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Using Magnets to Help Prevent Heart Attacks: Magnetic Field Can Reduce Blood Viscosity...
Science Daily ^ | 06-07-2011 | Staff + Temple University

Posted on 06/08/2011 10:27:16 AM PDT by Red Badger

If a person's blood becomes too thick it can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attacks. But a Temple University physicist has discovered that he can thin the human blood by subjecting it to a magnetic field.

[snip]

Because red blood cells contain iron, Tao has been able to reduce a person's blood viscosity by 20-30 percent by subjecting it to a magnetic field of 1.3 Telsa (about the same as an MRI) for about one minute.

Tao and his collaborator tested numerous blood samples in a Temple lab and found that the magnetic field polarizes the red blood cells causing them to link together in short chains, streamlining the movement of the blood. Because these chains are larger than the single blood cells, they flow down the center, reducing the friction against the walls of the blood vessels. The combined effects reduce the viscosity of the blood, helping it to flow more freely.

When the magnetic field was taken away, the blood's original viscosity state slowly returned, but over a period of several hours.

"By selecting a suitable magnetic field strength and pulse duration, we will be able to control the size of the aggregated red-cell chains, hence to control the blood's viscosity," said Tao. "This method of magneto-rheology provides an effective way to control the blood viscosity within a selected range."

Currently, the only method for thinning blood is through drugs such as aspirin; however, these drugs often produce unwanted side effects. Tao said that the magnetic field method is not only safer, it is repeatable. The magnetic fields may be reapplied and the viscosity reduced again. He also added that the viscosity reduction does not affect the red blood cells' normal function.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Technical
KEYWORDS: blood; health; heart; magnetic; magnets; tia
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Aggregated red-cell clusters have a streamlined shape, leading to further viscosity reduction. (Credit: Image courtesy of Temple University)

Amazing!................I can see the late nite infomercials now!...........

1 posted on 06/08/2011 10:27:18 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

My mom has had two severe bleeding episodes requiring hospitalization (one in the ICU) since being put on blood thinners. I have a feeling that doctors over prescribe blood thinners to avoid lawsuits.


2 posted on 06/08/2011 10:32:29 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: Red Badger

So, will all paramedics carry magnets now?


3 posted on 06/08/2011 10:33:32 AM PDT by Terry Mross (Only a SECOND party will get my vote.)
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To: Moonman62

This has very promising and quick results.
No medications, just turn on the Magneto-Majic!.................


4 posted on 06/08/2011 10:34:17 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Red Badger

Stupid blood rolling around in your blood vessels like mud wrestlers. Just needs some blood Drill Sergeants to get them to march straight.


5 posted on 06/08/2011 10:34:37 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Terry Mross

Not unless they have one the size of a cement truck.................


6 posted on 06/08/2011 10:35:05 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Red Badger
Apparantly hemoglobin's magnetic moment changes -- just a little -- when it picks up an oxygen atom. Here:

Within one year, Pauling, in collaboration with research fellow Charles D. Coryell, wrote two articles on the magnetic properties and structure of hemoglobin and its derivatives. One paper dealt with the question of how oxygen and carbon monoxide bind to hemoglobin. In order to answer this question, Pauling devised a new approach for examining hemoglobin – through its magnetic properties. Pauling and Coryell found that oxyhemoglobin and carbonmonoxyhemoglobin have no magnetic moment and therefore all electrons are paired. In comparison, hemoglobin exhibits paramagnetism, meaning that hemoglobin has unpaired electrons. Specifically, Pauling and Coryell stated that each heme has four unpaired electrons. Thus, they determined that the iron in hemoglobin forms ionic (not covalent) bonds with nitrogen and the globin, while oxyhemoglobin and carbonmonoxyhemoglobin form covalent bonds at the same locations. They remarked: "It is interesting and surprising that the hemoglobin molecule undergoes such an extreme structural change on the addition of oxygen or carbon monoxide." According to Pauling and Coryell, the formation of covalent bonds (rather than ionic bonds) most likely explained why hemoglobin bonded more readily with oxygen and carbon monoxide than with other substances. Pauling reflected in 1970 upon the importance of his work with Coryell: "These studies of the magnetic properties of hemoglobin and its compounds led to a great increase in understanding of the structure of the hemoglobin molecule in the neighborhood of the heme groups."

