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New Definition for Heart Functions Emerges
Bijoy Khandheria of the Division of Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona has revealed that redefining the functions of the heart will lead to better ways of treating patients. The U.S. alone has 5 million heart patients. The study may also contribute towards heart failure from developing. The study contradicts the belief that the heart only serves the function of a pump for blood.
The heart’s left ventricle pumps out blood through synchronized mechanical and electrical waves which travel from the apex of the heart to its base. The diastole function of the heart is more important than previously thought, according to Dr. Marek Belohlavek at the Mayo Clinic. The diastole functions are comprised of both passive and active expansion phases, and contribute towards filling with blood within the pumping chamber.
The latest discovery by the study reveals that the muscle layers on the pumping chamber’s outer surface make an additional contribution with regard to the active relaxation phase. These outer layers’ of the cardiac muscles, through a brief shortening, help in the left ventricle’s unwrapping after each twisting contraction. The impairment of the unwrapping process is under investigation to see if they are responsible for ventricular failure.
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