The many mysteries of the human heart

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Oct, 2007

THE HEART IS THE ENGINE of human life. Beating almost 100,000 times a day, more than 36,000,000 times each year, it endures abuse and trauma with extraordinary resilience. However, as more nations become prosperous and lifestyles change, heart disease has become the world's number-one killer of men and women alike. In the U.S. alone, approximately 3,000 people a day die from cardiovascular disease.

"The Mysterious Human Heart," airing on PBS Oct. 15 and 22, is an in-depth television event from filmmaker David Grubin about the heart: how it works, what can go wrong with it, and how it is treated. The three-hour series follows the true, compelling stories of men and women, both young and old, whose hearts have led them to a brush with mortality. Through these encounters, the most common misconceptions about this unique organ are explored. The programs document the latest scientific and medical revelations--discoveries that have transformed our understanding of the heart and given us new insights into the best ways to prevent heart disease and treat it when it does occur.

A 19-year-old college freshman, a former cowboy in Brazil, a radio journalist, a one-time drug abuser: the only thing these patients have in common is a malfunctioning heart. "Mysterious" introduces viewers to individuals who find themselves on the cutting edge of science and medicine--not only patients, but the doctors, scientists, engineers, and others whose skills and discoveries are prolonging lives.

The program pays special attention to women and minorities, who have their own unique risks and symptoms, but who traditionally have been neglected when it comes to information about heart health. Filmed around the world and shot in high definition, these stories of inspiration and discovery are enhanced and clarified through lifelike animations that provide viewers with an understanding of the inner workings of the heart and the circulatory system. The series features archival footage, powerful dramatic reconstructions, and interviews with many of the world's leading heart health experts.

Each of the one-hour segments focuses on a different aspect of what we thought we knew, what we know now, and what we are on the verge of learning about the heart. Much of the series' impact comes from the interactions between patients and the specialists who are fighting to save their lives--in some cases by venturing to the far borders of scientific and medical knowledge.

"Endlessly Beating" examines the heart as a muscle--perpetually pumping approximately five quarts of blood in a ceaseless circuit to deliver oxygen to every cell in the body. The hour tells the story of the normal heart through the histories of three people with end-stage heart failure, where a pump may be a temporary remedy but in the long term a trans, plant almost always is necessary.

"The Spark of Life" looks at the physiological electrical mechanisms that keep a heart beating regularly and efficiently--and what happens when this most essential rhythm of life goes awry. The program takes viewers from New York to Brazil and into the lives of patients who suffer similar symptoms that actually signal different disorders. The range of treatment options--if not cures--is startling.

"The Silent Killer" focuses on atherosclerosis, the blockage of the coronary arteries, which can trigger a possibly fatal heart attack. The key is to recognize the risk factors that feed the disease and control them before it is too late. This program follows two patients through potentially lifesaving interventions but, ultimately, the challenge is learning to live with a disease for which there is no cure.

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RELATED ARTICLE: The man behind the "mystery".

David Grubin is one of America's most-honored filmmakers. As a producer, director, writer, and cinematographer, Grubin has won every major award in his field, including nine Emmys. His five-hour PBS series with Thirteen/WNET New York, "The Secret Life of the Brain," took viewers into an exploding arena of medicine and science where new discoveries are almost the order of the day. Grubin is the executive producer of "The Mysterious Human Heart," airing Oct. 15 and 22 on PBS. The series is a co-production of David Grubin Productions and Thirteen/WNET New York in association with WETA Washington, D.C.

Q: What drew you to the human heart as a topic?

A: To be honest, after "The Secret Life of the Brain," I didn't think of myself as a filmmaker who specialized in the human body, but then I got a call from Dr. Peter Libby at Harvard, one of the world's most prominent cardiologists, who said, in essence, that, if I did a film on the heart, I would save lives. All cardiologists and heart patients know that information is the key to preventing heart disease and to surviving it, and there's certainly a lot of drama associated with heart disease and the battle against it. So, here was a chance to create an interesting and moving film, and to be of service while doing it....