Heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, is a leading cause of death worldwide, causing around 25% of deaths in the United States alone. With such a high toll, it’s crucial to understand what drives this disease and find effective ways to prevent or treat it.
Recently, researchers from the University of Virginia Health have made a discovery that could bring us closer to better treatments.
The study focused on the smooth muscle cells that line our blood vessels. Normally, these cells act protectively by forming a cap over plaque, which prevents it from breaking off and causing a stroke.
But sometimes, these same cells seem to contribute to plaque buildup, which can make coronary artery disease worse. This dual role of smooth muscle cells in protecting and harming the blood vessels has puzzled scientists for a long time.
To dig deeper into why this happens, doctoral student Noah Perry studied smooth muscle cells taken from heart transplant donors. His goal was to find out which genes might be behind the change in these cells’ behavior.
Through his analysis, Perry found that the shift from protective to harmful behavior could be linked to how the cells use nitrogen and glycogen, a form of stored sugar in the body.
He also discovered that a particular sugar called mannose might play a role in triggering these changes, although more research is needed to confirm this connection.
Understanding why smooth muscle cells behave this way could open up new options for treating coronary artery disease.
If doctors can identify what causes these cells to switch from being protective to promoting plaque buildup, they may be able to intervene early, stopping the disease before it progresses.
This discovery offers a glimmer of hope that, in the future, new therapies might be developed based on these cellular changes.
Mete Civelek, a lead researcher on the team, stresses the importance of finding new ways to fight coronary artery disease.
While treatments like cholesterol-lowering medications and blood pressure control are effective, additional strategies are still urgently needed to reduce the impact of this disease worldwide.
The team, which includes Perry, Diana Albarracin, and Redouane Aherrahrou, continues to investigate this avenue, hoping that their findings can eventually lead to relief for the millions of people affected by coronary artery disease.
This research not only helps us understand the disease better but also brings us one step closer to finding ways to prevent it.
For those interested in heart health, it’s worth noting that studies suggest vitamins D and K may have protective effects. Vitamin D may help reduce inflammation, while vitamin K could lower the risk of heart disease.
And for general health, some studies highlight how certain foods can benefit brain health and how cooking methods might affect vision health.
The findings from this study were published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, marking an exciting development in the ongoing fight against heart disease.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease , and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how espresso coffee affects your cholesterol level, and results showing Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
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