#physiologists

Physiologist and neuroscientist Nancy Rothwell was born on October 2, 1955 in Tarleton, England. Her research focuses on stroke, inflammation and brain hemorrhage, and her work has contributed to significant advancements in understanding and treating brain damage from head injury and stroke. Rothwell was the founding president of the Royal Society of Biology, and in 2016, was selected to become president of the British Science Association. She is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester, the largest university in the UK.

Happy birthday, Nancy Rothwell!

Physiologists, researchers to discuss factors underlying cardiovascular disease at APS conference

New Story has been published on https://enzaime.com/exercise-heart-patients-recovery/

Exercise Is at the Heart of Patients' Recovery

At 2 p.m. on a Friday, people from all walks of life gather in the waiting room of the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.

A bespectacled gentleman with a walker and a delicate woman in a headscarf, accompanied by her daughter, are the latest to arrive, as another patient laughs and gripes about having to swap her heels for sneakers.

Some of the patients gathered here are in recovery from serious cardiac conditions or heart surgery, while others are at high risk for heart disease. None of them, however, are here to see a doctor. They have come to exercise.

“Cardiac rehabilitation is exercise intended to get patients back to the activities of daily life after a cardiac event,” said Rich Gordon, EP, the center’s program coordinator.

Gordon has overseen the center for 27 years. His domain includes dozens of pieces of equipment designed to pump up the cardiovascular system: stationary bicycles, treadmills, seated elliptical trainers, even a seated stair-climber.

Chrisandra Shufelt, MD, the center’s associate director said, “Our goal is to keep these patients healthy for the long term.”

Research has shown that heart patients who participate in the recommended number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions lower their risk of future heart attacks and mortality.

The center, led by C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, has an impeccable safety record. Each exercising patient is connected to a heart monitor that displays their heart rate and rhythm at a central nursing station. Nurses continuously assess the data in real time, advising patients on whether to exercise harder or back off a bit.

“Our priority is patient safety,” Shufelt said. “We have an expert team of professionals on the floor at all times. Through careful observation, we catch issues early, and I am there to handle any medical problems that may arise.”

Many patients are afraid to exercise after a heart event and need encouragement.

Clinical exercise physiologist, Rich Gordon (right), has overseen the Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center for nearly thirty years. He teaches heart patients how to become active while remaining safe.

“We are teaching patients that it is safe to work out and what a safe level of exertion feels like,” said Gordon.

Shufelt, Gordon and the center’s team of exercise physiologists and nurses collaborate to ensure that when patients move on from the center’s program they can exercise and live confidently.

“I tell everyone to take a three-pronged approach to wellness,” said Gordon. “Exercise is crucial, but patients need to manage their diet and stress levels as well.”

To that end, patients are offered a visit with a registered dietitian who can provide individualized food plans, and a psychologist is on hand for patients dealing with stress.

“Our psychologist teaches patients a type of biofeedback that enables them to control their heart rate response when stressed,” said Gordon.

“What sets the Preventive Rehabilitative Cardiac Center apart is how engaged our team is,” said Shufelt. “Every week the staff has care conferences, and the first thing we talk about is patients who are missing sessions. As a service, a staff member will call to check on them.”

On the other hand, some patients become committed to the center’s program. Even after they have completed their insurance-covered sessions they pay a small fee to keep coming.

Sydella, a graduate student at ASU, and Kyle, an ASU undergraduate, are inspecting a petri dish for signs of infection during an experiment to understand the role of folate in metabolism.

Elyse and Jen, undergraduates at ASU, in the middle of an experiment designed to understand how oxygen affects insect growth rates.

Erica (graduate student at UC Irvine) is tending to her fruit fly colonies in the middle of an experiment to figure out when during their development their growth is most sensitive to the environment.