There has been great excitement in the medical community after the publication of pictures revealing for the first time exactly what happens in the heart during a heart attack. The new technology that enabled this was developed by a team from the Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London. The scientists at the clinic, which is part of the Medical Research Council, were able to use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to capture images of the hearts of 15 patients being treated at Imperial immediately after heart attacks.
The images showed bleeding inside the heart, which later analysis demonstrated was directly linked to the amount of damage suffered by the heart during an attack. This supports earlier research indicating that after an attack a patient may bleed inside their heart muscle once the heart starts pumping again.
Currently, heart disease in the biggest killer in Britain, with one person dying every six minutes from a heart attack. Attacks are caused by the arteries pumping blood to the heart becoming blocked, which prevents blood from flowing and eventually deprives the heart of oxygen. Blocked arteries can be caused by raised cholesterol in the blood, itself often caused by a high-fat diet and poor lifestyle. Experts are fearful that the current sedentary lifestyle of the population, poor diet and growing obesity is leading to a massive increase in heart disease across the country.
Dr Declan O’Regan, who led the research team, said “Our study gives us new insight into the damage heart attacks can cause”. The researchers believe that the information gathered on what happens during and after an attack will enable doctors to better understand the damage that is caused and therefore develop treatments to prevent and cure this.