Stem cell therapy may help reduce heart failure after a heart attac

New study shows stem cell infusion within days of heart attack significantly lowers heart failure risk and improves heart function over three years.

Heart Attack Breakthrough: How Stem Cell Therapy Prevents Heart Failure

Stem cell therapy reduced heart failure rates by over 50% compared to standard care

Treatment involved injecting stem cells directly into coronary arteries within 3-7 days

Patients showed significant improvement in heart function within six months

Study followed 396 first-time heart attack patients across three Iranian hospitals

Patients with weak heart function who receive stem cell therapy shortly after a heart attack are less likely to suffer heart failure, according to a study.

"The results suggest that this technique may serve as a valuable adjunctive procedure after myocardial infarction - International Research Team"

Heart failure can occur after a heart attack when the heart muscle is extensively damaged, weakening its ability to pump blood effectively.

This can be a sudden complication (acute heart failure) or a long-term one. Symptoms include trouble breathing, fatigue, swelling in the legs, and an irregular heartbeat.

The clinical trial, published by the BMJ, suggests stem cell therapy may be a valuable add-on procedure for this particular group of patients after a heart attack to prevent subsequent heart failure and reduce the risk of future adverse events.

An international team of researchers, including those from Queen Mary University of London in the UK, set out to assess the impact of delivering stem cells directly into coronary arteries (known as intracoronary infusion) after a heart attack on the development of heart failure over three years.

“The results suggest that this technique may serve as a valuable adjunctive procedure after myocardial infarction to prevent the development of heart failure and reduce the risk of future adverse events," the team said.

The trial included 396 patients (average age 57-59 years) with no previous heart conditions at three teaching hospitals in Iran. They had all experienced a first heart attack (myocardial infarction).

Of these, 136 patients in the intervention group received an intracoronary infusion of allogenic Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells within 3-7 days of their heart attack in addition to standard care.

The remaining 260 control group patients received standard care alone.

Compared with the control group, intracoronary infusion of stem cells was associated with reduced rates of heart failure (2.77 vs. 6.48 per 100 person years), readmission to hospital for heart failure (0.92 vs. 4.20 per 100 person years), and a combined measure of cardiovascular death and readmission for heart attack or heart failure (2.8 vs. 7.16 per 100 person years).

The intervention did not have a statistically significant effect on readmission to the hospital for heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease.

However, by six months, heart function in the intervention group showed a significantly greater improvement compared with the control group, said the researcher, while also urging the need for additional trials confirming the finding.

Stem Cell Therapy Reduces Heart Failure After Heart Attacks

A groundbreaking study reveals that stem cell therapy could be a game-changer for heart attack patients. When administered shortly after a heart attack, this treatment significantly reduces the risk of developing heart failure. Patients receiving stem cells showed dramatically lower hospitalization rates for heart complications. This research offers new hope for preventing long-term heart damage and improving recovery outcomes.

https://www.newkerala.com/news/o/stem-cell-therapy-help-reduce-heart-failure-heart-attack-348