Heart-in-a-jar: Singapore to bioengineer mini Asian models with heart failure to test drugs

The models, each the size of a fingertip, are created using the stem cells from the blood of patients with heart failure. - NOVOHEART

SINGAPORE: Heart failure is the leading cause of death in Singapore – every day, an average of 34 people have heart attacks and 23 people die from heart disease.

It accounts for 17 per cent of cardiac admissions at the public hospitals here, and with Singapore’s ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, the proportion is set to rise.