Heart Disease

A robust new study has demonstrated how SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can infect and directly damage heart tissue, suggesting heart damage in patients is not due to inflammation but the virus itself interfering with heart muscles.

A new study is suggesting heart disease in mid-life is linked to cognitive decline in senior years. The research found subjects in their 50s with mild hypertension displayed evidence of impaired brain metabolism in areas associated with Alzheimer’s.

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.

New research has found diets higher in foods known to contribute to chronic inflammation can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The research suggests certain pro-inflammatory foods amplify the development of heart disease.

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.

A new algorithm has been developed to detect coronary artery disease solely from patient facial photos. The algorithm needs more refinement but experts suggest there are ethical considerations to resolve before a system like this can be deployed.

Scientists have created the first-ever functional miniature human hearts in the lab. Grown from stem cells, these heart “organoids” are made up of all primary heart cell types, and could help build better models for treating disease.

A pair of new studies highlight the potential for long-term heart complications in recovered COVID-19 patients. The research suggests the virus can damage cardiovascular muscles with inflammation detectable months after recovery, even in mild cases.

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.

It was just last year when a study concluded that a warm bath before bed should indeed help you to sleep. Now, a new study suggests that regular hot soaks may also lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Triglycerides are a form of fat that circulates through the bloodstream, and high levels can lead to obesity and related illnesses. Now, researchers have found a way to efficiently produce a protein that clears these fats from the bloodstream.