11/05/2009: Miracle patient revived after 57 minutes
Mass General Hospital physician, Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, attributes Laura Geraghty's heart attack recovery to immediate and effective CPR. Now Rosenfield and Geraghty are advocating for CPR instruction in Massachusetts high schools.
11/03/2009: Mass General experts discuss diabetes
Our physicians discuss the education, management and prevention of diabetes, a condition affecting nearly 24 million adults and children in the United States.
10/15/2009: From stem cells to functioning strip of heart muscle
A team of Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and collaborators at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has taken a giant step toward the possibility of using human stem cells to repair damaged hearts.
09/23/2009: Mass General raises funds to support cardiovascular research
Massachusetts General Hospital partnered with the American Heart Association during the 2009 Boston Heart Walk, an event that raises funds to support lifesaving heart and stroke research.
09/15/2009: Comprehensive cardiac CT scan may give clearer picture of significant heart disease
A team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia - restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue - giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease.
09/04/2009: Cardiac biomarker levels strongly predict outcome of bypass surgery
Levels of a biomarker used in the diagnosis of heart attacks are almost universally elevated in patients who have undergone coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) and, when markedly elevated, powerfully predict the risk of complications.
07/21/2009: At home heart failure care
A new clinical trial at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center gives patients the power to monitor their hearts and change their medication dosing daily to prevent the symptoms of heart failure.
07/16/2009: Monitoring patients remotely
New wireless technology allows Heart Center clinicians to keep tabs on heart failure patients wherever they are
07/07/2009: Meet the da Vinci
Robotically assisted heart surgery is the latest advancement at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center aimed at reducing pain and risk of infection and allowing for faster recovery times.
06/30/2009: Biomarkers’ ability to improve prediction of cardiovascular risk is modest
Measurement of known biomarkers of cardiovascular disease slightly improves the ability to predict future heart attack or stroke in healthy individuals, but not enough to change preventive therapies.
06/23/2009: Common ECG finding may indicate serious cardiac problems
A common electrocardiogram finding that has largely been considered insignificant may actually signal an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, the future need for a permanent pacemaker and an increased risk for premature death.
06/22/2009: Free fun and educational activities for everyone to enjoy
Join Massachusetts General Hospital and MassGeneral for Children medical staff June 27 - 28 in casual, face-to-face discussions on a variety of topics addressing health concerns for people of every age.
06/04/2009: A strongman's second chance
In 2008, the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center completed the most heart transplants in the region. Personal trainer and strongman competitor, Jim Murphy, is one shining example of the great successes of the program.
05/14/2009: Treating heart disease in Rwanda: Mass General team joins volunteer mission
On April 8th Terry Nearhos, RN, Jennifer Neary, cardiac sonographer, and J. Warren Harthorne, MD, departed for Kigali, Rwanda to join Team Heart in diagnosing and treating heart failure patients.
05/10/2009: International study identifies potential treatment targets for hypertension
Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), as part of a major international research collaboration, have associated common variants in eight regions of DNA with blood pressure levels in human patients. Six of the identified regions have not previously been implicated in blood pressure regulation.
04/27/2009: Eat like the Greeks for better health
Experts from Massachusetts General Hospital's Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center and Department of Nutrition and Food Services shed light on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
03/23/2009: Common gene variants influence risk factor for sudden cardiac death
A new study has identified several common genetic variants related to a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. The report receiving early online release in the journal Nature Genetics identifies variants in genes, some known and some newly discovered, that influence the QT interval measured on the electrocardiogram (EKG) performed routinely in doctors’ offices.
03/11/2009: Nutritionist teaches how to shop for heart health
Armed with tips to tackle shopping, nutritionists at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center are teaching patients how to get the most out of the grocery store.
03/11/2009: Cardiac surgery team simulates surgery
Massachusetts General Hospital’s cardiac surgical team is participating in operating room simulation work, a training regimen designed to reduce medical errors by drilling staff in emergent situations.
