Heart structural gene causes sudden cardiac death in animal model ♦ Drugging the microbiome may treat heart disease ♦ Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US

Heart structural gene causes sudden cardiac death in animal model The presence or absence of the CAP2 gene causes sudden cardiac death in mice. In particular, the absence of the gene interrupts the animal's ability to send electrical signals to the heart to tell it to contract, a condition called cardiac conduction disease. Since humans have the same CAP2 gene, what we learn from the mice could advance our understanding of heart disease.

Drugging the microbiome may treat heart disease A first-of-a-kind drug that interferes with the metabolic activity of gut microbes could one day treat heart disease in humans, according to a mouse study. Dietary supplementation with a compound that is naturally abundant in red wine and olive oil prevented gut microbes from turning unhealthy foods into metabolic byproducts that clog arteries

Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US The number and percentage of patients treated at emergency departments for hypertension are on the rise across the United States.

Chances of good outcome after stroke reduced by delays in restoring blood flow Delays in restoring blood flow after a stroke were associated with decreased benefits of intra-arterial clot-busting treatment and reduced chances for a good outcome.

Children's Health: New hope for children with cancer ♦ Children with common allergies have twice heart disease risk ♦ 3/4 of high school heroin users started with prescription opioids

Discovery of X-linked intellectual disability syndrome is aided by web tools It's a genetic detective story with a distinct 21st-century flavor. A geneticist has used powerful internet and social media tools to find doctors and researchers in nine US states and eight other nations to help him confirm, document and describe in precise clinical detail a new X-linked intellectual disability genetic syndrome in young boys that he first came across five years ago.

3/4 of high school heroin users started with prescription opioids The linkages between nonmedical use of opioids and heroin in high school seniors examined associations between frequency and recency of nonmedical use of opioids and heroin.

New hope for children with cancer Children suffering from a cancer of the nervous system could benefit from a potential new treatment

Children with common allergies have twice heart disease risk Children with allergies, particularly asthma and hay fever, have about twice the rate of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, setting them on a course for heart disease at a surprisingly early age. Even when the study controlled for obesity, children with allergic disease had a much higher risk. These children need to be screened more aggressively for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, so they can modify their lifestyles and reverse this risk.

Heart Research: Genetic link between heart and neurodevelopmental disease ♦ Genes linked to stress-triggered heart disease identified ♦ arterial thrombus formation

First outcomes report from novel heart surgery registry shows excellent results for TAVR Four years after its approval in the United States, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) continues to evolve and demonstrate positive outcomes for patients with aortic stenosis, a common heart problem.

Biophysicists develop a model for arterial thrombus formation Biophysicists have developed a mathematical model of arterial thrombus formation, which is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. The scientists described the process of platelet aggregation as being similar to the popular video game Tetris and derived equations that allowed them to reproduce the wave process of platelet aggregate formation in a blood vessel.

Genes linked to stress-triggered heart disease identified For the first time, genetic risk factors have been identified that are linked to stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), a rare type of heart disease. Patients with SIC generally show no symptoms until they suffer some form of intense emotional or physiological distress. For this reason the disorder is sometimes referred to as 'broken heart syndrome.'

Genetic link between heart and neurodevelopmental disease Children with significant congenital heart disease have a far better chance of surviving today than in decades past, thanks to major advances in surgery. But some infants who recover from repairs to their hearts later show the effects of delays in brain development. Researchers reported exome sequence analyses of more than 1,200 children and their parents and showed that children with both congenital heart disease and neurodevelopmental delays share certain genetic mutations that thwart the normal development of both the heart and the brain

Brain Research: Mosquito-borne virus may lead to severe brain infection ♦ Link found between early-stage brain and heart disease ♦ Study 'opens gate' to understanding depression

Mosquito-borne virus may lead to severe brain infection The mosquito-borne virus chikungunya may lead to severe brain infection and even death in infants and people over 65.

Study 'opens gate' to understanding depression A new scientific model that incorporates the myriad drivers of depression could lead to more precise treatment for an illness that affects 350 million worldwide.

