According to the World Health Organisation, congestive heart failure kills more than 17 million people per year globally. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. A range of conditions can cause congestive heart failure, including coronary artery disease and congenital heart defects.
Scientists around the world have been investigating the ability of stem cells to treat heart failure. They hope that stem cells can be used to repair damaged or disease heart muscle tissue, restoring proper heart function.
Bethesda Heart Hospital in Boynton Beach is one of the hospitals involved in a new trial that will test the ability of stem cells to treat heart failure. It is one of 150 hospitals from across the United States that is involved in the study.
Cardiologist Dr. George K. Daniel explains the purpose of the trial, saying: “The goal of the procedure is to improve the function of the heart muscle. We’re looking at the effect of the stem cells to reduce mortality and improve the outcome of heart failure.”
There are approximately 1,165 patents involved in the study from across the country. The researchers are looking for candidates who have had congestive heart failure for at least 6 months.
A spokeswoman for the hospital, Lisa Kronhaus, said of the announcement: “We are honored to be able to support Dr. Daniel in bringing this important study to our community.”
The trial, called DREAM-HF-1 is a double-blind trial that uses stem cells to treat heart failure and enhance the function of the heart.
Researchers will harvest stem cells from healthy allogenic donors, then inject them into the heart muscles of patients. The injection will be performed using a very small catheter. The patients will then be monitored to determine if their heart function improves over the next few years.
Source: Bethesda selected for trial using stem cells to treat heart failure
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