03/09/2009: Heart disease in women: Dispelling the myths
Misconceptions have created a gender gap in treatment of women with cardiovascular disease
02/17/2009: Creating HAPPY hearts in Chelsea and Revere
A Massachusetts General Hospital awareness and prevention program aims to improve the cardiovascular health of women in Boston’s low-income neighborhoods.
02/15/2009: Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension, finding may lead to new therapies
A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension – a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
02/11/2009: Heart Center celebrates Go Red
As advocates of the American Heart Association's Go Red movement, physicians and staff at the Heart Center offered tools and events to raise awareness of heart disease.
02/08/2009: International study identifies gene variants associated with early heart attack
The largest study ever completed of genetic factors associated with heart attacks has identified nine genetic regions - three not previously described - that appear to increase the risk for early-onset myocardial infarction.
02/04/2009: Mass General pioneers new technology to identify vulnerable plaques
Mass General physicians are using advanced imaging technology, called optical coherence tomography, to identify vulnerable plaque inside the coronary arteries.
02/03/2009: Specialized yoga can reduce cardiac risk factors
Specialists at the Heart Center are recommending a unique type of yoga to some heart disease patients. Designed to reduce risk factors, many patients benefit from this combination of physical postures and relaxation techniques.
01/16/2009: Mass General performs record-setting number of heart transplants in 2008
A record number for the program and more than any other medical center in New England, 28 patients received heart transplants at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2008.
01/16/2009: An unusual place for an aneurysm
Something was very wrong when Steve Leonard complained of intense jaw pain during a root canal. Concerned, his dentist recommended a routine stress test to rule out heart disease.
01/09/2009: In memoriam: Alan D. Hilgenberg, MD
A leader in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, Alan D. Hilgenberg, MD, was an expert in the surgical management of thoracic aortic aneurysms. In 1999, he was named co-director of the newly created Mass General Center for Thoracic Aortic Surgery.
12/23/2008: American Heart Association uncovers gender disparities in heart attack mortality
According to recent research done by the American Heart Association, there are vast disparities in the heart attack mortality rates between men and women.
12/19/2008: Advanced blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks
Study of 'planned' heart attacks identifies markers that could improve treatment, save lives.
12/19/2008: AWARE trial takes aim at chronic chest pain
Physicians at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center are investigating a new tool that could ease chronic chest pain in women.
12/07/2008: Study associates 11 new gene sites with cholesterol, triglyceride levels
An international research team has identified 11 novel locations in the human genome where common variations appear to influence cholesterol or triglyceride levels, bringing the total number of lipid-associated genes to 30.
11/17/2008: Getting to the heart of the matter: seeing arteries in 3-D
For the first time researchers are getting a detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries, using an optical imaging technique developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
11/11/2008: Thanksgiving finds new meaning for patient after heart surgery
Many Americans gather with family and friends on Thanksgiving to express all they are thankful for that year. That tradition will have new meaning for one man as he recalls those who helped him on Thanksgiving Day in 2007 – the day he came back to life.
09/26/2008: Physician receives NIH New Innovator Award
Sean M. Wu, MD, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, recently received the prestigious New Innovator Award from the National Institute of Health (NIH). This is the second year that the NIH has given these $1.5M grants to younger scientists interested in pursuing innovative research.
09/09/2008: Blood test could diagnose heart attacks more quickly
Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.
09/05/2008: Triumphs, losses and pulmonary embolism
Basketball has treated Peter Witts well. A high school basketball coach and school teacher for three years, Witts has experienced the triumphs, humble losses and irreplaceable moments that color the sport. But basketball has also been the scene where Witts discovered a life-changing cardiovascular condition.
09/04/2008: Committed to improving the heart health of Bostonians
Malissa, Wood, MD, cardiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center proudly wears scrubs with the Go Red logo. A symbol of her commitment to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, Wood has made educating women about their heart health her life goal.
08/29/2008: Olympic medical research finds enlarged hearts can be good hearts
GE Healthcare and Olympic medical leaders hosted an event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where Malissa Wood, MD, cardiologist with the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, presented initial findings from her studies of U.S. Olympic athletes.
