P. van der Meer

Iron deficiency impairs contractility of human cardiomyocytes through decreased mitochondrial function

Iron deficiency is common in patients with heart failure and associated with a poor cardiac function and higher mortality. How iron deficiency impairs cardiac function on a cellular level in the human setting is unknown. This study aims to determine the direct effects of iron deficiency and iron repletion on human cardiomyocytes.

Cardio-Oncology: Progress in Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac Dysfunction

Treatment for cancer has improved in the last decades, resulting in a significantly reduced morbidity and mortality. 1-3 Unfortunately, many systemic treatment options are associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiac effects. 4 These adverse cardiac effects have given rise to the field of cardiooncology. This review summarizes recent findings related to the pathophysiology and treatment of drug-induced cardiac dysfunction in cancer treatment and looks ahead at new developments in the field.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy: Euro Observational Research Program

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare but potentially life-threatening form of heart failure affecting women late in pregnancy or in the first months after delivery. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is difficult to diagnose and its onset and progression are variable between individuals. The pathophysiology remains poorly understood, hence treatment options are limited and possibly harmful to the foetus. Furthermore, geographical incidence varies greatly and little is known about the incidence in Western countries. To gain further understanding of the pathophysiology and incidence of peripartum cardiomyopathy, the European Society of Cardiology initiated a study group to implement a registry. This review provides an overview of current insights into peripartum cardiomyopathy, highlights the need for such a registry and provides information about this Euro Observational Research Program.

Cardiomyopathy in epidermolysis bullosa simplex patients with mutations in the KLHL24 gene

Dominant mutations in the KLHL24 gene, encoding for kelch-like protein 24, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS). So far, 26 patients from different ethnicities have been reported and all of them harboured a heterozygous KLHL24 start-codon mutation, with c.1A>G;p.Met1? being the most prevalent.1-3 Through this report, we aimed to expand the phenotypic spectrum by incorporating additional findings, in particular, dilated cardiomyopathy, seen in a Dutch family. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Heart Failure after Myocardial Infarction—Benefit beyond Hemoglobin from Erythropoietin Erythropoietin Induces Neovascularization and Improves Cardiac Function in Rats with Heart Failure after Myocardial Infarction

Despite a great deal of recent progress in the treatment of heart failure ([1][1]), the prognosis of this condition continues to be poor and new approaches to its treatment are most welcome. One such new approach was originally based on the recognition that anemia is a strong predictor of outcome ([