US scientists may have uncovered a reason
why heart attacks and strokes occur most often in the early hours.The Emory University team say daily rhythms in the activity of cells that line blood vessels may be key.
They found the activity of these cells was at its lowest ebb in the early hours of the morning.
The study, presented to an American Heart Association conference, suggests this might make blood vessels less able to relax, raising the risk of problems.
Cells called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the bone marrow are thought to play an important role in maintaining the lining of the blood vessels.
These cells are essentially stem cells that help replace the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels at the site of an injury, and build new vessels at sites deprived of adequate blood supply.
The Emory team looked to see whether cell activity, and the properties of the blood vessels changed at different times of the day.
They tested 12 healthy middle aged volunteers every four hours throughout a 24-hour period. - BBC
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