Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise Against Heart Failure

Millions of Americans suffer from heart failure. Gene Therapy may be a new option to solve this problem. Dr. Justine Lachmann who directs the Hearth Failure Program at Winthrop-University Hospital in New York states, "This type of intervention would be the ultimate method to reconstruction of damaged heart tissue so it can be mechanically functional again." The current method of treatment is to change the chemical signals in the body that affect the body but the long term outcomes still are the same. The Gene therapy process would involve transfer the gene into the heart cell and once in place would produce a protein called AC6 which are low in failing hearts, by safely increasing the left ventricular function beyond the optimal heart failure.  This type of therapy has diminished heart failure by 40 percent out of a total of 56 patients. Patients tend to stay healthier after treatment, 29 percent of people that use the placebo method of treatment end up admitted into the hospital a year later, as compared to gene therapy, which is 9.5 percent. The intervention can help reconstruct the original architecture of the heart and almost be renewal of the heart. 

I believe this new research is a break through, with keeping toxic chemicals out of our system. Fixing the heart itself on its own with a little help is better than bringing in outside chemicals that can change our body as a whole. With no device and no drug induction, people would be able to live a happier life and not be admitted into the hospital frequently. Nothing is worse than feeling that a person cannot live a normal life, due to limits of their heart. Maybe in the near future there wont be a need for so much drugs, which will decrease the overdose of prescribed and over the counter drugs. 

Chronic Heart Failure Can Cause Leg Fatigue

In a recent study, The University of Leeds research team linked leg muscle dysfunction and the severity of heart failure in patients. The study has shown that chronic heart failure will cause patients to have decreased leg muscle functions. Doing a warm up exercise will increased the activity of skeletal muscle enzymes that control energy production, however in the study done the more severe patients did not increase as much, showing the negative effect of chronic heart failure on normal functions of the legs.  Doing warm ups helps the leg muscles work better because warm ups let the body know where oxygen is going to be needed, and sends oxygen there to prevent the burning sensation that occurs when your muscles use oxygen incorrectly.