Statins may cut arthritis risk, study suggests (Israel)

"Taking statins may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests. Israeli researchers looked at 1.8m patients and found fewer incidents of the joint condition among those who took the cholesterol-busting drugs. It was thought statins could ease symptoms in those already diagnosed by stopping the over-production of tissue between the joints. But the Maccabi Healthcare Services Research Institute study suggested they could stop it developing altogether. The team discovered 2,500 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the debilitating inflammation of the joints which affects about one in 100 people"

A revolution in heart disease diagnosis (Israel)

"A new imaging device from Israel can capture a still image of a beating heart, providing early diagnosis of the world's Number One killer disease. Today doctors treating heart patients often don't know whether a patient requires an invasive procedure until the procedure is in progress. Even though it's widely known that heart disease is the number one killer in the US and worldwide, there's a critical piece missing from its treatment - early diagnosis. By the time a patient has suffered a heart attack, the damage has already been done, yet that is precisely when most people discover that they have heart problems. A new invention from Israel that can provide a still image of the heart may supply the missing piece. Dr. Ehud Dafni, CEO of Israeli company Arineta, has invented the first Computing Tomography (CT) imaging system that is specially designed for the heart. In the past, CT imaging of the heart was not possible because the organ is constantly in motion, beating. Recently, advanced technology has made it possible to capture a still image of the heart, but only with the use of expensive equipment that is not specifically designed for cardiac imaging and utilizes large amounts of radiation"

Protein therapy could eliminate open heart surgery (Israel)

"Researchers from Tel Aviv University have been experimenting to find a way to make cardiac bypass surgery a thing of the past. Dr. Britta Hardy of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine had demonstrated how an injected protein might make blood vessels in the human heart regrow, eliminating the need for open heart surgery. According to Dr. Hardy, patients could regrow blood vessels in as little as a few weeks rather than having cardiac bypass, or open heart surgery" - EmaxHealth

The gel jab that can strengthen the muscles of a weak heart

"An injectable gel could help heart attack victims make a speedier recovery. The gel binds itself to damaged heart muscle to strengthen it during the recovery process. Because it solidifies on contact with heart tissue, the gel takes some of the strain off the body's hardest-working organ while it is recuperating. After six weeks, when recovery is normally well under way, the gel dissolves and is excreted through the kidneys. Every year, around 270,000 people in Britain suffer a heart attack - and coronary disease remains Britain's biggest killer. The revolutionary gel, being developed by Israeli firm BioLineRx Ltd, could protect many patients against heart failure" - Mail Online

Israel to treat Nigerian children with heart diseases

"The Israeli Embassy in Nigeria has commenced a programme that would ensure that poor Nigerian children with heart diseases are flown to Israel for treatment. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Moshe Ram, said the children would be identified and attended to on a case-by-case basis within the limits of the embassy's resources. He said the embassy would be working with an Israeli-based foundation, Save A Child's Heart, which had already helped over 2,000 children with heart diseases from 30 countries."