Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

First Advisor

Staveteig, Mindy

Keywords

heart failure, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, atorvastatin therapy, umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, diuretic therapy

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI) or other damage to the heart tissue may result in ischemia, and because cardiomyocytes have limited regenerative capacity, this often leads to the development of heart failure (HF). Typical symptoms of HF include dyspnea, edema, cough, fatigue, and chest pain, which arises from fluid overload and congestion. Current medical treatments focus on alleviating these symptoms through loop diuretics, which reduce fluid accumulation but do not treat the underlying ischemic damage. Recent studies have shifted focus towards stem cell therapy, which have shown potential to differentiate into cardiomyocytes and regenerate ischemic heart tissue. A comprehensive search of databases resulted in eight total articles that met inclusion criteria. This literature review explores the current standard drug therapy, the efficacy of stem cell therapy, and the combination of drug therapy and stem cell therapy in the treatment of heart failure. Despite these promising findings, further research is necessary to establish stem cell-based therapies as a viable treatment option for HF.

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