Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive Heart Failure or CHF basically refers to "pump failure". That is, compromised heart function that results in poor or inadequate blood flow to the body's various organs and tissues. Both conventional and alternative treatments are aimed at reducing the burden on the heart as well as strengthening its function and thus output. Among the things that used to pull this off: Smoking cessation, sodium restriction, weight reduction, use of heart supportive nutraceuticals, and the use of specific drugs such as diuretics and ACE inhibitors to lower high blood pressure. These measures bolster cardiac function though in many patients the condition progresses, often to the point whereby the only way to keep their heart going is for surgeons to implant a heart function assist device or pacemaker. In some instances a heart transplant is the only medical recourse.

What about adult or nonembryonic stem cells for CHF? There is actually a great deal of evidence that stem cells can improve the lot of CHF sufferers. One example comes from the STAR-heart study. In this study 191 patients with chronic heart failure with an ejection fraction of 35% or less had stem cells from their own bone marrow infected into a major artery feeding their hearts. There was a control group of CHF patients who did not receive the stem cells. Regular medical evaluations carried out during the ensuing 5 years showed clear improvements in the treated group including left ventricular ejection fraction (which increased from 29% to 36%), cardiac index, oxygen uptake, contractility, and exercise tolerance. In addition, the treated group had a low 0.75% mortality rate per year while those in the control group experienced a 3.68% annual mortality rate.

The use of pure bone marrow derived stem cells for CHF remains experimental and confined to clinical studies in the US. However, doctors can do whole bone marrow transplants in which stem cell rich bone marrow tissue is harvested and given back by IV drip. Dr. David Steenblock has done over 1000 such whole bone marrow transplants to-date for a wide variety of health challenges including various cardiovascular conditions with often noteworthy results. In addition, he has figured out how to employ various FDA approved stem cell activating and mobilizing drugs in such a way as to greatly increase the number and vitality of older patient's bone marrow stem cells. This is discussed in this issue of his clinic's newsletter: (This issue also contains information on specific FDA approved treatments that have been shown to produce impressive benefits in a variety of cardiovascular conditions. One example is external counterpulsation, which many doctors refer to as a "natural nonsurgical bypass.")

If you are interested in learning more about this treatment approach call 1-800-300-1063 or contacting us online.