Heart

Computed tomography is nearly as effective as the invasive and expensive surgical methods typically used to diagnose coronary blockages, according to new research by Johns Hopkins cardiologists. The CT scans are almost as reliable and accurate as cardiac catheters - the current standard of practice - in evaluating chest pains and other serious heart symptoms, the researchers said yesterday at the American Heart Association's annual conference in Orlando, Fla. "This is a good way to actually see the blockages without having to do the invasive procedure," said Dr. Julie Miller, who led the study at Hopkins.

These guys are definitely not going to quit their day jobs.But, in an effort to turn their love of music into a charitable contribution, a group of Harford County medical professionals has formed a band called The Arrhythmics, aiming to help raise awareness about heart disease."

It was time for most of Baltimore's heart doctors to follow their own advice and get a cardio workout, albeit on the dance floor at the 1999 Heart Ball.Some 200 area cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, and 400 other guests, not only raised their heart rates, but $180,000 for the American Heart Association at the annual heartfelt fest, held at the Baltimore Convention Center.Jay M. Weinstein, AHA's Baltimore Division board chairman, presented the evening's two honorees, who joined the fight against heart disease from different sides of the battlefield.

MY FAVORITE PLACERekindling an old romanceKim MontagueSPECIAL TO THE SUNParis is thought to be the most romantic city in the world. So why did I go there to heal my heart-ache? Paris and I have had a long-standing love affair. Even before we met, I loved from afar. Through books, magazines and television shows, I saw a glimpse of splendor.I had visited my love in '95 and truly enjoyed my experience. I was lighthearted and free. Paris only seemed to be providing me what I craved.This time, the trip was different because I suffered from "mal coeur" (heart-ache)

When patients come to the University of Virginia Health System to have an abnormal heart rhythm diagnosed or treated, they are told that doctors will be threading thin wires through their veins directly into their heart. They learn that they face a slight risk of infection, or of damage to the heart, lungs or blood vessels from the invasive procedure.But there is one thing they are not told: Although the catheters and wires are labeled "single use only," they might have been used before. They have been cleaned and sterilized, but they have spent time in someone else's blood vessels and heart.

SAN FRANCISCO -- As soon as tinsel and elf tracks were carted away, hearts of all denominations, designs and dimensions exploded from store windows.While I was still throwing out soggy bows and crushed wrapping paper, a force was loosed on the land. It shouted, "Wake up, you dunderhead -- it's Valentine's Day!"In January? Where did I get the foolish notion that Valentine's Day was Feb. 14? I also used to believe that this was a holiday that had a lot to do with telling the person you love that you truly, dearly do love them.

Heart-healthy cuisine and the appearance of two celebrities were among the highlights at the ninth annual Heartfest for the benefit of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.Actress/choreographer Debbie Allen and Earl Woods, father of PGA phenom Tiger Woods, joined the more than 1,400 guests at the Martin's West event. Both are spokespeople for heart-disease prevention. As for the heart-healthy gourmet fare, it was the contribution of more than 20 area restaurants.

The dozen or so children had started early in the week, painting a cheerful mural on the wall in their school cafeteria. The theme: peace, unity and people working together to get things done.Yesterday, two teachers chipped in with finishing touches, helping complete a huge heart, a pink sky, an apple tree, a bench and images of hands holding the world. The result of their work is on display in Barclay Elementary and Middle School in Charles Village."It really looks good," school custodian George Baskerville said.

Charles Brown, 76, the silky-smooth blues singer and pianist who will be been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, died in his sleep Thursday in Oakland, Calif. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure.Brown's suave, sophisticated music deeply influenced artists such as Ray Charles and Bonnie Raitt. He was best known for his songs "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby."Brown's gentle, nuanced approach fell out of favor with the rock 'n' roll explosion of the mid-1950s, though he had a hit in 1961 with "Please Come Home for Christmas."

Wrestler of the YearMatt Pandullo, Meade, Sr., 119 (33-1): With his 4-3 decision over Old Mill's Adam DeCosmo on Saturday, Pandullo accomplished the goal he has aimed for since he first began wrestling in the fifth grade. "Ever since I started wrestling, I wanted to be a state champ. My last year, I got it. I've never felt this good in my whole life," he said, shortly after standing atop the podium over the weekend. It didn't come easy, which is no different from the rest of his stellar four-year career at Meade, where he became the Mustangs' career leader in wins with a 123-17 mark.

At 6 a.m. Thursday, a doctor driving to Franklin Square Hospital Center answered his cell phone and saw the electrocardiogram of a patient being taken by ambulance to the emergency room. The mobile monitor, one of 12 the hospital donated to the Baltimore County Fire Department, simultaneously sent that comprehensive image to the hospital's emergency staff, who immediately began preparing to receive the patient. "We were aware of the case immediately and were able to shorten the treatment time," said Dr. Michael Pipkin, Franklin Square's emergency department chairman.