08/19/2008: An unlikely victim
Kim Farah has never battled high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease. Yet she is a victim of heart disease.
08/19/2008: Cardiac magnetic imaging could benefit ER patients
Sophisticated MRI technology may more accurately diagnose acute coronary syndrome in ER patients.
08/19/2008: The greatest comeback
For 15 minutes this football player's heart stopped. Then he made one of the greatest comebacks our team has seen.
08/19/2008: A miracle, a mystery, and a transplant
Deborah Heffernan uses vivid language, humor and honesty to get her point across, especially when telling her greatest story - the story of a personal comeback.
08/01/2008: New technology keeps heart failure patients healthy and at home
Specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital are now able to statistically identify which inpatients have heart failure and then facilitate connecting these patients to care.
07/18/2008: Mass General "with the guidelines"
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association are recognizing Massachusetts General Hospital for its performance in treating stroke patients using the association’s Get With The Guidelines program.
07/18/2008: Strengthening partnerships in cardiovascular care
Massachusetts General Hospital and Emerson Hospital in Concord are pleased to announce their partnership in developing the MGH-Emerson Hospital Cardiovascular Center, to be based at the Emerson Hospital Center of Specialty Care on Baker Avenue in Concord.
06/28/2008: Heart valve surgery without opening the chest
The Heart Center has joined a clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a novel therapy to replace heart valves using a minimally invasive, catheter-based approach.
06/13/2008: Stress less and relax more
These days stress seems to creep into all facets of our lives, and it's no surprise that it can take its toll on our bodies. The cardiovascular system often suffers when the mind and body are stressed.
06/11/2008: Massachusetts General Hospital ranked on U.S. News national honor roll
The third oldest general hospital in the United States and the oldest and largest hospital in New England, Mass General continues its tradition of excellence today. The hospital is consistently ranked among the top five hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In 2008, Mass General was redesignated a Magnet hospital, the highest honor for nursing excellence awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
05/30/2008: A procedure to repair it all
An aortic dissection caused pooling of blood around Gabriella Browne’s heart as well as complications to her abdominal organs - two conditions that greatly put her life at risk.
05/20/2008: Nurse honored by Boston Globe
In her role as a case manager in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Janice Tully, RN, stands by her patients every step of their stay at Mass General Hospital.
05/01/2008: Program may reduce hospital readmissions
A remote monitoring program can improve the condition of heart failure patients who are mobile and may reduce hospital readmissions, according to a pilot study reported at the American Heart Association’s 9th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.
04/22/2008: Study shows how exercise changes structure and function of heart
For the first time researchers are beginning to understand exactly how various forms of exercise impact the heart. Massachusetts General Hospital investigators, in collaboration with the Harvard University Health Services, have found that 90 days of vigorous athletic training produces significant changes in cardiac structure and function and that the type of change varies with the type of exercise performed.
04/22/2008: Heart attack patient tackles Boston marathon
For the past five months Arthur Manjourides, 66, has been hitting the road every Sunday for a fast walk/run around Boston. Despite the cold and snow this winter, Arthur kept up his weekly commitment with one goal in mind – to finish the Boston Marathon.
04/15/2008: Massachusetts General Hospital recognized for continued nursing excellence
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) formally designated Massachusetts General Hospital as a “Magnet” hospital through 2012. Magnet designation represents the highest available honor for nursing excellence, and in 2003, Mass General Hospital became the first hospital in the state to earn Magnet status.
03/27/2008: Relaxation training may improve control of hard-to-treat systolic hypertension
Adding the relaxation response, a stress-management approach, to other lifestyle interventions may significantly improve treatment of the type of hypertension most common in the elderly.
03/21/2008: Study verifies that cholesterol-associated gene variants can predict cardiovascular events
A study appearing in this week's New England Journal of Medicine confirms that a combination of gene variants previously associated with cholesterol levels does reflect patients' cholesterol levels and can signify increased risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death.
