Botox Treatment for Wrinkles and Much Beyond That

The Effects of Botox Do Not Stay for Days or Months Together in the Patient’s Body

Botox treatments are becoming popular time and again. Used to correct wrinkles until now, Botox can have a new use hereafter-stop abnormal heart rhythm that can sometimes develop after heart surgery.

For the study, researchers injected Botox (botulinum neurotoxin) into five fatty areas around the hearts of patients having surgery. The research was conducted on a small group of patients, 63 patients received Botox and 67 others were injected with a placebo during coronary bypass surgery, heart valve surgery or both.

After surgery, atrial fibrillation (AFib) happened in 23 patients receiving Botox compared to 32 patients getting a placebo-a difference of 11.3%. But researchers are not yet convinced that this approach works 100 percent as the study was on a small group of individuals and much large-scaled studies are essential to come to decisive conclusions.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and rapid heart rate that is not life threatening but a serious medical condition. It affects 27-40% of patients after a heart surgery resulting in prolonged stays at the hospital, increased medical expenditure and high rates of stroke and death from any cause. AFib usually occurs two to three days after surgery, when post-surgery inflammation peaks.

Controlling post-surgery AFib is complicated as there is a huge inflammatory response and it is affected by numerous factors as well. Inflammation is both good and bad, depending on various factors which are discussed in detail at www.firsteatright.com. 
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The Botox treatment showed no side effects which triggers doubt whether the drug has any effect on the heart at all-good or bad! One good thing is that Botox wears away and does not remain in the patient’s body for days or months together like other drugs that aim at preventing post-surgery AFib.