Scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating whether a simple squeeze on an arm can protect heart muscle from life-threatening damage following a heart attack.
The technique, called conditioning, is being investigated by Dr Sadat Edroos, a postgraduate researcher from the University's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, to determine its effectiveness at protecting the heart of people with cardiovascular disease. This technique promises to reduce the damage to the heart that occurs after a heart attack by as much as a quarter, which would have significant beneficial implications for patients' long term survival and wellbeing.
The method of conditioning is based on the observation that temporarily stopping the blood supply to a muscle makes it resistant to further damage. However protection from one muscle may be transferred elsewhere through the blood stream to another. Squeezing an arm for a few minutes can shield the heart, reducing the extent of damage after a heart attack.
Dr Sadat Edroos says, “This work, in conjunction with other studies published in the past two years, is creating a compelling argument for the application of this technique to clinical use. I hope that by the end of the decade this simple, cheap, safe and effective tool will be in use across the country."
Dr Edroos' investigations, which are funded by the newly established NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Cardiovascular Disease, will also include studies of the potential benefit of this treatment in patients who have diabetes or high cholesterol, as these are at higher risk of damage to the heart. He will also look at the differences between men and women as early results suggest there may be gender differences in the response to this treatment.
Heart attacks are the major cause of premature death in England, with massive implications for survival and costs of long-term health care.
