Heart attack

The human heart lacks the ability to replenish cells. But now, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern have uncovered a suite of proteins in mice that could be switched off to induce heart cells to begin replicating again temporarily.

Heart cells don’t naturally replenish, so after a heart attack it stays permanently damaged. Cambridge researchers have now stumbled onto genes that appear to trigger heart cell regeneration – and they did so by accident, while researching cancer.

Cardiac patches are designed to help regenerate healthy heart tissue after the injury, and scientists at North Carolina State University have now developed an “off-the-shelf” version they say overcomes some of the dangers of other approaches.

A newly published study from researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston is suggesting irregular sleep patterns, such as inconsistent bedtimes from day to day, can potentially double a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis is a disease where fatty plaques build up in the arteries, increasing risk of heart attack or stroke. But now, researchers at Oxford have found a protein that could be targeted in new prevention drugs for these deadly buildups.

Atherosclerotic plaque-deposits on the inner walls of arteries are a frequent cause of heart attacks and strokes. A newly-developed nanoparticle could help minimize those deposits, as it prompts the body's own cells to "eat" them.

Even if one survives a heart attack, the formation of thick scar tissue can increase the chance of heart failure. Now researchers have found a way to improve the quality of scar tissue in animal models, resulting in improved heart function.

​Considering how important an organ it is, it’s a shame that the heart is so bad at repairing itself. Stem cells are an emerging solution, and now researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Washington have combined heart muscle cells and supportive cells to help mend broken hearts.

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer in the world – and we might have a two million year old ancestor to blame. A team pinpointed a single gene that ancient ancestors lost, which appears to have predisposed us as a species towards higher rates of atherosclerosis than other apes.

The heart is notoriously fragile, having quite a lot of difficulty in repairing itself after sustaining damage. But now, researchers from the University of Calgary have found a previously unidentified cell population in the fluid that surrounds the heart, which seems to help heal injuries.

After a heart attack this vital organ remains damaged, which can eventually lead to heart failure and death. Now, researchers have managed to use placental stem cells to regenerate heart cells in mice, which could lead to groundbreaking new treatments for heart attack victims.

The main risk factors for heart disease are lifestyle choices like a bad diet, smoking, lack of exercise – and poor sleep. That last point has gone relatively unstudied, but new research out of Harvard has found the chemical chain reaction that links disrupted sleep and cardiovascular disease.