New magnetic treatment devised for heart conditions

A US university has created a new means of using magnetic fields to treat those at risk of heart attacks due to excess blood viscosity.

Rongjia Tao, professor and chair of physics at Temple University, has led a study in which magnets have been used to affect the iron within red blood cells, causing them to link together in short chains.

This reduces the friction against the walls of the vessels and improves flow, doing so in a safe, repeatable and targeted manner.

Professor Tao utilised the same principle to create this technique as in his pioneering research into controlling the thickness of oil in engines and pipelines via magnetism.

He stated that this method could offer a less risky alternative to using blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin, which can have unwanted side effects.

"This method of magneto-rheology provides an effective way to control the blood viscosity within a selected range," said the professor.

Blood-thinning drugs, known as anticoagulants, are also used in the prevention of blood clots, which can cause serious conditions such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms.