Pregnancy-related heart failure explained Huliq: Breaking News: "The researchers discovered that mice whose hearts lack a gene that enlists the activities of critical antioxidants develop PPCM. Under those stressful conditions, the mice develop increased levels of another enzyme that cleaves the nursing hormone prolactin, forming an aberrant protein that damages heart muscle. As evidence that the findings in animals hold for humans, the researchers found a similar imbalance of proteins in the cardiac tissue of PPCM patients."
One in 1300 to 4000 deliveries are affected by this genetic abnormality. I suppose this makes genetic screening all the more valuable when it is cheap enough to be done.
Friday, February 9, 2007
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