Intense light prevents, treats heart attacks
A study suggests that a new option could be used to treat and help prevent heart attacks: intense light. For patients, it could mean reducing the amount of damage from a heart attack because of exposure to daylight inside the hospital. The light affects one's circadian rhythms, which are controlled by proteins from different organs, including the heart. One of these proteins is called Period 2, which functions when your arteries close off, causing a heart attack. When you have a heart attack, little to no oxygen reaches the heart and it has to switch its fuel from fat to glucose. Period 2 is essential to that change in fuel, and so can increase the heart metabolism efficiency. The study showed that intense light activated this protein, minimizing heart attack damage.
This article relates to our study of the circulatory system. It talks about a heart attack, and a new way to prevent it. We learned that the cause of a heart attack is when an blood vessel becomes blocked off by plaque. Plaque will build up because of a tear in the vessel, and it comes in to seal up the gap. However, the plaque will harden and partially start to block off the artery as well as cause it to lose some of it's elasticity. When there is too much buildup of plaque, blood cannot get through and go to the heart. When this happens, blood can't deliver oxygen to the heart, causing a heart attack, during which the heart must switch over fuel from fats to glucose, which is where the Period 2 enzyme comes in, relating back to the article.
"Intense Light Prevents, Treats Heart Attacks." Intense Light Prevents, Treats Heart Attacks. 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/25/intense_light_prevents_treats_heart_attacks.html>.
How effective is the intense on the production of Period 2? In other words, how significant is the change of production from regular light levels to intense light?
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DeleteWhat are some other ways to prevent and treat heart attacks besides intense light?
DeleteOther ways to prevent heart attacks include eating right and maintaining a healthy diet. This important because it can also control other risk factors, such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity.
DeleteIt also helps be physically active everyday, as doing so also helps maintain weight as well as "train" your heart to be more efficient.
I wasn't able to find much information on the actual levels of Period 2 that are produced under different lighting conditions, but the article states that both intense light and even just daylight can help reduce damage to patients.
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