Heart disease can change the genetic structure of heart cells. Understanding the role that mechanical forces play in these changes could lead to improvements in artificial tissue design.
ECMO uses an artificial heart and lung to replace the entire function of the person’s own heart and lungs outside the body. And COVID is demanding more ECMO than we’ve ever used before.
Targets for diabetes would improve healthy lives, reduce deaths, and be cost effective. But they should not be for managing diabetes alone; they must include treating hypertension.
Cutting out dairy, eggs and meat is thought to prevent and reverse heart disease. But as our latest study shows, the evidence doesn’t back this claim up.
Current blood pressure targets are based on information from high-income countries. This might mean that these targets are not ideal for South Africans.
Our study is the first to directly show that swimming, aqua-aerobics and other water workouts offer as many benefits to cardiovascular health as exercising in a gym.
Until now, the interaction of temperature and air pollution and its contribution to these diseases hasn’t been studied conclusively in South Africa - or anywhere on the African continent.
The use of antihypertension medication during the coronavirus pandemic has been a subject of hot debate but people should be cautious about simple conclusions.