After stem cell hype, a new hope for heart therapy in Minneapolis

[Pioneer Press, August 07, 2011] For many years, Bill Garten lived what he calls "the casino life."

In the end, Garten lost his unhealthy wager, suffering two major heart attacks and related health problems that left him with few options for his angina chest pain. But now, he's starting to feel like a winner, thanks to an experimental stem cell treatment.

Garten's story helps explain why doctors at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation are pushing ahead with studies of the heart treatment. Even so, doctors are being careful not to overstate the potential benefits of the treatment.

"One of the problems when you start a therapy like this is that there's just so much hype that people want too much," said Dr. Tim Henry, a heart expert at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Read more on the Pioneer Press website.