Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
19.2 Deaths from cardiovascular diseases, WHO, number of deaths globally
per year from different types of CVD by age (highest numbers shown).
are diagnosed each year. Heart failure is usually a chronic disease. That means it
is a long-term condition that tends to gradually become worse. By the time
someone is diagnosed, the chances are that the heart has been losing pumping
capacity little by little for quite a while. At first the heart tries to make up for this
by enlarging, developing more muscles and/or pumping faster. All these are
meant to pump more blood and increase the heart's output.
The body also tries to compensate in other ways. The blood vessels narrow to
keep blood pressure up, trying to make up for the heart's loss of power. The
body diverts blood away from less important tissues and organs to maintain flow
to the most vital organs, the heart and brain. These temporary measures mask the
problem of heart failure, but they do not solve it. This helps explain why some
people may not become aware of their condition until years after their heart
begins its decline. Eventually the heart and body cannot keep up, and the person
experiences the fatigue, breathing problems or other symptoms that usually
prompt a visit to the doctor.
20
The American Heart Association states that
stem cell research offers great promise. It could be used to develop dramatic
new procedures and techniques to reverse degenerative heart disease. For
example, it may help generate new, healthy heart tissue, valves and other
vital tissues and structures. About 128 million people suffer from diseases
that might be cured or treated through stem cell research. About 58 million
of these people suffer from cardiovascular disease.
21
In 2005 biopharmaceutical companies were developing 146 medicines for
heart disease and stroke all of them already in clinical trials or just waiting for
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