Heart

The results of a new study in which fruit flies were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) and back could help develop treatments designed to keep astronauts' hearts healthy on long-haul missions to Mars.

If you were planning to perform open-heart surgery on someone, it would definitely help if you could first do a "dry run" on an exact replica of their heart. Doing so may soon be possible, thanks to a recent advance in 3D printing technology.

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.

Over the years we have looked at many implantable patches that can be used to treat damaged hearts, but a new example developed at the University of Houston is claimed to take these into new territory.

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 has shown depression can be detected by monitoring a person's heart rate over a 24-hour period. The small study needs more verification but it points to a biomarker that could be easily integrated into patient monitoring systems.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New research from the University of Colorado Boulder has offered some of the clearest evidence to date showing how the gut microbiome produces a metabolite that, over time, contributes to age-related declines in cardiovascular health.

When it comes to replacing faulty heart valves, there are two options – a metallic valve, or a biological one obtained from a pig or cow. There could soon be a third and perhaps better choice, though, in the form of a polymer replacement heart valve.