Medical insurance news - Backup blood vessels could help prevent heart attacks

Research into coronary collaterals, published in the European Heart Journal, has suggested that medical insurance customers could be saved from a heart attack by backup blood vessels, which can be used to bypass blockages in main arteries.

Most heart attacks occur because of a build up of fatty material in the key arteries. A clot can form if some of this material breaks off, which in turn can starve the heart of blood and oxygen.

Senior cardiac nurse for the British Heart Foundation Maureen Talbot said backup blood vessels seem to play an important role in helping maintain bloody supply to the heart.

"We now need to understand why these vessels work better in some and not others and if it might be related to increased physical activity, which we know is great for your heart," she added.

A study published in the British Medical Journal last week suggested that increased exposure to car fumes could boost the risk of heart attack for up to six hours after exposure.