RaiNews 24, in the presence of Prof. Franco Cecchi, president of Aicarm.
The generosity of a donor opened the doors to new relationships and new collaborations. It took a random fact, the search on the Internet for an organization to which to make a donation in the name of a well-known person from Santa Croce Camerina, in the province of Ragusa, to make Aicarm known in Sicily.
In women with different types of cardiomyopathy and who take antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs, there is a risk of maternal or fetal hemorrhages and fetal malformations. For those who decide to embark on a pregnancy it is therefore necessary to request consultation in reference centers in order to carefully evaluate the risk and possible alternative therapy when possible. Here are some recommendations.
In this tax return period, we would like to draw attention to an important opportunity: the destination of the 5x1000 to Aicarm, the Italian Cardiomyopathies Association. The 5x1000 donation allows all taxpayers to donate a portion of their taxes to a non-profit organization of their choice, without additional costs as it is already included in the amount paid.
Adolescents and smoking, the uncomfortable conditions when smoking is often talked about as a vice, but in reality it is an addiction. The tobacco industry exerting a strong influence on politicians, WHO data says that smoking causes around 8 million premature deaths every year. Anti-smoking centers and strategies to stop smoking and electronic cigarettes which are less harmful than traditional ones, but remain dangerous. These are the main topics of the thematic sheet on smoking created by Dr. Mauro Pecchioli, built according to the “Questions & Answers” format. Below are the first seven questions. By clicking on the link at the bottom of the article you can read the other 9.
At the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the first gene therapy for a hereditary heart disease was developed: Danon disease, characterized by the accumulation of glycogen, due to variants in the gene that codes for a protein necessary for the elimination of cell phone waste. The type of gene therapy developed by the researchers consists of the LAMP2B gene contained in a virus capable of entering heart cells. The encouraging results of the research have allowed the experimentation to continue and a further study on male patients with Danon disease will soon begin in Europe. The only center in Italy invited to participate will be the AOU Meyer.
The Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy Treatment course is designed to present the impact of obstruction on the quality of life and prognosis of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. The experiences gained so far with "classic" drugs, such as beta-blockers capable of effectively and safely reducing outflow obstruction and, in some cases, postponing or avoiding surgery, will be discussed. Over the last 2 decades, cardiac surgical experience with myectomy and mitral plasty have significantly improved patients' symptoms and their prognosis. With the introduction of Mavacamten, already available for "compassionate use" for patients over 18 years of age, and perhaps Aficamten in the future, there are prospects for long-term treatment, which currently makes it more suitable for elderly patients and in the future, perhaps, also in young patients, in whom cardiac surgery currently remains a fundamental solution.
Cardiomyopathies are a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle, causing impaired function of the heart muscle and even dangerous complications. Despite the efforts of medical research, to date there is no definitive cure. Research is also focusing on gene therapies that aim to correct the genetic mutations underlying some forms of cardiomyopathy. Informing correctly on the one hand avoids generating false expectations in patients, while on the other it supports funding and efforts of the scientific community. For these reasons AICARM inaugurates a new column which will present the news and developments for the treatment of cardiomyopathies. We will present works that come from institutions and pharmaceutical companies, both Italian and foreign, always with authority and independence from the market, and in favor of patients with cardiomyopathy and their doctors.