Squeeze the arm, protect the heart

摘要

Could the humble blood-pressure cuff hold the secret to a life-saving new treatment? Briefly restricting blood flow to a person's arm seems to prime the heart and other organs to cope with a more severe loss of their blood supply. The technique could improve recovery from surgery, a heart attack or stroke. "There's tremendous interest because it's a simple, cheap and non-invasive form of protection," said Derek Yellon of University College London at a conference on the approach in London last month.