Magnesium ions show promise in slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice In mouse models Alzheimer's disease, oral administration of magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) alleviated cognitive decline.

Contact sports played by amateurs increase risk of degenerative disorder Scientists have recently found evidence that professional football players are susceptible to a progressive degenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repetitive brain trauma. Now, researchers have discovered a significant and surprising amount of CTE in males who had participated in amateur contact sports in their youth.

Link found between early-stage brain and heart disease A connection between very early stages of brain and heart disease has been identified by researchers in the Netherlands .

Cardiovascular Research: New technology promises fast, accurate stroke diagnosis ♦ Overweight, obesity early in life increase risk of cardiac death

Ultrasound examinations can identify patients at risk of stroke Ultrasound, a non-invasive technique commonly used to study the presence of atherosclerosis disease in blood vessels, can be used to identify patients at increased risk of future stroke who could benefit from surgery. Since surgical treatment to prevent stroke is only considered beneficial to some, ultrasound can prove useful in preventing unnecessary surgical intervention.

Heart disease patients who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise Patients with heart disease who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise, reveals research. Patients in the study wore an activity monitor during their waking hours for nine days. The monitors allowed the researchers to measure how long patients spent being sedentary, or doing light, moderate or vigorous levels of physical activity. The researchers also assessed various markers of health including body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness.

New technology promises fast, accurate stroke diagnosis A new approach to identifying biomarkers in blood has proven successful in helping diagnose stroke, and the technology could be expanded to diagnose such conditions as concussion, some forms of dementia, and some types of cancer and heart disease.

Overweight, obesity early in life increase risk of cardiac death Overweight and obesity throughout adulthood, and especially elevated weight in early adulthood, were associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death in a 32-year study of more than 72,000 women.

Health research:What salamanders can teach us about baseball ♦ One very brainy bird ♦ Is testosterone therapy safe?

What salamanders can teach us about baseball Researchers have increased our understanding of how people and animals deal with sensorimotor delay in day-to-day interactions by analyzing the hunting skills of salamanders.

One very brainy bird A new study has found pigeons performed as well as humans in categorizing digitized slides and mammograms of benign and malignant human breast tissue.

Weekday sleep changes may raise risk of diabetes, heart disease Monday mornings could be harmful to your health. Even routine sleep changes such as waking up early for work during the week may raise the risk of developing metabolic problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Is testosterone therapy safe? The increasing use of testosterone replacement therapy to treat reduced testosterone level in older men has been accompanied by growing concerns over its long-term safety. The findings of two studies examining the health risks of receiving testosterone are presented by scientists

FDA-approved drug protects mice from Ebola A new study suggests that gamma interferon, which is an FDA-approved drug, may have potential as an antiviral therapy to prevent Ebola infection when given either before or after exposure to the virus. The study found that gamma interferon, given up to 24 hours after exposure, can inhibit Ebola infection in mice and completely protect the animals from death

Cardiovascular Research:African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack ♦ Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed

African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack Major depressive symptoms -- perceived stress, neuroticism, life dissatisfaction -- are associated with nearly twice the increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease among African-Americans. African-Americans with depressive symptoms suffered more chronic conditions, exercised less, and had lower levels of education and income.

Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy Lack of social support and barriers to exercise (such as lack of transportation) reduce the amount of time heart-failure patients exercise. Assessing and eliminating barriers to exercise may reduce hospitalizations and heart disease deaths in people with heart failure.

Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed A link between higher levels of a specific kind of air pollution in major urban areas and an increase in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations such as for heart attacks in people 65 and older has been uncovered by scientists.

Speaking multiple languages linked to better cognitive functions after stroke Bilingual patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive function after a stroke. Bilingual patients performed better than single language patients on attention, information retrieval and organization.

