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Copper chelation is a promising new therapy for clogged arteries

Researchers at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute (MMCRI) in Scarborough, Maine, announce their discovery that the renarrowing of arteries following balloon angioplasty can be halted by copper chelation therapy. Preventing the function of copper in the body stops arteries from reclogging following the mechanical stress of removing arterial obstructions through angioplasty. The therapy works by limiting the cellular export of growth factors and cytokines involved in this process.

Statins before procedures reduce cardiovascular events and death

Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs before undergoing artery-clearing procedures appears to reduce deaths, heart attacks, and recurrent blockages among patients with elevated levels of an inflammation marker, according to research reported in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Previous studies have suggested that taking a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) such as balloon angioplasty or stenting could lower deaths.