ADS
Stem cells could be five times more effective in treating people with life-threatening heart diseases than conventional drugs.A study involving more than 1,000 sufferers of chronic heart disease indicated that injecting stem cells into the heart can significantly increase survival rates after a year.
It found that those who underwent the treatment were less likely to be readmitted to hospital and also had improved heart function.
Stem cells could be five times more effective in treating people with life-threatening heart diseases than conventional drugs
The Cochrane Heart Review Group looked at data involving 1,255 people from 23 trials, where all patients received treatments currently available to the public.
Study found injecting stem cells into the heart can significantly increase survival rates after a year
After a year or more of stem cell treatment just three per cent of patients had died from the disease, in comparison with 15 per cent of patients on standard treatments. Hospital readmissions fell more than four-fold.
The team behind the study noted that the treatment was in its early days. How it works exactly is still a mystery to scientists, although much larger clinical trials have already begun.
Dr Enca Martin-Rendon, based at NHS Blood and Transplant and the University of Oxford, said: 'It isn’t clear which types of stem cells work best or why stem cell therapies seem to work for some people but not for others.
'We need to find out what’s different in the people who aren’t responding well to these treatments as it might then be possible to tailor therapies to these patients, so that they work better.
'This is encouraging evidence that stem cell therapy has benefits for heart disease patients.
'However, it is generated from small studies and it is difficult to come to any concrete conclusions until larger clinical trials that look at longer- term effects are carried out.'
ADS
No comments:
Post a Comment