Bacteria could play a role in stress-triggered heart attacks
Bacteria in the bloodstream could play a role in heart attacks triggered by acute stress, emotional shock or overexertion, say David Davies and his colleagues of the Binghamton University in New York. The hormones excreted during stress causes bacteria to release enzymes that break down their own biofilm. Potentially, these enzymes also cause plaque deposits to rupture in the bloodstream, leading to a heart attack. The results were published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Continue reading