I felt surprised when I found out that I would be seeing the Dalai Lama at an education summit in Washington, D.C. I also felt a sense of responsibility after leaving Constitution Hall that afternoon earlier this month. The responsibility, in my case, was about ensuring that the content of this conference enters the public dialogue. Marion Wright Edelman said it best that day by stating that democracy is not a spectator sport. And so my democratic responsibility, in Obama's America, is to trumpet that we must ensure that our public schools educate children for healthy minds and hearts.

In an unprecedented feat, British surgeons implanted a donor heart in a dying toddler whose own heart was weak, then removed it 10 years later after the girl's own heart had fully recovered. The technique is unlikely to become widespread because of the severe shortage of pediatric donor hearts, but it suggests that better mechanical assist devices that take some or all of the load off a diseased heart could allow time for weakened hearts to heal themselves. The procedure, reported online Monday in the medical journal Lancet, shows that, "The heart has reparative capabilities that we suspected it might have, but for which we have really lacked a great deal of proof," said Dr. Douglas P. Zipes of Indiana University, a former president of the American College of Cardiology.

Heart surgeon Archie Roberts was speaking on cardiac disease to a group of doctors in 1997 when he felt numbness in his right arm and suddenly stumbled over his words in mid-dissertation. The man who had saved lives with his expertise in cardiology was having a stroke because he didn't follow his own advice and, as a former NFL quarterback, didn't think it could happen to him. It did. In short order, Roberts, 55 years old and 22 pounds over his playing weight of 193, was admitted to Bayshore (N.J.

Tim Myers, an 18-year-old discus thrower participating in the state track meet at Morgan State University on Saturday, took a break from the heat and dashed into the university student center, where a team of doctors from Johns Hopkins Hospital had set up a makeshift heart checkup program. The Elkton teen slipped off his red mesh jersey and lay down on his side as Ken Cresswell, a cardiac stenographer, placed electrodes on his chest. A mix of blues, greens, oranges and yellows pulsated as an ultrasound showed blood pumping through the aortic valve of his heart.

Here's to all the clever high school seniors in the Class of 2009 who were not disappointed in their recent college acceptance mail - because they hadn't even considered applying to Harvard, Princeton or Yale. I just realized that opening paragraph rhymes. Serendipity. After reading a recent front-page story on the academic pressures on (and subsequent crushing rejections of) high achievers in Montgomery County public schools - and having witnessed similar wrenching tales among my children's friends in Howard County public schools - I would like to say to all of you bright, motivated students: Take heart.

opening next friday 17 Again : (New Line Cinema) A disillusioned 30-something gets more than he bargained for when he wishes he were 17 again. With Zac Efron and Matthew Perry. Crank: High Voltage : (Lionsgate) A hitman without a heart (literally) must keep his battery-powered ticker charged as he races to recover his real heart. With Jason Statham and Amy Smart. Sin Nombre: (Focus Feature) Teenagers band together on a Mexican train with the goal of starting a new life in the United States.

The words "perseverance" and "heart" are often used by wrestling coaches when discussing Centennial freshman Nathan Kraisser. Those words have a deeper meaning for his family, however. When Kraisser was 2, doctors told his parents their son had a hole in his heart and needed surgery. They took him to Children's Hospital in Washington, and doctors there cut into his chest, inserted white Dacron velour cloth into the hole and sewed his chest back together. "The day they told me he was going to have to have that surgery was the worst day of my life," said his mother, Kerri Kraisser.

What's black and white and red all over? At the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel last weekend, that would've been the "2009 Heart Ball," the 25th annual fundraising gala for the American Heart Association Mid-Atlantic Affiliate. Its 600 guests were encouraged to add some red to their black-tie attire - a suggestion most took to heart. Event chair Ken Banks greeted folks decked out in a tux and jaunty red patterned bow tie. Interior designer Carolyn Ross looked positively divine in a ruby goddess gown, while her husband, Samuel Ross, the chief executive officer of Bon Secours of Maryland, sported a splash of red over his heart with a pocket square tucked in his tux. "I've got red studs going down the front ... red cuff links.

Heart must be part of budget priorities State Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller says of his strategy to balance Maryland's budget, "You manage it like a businessman manages a business" ("Tough choices," Jan. 11). Given the high failure rate for businesses, we want to propose a better way: Manage the budget with heart. When the heart dictates our priorities, essential needs are met first. But Maryland has lost its heart. It is the wealthiest state in the nation yet it ranks near the bottom in spending on essential services for citizens with severe disabilities.