HEART’SEASE                                                 Richard J B Willis

Not the pansy on this occasion but the proliferation of new treatments to ease the burdens of heart disease.  These range from psycho-social factors to microwaving the heart!  So if you wake up in the morning with the symptoms of heart disease what can you expect from the new range of treatments?  (Recent research shows that it will most likely be a morning call as these emergencies peak between 8 am and 11 am daily no matter where you live):

·         Studies conducted at Manchester Royal Infirmary concluded that having a very close relationship with a significant other person may provide the best protection for people who have had heart attacks – possibly even halving the likelihood of recurrence.  The research findings are in line with a growing body of evidence that social support is beneficial to health.

·         Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine are treating people with circulatory problems by giving them a dose of their own fat!  They are working on the theory that stromal cells found in human fat can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels which will transport much needed oxygen to the tissues.  Using the individual’s own fat encourages the body to accept and utilise the growth factor without rejection.  It is thought that the process whilst slow may be particularly useful for people with the reduced blood flow causing angina.

·         Another technique for restoring blood flow (still at the drawing board stage) is to use a laser to cut a number of fine holes in the heart muscle with reduced supply.  The tiny holes might fill up with blood and also stimulate new blood vessel growth.  If the laser therapy is successful it could replace coronary bypass surgery at some future date.

·         A medical team at the University of Colorado have been experimenting with a new type of pacemaker which has been shown to reduce the likelihood of death from heart rhythm disturbance by up to 36%.  Implanted under the left shoulder, the pacemaker resynchronises the heart rhythms.  Costing around £20,000 per device the NHS has not yet decided whether the therapy is cost-effective.

·         With heart rhythm disturbances still in mind a University of Technology team in Sydney proposes to microwave hearts to 55oC to block the conduction of abnormal rhythms.  Heart rhythm disorders are commonly treated with lower frequency radio frequency ablation in the UK to selectively destroy certain areas of heart tissue.  The microwaves produce deeper lesions and may avoid the complication of clots forming and doing further heart or stroke damage.

Our hearts beat around 100,000 times per day pushing 9 pints of blood every minute through 60,000 miles of arteries and veins.  They need all the help that we can give them, so it makes sense to go straight to the heart of the matter and take care of the organ whence all the issues of life flow.