When a recording of the electrical activity of the heart, or an electrocardiogram, is made, the time required for the heart to recharge is called the QT interval. About 25,000 people in the United States, and about 2,000 people in Kentucky, have long QT syndrome, which causes the QT interval to be longer than usual. Individuals with a long QT interval are more vulnerable to an abnormal, rapid heart rhythm called torsades de pointes. When this occurs, it can lead to a condition where the heart cannot pump out blood, causing unconsciousness and, possibly, death. People may live to be 100 with this disorder, or it may cause death in infancy.
Many people never develop any symptoms while some have many episodes over many years.
Mason is leading a international clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, with participating medical centers at the University of Utah, University of Rochester and in Pavia, Italy, to test if a simple potassium therapy can control the cause of the disorder. Maureen McArthur UK researcher to screen ways to prevent endometrial cancer Estrogen replacement may be culprit in 10-fold risk increase. A University of Kentucky College of Medicine researcher is studying potential therapies to help prevent endometrial cancer in women using estrogen replacement therapy. Estrogen replacement therapy reduces the risks of osteoporosis, stroke and Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women. The increased risk seems to be the result of genetic damage, which is an essential first step in the initiation of cancer, induced by estrogen.