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Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic

“Searching for a Cure”

A Search For A Cure

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. In particular, heart failure is the fastest growing form of heart disease with over 400,000 new cases diagnosed each year. When heart failure occurs, the heart cannot properly pump blood to meet the demands of the body. The result is that many persons with heart failure need lifelong medications, frequently require hospitalization, and may even die from the disease. It is estimated that heart failure costs the US healthcare system an estimated $10 billion each year

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathies are a group of diseases that are the result of damage to the heart muscle itself. When the heart muscle is damaged, it cannot properly pump blood to the rest of the body, which leads to symptoms of heart failure. Both men and women can be affected, and in many cases, the disease is inherited

Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic

Recently the CU-CVI and the University of Colorado Hospital have developed the Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic. Its aims are to discover the genetic basis of cardiomyopathy and develop better care for patients. We have assembled a team of dedicated and expert doctors, scientists, genetic counselors and nurses to provide the highest quality of care to patients and their families with cardiomyopathies.

Click here to see the Graph for leading causes of death in United States

The First Tasks:

Discovering the Genetic Basis for Cardiomyopathy and Providing Better Care for Patients

The inherited (or “genetic”) forms of cardiomyopathies are important because they are relatively common and may affect multiple members in a single family. In recent years much has been learned about the genetic forms of the cardiomyopathies. We believe that an early diagnosis is important for reducing disease. The University of Colorado Cardiovascular Institute (CU-CVI) has provided services to adult patients with congestive heart failure for many years. Presently in a collaborative effort with The Children’s Hospital of Denver, we are focusing on the inherited causes of cardiomyopathies.

The faculty and staff include:

Dr. Luisa Mestroni – Director of The Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic,

Dr. Matthew Taylor – Director of Adult Medical Genetics,

Dr. Michael Bristow – Head of the Cardiology Division,

Dr. Brian Lowes – Director of the Heart Failure Program, and

Dr. Mark Boucek – Cardiology Division of The Children’s Hospital.

The staff includes: Debbie Ferguson, NP, specializing in heart failure, Jean Lascor, PA, specializing in pediatric cardiomyopathies. At the clinic, a complete cardiac evaluation including family history screening is performed. The clinic is equipped to coordinate genetic testing, therapeutic advice, preventive care and genetic counseling. Our research is supported in part by The National Institute of Health (NIH), the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Because of this funding, we frequently can offerfree screening and counseling services to patients and their families. Free Screening: Medical History and Physical exam Analysis of Family History Tests of heart function. If you or someone in your family is affected by heart failure, please feel free to contact us.

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