Affairs of the Heart Series, The (4 Parts)

Synopsis

A series of four short scientific video guides on the workings of the heart, produced in November/December 2011 in association with the British Heart Foundation.

THE STORY OF A SINGLE HEARTBEAT - Prof Michael Shattock of King’s College London tells the story of a single heartbeat. How does a tiny electrical signal from the pacemaker cells kick off the tightly coordinated series of muscular contractions needed to pump blood around the body? (10 minutes)

THE TRIUMPH OF HEART DRUGS - Kevin Fong talks to Prof Raymond MacAllister of University College Hospital, about drug treatments that reduce the number of heart attacks. They discuss the uncertainties that still surround how drugs like ACE inhibitors work, and the difficulty of bringing new heart drugs to market.
(10 minutes)

EMERGENCY REPAIRS - Prof Paul Riley of the University of Oxford explains his team’s revolutionary approach to preventing heart failure in people who are at high risk of a heart attack. Currently there is no cure for heart failure apart from transplant, which is dogged by problems such as immune rejection and the lack of donor organs. But by reactivating cells that play a key role in the development of the heart in the embryo, Riley’s team hopes to prime the organ to repair damage immediately after a heart attack.(11 minutes)

HEART SURGERY ON A KNIFE EDGE - Dr Kevin Fong talks to Dr Bruce Martin, an anaesthetist at University College London Hospital, about the hazards of keeping patients safely anaesthetised during heart surgery. Anaesthetic drugs disrupt heart rhythm and reduce blood pressure, which can push diseased hearts over the edge and cause cardiac arrest. Dr Martin also demonstrates a new ultrasound technique (transoesophageal echocardiography or TOE) that can be used to watch patients’ hearts in action. (11 minutes)

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2011

Year of production

2011

Subjects

Medical sciences

Keywords

anaesthesia; cardiology; heart attacks; preventive medicine; drug development

Online availability

URI

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/series/affairs-of-the-heart

Price

free

Delivery

Streamed

Sponsor

Name

British Heart Foundation

Email

internet@bhf.org.uk

Web

http://www.bhf.org.uk/publications/ External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7935 0185

Fax

020 7486 5820

Address

14 Fitzhardinge Street
London
W1H 6DH

Name

Guardian, The

Email

film@theguardian.com

Web

https://www.theguardian.com/uk External site opens in new window

Phone

020 3353 2000

Address

Kings Place, 90 York Way
London
N1 9GU
United Kingdom