Source. Just to point out, though, a 1.3 Tesla field is a hell of a powerful magnetic field. Immersing an entire body in a field of that strength requires superconducting solenoids. Big bucks.

Also makes me wonder: is oxygenated blood a contrast agent for MRI scans?

7 posted on 06/08/2011 10:35:39 AM PDT by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: Red Badger
When the magnetic field was taken away, the blood's original viscosity state slowly returned, but over a period of several hours.

So, it won't be long before this phenonia is used to enhance sports play. Taking a quick MRI scan before the Olympics to enhance blood flow.

8 posted on 06/08/2011 10:35:53 AM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Red Badger

All this time I thought living under these high voltage power lines was a bad thing. I’m thinking I just might live forever now.


9 posted on 06/08/2011 10:37:59 AM PDT by Ronald_Magnus
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To: Steely Tom

Good question! It could show places of poor circulation!...............


10 posted on 06/08/2011 10:38:30 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Moonman62

If she’s on coumadin she needs to have her blood checked at least every two weeks. And she needs to look for signs. If her gums start bleeding she needs to either eat a salad or cut back on the med. But whatever dark leaves she eats, such as spinach, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, she needs to be consistent. I know of a woman who ate no dark greens at all. One weekend she ate a bunch of turnip greens, had a heart attack and died.

And by the way, lots of med professionals are behind the times on this. If you take blood thinners you should be consistent in eating dark greens. The Heart Institute in Houston told me not to eat any at all. That advice is about 4 years behind.

But the big “tell” of internal bleeding is pain in the stomach and dark stools.


11 posted on 06/08/2011 10:38:45 AM PDT by Terry Mross (Only a SECOND party will get my vote.)
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To: Ronald_Magnus

I used to live right under some high tension lines in South Florida................


12 posted on 06/08/2011 10:39:38 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Red Badger
Given the geometry shown in the image you gave, one has to ask the nagging little question: how will blood flow be affected in blood vessels that are oriented perpendicular to the B-field lines? Like, you know, capillaries?
13 posted on 06/08/2011 10:42:00 AM PDT by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: Red Badger

One time I read that I cap made of just magnets for you head helped in your brainwave patterns normalizing. I’m sure it is fairly easy to build one.


14 posted on 06/08/2011 10:48:09 AM PDT by Ancient Drive (DRINK COFFEE! - Do Stupid Things Faster with More Energy!)
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To: Steely Tom

Gee, nurse, I never noticed before, but is the patient turning a lovely shade of blue?....................


15 posted on 06/08/2011 10:48:44 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Red Badger

My doctor performed this procedure on me and now everybody asks me which way is North.


16 posted on 06/08/2011 10:49:38 AM PDT by donhunt (I am sick and tired of those bastards insulting and lying to me.)
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To: Ancient Drive

One time I read that I cap made of just magnets for you head helped in your brainwave patterns normalizing. I’m sure it is fairly easy to build one.

17 posted on 06/08/2011 10:50:19 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Terry Mross

Thanks for the info. During the last episode, my mom passed out, and the paramedics took her to the hospital. They diagnosed her as having low blood pressure due to her blood pressure medications. They checked her in and SOP was to put her on additional blood thinners (already on aspirin and Plavix). She later started throwing up buckets of blood. If she didn’t have a roommate to call the nurses she would have died. It turns out she had a tear in her stomach, and that’s what was causing her to have low blood pressure and pass out.


18 posted on 06/08/2011 10:55:15 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: neverdem

ping


19 posted on 06/08/2011 10:57:20 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer (I have a Pal In Sarah.)
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To: Moonman62
I have a feeling that doctors over prescribe blood thinners to avoid lawsuits.

I'm inclined to agree with you. The percentage of people over 65 on anticoagulants is high, no doubt about that.

Having been on them for a period of time after a heart incident about 10 years ago, I do know that even if the heart attack/stroke risk reduction is less than 1% or 2% most of the docs will put you on them if you have any risk factors and you are over 65. IMO they do not take the long term risks of the anticoagulants seriously enough. Nor how long term use affects quality of life.

20 posted on 06/08/2011 11:01:04 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there)
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