A new discovery by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that dietary changes could help treat pulmonary hypertension, a serious lung condition.
Pulmonary hypertension causes the blood vessels in the lungs to stiffen, leading to lung disease, heart failure, and even death.
Unlike other blood vessels in the body, those in the lungs have a unique behavior in this disease, and now scientists have discovered why: the blood vessels are “hungry” for specific nutrients.
Dr. Stephen Chan and his team, along with researchers from Université Côte d’Azur in France, found that in patients with pulmonary hypertension, the blood vessels in the lungs crave two amino acids: glutamine and serine.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that help our bodies function.
However, when these blood vessels consume too much glutamine and serine, they produce high levels of other amino acids, proline and glycine.
These amino acids are used to create collagen, a protein that provides structure to many parts of the body.
In pulmonary hypertension, the overproduction of collagen causes the blood vessels in the lungs to become stiff and not function properly.
This stiffening is a key feature of the disease. The researchers tested drugs that block the uptake of glutamine and serine in rodent models. By limiting these amino acids, they were able to stop the excess collagen production and reduce blood vessel stiffening.
Since amino acids are mainly absorbed from the food we eat, the researchers also found that reducing foods high in glutamine and serine helped reduce collagen overproduction.
This means that dietary changes could become a new way to help treat pulmonary hypertension. “For the first time, we have a dietary strategy that may serve as an effective therapy for the disease,” said Dr. Chan.
Avoiding foods rich in glutamine and serine could potentially make existing medications for pulmonary hypertension work better. This opens up a new avenue for treatment, where patients could rely not only on drugs or transplants but also on specific dietary changes to manage their condition.
In addition, Dr. Chan’s team developed a new test to diagnose pulmonary hypertension earlier. Using a PET scan with a special imaging tracer, doctors can now see where glutamine is being absorbed in the body, helping them track the disease more effectively.
This could allow for earlier treatment and better monitoring of how well medications are working.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about what to eat and to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the connection between potato and high blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
Source: University of Pittsburgh.