Cardiovascular Research: So long, stethoscope? New device, smartphone alter exams ♦ Improving safety, decreasing risks of new blood thinners

Angina is linked with abnormal heart blood flow in patients with female-pattern heart disease

Chest pain in female-pattern heart disease is linked with abnormal heart blood flow, demonstrated with a drug commonly used to alleviate chest pain patients with coronary artery disease, which was found to be ineffective in patients with moderate female-pattern heart disease, but may offer some relief for sicker patients.

Improving safety, decreasing risks of new blood thinners By reversing the effects of the blood thinners apixaban and rivaroxaban within minutes, this new antidote may help to save the lives of patients taking blood thinners that experience major bleeding complications.

So long, stethoscope? New device, smartphone alter exams A smartphone-based device known as Heart Buds performed just as well as traditional stethoscopes and better than a disposable model in identifying heart murmurs and other vital sounds during patient exams

Lowering body temperature increases survival, brain function in cardiac arrest patients with non-shockable heart rhythms Lowering the body's temperature in cardiac arrest patients with 'non-shockable' heart rhythms increases survival and brain function. Patients who received the treatment were about three times more likely to survive cardiac arrest and have better neurological function compared to those who did not receive it

Food Research: Just one energy drink may boost heart disease ♦ Vanilla yogurt makes us feel happy ♦ Eating more homemade meals may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes

Eating more homemade meals may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes People who mostly eat meals prepared at home may have a slightly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eating more homemade meals may be associated with less weight gain over time, which could contribute to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Diet may determine your risk for rheumatoid arthritis Two new studies show a person’s diet can significantly affect his or her chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Vanilla yogurt makes us feel happy Foods that are more - or less - delicious than we expect can also cause mood changes. We all know what it's like to take a bite of something expecting one taste and getting another - it can be an enjoyable or disgusting experience. New research reveals that being pleasantly surprised or disappointed with a food product can actually change a person's mood.

Just one energy drink may boost heart disease risk in young adults Drinking one 16-ounce energy drink boosts blood pressure and stress hormone responses in young, healthy adults, according to a new study. These changes could conceivably trigger new cardiovascular events.

Food Research: Diet lacking soluble fiber promotes weight gain, mouse ♦ Vitamin D pill a day may improve exercise performance and lower risk of heart disease

Diet lacking soluble fiber promotes weight gain, mouse A new study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in maintaining intestinal and metabolic health and suggests that eating more foods high in soluble fiber may help prevent metabolic disease and obesity.

Vitamin D pill a day may improve exercise performance and lower risk of heart disease Taking vitamin D supplements can improve exercise performance and lower the risk of heart disease.

Obese people need more vitamin E, but actually get less Obese people with metabolic syndrome face an unexpected quandary when it comes to vitamin E -- they need more than normal levels of the vitamin because their weight and other problems are causing increased oxidative stress, but those same problems actually cause their effective use of vitamin E to be reduced.

Even a little is too much: One junk food snack triggers signals of metabolic disease We hate to ruin Thanksgiving, but a new report suggests that for some people, overindulgence at the dinner table or at snack time is enough to trigger signs of metabolic disease

Women's Health: High post-pregnancy BMI raises pelvic organ prolapse risk ♦ Young women more likely to die in hospital after STEMI ♦ Products expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester

High post-pregnancy BMI raises pelvic organ prolapse risk Maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI) is important for good cardiovascular health and blood sugar control, but maintaining it after pregnancy can also be key to preventing pelvic organ prolapse, according to a new study.

Young women more likely to die in hospital after STEMI Young women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were less likely to receive life-saving angioplasty and stenting to restore blood flow to blocked arteries than men and also had longer hospital stays and higher rates of in-hospital mortality.

Young women less likely to be informed of heart disease risk by providers Even when young women had a similar or greater risk for heart disease than young men, they were 11 percent less likely to report that healthcare providers told them they were at-risk for heart disease prior to a heart attack

Scientists uncover signal for when a pregnant woman is about to go into labor A cellular signal in the amniotic fluid around the fetus has been found to build up when a pregnant woman is about to go into labor, say scientists. The researchers used amniotic fluid samples from 50 women in labor and 51 women at the end of their pregnancy but not in yet in labor. They also acquired demographic information from patient interviews and medical information from their medical records.

