Infusion therapy found to actually increase heart failure risk

Infusion therapy includes glucose, insulin and potassium -- a triumvirate thought to help patients after a heart attack occurs. Not so fast, as a new study out this week says this this kind of therapy actually increases the immediate risk of heart failure and death. However, just in some patients (not a mass problem).

The therapy, known as GIK in medical circles, has shown varied results in earlier studies. One such study showed no increased risk of death a month after a heart attack occurs, so this new study seems to refute that conclusion completely.

But, only in patients with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to the specific type of electrical pattern disruption that occurs with this kind of attack. The study says that there is a lingering risk of death three days after an initial heart attack if a STEMI (as it is known) occurs compared to another kind of heart attack.