A study by the British Heart Foundation found that in England and Scotland, the average distance to a 24/7 accessible defibrillator is over 1.8km in deprived areas, highlighting alarming health inequalities. Researchers are urging urgent action to improve access to these lifesaving devices.
Research reveals that high blood pressure disrupts artery cell messaging, causing arteries to remain constricted and limiting blood flow to the brain. The study provides a potential route for developing first-ever drug treatments for vascular dementia.
Researchers have developed a test to detect 'zombie' cells in donor blood, which may help increase the number of suitable hearts available for transplant. The test targets proteins associated with senescent cells, which can impact heart health.
A new AI algorithm named CoDE-ACS can quickly and accurately rule out heart attacks in patients, improving diagnosis and reducing hospital admissions. The tool has the potential to reduce misdiagnosis and inequalities in diagnosis across different populations.
A team of researchers, backed by a £30m grant from the British Heart Foundation, aims to develop the first cures for inherited heart muscle diseases using ultra-precise gene therapy technologies. They plan to deploy CRISPR technology to correct or silence faulty genes, potentially delivering an injectable cure within years.
Researchers have discovered 12 genetic regions linked to lacunar strokes, which can lead to long-term disability and dementia. The study provides new hope for preventing and treating this devastating type of stroke.
Researchers at Newcastle University are studying the role of genes in congenital heart defects to better understand their formation and development. By examining the pharyngeal endoderm tissue from mice, they hope to identify key genes involved in forming large blood vessels and prevent potential defects.
Researchers have found a new type of genetic change in people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which can cause sudden death. This discovery will help doctors predict which family members need to be monitored and which can be ruled out from further tests.
A new study funded by the British Heart Foundation measures how sedentary behaviour affects health, particularly heart and circulatory conditions. Researchers analyzed data from 72,000 participants to understand the relationship between physical inactivity, sitting time, and sleep quality on health outcomes.
Researchers found that men's hearts have coarser textures and a larger surface area, while women's hearts have finer grained textures. With age, differences in heart shape decreased for both sexes, but texture differences remained.
A clinical study of NHS healthcare workers is underway to better understand the spread of coronavirus and why some people are more affected by the virus. The study aims to collect samples from frontline healthcare workers to answer key questions about the virus and potentially create individual 'risk scores' for developing complications.
Researchers will analyze a database of anonymized GP consultations and medical records to identify shared characteristics among patients with undiagnosed chest pain who later experience a heart attack or stroke. The study's findings could inform GPs about warning signs, enabling early intervention and potentially preventing many cases.
A new blood test increased diagnoses of women with heart attacks by 42%, but the gender gap in treatment remains. Women were 50% less likely to receive recommended treatments after a heart attack diagnosis.
Researchers developed a 'fat fingerprint' using machine learning to identify inflammation, scarring, and changes to blood vessels. The new biomarker can predict heart attacks with higher accuracy than current tools.
Researchers found that modest decreases in cholesterol and blood pressure can reduce the lifetime risk of developing fatal heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. A long-term reduction of 1 mmol/L LDL cholesterol and a 10 mmHg decrease in blood pressure led to an 80% lower lifetime risk.
Research suggests that statins cause spontaneous calcium leaks in muscle cells, leading to pain and weakness in susceptible individuals. Moderate exercise may prevent this leak and mitigate symptoms, according to the study.
Research funded by the British Heart Foundation has challenged a long-held medical myth that women experience unusual heart attack symptoms. According to the study, both men and women present with similar key symptoms, such as chest pain and nausea, highlighting the need for awareness of common warning signs.
Researchers have found that a combination of heart muscle cells and supportive epicardial cells can improve heart function, allowing transplanted cells to survive longer and restore lost heart tissue. The study offers new hope for treating heart failure with an alternative therapy.
Researchers discovered that widowed men are 11% more likely to die from a heart attack compared to widows, while divorced men with atrial fibrillation have a 14% higher risk. Single women actually have a 13% lower risk of death from heart failure than single men.
Research funded by the British Heart Foundation found nearly 276,000 pregnancies affected by high blood pressure and 223,715 with pre-eclampsia. The study revealed a 45% increased risk of serious heart conditions for women with high blood pressure during pregnancy, and a 70% increased risk for those with pre-eclampsia.
