Cash injection for heart experts

Researchers hope the handout will lead to a breakthrough

Scientists in the capital have been awarded £800,000 for a five-year study into heart disease.

Cardiac problems claim more lives in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. The cash has been given by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Researchers at Edinburgh University will study a fat cell enzyme which controls levels of cortisol.

It is a hormone which helps the body adapt to short term stress. The enzyme is linked to obesity and diabetes.

On World Heart Day, it is being stressed that Scots smoke more, eat less fruit and vegetables and drink more - especially in binges, which particularly increase the risk of cardiac disease.

This research is shining a light on new ways in which we might protect the heart Professor Peter Weissberg British Heart Foundation

It is still the nation's biggest killer, leading to the deaths of more than 11,000 victims per year.

Half a million patients in Scotland are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease.

Experts will concentrate on the fact that sustained cortisol levels can lead to difficulties such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, which are often associated with heart disease.

Human guinea pigs

Obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes are well known to be major risk factors for cardiac problems, but the scientific reasons behind it are as yet unclear.

By learning more about how cortisol is regulated in the body - using human volunteers - scientists hope to identify which treatments would help prevent heart conditions.

Medical director of the BHF, Professor Peter Weissberg, said: "This research is shining a light on new ways in which we might protect the heart from metabolic complications and how better to regulate cortisol levels."