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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.
2008-12-22

Victims of Heart Failure Have Chance to Partake in Gene Therapy Clinical Trial  

researchers are beginning the second phase of a clinical study with the aim to relieve heart failure patients of their condition using gene therapy.

The study, known as calcium-Up-Regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiovascular Diseases (Amor), is lead by doctors with the New York-Presbyterian Hospital /Columbia University Medical Center, the investigation of patients' response on receiving the gene therapy drug.

About seven of the nine patients with stage 1 of the study, which determines safe dose ranges and potential drug side effects, "showed improvement over six months."

Phase II of the study, the number of patients who, as well as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that is the therapy to two or three doses with a placebo, "according to a Science Daily News article explained the procedure. About 46 people are to at 13 hospitals in the United States in Phase II.

What is gene therapy?

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) declares that the gene is "an experimental technique, the genes for the treatment or prevention of diseases by inserting a gene into a patient cells instead of using drugs or surgery. "

The NLM also reports that there are a variety of methods of gene therapy, including the following:

* The implementation of a healthy gene copy as a substitute for a mutant Gen.

* If a gene is mutated "properly functioning" gene therapy may be of inactivation of the gene.

* The administration of a new gene, the body in combating the disease can be introduced.

heart failure causes

According to the Science Daily News article, there are about 5 million people currently live with heart failure and heart disease conditions, she continues with a risk of serious injury or death every day. In addition, the article reported that "Heart failure is the only cardiovascular disease whose incidence has been increasing rather than decreasing in recent years."

There are a number of factors, in connection with the development of heart disease or congestive heart failure in patients. The following factors and conditions may be in the development of the disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). These factors can include:

* overactive thyroid

* abnormal heart rhythms

* severe anemia

* diabetes

* severe lung disease

* coronary heart disease

* myocardial infarction

* abnormal heart valves

* heart defects such as congenital heart defects

* heart muscle disease

*

hypertension addition, one of the newest causes of heart failure and heart disease is actually a man-made cause, the development of prescription drugs that pose a risk to the health.

Pharmaceutical dangers

Of the pharmaceutical risks that may increase the potential for individual development of heart disease is that of Avandia. Avandia is a type-2 diabetes drug, was launched in May 1999 by GlaxoSmithKline and has been prescribed millions of diabetics.

Avandia, a part of the newer class of drugs, including Actos, was a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine article for the development of heart failure in diabetic patients whose risk for developing heart failure is increased because of their diabetic condition.

persons who suffered from side effects of Avandia should speak with their medical professional in relation to modify or change medications. Moreover, speaking to a lawyer pharmaceutical May, the necessary legal assistance for an individual to receive monetary compensation in respect of their suffering from dangerous Avandia risks.

Copyright (c) 2008 Katie Kelley

 

For more information on the dangers of Avandia visit http://avandia.legalview.com/ or http://www.LegalView.com/

Here, individuals can also locate information on other dangerous pharmaceuticals including the Byetta risks or the Baxter Heparin recall controversy.

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

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