Midazolam is a medicine used to make people feel sleepy or calm before an operation.
It’s so powerful that patients usually don’t remember the details of their surgery.
The Nighttime Problem
Scientists from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found something curious. They noticed that midazolam could be linked to heart damage, but only when the medicine is given at night.
This shows that the time of day we take medicine can affect how it works in our bodies.
The Big Study
The scientists did a massive study. They looked at data from over 1.7 million cases where people were given midazolam.
Out of those, 16,404 cases showed signs of heart injury. But when the scientists looked closer, they saw something interesting. The chance of heart damage was higher for surgeries that happened at night and for patients who were generally healthy.
A Hidden Clue: The PER2 Gene
Scientists think that the problem might be related to something called the PER2 gene. This gene helps to protect the heart from injury and is controlled by light.
In studies with mice, the scientists found a link between midazolam, the PER2 gene, and heart damage.
How Midazolam Works
Midazolam works by increasing a brain chemical called GABA, which makes us feel calm. But this also lowers the levels of the PER2 gene at night, making the heart more likely to get hurt if the medicine is given at that time.
The Lesson from the Study
This finding is important because it can help save lives.
Scientists suggest that we should figure out the best time to take new medicines. For example, medicines for blood pressure often work best at night.
This research was led by a scientist named Tobias Eckle and was shared in a book called Frontiers of Cardiovascular Medicine.
This is another amazing example of how scientists are working to keep us safe and healthy.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing that a year of committed exercise in middle age reversed worrisome heart failure.
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