Symptoms like shortness of breath can often indicate problems not only with the lungs, but especially with heart diseases. Principal University – Prof. Dr. Julia Mascherbauer, head of the clinical department of internal medicine 3 at the University Hospital St. Paulden, reports on common cardiovascular diseases and their innovative treatment options.

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Shortness of breath is an important symptom in both pulmonology and cardiology. It manifests in various diseases including valvular disease, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease and obesity. Recent advances in cardiology provide better treatment options for elderly patients with gentler procedures.

Innovations in interventional valve therapy are emerging, including data on survival of interventional aortic valve replacement (TAVI) and interventional mitral valve repair with the MitraClip. Mascherbauer also addresses balloon dilatation in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and presents new developments in nonprobe pacemakers for arrhythmias. Absorbable stents for coronary heart disease and weight loss injections for overweight patients are discussed.

Around 500 valve procedures are performed each year at the Cardiology Department of St. Paul's University Hospital. Mascherbauer's main focus is on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), which has been established over the past 12 years and has transitioned from treating high-risk patients to wider use.