New hope for heart patients
MORE than 150 patients in Armidale have been told the body's capacity to repair and regenerate itself through stem cells is the focus of current research into heart disease.
Dr Jason Kovacic, guest speaker at the 10th anniversary celebration of the local Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, said the results for heart patients were encouraging but general practical application was still a long way off.
Dr Kovacic, cardiologist and clinical coordinator of the Cardiac Stem Cell Project at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, said relatively recent research had shown the heart contained its own stem cells.
Trials at the Institute to inject stem cells directly into heart arteries had already been tried on around 20 patients who, as a result, were experiencing less chest pain, needed less medication and were enjoying a better quality of life.
"We are now in the process of designing bigger trials but so far this has only been tried on 500 patients world wide and we still have a long way to go," he said.
"It will take another five to six years of research at least but it is looking very exciting."
At the reunion, organised by the New England Division of General Practice, Drs Astrid Knirsch and Elizabeth Niven told guests that 10 years ago few country centres had cardiac rehabilitation programs.
The Armidale pilot project had been federally funded as a result of local lobbying and since then had expanded to include patients at risk from heart disease as well as those recovering from surgery and heart attacks.
"We have found people respond very positively to the initial 12-week program and many continue after that time," Dr Knirsch said.
"Working in groups helps to keep up the motivation to exercise regularly and make the lifestyle changes necessary to remain healthy and active."
She thanked volunteers Brian Turner, Peter Walker and Dawn Fuller for providing transport to classes for people who needed it, and Hunter New England Health staff who have worked on the program since it started in 1996.
