Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 241 posts

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#31

Post by robbiep »

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.

There is no real medical need for an ‘annual physical’ it is a creation of the American medical-industrial complex and creates more problems than it solves.

Having said that seeing a doctor occasionally for blood pressure etc is useful, but the interval for someone young and otherwise not experiencing any symptoms doesn’t need to be annually

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#32

Post by rootusrootus »

throwthere wrote: post #27
ryeights wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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-...

That's an LVAD, though -- isn't that an entirely different beast than an artificial heart, with a different use case?

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#33

Post by _jal »

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…

Welcome to being an adult. People will do all sorts of things you think are not "OK", including people you're attached to. If you have kids, they will, too.

How we choose to deal with watching people do things we think they shouldn't is a matter of character.

I will say that I try hard to listen to people's criticism with an open mind, but people who badger me when they know I have considered their position, well, we tend to spend progressively less time together the more it happens. There's a difference between sharing information and punishing people for not complying, and I see no reason to accept punishment for something I don't intend to change about myself. A second-best fix for the problem, but better for everyone concerned.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#34

Post by throwthere »

rootusrootus wrote: post #32
throwthere wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not always, some are”destination” therapy meaning no transplant planned in the immediate future. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17192-left-...

That's an LVAD, though -- isn't that an entirely different beast than an artificial heart, with a different use case?

Artificial heart is kind of a non-specific term. It covers anything from LVAD, LBAD and RVAD together, ECMO or biventrivular vad. So depends on what you’re specifically referring to but lvad is the most common of those.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#35

Post by mrmuagi »

robbiep wrote: post #31
tommoor wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

There is no real medical need for an ‘annual physical’ it is a creation of the American medical-industrial complex and creates more problems than it solves. Having said that seeing a doctor occasionally for blood pressure etc is useful, but the interval for someone young and otherwise not experiencing any symptoms doesn’t need to be annually

Isn't there catch-it-early type diseases? Like breast cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, etc... that prove this wrong?

The funny thing is, the older you get, you are likely to have some sort of symptom. Such is life.

For blood pressure, I would expand and add general bloodwork for health conscious individuals or people with a family history for certain issues -- diabetes, liver, androgen, heart health markers.. Here in Canada you just need to mention you are interested for health reasons and a doctor refers you -- not sure how costly it is in USA -- but apparently private clinics are a choice to build custom panels.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#36

Post by mrmuagi »

mulmen wrote: post #26
DiffEq wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

> Living is unhealthy.

Tips fedora.

In all seriousness, I think there's obvious medical definitions for unhealthy in regards to addictions, weight, etc. Let's not philosophize some libertarian defense of something that obviously restricts and constricts one's freedom -- the ability to move an inch without your joints buckling.

I can sympathise with you if you have suffered from anti-fat bullying and adopt defensive attitudes in reaction -- but what the hell am I reading.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#37

Post by jpatt »

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…

There are a whole host of heart diseases not spurred on by unhealthy living. Particularly diseases affecting younger folk who would inordinately benefit from a longer lifespan if we got better at transplanting.

As a selfish example, I have ARVC. I was diagnosed at 24 while training for my first marathon. Lifestyle treatments for my disease are to explicitly avoid exercise as it exacerbates the deterioration of my heart muscle. As I age, I expect to be at a much greater risk for the heart diseases that you would recommend "healthy living" for, as I will be categorically barred from one of the most important pillars of that, exercise.

I realize we're talking about the margins here, but as a margin, I would love more advancement in transplants.

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#38

Post by franga2000 »

mrmuagi wrote: post #35
robbiep wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no real medical need for an ‘annual physical’ it is a creation of the American medical-industrial complex and creates more problems than it solves. Having said that seeing a doctor occasionally for blood pressure etc is useful, but the interval for someone young and otherwise not experiencing any symptoms doesn’t need to be annually

Isn't there catch-it-early type diseases? Like breast cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, etc... that prove this wrong? The funny thing is, the older you get, you are likely to have some sort of symptom. Such is life. For blood pressure, I would expand and add general bloodwork for health conscious individuals or people with a family history for certain issues -- diabetes, liver, androgen, heart health markers..…

I've heard many experts talk about issues with "catching disease early", one being that what doctors find might have never developed far enough to cause harm and so the treatment might actually be more harmful.

I don't want to risk trying to explain it from memory since I have zero medical knowledge, but there's a YouTube video by "MedlifeCrisis" about this that also has sources cited in the description. The title is something like "the problem with screening".

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#39

Post by testesttest »

rmellow wrote: post #22
tommoor wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/

A test in the US < $50 and is easy to schedule without having a doctor involved at LabCore or similar. Is that an option in CA?

Re: Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

#40

Post by fredsmith219 »

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.

Having trouble taking satisfactory breaths while laying flat? See a doctor. Feeling out of breath abnormally while working out? See a doctor. Got an Apple Watch? Just for kicks take your ekg. It is crude but can detect abnormal heart rhythms.
Post reply on HN