Products expectant mothers should avoid during first trimester Expectant mothers in their first trimester should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines, to protect the developing fetal brain from chemicals that can trigger autism.

Cardiovascular Research:3D scans spot earliest signs of heart disease ♦ Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication ♦ Low physical activity responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths

Low physical activity responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths in Argentina Low levels of physical activity are responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths in Argentina.

Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication Lowering systolic blood pressure below the currently recommended target can reduce the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the most common complication of high blood pressure.

Favorable one-year clinical outcomes for catheter-based aortic valve replacement with latest generation of device Findings from the PARTNER II Trial, which examined one-year clinical outcomes among high-risk or inoperable patients who received TAVR with the latest generation of balloon-expandable (SAPIEN 3) device, are being released by researchers, suggesting that the new device offers promising outcomes for patients.

Zebrafish study sheds new light on human heart defects Researchers working with zebrafish have published a study providing new insights into the causes of the congenital heart defects associated with a rare developmental disorder. The disorder, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), is estimated to occur in up to one in 10,000 births worldwide. CdLS causes a range of developmental anomalies, both physical and cognitive, and up to 70 percent of people with CdLS have congenital heart defects.

3D scans spot earliest signs of heart disease People with high blood pressure develop changes in their hearts even before symptoms appear, new research shows. These changes are known to put people at risk of dying early, and the new work suggests it is possible for doctors to recognize such signs of heart disease earlier than they can today -- by examining detailed images of the heart.

Children's Health: ype 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial ♦ Understanding others' thoughts enables young kids to lie ♦ New test predicts teens' future risk of heart diseas

Type 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial A vaccination against type 1 diabetes may soon be available to young children: the Pre-POINT early vaccination study will involve children between the ages of six months and two years from across Germany who have a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. In the preceding Pre-POINT study a positive immune response was triggered in children aged between two and seven years with the aid of powdered insulin. The follow-up Pre-POINT early study will now test whether this effect can be confirmed by giving very young children oral insulin, and whether type 1 diabetes can be prevented in the long term.

Understanding others' thoughts enables young kids to lie Kids who are taught to reason about the mental states of others are more likely to use deception to win a reward, according to new research.

New test predicts teens' future risk of heart disease A new test can predict teenagers' future risk of heart disease, the number one killer of both men and women. By identifying those at risk early, the test enables doctors to encourage the healthy behaviors that could one day save the teens' lives

Birth weight, poor childhood growth linked to hearing, vision problems in middle age A study of up to 433,390 UK adults has linked being under and overweight at birth with poorer hearing, vision and cognition in middle age. 

Parents Influence Children's Play of Violent Video Games Parents who are anxious and emotional can impact their children's violent video game play, according to new research. Warm and restrictive parents successfully limited children’s play. However, anxious parents had the opposite effect.

Children's Health:Colds, flu may temporarily increase stroke risk in kids ♦ Children with severe obesity may be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes

Early intervention improves preschoolers' heart healthy habits Introducing healthy lifestyle behaviors to children in preschool improves their knowledge, attitude and habits toward healthy diet and exercise and can lead to reduced levels of body fat, according to a study. Researchers predict early intervention in children will not only translate to a lifelong understanding of healthy habits but will also serve to encourage their parents to adopt healthier lifestyles.

New predictor of health complications can identify high-risk preemies Premature infants have heightened risks of deadly diseases because their organs and immune systems are not fully developed. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a major gastrointestinal disease that causes the intestines to die, is a leading cause of death among these infants and is the most the common disease for babies born before 32 weeks. Now, researchers have found that the early and persistent presence of white blood cells during NEC, known as blood eosinophilia, is a predictor of life-threatening complications for preemies

Cognitive-behavioral prevention program for teens at-risk of depression shows benefit A cognitive-behavioral prevention program for depression among at-risk youth showed benefit more than 6 years after the implementation of the intervention, according to a new article

Colds, flu may temporarily increase stroke risk in kids Stroke is very rare in children, but colds, flu and other minor infections may temporarily increase stroke risk in children The study also found routine childhood vaccines may decrease the risk of stroke

Children with severe obesity may be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes A direct correlation has been found between more severe forms of obesity in children and related risk factors for developing heart disease and diabetes--particularly in boys. It is estimated that there are more than 3 million children in the United States who are severely obese.

