Cardiovascular Research:Cardiac tissue grown on 'spider silk' substrate ♦ Physical therapy effective treatment for stroke ♦ Eating out = high blood pressure?

Cardiac tissue grown on 'spider silk' substrate Genetically engineered fibers of the protein spidroin, which is the construction material for spider webs, has proven to be a perfect substrate for cultivating heart tissue cells. The cultivation of organs and tissues from a patient’s cells is the bleeding edge of medical research – regenerative methods can solve the problem of transplant rejection. However,it’s quite a challenge to find a suitable frame, to grow cells.

Mental practice, physical therapy effective treatment for stroke A combination of mental practice and physical therapy is an effective treatment for people recovering from a stroke, according to researchers. Mental practice and physical therapy are interventions used to improve impaired motor movement, coordination and balance following stroke. Mental practice, also known as motor imagery, is the mental rehearsal of a motor action without an overt action. Physical therapy consists of repetitive, task-oriented training of the impaired extremity.

Eating out = high blood pressure? A recent study on university-going young adults is the first ever to show an association between meals eaten away from home and high blood pressure. These findings highlight lifestyle factors that can affect hypertension and emphasize the importance of being aware of the salt and calorie content in food, to facilitate better meal choices when eating out

Selenide protects heart muscle in the wake of cardiac arrest  Damage to heart muscle from insufficient blood supply during cardiac arrest and reperfusion injury after blood flow is restored can be reduced by nearly 90 percent if selenide, a form of the essential nutrient selenium, is administered intravenously in the wake of the attack.