Living In A City Center Doubles Risk Of Calcium Build-Up In Arteries
City centre residents who took part in a study were almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification (CAC), which can lead to heart disease, than people who lived in less polluted urban and rural areas, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine. Researchers spoke to 1, 225 men and women aged 50 and 60 years of age, including 251 (20%) who lived in the centres of major Danish cities. Despite the fact that none of the participants showed any symptoms of heart disease, 43% of the total had CAC.
Fibers That Control Heart Rhythm Revealed By 3D X-Ray
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a new X-ray technique to identify tissue fibres in the heart that ensure the muscle beats in a regular rhythm. The new 3D images could further understanding of how the body's heartbeat can be disturbed, which may help medics develop ways to reduce the risk of fibrillation - a condition in which heart muscle contracts chaotically and fails to pump blood rhythmically around the body. The heart needs to pump blood in a regular rhythm to maintain a steady circulation of blood to all parts of the body.
Treatment With Nitric Oxide Led To Sustained Normalization Of Blood Pressure In An ASA Mouse Model
A team of researchers has discovered a treatment for a common metabolic disorder. The study, published by Cell Press in the American Journal of Human Genetics, the official journal of the American Society of Human Genetics, reports that supplementation of nitric oxide (NO) in mice and man afflicted with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA), a urea cycle disorder (UCD), results in long-term heart and neuropsychological improvements. UCDs are genetic metabolic conditions resulting from a deficiency in any of the enzymes of the urea cycle, which takes place primarily in the liver and is responsible for removing ammonia (a toxic nitrogen compound) from the blood stream.