Home


Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.
The blood vessels consist of arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins. All blood is carried in these vessels. The arteries, which are strong, flexible, and resilient, carry blood away from the heart and bear the highest blood pressures. Because arteries are elastic, they narrow (recoil) passively when the heart is relaxing between beats and thus help maintain blood pressure. The arteries branch into smaller and smaller vessels, eventually becoming very small vessels called arterioles. Arteries and arterioles have muscular walls that can adjust their diameter to increase or decrease blood flow to a particular part of the body.
2008-07-11

How Can Genes Cure Congestive Heart Failure?  

It is very often that congestive heart failure follows another type of serious injuries to the heart. Until recently, scientists and doctors had no way to recognize the danger. New research on genes and gene times they have a potential weapon in the fight against heart failure failure.

Scientists have at various discoveries about the effect of genes in the detection and treatment of congestive heart failure. A few years ago was discovered that a small percentage of patients had congestive heart failure possession of a failure in the genes that allow the body to detect dangerous Stress signals, in essence, the heart does not recognize that he is acting too hard and is not in a position to adjust.

This percentage may seem insignificant, though, the gene mutation was not found in any of the healthy patients. The researchers stress that this is a vulnerability factor and not as a source of congestive heart failure, but they can break to determine whether a heart suffering from other disease will fail. Detection of this mutation can the doctors to detect and treat patients at risk before her heart deteriorated instead subsequently.

This errors found in the ATP-sensitive potassium channels and is supported by a genetic mutation. The potassium channel regulates potassium and calcium in the body. As the heart requires calcium to work, a surplus of calcium leads to harm. This is the reason why calcium blockers are often waived in patients with congestive heart failure. Fortunately, medications used to open the potassium channel already exist.

In addition, a failure of the delta-sarcoglycan gene in hamsters with muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy. This gene is the cytoskeleton of the muscle fibers, and successful transplantation an everyday human delta-sarcoglycan gene has been shown that a great improvement in these animals. This is remarkable, short-term transplantation experiments require open-heart surgery. This type of gene transplantation is via a virus, making the need for surgery.

Scientists been associated with this system with the help of gene therapy on the need for a systemic function. There was also some concern that the body's natural immune system would by the virus itself successful delivery of the gene, all the same, they believe they've found the best way the virus successfully to slip around the body usual defenses Whilst .

transplanting the Delta-sarcoglycan gene researchers used a type 8 adeno virus attendant, to affix the corrective gene, since he was inserted into the body. Thus the gene to be carried to all areas of the body in animals with muscular dystrophy, without devastated by the body's natural immunity.

Gene therapy is still very experimental, and researchers are still uncertain part of the play, in the fall of congestive heart failure , Although this technology has not been in the past. Continued advancements in technology and medical knowledge about the functioning of the body one day unlock the secrets to cure these deadly complaint.

 

Mark has suffered with a congestive heart problem since 1994 and is now severely disabled. He maintains a website for anyone who wants information on congestive heart problems. More informative articles on Heart Disease are available here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_F_Hargreaves

What next?

You can also bookmark this post using your favorite bookmarking service:

Related Posts by Categories