Mini 'stress tests' could help condition heart to survive major attack

From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:

People who experience brief periods of blocked blood flow may be better conditioned to survive a full-blown heart attack later, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati. In a five-year laboratory study, UC surgeon-scientist Karyn Butler, MD, found that when the heart experiences short periods of stress, either from reduced blood flow or high blood pressure, it activates a protective molecular pathway—known as JAK-STAT—that protects the heart muscle. The pathway, which is normally dormant in the heart, was originally identified in disease-fighting white blood cells as a mediator of infection and has recently been targeted for its role in heart health.

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