A new stem cell therapy may soon be available to reduce the death rate from heart failure. New research has found that injecting stem cells directly into the heart may reduce death rates by half.

The study, published in the journal Lancet, found that the treatment led to a 37% lower rate of death and hospitalisation. 126 participants were involved in the research project, with 60 patients receiving the treatment and 66 receiving a placebo. The test subjects were from various hospitals across America.

The procedure is fairly quick, taking approximately an hour. Patients can receive the stem cell therapy and leave the hospital on the same day.

The new stem cell therapy used cells which were extracted from the patient’s bone marrow. The cells were processed in a laboratory and then injected into the patient’s heart. Out of the 60 patients who received the treatment, 3.4% died, 51.7% went into hospital, compared to 13.7% and 82.4% respectively in the placebo group.

Researchers suspect the stem cells are improving the performance of existing cells within the heart. After the treatment they only found a small improvement in heart function. The next step for this stem cell therapy is a stage 3 clinical trial, with more patients.

Heart failure is one of the most common causes of death in the world. Scientists have always thought that the damage that occurs during a heart attack irreversibly damages the heart muscle. Recent discoveries using stem cells have caused some scientists to wonder if heart muscles cells can be regenerated or repaired.

Researchers are looking forward to seeing the results of the next stage of this research project.

Source: Stem Cell Therapy Appears to Reduce Deaths from Heart Failure

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