New heart attack discovery could change treatment
UC San Diego researchers found that the heart, brain, and immune system work together in a feedback loop that actually makes heart attacks worse.
This fresh insight could lead to new, less invasive ways to treat heart attacks.
How it works
The team, led by neuroscientist Vineet Augustine, showed that nerves in the vagus detect heart injury and alert the brain, which then triggers immune proteins that ramp up inflammation.
Augustine described it as "We believe this is the first comprehensive characterization of a 'triple node' approach featuring a heart, brain and neuroimmune loop," challenging old ideas about these events.
Why this matters
Right now, most treatments focus just on fixing the heart itself.
This study suggests targeting inflammation through the immune system might protect patients better—especially since the findings point to immune-targeting as a potential therapeutic avenue.