A survey shows a wide variation in UK heart failure care, with some areas having fewer than seven nurses per 1,600 patients. Many services lack administrative support and mental health professionals, despite updated guidelines recommending best practice for diagnosis and management.
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed lab-grown heart patches that are safe for human trials after clearing important hurdles. These patches contain up to 50 million human stem cells programmed to turn into working heart muscle, potentially curing debilitating heart failure.
A new blood test that measures multiple proteins could provide a more accurate diagnosis of heart failure, allowing for earlier treatment and improved outcomes. Researchers are now collecting further samples to confirm the accuracy of this protein-based test.
A new study of 4,803 cardiac arrest patients found that survival rates are unaffected by the day of the week, suggesting that specialist teams working 24/7 deliver consistent care. The research debunks previous claims of a 'weekend effect' in heart conditions, highlighting the importance of CPR and defibrillation.
A study of over 8,000 people in the UK found no association between moderate to heavy coffee consumption and arterial stiffness. The research, led by Queen Mary University of London, suggests that coffee may not be as detrimental to heart health as previously thought.
Researchers develop small capsules from brown algae that hold macrophages, increasing blood flow to damaged limbs. The treatment aims to reduce the need for amputations in people with CLI, a condition affecting up to 60,000 new cases per year in the UK.
Researchers have discovered a potential new drug that can minimize heart muscle death caused by stress signals after a heart attack. The treatment, targeting protein MAP4K4, reduced damage by 60% in mice and has the potential to be developed into an injection for routine clinical use.
Researchers have identified a gene called lrrc10 that may hold the key to repairing damaged hearts in fish. The study found that this gene is already linked to a heart condition in people and could potentially be used to develop new treatments for heart failure, which affects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.
A genetic tool can identify people at high risk of heart attacks early in life, potentially preventing devastating outcomes. The technology uses genomic data to calculate an individual's underlying genetic risk for coronary heart disease.
A unique source of stem cells in blood helps build blood vessels in embryos, contradicting previous theories. This finding brings scientists closer to using stem cells to repair damaged blood vessels and treat heart and circulatory diseases.
Researchers discovered a protein called HIF helps heart cells survive after a heart attack, but its effect is blocked by fats accumulating within the heart muscle in people with diabetes. Repurposed drugs that activate HIF may help prevent lasting heart muscle damage and improve recovery in Type 2 diabetics.
Researchers found that even low levels of air pollution can cause significant changes in the structure of the heart, similar to those seen in early stages of heart failure. The study, which included over 4,000 participants, linked higher exposures to pollutants like PM2.5 and NO2 to larger ventricles and more pronounced remodelling.
Researchers have identified how a new treatment in mice can regenerate the heart after a heart attack by promoting growth of lymphatic vessels and clearing immune cells. This approach showed significant reduction in damaged heart muscle and improved recovery of pumping function.
Research found that major heart attacks were more deadly in the coldest six months of the year compared to the warmer months. The risk of dying within 30 days of a severe heart attack was nearly 50% higher in winter.
New research suggests that regular exercise has a greater impact on blood vessels in middle-aged men compared to post-menopausal women. Arterial stiffness and blood pressure improved with brisk walking, but were higher in women after exercise.
A new blood test using cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyC) can rapidly rule out heart attacks in more people than the standard troponin test, freeing up hospital bed space and resources. The test is sensitive enough to give an almost immediate diagnosis, which could save hundreds of thousands of pounds per UK hospital every year.
Researchers have discovered that a compound found in green tea can break up potentially dangerous protein plaques in the blood vessels, which can reduce the flow of blood to the heart and brain. This discovery could lead to new medicines to treat heart attack and stroke.
A new study published in The Lancet found that regular drinking above the recommended UK guidelines for alcohol could take years off one's life. Drinking more than 5 drinks per week was linked to a higher risk of stroke, fatal aneurysm, heart failure, and death.
A study published by the British Heart Foundation found that premature hearts are less able to cope with exercise, leading to increased risk of heart failure. Researchers compared the heart function of adults born prematurely to those carried to term and discovered a significant difference in blood leaving the heart during exercise.