Kinetics of plasma microRNA-499 expression in acute myocardial infarction.

Summary: When someone has a heart attack, their heart gets damaged. Doctors need quick ways to see how bad that damage is. This study looked at a tiny particle in the blood called microRNA-499 (or miR-499). Researchers tested the blood of over 100 people and found that miR-499 levels shoot up right after a heart attack. The worse the heart damage and blocked arteries are, the higher the levels of miR-499. After treatment to open the arteries, the levels drop back down. This means checking miR-499 could be a great new way for doctors to spot heart attacks early and see how well the heart is doing.