Bone marrow stem cells used in the study were taken from the top of the patient's pelvis and sorted in the lab before being injected back into the heart area, where they improved ventricular function, or the heart's ability to pump blood.
The study included 391 patients, of whom 191 agreed to have the bone marrow stem cell treatment and 200 did not. After five years, seven patients had died in the treated group against 32 in the control arm — a significant difference.
"Our study suggests that, when administered as an alternative or in addition to conventional therapy, bone marrow cell therapy can improve quality of life, increase ventricular performance and increase survival," Strauer said.
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