Borja Ibanez and colleagues at the Carlos III University of Madrid in Spain collected details from 811 people who suffered a heart attack between 2003 and 2008. The team recorded when symptoms started and blood levels of two protein markers for heart damage.
The proteins are enzymes that normally stay inside heart cells, but are released when cells die. Rising enzyme levels in the blood mean a lot of tissue has died.
Heart damage was significantly greater following morning attacks . "There's a peak between 6 am and noon," says Ibanez. "People who had heart attacks during this period had 20 per cent more tissue death compared with those who had attacks at any other time."
Ibanez reckons protective proteins called salvage kinases may be responsible. Heart cells in rodents and pigs release varying amounts throughout the day with less produced in the morning. "Proteins that protect human heart cells from damage could provide new therapies," he says.
Heart damage was significantly greater following morning attacks . "There's a peak between 6 am and noon," says Ibanez. "People who had heart attacks during this period had 20 per cent more tissue death compared with those who had attacks at any other time."
Ibanez reckons protective proteins called salvage kinases may be responsible. Heart cells in rodents and pigs release varying amounts throughout the day with less produced in the morning. "Proteins that protect human heart cells from damage could provide new therapies," he says.
0 Comments