A new anti-ageing injection recently discovered by scientists may be able to take 10 years off your heart's age.
Scientists from Bristol have identified a 'mutant' gene which effectively rewound elderly mice's hearts by the human equivalent of one decade.
This gene was given to the mice in the form of an injection - and it was also found to prevent 'decay' of heart functions in middle-aged mice.
The Sun reports that scientists are hopeful that this discovery may be able to stop heart disease in humans long before the symptoms start to appear, and even cure heart failure altogether in the elderly.
Professor Paolo Madeddu from University of Bristol’s Bristol Heart Institute, said: “Our findings confirm the healthy mutant gene can reverse the decline of heart performance in older people."
As we get older, our heart's functions naturally get less and less effective at pumping blood around our bodies.
But there are several other things that can affect this, such as diet and exercise, which can have an impact on how our hearts deteriorate over time.
It's thought that a part of the BPIFB4 gene helps to prolong our hearts and keep them working for longer. It's commonly found in people who live to be 100 or over.
And the scientists have now said that this can be administered to others in the form of an injection.
Professor James Leiper, of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the research said: “This is still early-stage research, but could one day provide a revolutionary way to treat people with heart failure and even stop the debilitating condition from developing in the first place.”
The study was published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
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