Trouble During Heart Attack? Common Pain Relieving Cream May Help Heart Attack Victims
Many of us have used an over the counter topical pain reliever to help relieve the occasional ache or pain but researchers at the University of Cincinnati have now found that they can be useful for another, perhaps more important purpose.
Researchers Keith Jones PhD, a cell biophysics and pharmaceutical fellow and Dr Neal Weintraub, a cardiologist who runs the university’s cardiovascular diseases division discovered that if the salve is applied topically during the treatment of a patient suffering a heart attack the incidence of permanent cardiac cell death was reduced by up to 85%.
It is the active ingredient found in these simple remedies, Capsaicin, that seems to do the trick. Capsaicin is found in chili peppers and produces a warming sensation when applied to the skin. In his initial experiments Jones used lab mice and found that with the application of a salve containing Capsaicin to specific areas of the skin sensory nerves in the skin seemed to trigger the nervous system to activate what he calls “pro survival” pathways to protect the heart.
Together with Dr Weintraub, Jones is now turning his attention to potential for Capsaicin use for human patients. “If proven effective in humans, this therapy has the potential to reduce injury and/or death in the event of a coronary blockage, thereby reducing the extent and consequences of heart attack.” He said when asked about the potential impact of his research. He also noted that topical Capsaicin use produces no known side effects and it could be easily applied by emergency room or even ambulance staff in advance of treatment beginning.
Both Jones and Weintraub think that skin, whether it be animal or human has evolved over time to protect the body in a number of different ways. According to Weintraub “By activating these sensors in the nervous system, via skin, we think that a response to preserve and protect the heart is triggered,”
He believes that the application of the Capsaicin fools the body into activating protective nervous system reactions, in much the same way as many believe that acupuncture does.
The researchers work will now focus on discovering exactly which nerves are triggered and how these protective pathways are put into place by the body, as well as extending human trials of the effectiveness of Capsaicin application.
The research was published in its entirety in the September 14th edition of the medical journal Circulation.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
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Cayenne has been known to stop heart attacks within 30 seconds. For example, when a 90-year-old man in Oregon had a severe heart attack, his daughter was able to get Cayenne extract into his mouth. He was pronounced dead by the medics, but within a few minutes, he regained consciousness. On the way to the hospital, he remained in a semi-conscious state, but the daughter kept giving him the Cayenne extract. By the time they got to the hospital, he had fully recovered and wanted to go home and mow the lawn. The doctor asked what she had given him, as he said it was the closest thing to a miracle he had ever seen.If a heart attack should occur, it is suggested that a teaspoon of extract be given every 15 minutes or a teaspoon of Cayenne in a glass of hot water be taken until the crisis has passed. Dr. Anderson also knew of a doctor who rushed out into the parking lot and put cayenne tincture into the mouth of a man who had died of a heart attack while he was parking his car. Within a few minutes, the man’s heart starting beating again.”