BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 15th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), Dr. Christine E. Seidman will present the 5th Distinguished Lecture in Basic Science on "Genetic Bases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy." Dr. Seidman's presentation will kick-off the basic research program within the meeting, and will provide an update on her outstanding research, which has pioneered the idea that genetic defects are a common cause of dilated cardiomyopathy.
An award for this honor will be presented to Dr. Seidman immediately following her presentation. The three-day scientific meeting began today at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and will also feature late breaking clinical trials, debates, and didactic sessions all focusing on new research advances and treatments for individuals with heart failure.
"We are excited and honored to have Dr. Seidman participate in this year's program," said Steven Houser, PhD, HFSA Scientific Program Co-Chair. "She is an outstanding scientist and significantly adds to the standard of excellence we have maintained in this launching symposium of our meeting."
Dr. Christine E. Seidman is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. In 2005, she was named the Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine. She is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Seidman (along with her husband Dr. Jonathan Seidman) has elucidated genetic causes of human disorders affecting calcium homeostasis, hearing, tooth patterning and most importantly, heart disease. Their work has also uncovered the genetic basis for dilated cardiomyopathy and includes definition of mutations at distinct sites in contractile protein genes, and in titin, phospholamban and lamin A/C, and EYA4. Their findings improve diagnosis and through genotype/phenotype relationships provide prognostic information and aid sudden death risk stratification.
For a complete list of annual meeting sessions or for details on attending the conference, call (617) 226-7183 or visit www.hfsa.org and click on Annual Scientific Meeting. There is no registration fee for accredited journalists. Interview areas will be available on-site in addition to a fully-staffed press room with phone and internet accessibility. You may follow news from the meeting on Twitter #HFSA.
About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened after it is injured, most commonly from heart attack or high blood pressure, and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body's needs. Many people are not aware they have heart failure because the symptoms are often mistaken for signs of getting older. Heart failure affects 4.6 to 4.8 million individuals in the United States. Demographic and clinical evidence strongly suggests that the prevalence of heart failure will increase throughout the next decade. Ten to 15 years ago heart failure was considered a "death sentence;" however, recent advances in treatment have shown that early diagnosis and proper care in early stages of the condition are key to slowing, stopping or in some cases reversing progression, improving quality of life, and extending life expectancy. For more information on heart failure, please visit www.abouthf.org.
About the Heart Failure Society of America
The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is a nonprofit educational organization, founded in 1994 as the first organized association of heart failure experts. The HFSA provides a forum for all those interested in heart function, heart failure research and patient care. The Society also serves as a resource for governmental agencies (FDA, NIH, NHLBI, CMS). The HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to highlight recent advances in the development of strategies to address the complex epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic issues of heart failure. Additional information on HFSA can be found at www.hfsa.org.
SOURCE The Heart Failure Society of America
