6-7 Nov Monash Cardiovascular Health Symposium

Join us for this two day symposium showcasing cardiovascular health research across Monash University and its research partners. You can register for either day and if interested in presenting a poster (PhD students also welcome to submit), submit an abstract through eventbrite or submit direct to Dr Simona John von Freyend, via email simona.johnvonfreyend@monash.edu or phone: 03 9902 0005. 

For details & to register: https://cardiovascularhealthsymposium.eventbrite.com

Common infections may increase cardiovascular risk in HIV patients

L-R: Dr James McMahon, Dr Janine Trevillyan, Prof Jenny Hoy
and Dr Norm Roth (GP at Prahran Market Clinic) conferring. Jenny
and Janine are co-authors together with Victoria Berquist, a former
CCS BMedSc(Hons) student, on the paper on CV risk in HIV patients

by Anne Crawford

When human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) erupted more than 30 years ago, the lifespan of people with fully-blown AIDS was short. Management of the disease often meant palliative care.

Now, with effective drugs, the longevity of a person living with AIDS in Australia is approaching that of the general population. But there’s still a gap of some eight to 10 years lost over a lifetime, mostly due to heart attack and cancers. Monash University researchers at the Alfred Hospital are investigating the factors behind increased cardiovascular risk in HIV-positive individuals and what can be done to about them. 

Publication: Rotary blood pumps and their complications in patient management

VentrAssist pump. Image:
Ventracor, Inc.

Ventricular assist devices currently do not have any ability to regulate flow in relation to demand.  As a result occasionally the device may suck down on the internal wall of the heart. This study in five large greyhound dogs implanted with a VentrAssist left ventricular assist device focused on identification of the precise site and physiological changes induced by or underlying the complication of left ventricular suction as a result of over pumping. Various complications are described in the study. The study authors contend that similar complications of manual speed control occur in humans and remain a major unsolved problem in the clinical management of patients implanted with rotary blood pumps.