Heart attack

Heart attacks occur when plaque deposits break off of blood vessel walls, subsequently blocking arteries that carry oxygen to the heart. A new imaging process could identify those unstable deposits, allowing them to be treated before they rupture.

Heart failure often requires a transplant of the whole organ. Now scientists at EPFL have developed an artificial aorta that can help pump blood, taking some of the pressure off the heart to reduce or even eliminate the need for a transplant.

Minute differences in the blood pressure between each arm aren’t cause for concern, but there is a point at which variances could represent cardiovascular trouble, and an expansive international study has shone new light on where that point lies.

A phase 2 clinical trial of a cholesterol-reducing drug called evinacumab has reported promising results. In patients with extremely high cholesterol, the drug was able to reduce levels by about half, compared to a placebo.

Heart attack patients often need replacements for damaged arteries. In a new proof-of-concept study, scientists knitted a prototype graft out of hybrid synthetic and biological yarn, helping the patients own cells grow and repair the artery.

New research is suggesting a simple saliva test can detect the presence of a protein biomarker known to signal the occurrence of a heart attack in just 10 minutes, potentially accelerating the speed at which patients can be diagnosed and treated.

Heart attacks are a leading cause of death, largely because damage caused by one can lead to more. Now researchers at Rice University have developed a new way to repair heart tissue and reduce scarring, by implanting capsules loaded with stem cells.

We've already heard about genetically manipulated types of rice that are drought-resistant and antioxidant-rich. A new one, however, could potentially save the lives of people with high blood pressure.

A new study has delved into the impact of gut bacteria on cholesterol levels, detailing the "remarkable effects" of the introduction of a set of molecules that shift the balance of bacterial species in a way that prevents thickening of the arteries.

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.