Drugs may halt stress signals from travelling to the heart

SYDNEY - Researchers have discovered a new way to halt the brain from sending stress signals that raise the heart rate.

Researchers led by Eugene Nalivaiko from the University of Newcastle, have used a specific class of drugs called serotonin-1A agonists to suppress stress signals, which travel from the brain to the spinal cord and then to the heart.

They are studying ways to manage stress-induced cardiac arrhythmias, abnormal electrical activity in the heart caused by stress.

The signals can cause cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. An estimated three million people die each year from sudden cardiac death worldwide but it is not known how many of those deaths are due to stress-induced arrhythmias.

“Currently, the only drugs used to prevent heart over activity are beta-blockers, which are not effective in many patients,” Nalivaiko said.

“The long-term use of beta-blockers may also cause side-effects. Our research goes a long way in developing an effective alternative to beta-blockers that can help prevent stress-induced heart conditions.”