New Delhi: Doctors have believed for decades that the human heart is incapable of repairing itself after the wear and tear of a heart attack. Once damaged,
the tissue was considered permanently damaged. However, a study from Australia is now challenging the long-standing view. Turns out, the human heart can regenerate muscle cells after injury.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when a blockage in an artery cuts off blood circulation to the heart, thereby starving the tissue of oxygen. As heart muscles die, the body patches the damaged area with scar tissue, thereby preventing further damage. The scar tissue cannot contract like a healthy heart muscle. This means that the heart becomes less efficient at pumping blood. Over time, weakened function can lead to cardiac events or even heart failure.
In recent years, scientists have shown that some animals, like mice, can regrow heart tissue as cells of the heart muscle continue to divide after an injury. Human heart cells were thought to lack this ability. However, the new research, published in the journal Circulation Research, indicates that human heart cells can also divide after a heart attack, although the process is limited.
Lead researcher and cardiologist Dr Robert Hume from the University of Sydney said the findings could change how doctors think about heart recovery. He explained that while scarring still occurs, the heart also produces new muscle cells after an attack, opening the door to treatments that might boost this natural repair process.
Readers warn that the current rate of regeneration is not sufficient to prevent serious damage caused by heart attacks. Still, experts are hopeful that future therapy could go a long way in boosting the heart’s ability to self-heal, thereby facilitating better long-term outcomes for patients.
Heart attacks can cause a large portion of heart cells to suffer a great deal. And although the survival rates have improved, citing modern treatment options, many survivors go on to develop heart failure. Heart transplants, therefore, become a definitive cure, but supply continues to be a cause of concern. In Australia, the number of people living with heart failure exceeds the number of heart transplants. This highlights the need for coming up with alternate treatment options that can cover a bigger chunk of affected patients. And if combined with further studies, this discovery could change the way heart patients get medical help.
