Oh boy, I get so darn excited when I read anything about the progress of stem cell research. Yes, you know which side of the debate I sit on. Scientists are getting closer and closer to the use of stem cells to help rejuvenate damaged cardiac tissue!
The two major hurdles that needed to be tackled are becoming a reality…
…via Science Daily- solve two problems in the development of a stem cell heart patch. The first is undesirable side effects, such as arrhythmia, that can result from immature and undeveloped cardiomyocytes being introduced to the heart. The second is the need …read more

Here are a few good links and articles that go right along with our Hearty blog… Have a great Sunday!
We all know that smoking cigarettes increases your risk for heart disease, right? Then why don’t more people quit? Well duh, it is an addiction after all so that makes it more than tough. Researchers have found that the individual differences in brain chemistry can have a profound effect on a person’s susceptibility to addiction, and smoking may predispose adolescents to mental disorders in adolescence and adulthood such as affective disorders like depression. It is a vicious cycle!
Another risk factor …read more

Put that Red Bull down… and the can of Rock Star as well! The “high energy” drinks are not so hot for your heart. This isn’t brain surgery, caffeine raises the ol’ blood pressure thus cardiac issues.
Shortly after consumption, your systolic rate increases by over 7.5% and diastolic raises 7% and heart rate is up 7-10 beats per minute. And why is this? Here ya go…
Most energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine and taurine, an amino acid also found in protein-containing foods such as meats and fish. Both have had effects on heart function and blood pressure in …read more

Researcher’s at UT Southwestern Medical Center are studying a new device to treat chronic congestive heart failure. The system uses catheter’s and a very small external pump.
The Cancion System, manufactured by Orqis Medical Corp., is a pump device that is introduced into the body via catheters inserted through tiny incisions in the groin. Once placed, the pump draws blood from the patient’s iliac artery – located in the pelvis – into a small external pump. From there, the blood goes through another catheter placed in the heart’s descending aorta, where it is re-introduced for continuous blood flow.
Thus it will improve …read more

A new “patch” that is placed on damaged portions of a heart can help regenerate cardiac cells after a heart attack and regenerate heart function. This is pretty amazing stuff. Now if we can make the transition from rats to humans we could see a decrease in the need for heart transplants.
“Normally, adult human hearts do not regenerate because the heart doesn’t make more cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) after injury,” explained lead researcher Dr. Bernhard Kuhn, from the Department of Cardiology at Children’s Hospital Boston. “It would be desirable to induce the heart to make new cardiomyocytes after …read more