Cardiovascular Research: Unsaturated fats, high-quality carbs lower risk of heart disease ♦ Predicting arrhythmias so as to prevent them ♦ Help physicians manage deep vein blood clots

Self-assembling material that grows, changes shape could lead to artificial arteries Researchers have developed a way of assembling organic molecules into complex tubular tissue-like structures without the use of moulds or techniques like 3-D printing.

Predicting arrhythmias so as to prevent them Researchers have discovered how to predict some cardiac arrhythmias several steps before they even occur. It's a finding that could lead to an improved cardiac device, with equipment designed to detect when arrhythmias are about to occur and then act to prevent them.

New guideline aims to help physicians manage deep vein blood clots in patients A new Canadian guideline aims to help physicians identify and manage blood clots, specifically iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis, in the groin and thigh.

Unsaturated fats, high-quality carbs lower risk of heart disease While eliminating saturated fats can improve heart health.It makes a difference which foods are used in their place. A study shows that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats and high-quality carbohydrates has the most impact on reducing the risk of heart disease. When saturated fats were replaced with highly processed foods, there was no benefit.

Cardiovascular Research: What powers the pumping heart? ♦ More aggressive blood pressure treatment found to reduce heart disease ♦ Aggressive blood pressure treatment found to reduce heart disease,

More aggressive blood pressure treatment found to reduce heart disease, save lives A landmark clinical trial is underway, and has found that a more intensive management of high blood pressure reduces heart disease rates and saves lives.

Low dose beta-blockers as effective as high dose after a heart attack In a surprising finding, heart attack patients treated with a substantially lower dosage of beta-blockers than used in earlier clinical trials showing their effectiveness survived at the same rate, or even better, than patients on the higher doses. Patients receiving one-fourth of the original clinical trial dose had up to a 25 percent decrease in mortality. About 90 percent of patients who have had a heart attack receive beta-blockers, prescribed to prevent future heart attacks.

Early testing can predict stroke patients who will develop upper limb spasticity Many stroke patients suffer from spasticity of the arm that cause pain and impaired sensorimotor function. But there are ways of identifying such patients ahead of time so that they can obtain the earliest possible treatment.

What powers the pumping heart? A treasure trove of proteins has been discovered, which researchers say hold answers about how our heart pumps -- a phenomenon known as contractility. These molecules have not been studied in the heart and little is known about what they do in other tissues.

Women's Health: Birth control pills pose small but significant stroke risk ♦ New data on risks of labor anesthesia ♦ Silicone vaginal rings deliver antiviral drugs,

Birth control pills pose small but significant stroke risk Birth control pills cause a small but significant increase in the risk of the most common type of stroke, according to a comprehensive report. Worldwide, more than 100 million women currently use oral contraceptives or have used them in the past.

Pregnancy complications may signal later risk of heart disease death Women who experience pregnancy complications, especially those with multiple complications, are at greater risk of dying from heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases later in life. Researchers suggest women who experience complicated pregnancies should be targeted for early, aggressive preventive cardiovascular disease intervention.

Silicone vaginal rings deliver antiviral drugs, protect women against HIV Researchers have succeeded in developing a vaginal silicone ring that delivers molecules that act on both HIV and herpes virus.

New data on risks of labor anesthesia in women with low platelet counts Can women with low platelet counts safely undergo epidural/spinal anesthesia during labor? Available evidence suggests a low rate of complications related to abnormal blood clotting for this large group of patients.

