Heart attack is a leading cause of death worldwide and new treatment strategies are highly sought after. Unfortunately, lasting damage to the heart muscle is not uncommon following such an event. Published in the September 2019 issue of Redox Biology, a pre-clinical study sheds new light on the potential of the acute therapy with α-TOH (vitamin E) in patients presenting with heart attack, and may ultimately offer an effective low-cost treatment. "One of the most effective anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents is vitamin E and its derivatives," said Professor Karlheinz Peter, the Baker Institute's (Melbourne, Australia) Deputy Director, Basic and Translational Science and senior author of the study. The open-access article is titled “α-Tocopherol Preserves Cardiac Function by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury "Our treatment regimen reflects clinical conditions, where patients could receive their first application of vitamin E in the ambulance or upon their arrival in the emergency department, before reopening and stenting the blocked vessel and the following days in hospital before discharge. Our next step is to test an already approved formulation of Vitamin E in patients admitted with a heart attack," said Professor Peter. "We plan to prove that heart function is preserved using sensitive magnetic resonance imaging. Thereby, we hope to establish an inexpensive and effective therapy for patients with heart attack. "Nutritional scientist and vitamin specialist from Jena University in Germany,Login Or Register To Read Full Story