What is Heart Damage?
Heart Damage is the name given to Heart Failure/Heart attack. These are all conditions that occur when something is wrong with the heart.
Heart Failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood enough blood to meet the body’s needs. In some cases, the heart can’t fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can’t pump blood around the body with enough force. Some people have both problems. Heart Failure develops over time as the heart’s pumping action becomes weaker. Heart Failure often affects both sides of the heart however in rare cases it can only affect the right side. Heart failure is a very common condition. Around 5.7 million people in the United States suffer from it. Heart failure has no cure, however medicine and changes to lifestyle can help people with the condition live longer.
A heart attack is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood is blocked. This is usually by a blood clot. A heart attack can be life-threatening due to the lack of blood entering the heart which in turn can seriously damage the heart muscle.
Symptoms of a heart attack includes chest pains, feeling weak or lightheaded and an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.
Repairing the heart with stem cells
During a heart attack, the blood flow is interrupted by a blockage in an artery.  Without blood, the area of heart fed by the affected artery begins to die and scar tissue forms in the area. This damage can lead to heart failure. A new treatment using stem cells could potentially repair and regenerate damaged heart tissue. Researchers treated 17 heart attack patients with an infusion of stem cells taken from their own hearts A year after the procedure, the amount of scar tissue had halved.