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What Is It?A heart transplant is surgery in which a patient with a life-threatening heart problem receives a new, healthy heart from a person who has died. In a heart transplant, the patient who receives the new heart (the recipient) is someone who has a 30 percent to 70 percent risk of dying within 1 year without a new heart. The person who provides the healthy heart (the donor) is usually someone who has been declared brain dead and is still on life-support machinery. Heart donors are usually younger than 50, have no history of heart problems, and do not have any infectious diseases. The recipient and donor must be a good match, meaning that certain proteins on their cells (called antigens) are similar. A good match will reduce the risk that the recipient's immune system will see the donor heart as a foreign object and attack it a process called organ rejection. Surgeons perform about 2,100 heart transplants each year in the United States. More than 3,000 people remain on the national waiting list for a donor heart. At these rates, up to 15 percent of patients on the waiting list will die before a suitable heart is found. Potential donor hearts are located through an organization called the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
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From Health A-Z, Harvard Health Publications. Copyright 2007 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. To make a reprint request, contact Harvard Health Publications. Used with permission of StayWell.
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Chef Meg lowered the fat and calories in this member-submitted recipe, which contains two servings of cooked vegetables per serving!
Lean chicken and a rainbow of veggies are hiding under a tasty, tangy peanut sauce. This is a great way to get kids to eat their veggies.
For a complete meal, serve with brown rice or rice noodles. Don't forget the chopsticks for the kids! It's a great way to teach hand-eye coordination. Slip a rubber band around the top to help them get started.
If you're watching your sodium, reduce the amount of soy sauce, but keep in mind that it will affect the balance of flavors in the sauce.
We used all-natural peanut butter for a fresh taste and healthy dose of real nuts. Chef Meg served hers over rice noodles (95 calories per half-cup serving), but you could also serve this with brown rice.
Full Recipe
