Heart drug to treat respiratory failure?
Friday 23rd September 2011
A heart drug could offer a possible treatment for respiratory failure patients.
Treatment with levosimendan, a calcium-sensitising drug, could be effective in improving muscle function in individuals with respiratory muscle weakness, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The drug increases the sensitivity of muscle tissue to calcium, thereby improving its ability to contract.
It is typically prescribed to patients with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.
Dr Leo Heunks, of Radboud University, explained: "We found that the calcium sensitiser levosimendan improves the mechanical efficiency ofthe human diaphragm, suggesting a new, therapeutic approach to improve respiratory muscle function in patients with respiratory failure."
In other cardiac news, psoriasis patients are at a higher risk of death following a heart attack than the average person, according to research published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Written by Angela Newbury
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