Scientists Uncover The Heart Beats to Its Own Drum

Copyright (c) 2009 Katie Kelley

In a December issue of the science journal Cell Metabolism, researchers reported on recently discovered evidence that the heart may in fact "beat to its own drummer."

Scientists from the University of Utah and the Salt Lake Veterans Affairs Medical Center studied the molecular circuitry surrounding the cardiovascular system and found that "a peripheral clock plays a role in the circadian rhythm of blood pressure and heart rate," according to a Dec. 8 news report from Science Daily.

Researchers had hoped to obtain knowledge of the "molecular circuitry within the cardiovascular system itself that controls the daily rise and fall of blood pressure and heart rate," according to Science Daily. Additionally, because of the newfound "drummer" within the heart, researchers believe they can better understand the link between diabetes prescription drugs and heart conditions, side effects; although, additional research is necessary, according to reports from the news.

Additionally, the trend of cardiovascular events in the morning was assessed during the study. According to research, a handful of heart-related conditions occur in the morning and research notes that there is a morning surge of "circadian rhythms of physiology.m. hours.

Heart Failure Causes

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) reported on the following potential causes of congestive heart failure (CHF) including the following:

* severe lung disease

* heart valve disease

* high blood pressure

* heart muscle disease

* coronary artery disease

However, there are other conditions and factors that can influence the development of heart failure, for example prescription drug dangers. The UPMC recently released a list of additional risk factors that may be associated with heart failure development:

* age

* gender

* ethnicity

* family history

* alcohol consumption, chronic alcohol abuse

Prescription Drug Dangers

Their are several prescription drug dangers associated with the development of heart failure including the consumption of a type 2 diabetes drug known as Avandia. The drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) is from GlaxoSmithKline and was released in May 1999.

Avandia may increase the risk of heart failure among type 2 diabetes patients, according to an article from The New England Journal of Medicine. However, heart failure is not the only Avandia side effect. According to a Swedish study, the drug may also increase bone fractures among patients.

If an individual has developed heart failure as caused by Avandia, they may be eligible for the development of an Avandia class action lawsuit. For additional details, contacting a pharmaceutical lawyer may provide the opportunity to discuss a free legal consultation.


------

To learn more about an Avandia lawsuit, visit http://avandia.legalview.com or http://www.LegalView.com/ . Additionally, readers can obtain more information on other controversial pharmaceutical drugs such as the Singulair dangers and the potential for a Chantix recall.