Video: The type of protein that stimulates the heart to grow healthy

Canadian researchers found a protein that can stimulate the heart to boost blood pumping like when people play sports or become pregnant.

The cardiotrophin protein 1 can cause the heart to grow more blood vessels.

If allowed to experiment on humans and succeed, the treatment of heart diseases using cardiotrophin 1 protein may be applied in the next few years.

When the heart muscle is destroyed by heart attacks, the remaining muscles will adapt by growing up. This adjustment may be ineffective if muscle fibers grow but there is no extra blood vessels.

The cardiotrophin protein 1 can cause the heart to grow more blood vessels, creating longer fibers.