February 2003: Cupid's Calling
February 2003: Cupid's Calling
Even before the first of February, the telltale signs of Valentine's Day -- paper hearts, candy, roses, everything red -- begin appearing everywhere in the United States. Although few could tell you the origin of Valentine's Day, everyone from age 2 to 92 knows that February 14th is a special day to say in that special way, "I love you." Valentine's Day has long been a day for romance, hence the heart as its ubiquitous symbol.
Not only is Valentine's Day big business in the United States (it's estimated that 1 billion valentine cards are sent each year, mostly by women), but so is heart disease, as illustrated by these staggering statistics:
In fact, every US President since Lyndon B. Johnson has used this February obsession to bring awareness to the problem of heart disease by proclaiming February as "Heart Month."
These numbers continue to rise despite continued scientific and medical breakthroughs aimed at preventing and treating the problem. A small number are refractory to all therapies, requiring heart transplantation, and I'm taking this opportunity during Heart Month to raise awareness of the national organ donor shortage that continues to grow ever more critical, and to recognize the role that heart transplantation plays in the treatment of heart disease.
As of January 24, 2003, 3902 people in the United States were waiting for a heart transplant, 271 of them younger than 18 years of age. In 2002, 1643 people in the United States received a heart transplant, falling short of the projections that more than 2000 would be transplanted. As for many years, the demand for donor organs outstrips the supply (Figure), and the drama that is the lives of patients and their families and caretakers waiting plays out daily in homes and hospitals across the country.
(Enlarge Image)
And while the solution partly lies with the nation as a whole, healthcare providers are in unique positions to make a difference by promoting organ donation, both in their professional and personal lives. For there is good reason to perform heart transplantation for those in need. The overall 5-year survival rate reported from the 2000 Annual Report of the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network was 69.6%. A few of the milestones in heart transplantation underscore the fact that heart transplantation makes a difference across the life span.
To continue to address the organ donor shortage, the United Network for Organ Sharing will convene more than 50 organ donation and transplantation professionals in Orlando, Florida, from April 28-30, 2003 to discuss donation request techniques and reach a consensus on best practices based on current research. April is Organ Donor Awareness month, so get started early on thoughts and ideas as to how you can individually and collectively help save lives by promoting organ donation.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me at transplantationeditor@webmd.net. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact our customer support staff at medscapecustomersupport@ms.medscape.com.
Even before the first of February, the telltale signs of Valentine's Day -- paper hearts, candy, roses, everything red -- begin appearing everywhere in the United States. Although few could tell you the origin of Valentine's Day, everyone from age 2 to 92 knows that February 14th is a special day to say in that special way, "I love you." Valentine's Day has long been a day for romance, hence the heart as its ubiquitous symbol.
Not only is Valentine's Day big business in the United States (it's estimated that 1 billion valentine cards are sent each year, mostly by women), but so is heart disease, as illustrated by these staggering statistics:
It affects approximately 60 million people in the United States.
It is the leading killer of all Americans.
More than 1 million Americans have a heart attack each year.
Nearly 3/4 million Americans die each year from heart disease.
It is the leading cause of death in American women, claiming the lives of nearly 500,000 women each year.
More than 350,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures are performed annually.
In fact, every US President since Lyndon B. Johnson has used this February obsession to bring awareness to the problem of heart disease by proclaiming February as "Heart Month."
These numbers continue to rise despite continued scientific and medical breakthroughs aimed at preventing and treating the problem. A small number are refractory to all therapies, requiring heart transplantation, and I'm taking this opportunity during Heart Month to raise awareness of the national organ donor shortage that continues to grow ever more critical, and to recognize the role that heart transplantation plays in the treatment of heart disease.
As of January 24, 2003, 3902 people in the United States were waiting for a heart transplant, 271 of them younger than 18 years of age. In 2002, 1643 people in the United States received a heart transplant, falling short of the projections that more than 2000 would be transplanted. As for many years, the demand for donor organs outstrips the supply (Figure), and the drama that is the lives of patients and their families and caretakers waiting plays out daily in homes and hospitals across the country.
(Enlarge Image)
And while the solution partly lies with the nation as a whole, healthcare providers are in unique positions to make a difference by promoting organ donation, both in their professional and personal lives. For there is good reason to perform heart transplantation for those in need. The overall 5-year survival rate reported from the 2000 Annual Report of the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network was 69.6%. A few of the milestones in heart transplantation underscore the fact that heart transplantation makes a difference across the life span.
The longest-living heart transplant recipient, alive and well at age 43, was transplanted more than 23 years ago at Stanford University.
The youngest heart transplant recipient was transplanted at Loma Linda University only 3 hours after being born; that person too is alive and well more than 14 years later.
The oldest heart transplant recipient, transplanted at age 81 at the University of Alberta, is alive and well 2 years later.
To continue to address the organ donor shortage, the United Network for Organ Sharing will convene more than 50 organ donation and transplantation professionals in Orlando, Florida, from April 28-30, 2003 to discuss donation request techniques and reach a consensus on best practices based on current research. April is Organ Donor Awareness month, so get started early on thoughts and ideas as to how you can individually and collectively help save lives by promoting organ donation.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email me at transplantationeditor@webmd.net. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact our customer support staff at medscapecustomersupport@ms.medscape.com.
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