Preventing this 'snowball effect' of fatigued muscle, leading to leakage of calcium, leading to a weaker muscle that must work harder, leading to increased fatigue, would mean an increased life expectancy for these patients.
From an economic standpoint, the resultant increased life expectancy of a treatment derived from this study, would likely result in an increased cost to society.
Direct items, such as increased payments in Social Security benefits, will place an economic strain on society. Other economic costs will be increased healthcare for these patients, as they survive longer. However, for younger patients, this will allow them to be economically more productive within society.
Lastly, from a medical standpoint the implications are significant. This new research sheds light on an issue that has intrigued scientists and medical professionals. The molecular cause for muscle fatigue is now pinpointed. This not only has implications for cardiac medical professionals, but all medical professionals who deal with skeletal muscles as well.
Relation to Profession:
This research opens up new opportunities for my health care practice, once treatments are created, from the findings.
Obviously, treatment for patients suffering from cardiac disease will offer new hope for many patients. In addition, athletes are likely to benefit from these treatments as well, as they are able to train harder and longer with treatments that would reduce skeletal muscle fatigue.
Future:
The potential...
Obviously, providing an increased lifespan for individuals suffering from congestive heart failure is a positive scenario; however, as mentioned earlier, there are economic costs to society that will negatively affect America.
In addition, if treatment side effects make it unsuitable as a performance treatment, it is likely to spread to the Black Market, much like steroids currently, causing further social problems.
Conclusion:
In the end, Dr. Marks' discovery of the molecular causes of muscle fatigue has implications that go far beyond his original goal of trying to find a better treatment for congestive heart failure patients. His work provide physiological answers to the question of how muscle fatigue occurs. These answers are the first step in developing treatments that improve the incidence of muscle fatigue.
The knowledge that preventing calcium leaks is key to these treatments at leasts helps researchers begin on the right track. This will create more efficient and effective research endeavors, in this area, leading to an increased likelihood that a treatment will become approved for human use. Whether it is muscle fatigue centering on the heart muscle, or skeletal muscle fatigue, this new finding has changed how muscle fatigue is perceived.
References
Kolata, G. (12 Feb 2008). Finding may solve riddle of fatigue in muscles. New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from Academic OneFile database.
Finding May Solve Riddle of Muscle Fatigue
