Radiology pioneer Kurt Amplatz spent his career developing a way to treat babies born with heart defects by threading a Goretex-like patch through an artery to the heart and then using it to seal a hole.

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We typically progress in the following order as we treat mild to severe heart failure: First, we treat with salt-restricted diets, then with diuretics such as furosemide, which increases urination.

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Furthermore, Pfizer has also been strong in the Primary Care sector with drugs to treat conditions like heart disease, arthritis and depression.

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Merck, on the other hand, will keep a strong sales presence with primary care doctors who treat diabetes, heart disease and other widespread ailments.

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Outside the U.S., adult stem cells have been used to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes in Argentina, heart disease in countries including Germany, Thailand and India, and babies with malformed hearts in Japan.

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The long-term hope is to treat patients with some sort of stem cell that could turn into beating heart muscle and replace dead cardiac tissue with fully functioning new cells.

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Conversely, several heart-failure medicines are now in use to treat altitude sickness or help with acclimatization, researchers say.

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But in my 50s and with heart problems hiding in my genetic future, I make KFC a rare treat these days.

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