Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Cardiovascula
After several thousand promising tests on different laboratory animals, the main substance of red wine medicine, resveratrol, has now proven its effectiveness for the first time in a study on humans. The blood flow through the arm artery was measured in men and women with overweight and untreated high blood pressure. These cardiovascular risk factors usually affect the artery's ability to respond to stress and its elasticity. In relation to these biomarkers, resveratrol clearly showed positive effects.
In a double-blind comparison, the test subjects took either 30, 90 or 270 milligrams of resveratrol or an ineffective placebo. After an hour at rest and after cycling for ten minutes on the bicycle ergometer, the flow-mediated dilatation of the arm artery was measured at 75 percent of the maximum heart rate.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Cardiovascula
Strokes are more harmless when certain immune cells are missing in the blood. Researchers from the University of Würzburg present this previously unknown mechanism in the journal "Blood".
Every two minutes a person in Germany suffers a stroke. The cause is usually a blockage in the blood vessels that supply the brain. Those who survive a stroke can suffer severe disabilities, such as speech disorders or paralysis. Reason: The brain is damaged because it has had too little blood supply for too long.
The blood vessels are usually blocked by clotted blood. Dissolving these plugs or preventing them from forming in the first place is the top priority in the treatment and prevention of strokes.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Cardiovascula
New insights into the function of endothelial progenitor cells
Obesity disrupts the natural repair processes in the blood vessels of the cardiovascular system. Weight loss can reverse this. This is shown by a research project sponsored by the German Heart Research Foundation - in conjunction with the German Heart Foundation - researchers from Göttingen. It is one of 24 research projects currently supported by the foundation.
The research group led by Prof. Dr. med. Katrin Schäfer from the cardiology department at the Heart Center of the University Medical Center Göttingen, the so-called endothelial progenitor cells. These cells, which come from the bone marrow and circulate in the blood, are known to help protect the inner lining of the blood vessels (endothelium). "These cells come into action when there is insufficient blood flow in the heart muscle, for example, by promoting the formation of new blood vessels," explains Katrin Schäfer, "or they help if the vascular wall is damaged so that it can regenerate again." In contrast, several risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as smoking and increased blood sugar and cholesterol levels, worsen the repair functions of the endothelial progenitor cells.
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Würzburg researchers elucidate the mechanism of blood coagulation
The lack of a key protein for blood clotting, phospholipase D1, protects against heart attacks and strokes without affecting the vital process itself. This is what scientists from Würzburg around Prof. Dr. Bernhard Nieswandt from the Rudolf Virchow Center at the University of Würzburg. The protein could thus play an important role in therapy in the future, because most of the drugs available to date increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeding and therefore make therapy more difficult. The scientists described their results on January 05th, 2010 in the online publication of the journal "Science Signaling".
Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes are the biggest health problem in Western societies. Circulatory disorders in arteries are one of the most important causes for this. These occur when blood vessels become blocked with a clot of blood. Such a blood clot occurs on damaged vessel walls through the accumulation of blood platelets. If these get to a damaged area, they are activated by the vessel wall and change their shape and surface properties so that they can stick to each other and to the wall of the blood vessel. If the blood clot is so large that it closes the entire vessel, the following tissue can no longer be supplied with blood. This is particularly tragic in the heart, the brain or the lungs. A heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism occurs.
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Tests show better performance and greater well-being
Researchers at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered that intravenously administered iron supplements can significantly improve the quality of life of many heart patients. The team led by Prof. Stefan Anker from the Medical Clinic with a focus on cardiology at the Virchow-Klinikum campus conducted the world's first large-scale study on the effects of iron therapy in patients with cardiac insufficiency. He reports on his findings in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine*.
"Iron deficiency plays a role in many serious diseases," explains Prof. Anker. It is known that in the case of tumours, lung or kidney diseases, iron deficiency often leads to anemia. When this happens, the body produces either too little of the red blood pigment called hemoglobin or too few red blood cells, which can lead to physical weakness, shortness of breath, headaches, fainting and insomnia. These patients are often given an injection with iron. "But until now, no one thought of testing the effect of iron on heart failure," emphasizes Prof. Anker. "Our group was able to determine that the administration of intravenous iron not only helps people with heart disease with anemia, but also those whose disease is "only" associated with iron deficiency without anemia."
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Heidelberg scientists explain the clinical paradox in "Circulation" / investigation in an animal model: Deposits in blood vessels are stabilized
"Thick" blood can lead to a heart attack or stroke, but it can also protect against them. Scientists at the Medical University Hospital Heidelberg have for the first time clarified the mechanism for this clinical paradox in an animal model: Mice that tend to clot more strongly have thicker deposits (plaque) in the blood vessels, but these are more stable. This means that there is less risk of these plaques becoming detached from the vessel wall and occluding the bloodstream. The results of the study were published in the high-ranking journal "Circulation".
