{"id":1465,"date":"2016-03-18T13:25:22","date_gmt":"2011-03-18T13:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=1465"},"modified":"2011-03-18T13:25:22","modified_gmt":"2011-03-18T13:25:22","slug":"repair-kit-heart-j0318","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/repair-kit-heart-j0318\/","title":{"rendered":"Repair Kit for your Heart? Stem Cells Shown to Heal Enlarged, Damaged Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It’s official!\u00a0 A recent study completed by the University of Miami has\u00a0shown for the first time that heart damage can be reversed by being injected with stem cells.\u00a0 The program involves eight middle-aged male volunteers with chronically\u00a0enlarged, low-functioning hearts.\u00a0\u00a0University researchers\u00a0used a catheter to inject stem cells removed from a single healthy donor.\u00a0 While the study is the first of its kind and remains in its early stages, the researchers have already documented a significant reduction in size, scar tissue, and a notable improvement in heart function.<\/p>\n

The results of the study will serve as a beacon of hope for many, as current estimates suggest that over 5 million Americans have enlarged hearts as a result of damage sustained\u00a0from previous heart attacks.\u00a0 At this time, the only treatment options for this\u00a0condition\u00a0are a\u00a0lifelong regimen of expensive medication or major surgery, including a total heart transplant.\"\"<\/p>\n

Even more intriguing is the fact that the patients with largest infarcts (most damage to the heart) experienced the most drastic improvements in both\u00a0form and\u00a0function.\u00a0 Chief researcher Joseph M. Hale\u00a0suggests that\u00a0because the stem cells respond to those areas of the heart which send out a physiological form\u00a0of a “distress signal,” it is possible that\u00a0areas with\u00a0more severe damage send out a stronger signal, thus attracting more stem cells\u00a0to help repair the area.\u00a0 With a higher number of stem\u00a0cells contributing, these patients often see a\u00a0faster and more noticeable improvement in their condition.<\/p>\n

While the\u00a0report\u00a0does have the whole medical community buzzing, Hale\u00a0would like to remind us that the study is still in its infancy.\u00a0 Nevertheless, the\u00a0latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/em> expresses their optimism,\u00a0“Many questions remain, but there is excitement in what the future holds with regard to advances in this field.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s official!\u00a0 A recent study completed by the University of Miami has\u00a0shown for the first time that heart damage can be reversed by being injected with stem cells.\u00a0 The program involves eight middle-aged male volunteers with chronically\u00a0enlarged, low-functioning hearts.\u00a0\u00a0University researchers\u00a0used a catheter to inject stem cells removed from a single healthy donor.\u00a0 While the study […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-health-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t