Stem cell therapy and heart disease
CVDs are the number 1 cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause[1]
An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% are due to heart attack and stroke[1]
Over three quarters of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries[1]
Out of the 17 million premature deaths (under the age of 70) due to noncommunicable diseases in 2015, 82% are in low- and middle-income countries, and 37% are caused by CVDs[1]
Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol using population-wide strategies[1]
People with cardiovascular disease or who are at high cardiovascular risk (due to the presence of one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia or already established disease) need early detection and management using counselling and medicines, as appropriate[1]
What is heart disease?
Cardiovascular illnesses include Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), sometimes referred to as Ischemic Heart Disease, which happens when the blood supply to the heart is low or disrupted. But cardiovascular diseases can also be caused by abnormal electrical activity (arrhythmias), abnormal heart muscle function (cardiomyopathy), or structural defects such as valve or septal defects.Atherosclerosis is the main cause of CHD – a disorder in which fatty substances form in the walls of the heart-running arteries. This leads them to narrow, reducing oxygen supply, causing chest pain that may lead to a heart attack.
The World Health Organization estimates that 17 million individuals worldwide died of cardiovascular disease in 2008[2], and this number is anticipated to rise to 23 million by 2030 owing to the increasing epidemics of diabetes and obesity.
Stem cell therapy research
Breakthroughs in stem cell therapy research may have identified fresh methods to assist damaged hearts. A number of studies attempt to repair or replace the damaged heart tissue induced by congestive heart failure and heart attacks, using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).[3]
As mentioned in the April 10, 2015 issue of the Journal of Circulation Research;
“The idea of using stem or precursor cells has emerged in the last decade as a leading approach for a regenerative strategy to address cardiac disease. In this context, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are lead candidates for cellular therapy not only for heart disease, but multiple diseases characterized by fibrosis.”[4]
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