Preventing Heart Attacks


A recent study published in the journal Physical Biology found that a new medical test looking for rare cells in the blood could predict which patients are at a higher risk of suffering a heart attack.

The exam measures circulating endothelial cells in the bloodstream, which normally line the blood vessel’s interior. Peter Kuhn, study co-author and cell biologist at Scripps Research Institute, noted that being able to measure and characterize these in the blood in specific populations is an excellent method for early intervention.

Kuhn and fellow investigators looked at blood samples from 79 patients who’d recently had a heart attack as well as 25 healthy individuals and seven who were undergoing vascular disease treatment. The tests identified the endothelial cells circulating by the morphological features and reactions to specific antibodies and showed the cell levels are much higher in heart attack patients. These men and women can have an average of 20 more endothelial cells in a milliliter of blood.

After an older man or woman does have a heart attack, senior care services can provide assistance for those in recovery who wish to regain their health in the comfort of their own homes.