03/05/2008: Creating HAPPY hearts in Chelsea and Revere
In conjunction with the Mass General Hospital Community Health Associates Wellness Center, Malissa Wood, MD launched the HAPPY Heart program in to improve the heart health of women served by the Mass General Hospital Revere and Chelsea HealthCare Centers.
02/27/2008: Intuition and heart disease
Sometimes it pays to listen to your inner voice. As Mary (MacIsaac) Kalogeros, a freelance writer from Massachusetts, can attest, intuition is often correct. For Kalogeros, that inner voice spared her life.
02/22/2008: A healthy heart for all ages
Heart disease isn’t just for men anymore. Although many women don’t realize it, heart disease is in fact the number one killer of American women, more lethal than all forms of cancer combined.
02/12/2008: Hope for patients with ischemic heart disease
Patients with ischemic heart disease, a serious condition that occurs when the heart’s own arteries become clogged with cholesterol plaque, may have new options if they have exhausted traditional cardiovascular therapies.
02/01/2008: Two doctors “dress up” for heart health
The American Heart Association sponsored event gathered Mass General Hospital Heart Center cardiologists Malissa Wood, MD, and Stephanie Moore, MD, local female heart and stroke survivors, and significant others of the Boston Bruins to model the 2008 red Sara Campbell spring line.
01/10/2008: Heart disease - not just chest pain
When Dale Hoppen experienced symptoms of heart disease, she says she felt like she was eating a lemon. Although there wasn’t a sour taste, the most prominent symptom was tightness in her jaws.
01/08/2008: Lack of vitamin D may increase heart disease risk
The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report. The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure, according to researchers.
12/28/2007: Patient investigates the right treatment, right physician
This New Hampshire-based journalist and producer has covered the United States invasion of Panama, terrorism in Peru, and the Ebola virus in Zaire. And in 1991 he produced the first reporting live broadcast from a battlefield. So it was only natural for Adam Mosston to attribute growing fatigue to his work schedule.
12/28/2007: Heart Center celebrates program milestone
Members of the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center's Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Program recently celebrated a program milestone — the 100th alcohol septal ablation.
12/14/2007: Winter risks: cold weather and heart attacks
Cold weather brings snow and holiday cheer, but also a multitude of risks, including risk of heart attack. Before you begin shoveling snow or setting out for holiday festivities, learn about your risk for heart-related conditions.
12/06/2007: Diagnosing heart disease: women are different
The traditional model of heart disease has been based on men’s disease, but women can have different symptoms and different diagnostic findings, and they are certainly offered fewer diagnostic and therapeutic options.
11/30/2007: A rhythm thrown off
James Puzinas, a 47-year-old fine art dealer from Massachusetts, has a rhythm in his life. He spends his days buying and selling American paintings around the country and living an active lifestyle - working outdoors, swimming, bicycling and downhill skiing. When he started feeling exhausted after doing simple yard work, Puzinas’s rhythm was thrown off, but he attributed the heaviness in his legs to age.
10/26/2007: Panic attacks may lead to heart disease
New research suggests that postmenopausal women who have had at least one panic attack may be at greater risk for developing coronary heart disease or stroke. Researchers found that women who reported panics attacks in the prior six months were four times at greater risk of cardiovascular events over a period of five years as compared to women who had not had a panic attack.
10/19/2007: Heart attack patients benefit from new, “cool” technology
After cardiac arrest, the risk of irreversible brain damage and death increases with every passing minute, but the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center is using a new technology to improve the chances of recovery.
09/28/2007: An alternative treatment for high cholesterol
Jeffrey Doucette, 43, of Boston, takes care of his two children, two nieces and works full-time at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And every two weeks he finds at least two hours to treat his high cholesterol with a dialysis-like therapy called LDL apheresis.
09/21/2007: Balancing act–finding a device that sustains life
Denise Mallen says she always tries to find the balance in her life between work, traveling and her loved ones. But at the age of 43 her life balance was thrown off with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy—a damaged heart muscle, most likely caused by a virus.
