Two awards by the British Heart Foundation to experts at Leeds University will enable them to look at the causes of heart ailments and how to treat them.

In one project, a team led by Emma Spary will look at how the female hormone oestrogen helps to protect the heart and circulatory system from disease. Women who have gone through the menopause have lower levels of the hormone but face a higher risk of heart and circulatory disease.

Researchers feel oestrogen may have protective effects because of its action in brain areas that regulate the heart and circulatory system and will investigate how this works.

In a second study led by Prof-essor Ed White, scientists will look at how diseased and healthy hearts respond to the stress put on them.

The work could offer fresh insight into the life-threatening disorder pulmonary hypertension which leads to high blood pressure in the vessels that supply the lungs.

In sufferers, the right side of the heart experiences stress through increased pressure and volume of blood. Initially the heart can adapt to the changes but eventually heart failure occurs.

Prof Jeremy Pearson, who is associate medical director
at the charity, said: "These exciting research grants will delve into the causes of heart disease and take us steps closer to finding new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating the UK's biggest killer."