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Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

bbc.com

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Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#21

Post by nonrandomstring »

slowhand09 wrote: post #5

My friend was a member of the transplant team at Johns Hopkins. "They" said he was near multiple organ failure prior to the transplant. And he survived significantly longer than expected. Recovery under those circumstances was a very long shot already. Kudos to him for undergoing the procedure, and furthering the research. Condolences to he and his family.

It's an amazing story of which your friend must be tremedously proud. Now that it's been done, no doubt the results will improve. What an amazing time to be alive seeing these leaps in medicine. I think the pandemic has, in part, really made biology and medicine super cool again.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#22

Post by rmellow »

tommoor wrote: post #19
melling wrote: post #2

“Currently 17 people die every day in the US waiting for a transplant, with more than 100,000 reportedly on the waiting list.” David Bennett was only 57. Heart disease, and related issues are a big problem. While I’m hopeful for this technology, I wish there was a way for people to see heart issues coming much earlier in life so they can attempt to treat, or delay, the problem.

To everyone that reads this: If you've not had a checkup in the last year go and get one! It'll be included on your health insurance and the blood draw will include things like if you have high cholesterol.

In the US I presume?

Canadians have a harder time...

In Canada/Ontario, you have to convince your doctor to give you a cholesterol test, e.g. family history. It won't be done preventively [1].

Even if you manage to get tested, if you're under 40 the doctor won't care and there will be no followup.

[1] https://exechealth.ca/ontario-drops-annual-physicals/

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#23

Post by msrenee »

momenti wrote: post #17
Supermancho wrote: post #3

He lasted 2 months. For reference, artificial hearts generally do 130 days - (2018) https://syncardia.com/patients/media/blog/2018/08/seven-thin... with some notable outliers that live for years, and human to human transplant is about 9 years. Usually it's some related systemic problem that kills you under these conditions eg consistent brain clotting causing stroke or organ failure due to drug cocktails.

Heart transplant recipients survive 15 years on average: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_transplantation

The Wikipedia page cites a documentary as the source, which may be correct, but doesn't seem like an appropriate source. Here's a paper that I skimmed the abstract of claiming ~9 years:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15280687/

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#25

Post by ejb999 »

DiffEq wrote: post #20
idontknowifican wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

your view indicates a lack of empathy for folks that live differently than you

I don't mean to be callous by this comment but if you mean "live differently" as living unhealthy well I have a problem with this. People that live in unhealthy ways cause all sorts of grief to others as well as financial loss. It is not right that I have to pay for people that decide to essentially eat themselves to death; it is not right that my wife and I had to care for my mother for months because she decided to…

I agree - people need to be able to be called out when they are making bad decisions - especially w/regards to their health, and they especially should be called out by their health care providers - many doctors these days won't even broach the subject of a patient's weight, for fear of offending them - and I have seen patients file formal complaints against doctors when the doctor notes in their chart that the patient 'is obese'. It is right to tell them they are obese and it is right to encourage people to live healthier - how can you be a health care provider and not be allowed to call out people who are eating themselves to death?

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#26

Post by mulmen »

DiffEq wrote: post #20
idontknowifican wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

your view indicates a lack of empathy for folks that live differently than you

I don't mean to be callous by this comment but if you mean "live differently" as living unhealthy well I have a problem with this. People that live in unhealthy ways cause all sorts of grief to others as well as financial loss. It is not right that I have to pay for people that decide to essentially eat themselves to death; it is not right that my wife and I had to care for my mother for months because she decided to…

Living is unhealthy. It’s universally fatal. In a free society we (should) retain autonomy over our bodies. This isn’t purely philosophical, it is practical. Who decides what is healthy? What if they are wrong?

How many eggs should I eat today to meet your personal definition of healthy living? And what do I do when it differs from someone else?

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#27

Post by throwthere »

ryeights wrote: post #7
Supermancho wrote: post #3

He lasted 2 months. For reference, artificial hearts generally do 130 days - (2018) https://syncardia.com/patients/media/blog/2018/08/seven-thin... with some notable outliers that live for years, and human to human transplant is about 9 years. Usually it's some related systemic problem that kills you under these conditions eg consistent brain clotting causing stroke or organ failure due to drug cocktails.

Wow, that's not great. I take it these are meant to be used as a stopgap before an actual transplant?

Not always, some are”destination” therapy meaning no transplant planned in the immediate future.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17192-left-...

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#28

Post by verisimi »

slowhand09 wrote: post #5

My friend was a member of the transplant team at Johns Hopkins. "They" said he was near multiple organ failure prior to the transplant. And he survived significantly longer than expected. Recovery under those circumstances was a very long shot already. Kudos to him for undergoing the procedure, and furthering the research. Condolences to he and his family.

No post body was provided.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#30

Post by nradov »

tommoor wrote: post #19
melling wrote: post #2

“Currently 17 people die every day in the US waiting for a transplant, with more than 100,000 reportedly on the waiting list.” David Bennett was only 57. Heart disease, and related issues are a big problem. While I’m hopeful for this technology, I wish there was a way for people to see heart issues coming much earlier in life so they can attempt to treat, or delay, the problem.

To everyone that reads this: If you've not had a checkup in the last year go and get one! It'll be included on your health insurance and the blood draw will include things like if you have high cholesterol.

Annual checkups are not justified from an evidence-based medicine perspective for most healthy adults. They don't produce better outcomes.

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-the-annual-physical-unne...

Annual checkups aren't necessarily fully covered by health insurance plans. However, other preventative care services are.

https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/preventive-care-benefits...

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