Women's Health: Heart medications prolong survival in women with ovarian cancer ♦ Fetal cells influence maternal health during pregnancy

Heart medications that target stress may help prolong survival in women with ovarian cancer A new analysis of patient records indicates that certain drugs taken to improve heart health may also have anti-cancer properties.

New embryo image processing technology could assist in IVF implantation success rates Biologists and engineers have developed a new non-invasive image processing technique to visualize embryo formation. Researchers were able to see, for the first time, the movement of all of the cells in living mammalian embryos as they develop under the microscope. This breakthrough has important implications for IVF treatments and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. In the future, this approach could help with embryo selection to improve IVF success rates.

The alien within: Fetal cells influence maternal health during pregnancy (and long after) Dramatic research has shown that during pregnancy, cells of the fetus often migrate through the placenta, taking up residence in many areas of the mother's body, where their influence may benefit or undermine maternal health.

Women with hypertension in pregnancy and their siblings face increased risk of heart disease High blood pressure during pregnancy is a risk factor for future hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but it’s not clear if this increased risk is because these women are more likely to have a family history of heart disease or if elevated blood pressure during pregnancy causes long-term metabolic and vascular abnormalities.

Food Health: Cooking oil that can be used 80 times ♦ Southern-style eating increases heart disease risk ♦ Five reasons why sugar is added to food

Researcher creates AFDHAL cooking oil that can be used 80 times Using palm oil and Rutaceae herb, researchers have developed cooking oil that can be used 80 times. This cooking oil was scientifically defined using the main ingredients which are not only capable of reducing oil absorption in fried cooking up to 85 per cent but also minimize the risks of getting cardiovascular and cancer.

Southern-style eating strikes again: Study finds diet pattern increases heart disease risk Southern favorites like fried chicken and bacon may taste great when consumed, but they can have negative effects on heart health.

How clean is your spinach? Ever wonder what that the words triple-washed or pre-washed on a bag of baby spinach mean? Not much according to engineers. They discovered that small peaks and valleys in baby spinach leaves could be a key reason why there have been numerous bacterial outbreaks involving leafy green vegetables.

New research backs belief that tomatoes can be a gout trigger People who maintain that eating tomatoes can cause their gout to flare up are likely to welcome new research that has, for the first time, found a biological basis for this belief.

Five reasons why sugar is added to food From a food science and technology perspective, sugar (sucrose) plays several roles when it comes to the functional properties in food. Experts explain the functional properties of sugars and why they are often added to foods.

Cardiovascular Research:Get up for your heart health, move for your waistline ♦ Social factors linked to heart disease for all ♦ Why the human heart cannot regenerate

Get up for your heart health, move for your waistline More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels. The study also shows that replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index.

Byproduct of intestinal bacteria may jeopardize heart health in patients with kidney disease Blood levels of TMAO, a byproduct generated from intestinal bacterial as they metabolize dietary nutrients, progressively increase with advancing severity of kidney disease. TMAO levels are dramatically reduced when kidney function is restored following kidney transplantation, researchers say, noting that high TMAO levels are linked with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and premature death in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Social factors linked to heart disease for all The social determinants of health are multi-dimensional and multi-level, yet we have few studies that examine the social determinants in large, diverse populations. More extensive research and new interventions are needed, an expert writes, if we are to reach the a goal of increasing the proportion of the population in ideal cardiovascular health by 2020

Why the human heart cannot regenerate Damage to the human heart causes cardiac muscle cells to die, which in turn leads to reduced heart function and death. However, this is not the case for zebrafish or amphibians. If their hearts become damaged and cardiac muscle cells die, their remaining cardiac muscle cells can reproduce, allowing the heart to regenerate. Researchers have now found a possible explanation as to why this does not happen in humans.

Working to ensure the heart's ideal performance Utilizing a pharmaceutical treatment for systolic heart failure, that is being tested in clinical trials, new research determined the precise interaction between the drug and the cardiac myosin protein or the cardiac “motor,” forming a structure that regulates the contraction of cardiac muscle and allows the heart to efficiently pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.