Heart bank

Heart bank: saving lives with your own heart
It may sound strange, but even after life you can help improve the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. This can be done via the Hartenbank. This is where the hearts of deceased people are stored. They are very suitable for research into heart disease.

How does the Heart Bank work?
Researchers all over the world can use the Heart Bank. They use the stored heart tissue for research. They study how a healthy heart works and what exactly goes wrong in various heart diseases. For example, they are working on faster and better ways to detect heart disease and on better treatments. Michiel Henkens (coordinator Hartenbank):
“There is a major shortage of heart tissue to enable research into heart disease. Heart tissue stored at the Heart Bank can be used immediately for research. The Heart Bank forms the bridge between donors and scientists all over the world. This provides a lot of new knowledge for early detection and treatment of heart disease.”

Who can participate?
If you are 18 years or older, you can register. Both people with a healthy heart and with heart disease can register.

How can you participate?
Would you like to contribute in this way to new solutions for heart disease? Then register as a donor at the Hartenbank via www.hartenbank.nl. You then give permission to have your heart recorded in this biobank after death.
More information about the heart bank -> www.hartenbank.nl