In principle, the more the blood coagulates, the greater the risk of a vascular blockage. Blood thinning medications protect against these complications. However, clinical studies have so far not been able to prove that an increased tendency to clot also has disadvantages in the formation of new blood vessel wall deposits. Privatdozent Dr. Berend Isermann, Senior Physician at the Medical University Clinic Heidelberg, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Chemistry (Medical Director: Professor Dr. Peter Nawroth), and his team have now found an explanation for this.
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Cardiologists criticize the new guidelines of the Federal Joint Committee on therapy with clopidogrel
On August 20.8.2009, 5, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) presented guidelines for prescribing clopidogrel after acute coronary syndrome with and without ST elevations. While a therapy duration of twelve months in combination with ASA is recommended for patients without ST elevations (unstable angina pectoris and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, NSTEMI), the G-BA sees none for patients with myocardial infarction and ST elevations (STEMI). indication for the prescription of clopidogrel. He made an exception here for patients with STEMI who are treated with fibrinolysis. But here, too, dual platelet inhibition is only granted for the duration of the hospital stay (currently usually 7-XNUMX days), although these patients are usually treated by coronary intervention with stent implantation. This guideline is contrary to all national and international guidelines and endangers the lives of patients after acute STEMI. As data from the recently presented German Heart Infarction Register shows, the vast majority of STEMI patients in Germany are currently being treated with a stent (vascular support). A recently published study shows that the rate of ischemic events is particularly high shortly after discontinuation of clopidogrel, the main risk factor for stent thrombosis, particularly in patients with a recent STEMI and stent placement. Thus, this recommendation would expose many German heart attack patients to an incalculable risk of a reinfarction and/or death.
The distinction in the duration of therapy between STEMI and NSTEMI-ACS is no longer pathophysiologically up-to-date and does not correspond to the current guidelines of the European and American specialist societies. In most cases, both entities are based on an acute plaque rupture and/or coronary thrombosis as an acute event and thus have a closely related mechanism of origin, which in both cases is based on atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels. The professional societies therefore recommend a 12-month therapy with ASA and clopidogrel in patients with ACS, regardless of the initial ECG. The fact that there is no randomized study on long-term therapy directly after STEMI does not mean that these patients do not benefit. Rather, data from the CHARISMA study indicate that dual inhibition is superior to ASA therapy alone, even in patients with a heart attack that happened a long time ago (> 24 months). In addition, German register data impressively show the benefit of this therapy after STEMI. A randomized placebo-controlled study in patients with STEMI is no longer feasible for ethical reasons, especially since the benefits of intensified platelet inhibition could be proven in two large studies recently published international guidelines and not the recommendations of the G-BA. If Clopidogel is discontinued prematurely after STEMI and the resulting stent thrombosis, claims for recourse must certainly be expected.
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Chinese scientists confirmed in an analysis of several studies that the protein building block L-arginine may in patients with impaired endothelial vasoconstriction.
Diseases of the blood vessels and heart are still number one killer in Germany. The protein building block L-arginine has a vasodilatory effect and can thus prevent vasoconstriction. This now confirmed scientists from China, which analyzed several selected studies on the subject. While dilate the blood vessels of healthy people with elevated blood flow to keep the blood pressure constant, such a response in patients is reduced with impaired endothelial function. This benefited in these trials of an oral dose of L-arginine. Thus, their blood vessels fitted within three to six months more to an increased blood flow to, than at the beginning of the observation period. Healthy people, however showed no additional improvement.
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Regular, moderate endurance sports such as jogging or cycling are generally considered to be beneficial for health. It may be different for people with existing heart problems. The physician Luis Mont from the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona reported at a congress in Berlin that marathon runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes are noticeably often admitted to his hospital with cardiac arrhythmias.
More on this in an English-language press release on the congress:
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Result of AFNET FCRO Consensus Conference
Atrial fibrillation is a progressive and increasing in frequency widespread disease. In Germany, approximately one million people are affected. AF increases the risk of stroke, impaired quality of life and is associated with premature decease. But these episodes of arrhythmia can not be reliably prevented by the currently available treatment options, including the modern rhythm-conserving therapy. why experts call for earlier and more comprehensive care of patients with atrial fibrillation. This is the result of an international expert summit.
was organized the consensus conference, which was attended by approximately 2008 70 October Vorhofflimmerspezialisten from academia and industry, jointly by the Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (FCRO). Initiators are the cardiologists Günter Breithardt and Paul Kirchhof of Münster and John Camm from London and Harry Crijns from Maastricht. The results of the conference have now been published in the European Heart Journal (executive summary [2]) and in Euro Pace Journal (full paper [1]) and presented at the Euro Pace Congress in Berlin.
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More exercise and fewer calories: Researchers at the Essen University Hospital have now found out why this simple formula can protect the body from heart attacks.
Demographic change is presenting our society with new challenges: Thanks to improved medical care, mankind in the western world is getting older. With increasing age, however, the risk of suffering a serious heart attack increases. A natural protective mechanism that the heart carries is gradually being lost. But there is also good news: This loss of "cardioprotection", as the innate protective function of the heart is called in medicine, can be reversed - with a very simple recipe: Lots of exercise and low-calorie food get the heart muscles back on their toes.
