Cardiology

In a quiet suburb outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, an ordinary Saturday took a sudden and alarming turn for Scott Olson when he began experiencing symptoms of ventricular tachycardia. Central to the care and treatment he'd receive at Mayo Clinic was the precise testing that was done by Mayo's Cardiac Pathology Lab, which uncovered the true cause of his erratic heart rhythm. That discovery not only clarified Scott's diagnosis, but also highlighted the critical role that advanced diagnostics plays in guiding successful patient outcomes.

Jeff Meeusen, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new MI-Heart Ceramides assay helps guide the management of patients with mildly to moderately high cholesterol. The test measures levels of lipids beyond cholesterol that boost cardiovascular risk.

Linnea Baudhuin, Ph.D., and Kate Kotzer, M.S., CGC, describe how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' postmortem genetic tests can provide answers after a sudden unexplained cardiac death. Test results are important for managing family members' risk for cardiovascular disease.

For over two decades, Mayo Clinic has been at the forefront of cardiovascular (CV) genetic testing. The current test menu features 24 different panels that span over 300 genes linked to inherited cardiovascular disorders, many of which are rare and challenging to diagnose. Whereas many labs operate in a “silo” — meaning they take a genetic specimen, test it, and then return a result with limited input — Mayo Clinic takes a much more expansive approach.

Mayo Clinic’s cardiac (CV) remote monitoring service uses the compact MoMe Kardia cardiac monitoring device that yields a continuous, 24/7 stream of a patient’s ECG and motion data, no matter their location. Any troubling or burgeoning events are observed virtually the moment they occur, allowing one of Mayo Clinic’s certified rhythm analysis technicians to intervene and facilitate care in near real time. And this is only the beginning; remote patient services are the way of the future, and the future is already here.

An avid runner and fitness buff, Mark Kocak didn’t think he needed medication for his high cholesterol and hypertension. After coming to Mayo Clinic for ceramide testing, Mark knew exercise alone would not be enough to him on a path toward greater longevity.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Linnea Baudhuin, Ph.D., discusses Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ up-to-date gene panel tests for cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, connective tissue and vascular fragility disorders, dyslipidemias, and congenital heart disease.

From friendly neighbor, to a hero. Darin Kittleson was in the middle of his ordinary day snow plowing his driveway when he decided to plow his neighbor’s driveway, as well. That was when he heard the cry for help. Darin rushed inside as 911 was being called, he immediately started performing CPR, which in the end saved his neighbor’s life.

Jeffrey (Jeff) Meeusen, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) lipoprotein profile available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

This week’s Research Roundup highlights the diagnostic accuracy of echocardiography and intraoperative surgical inspection of the unicuspid aortic valve.

After a long wait, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finally approved the Elecsys Troponin T Gen 5 STAT blood test. Recently, the Beckman hscTnI assay was also approved. These high-sensitivity troponin assays will benefit emergency departments across the country because the results will allow for earlier and faster recognition of acute myocardial infarction, which interrupts the blood supply to an area of the heart.

This week’s Research Roundup highlights the effect of inorganic nitrite versus a placebo on exercise capacity among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

High-sensitivity troponin T is a new assay recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This assay is most often used to evaluate patients with possible acute ischemic heart disease, but it also has a variety of uses in the more chronic setting.