09/17/2007: Physician honored with 2007 presidential scholar award
Marcos F. Vidal Melo, MD PhD, director of research in cardiac anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, is the recipient of the 2007 Presidential Scholar Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
09/03/2007: Patient participates in triathlon
With a new found sense of motivation derived from the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, at age 51 Anne Elise O’Connor competed in her first-ever triathlon.
08/06/2007: Novel candidate biomarker for heart failure strongly predicts risk of death
A potential new biomarker for heart failure may be more powerful than established measures in identifying patients at increased risk for death from several causes.
06/27/2007: Watchman could offer alternative to medications
A study underway at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cardiac Arrhythmia Service is evaluating whether a tiny medical device will offer patients with atrial fibrillation an alternative treatment to blood-thinning medications – medications like Coumadin or Warfarin that prevent blood clots from forming in the heart.
06/25/2007: Canine companion aids vasovagal patient
Marty Harris’s life is drastically different than it was a year ago – and it’s thanks to her two-year-old black lab, Adele. Since she was a child, Harris had been plagued by an unknown affliction that caused her to faint unexpectedly.
06/06/2007: Healing the mind and body through tai chi
Every morning Dan Petricca, 84, of Everett, MA, has breakfast, goes to church, and takes a two-mile walk around the neighborhood. Even though his morning routine exemplifies a healthy lifestyle, there was a time when Petricca could only walk about 20 feet before stopping.
02/04/2004: Gene transfer allows mammals to produce heart-healthy fats
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have found that tissues from mice transgenic for a gene usually found in the c.elegans roundworm contain omega-3 fatty acids, consumption of which has been shown to protect against heart disease.
04/01/2009: Proto: Dispatches from the frontiers of medicine
Proto magazine, Spring 2009 issue
The Spring 2009 issue of Proto, a magazine that reaches 75,000 thought leaders nationwide, explores new developments in organ transplantation, the relationship between public art and public health, creating stem cells from an unlikely source and the rollercoaster history of hormone replacement therapy.
01/01/2009: Proto: Dispatches from the frontiers of medicine
Proto magazine, Winter 2009 issue
The Winter 2009 issue of Proto, a magazine that reaches 75,000 thought leaders nationwide, features sociable robots, the model organism C. elegans, restorative neuroscience, micro medical practices and an elite set of HIV patients.
12/12/2007: Journeys
View this publication
Massachusetts General Hospital Annual Report 2007
11/11/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Institute for Health Policy
11/04/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Michael Simons, MD, Chief, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, discuss therapeutic arteriogenesis
10/28/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Rodney Falk, MD, discuss marching to a different rhythm: conundrums in the diagnosis and management of cardiac amyloidosis
10/21/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Catherine M. Otto, MD, discuss calcific aortic stenosis: new concepts in disease pathophysiology
10/14/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Henry Gewirtz, MD, discuss an update on quantitative PET for Dx for CAD extent and location
10/07/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Kenneth L. Baughman, MD, discuss peripartum cardiomyopathy
10/05/2009: Heart Disease in Women - 2009 Update
Heart Disease in Women 2009 Update brings together experts in women's heart health to discuss how to best diagnose and treat this population.
09/30/2009: Cardiology Grand Rounds
Listen to Mihai Gheorghiade, MD, discuss acute heart failure syndromes
Advanced research on coronary artery disease
In a segment produced by ABC News, Thomas Wang, MD, cardiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, explains some of the innovative research done on the root causes of coronary artery disease.
Risk factors for heart disease
Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of heart disease and high cholesterol. Learn what you can do to overcome your risk for heart disease.
Specialized care for the cardiovascular system
Physicians from the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center and Vascular Center work together to treat conditions of the heart and blood vessels.
A tour of the Heart Center 
The Heart Center is a multidisciplinary care center made up of specialists from cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac imaging, cardiac anesthesia and cardiac nursing.
