Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Even with modern treatments like blood pressure medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and lifestyle changes, heart disease continues to take thousands of lives each year. It’s like trying to stop a flood with sandbags—it helps, but it’s not enough.
But now, scientists may have uncovered a powerful new clue. Researchers from the University of Michigan have discovered a protein in the body that could play a major role in heart disease.
It’s called suPAR, which stands for soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor. While the name is complex, what it does—and what it may mean for heart health—is surprisingly straightforward.
SuPAR is a protein linked to the immune system. You can think of it as an alarm system. When the body is under stress or inflammation, suPAR levels rise. Normally, this helps the body respond to illness or injury. But when there’s too much suPAR, it can start causing damage—especially in the heart and blood vessels.
The researchers looked at health data from thousands of people and found that individuals with high suPAR levels had a much greater chance of developing atherosclerosis—a condition where blood vessels harden and narrow. This condition is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.
What’s more, some people seem to produce more suPAR simply because of their genes. In other words, they may be born with a higher risk for heart disease, even if they don’t have high blood pressure or cholesterol. This discovery was confirmed in several large studies, making the evidence strong and reliable.
The team also did experiments with mice. When mice were made to produce more suPAR, they developed more serious signs of atherosclerosis. Their arteries became clogged faster and had more inflammation, just like in humans.
But the story doesn’t stop with the heart. SuPAR also seems to affect the kidneys. This is important because many people with kidney disease also have heart problems. In fact, having one condition often makes the other worse. This new research suggests that suPAR might be one of the missing links between these two organs.
By targeting suPAR, doctors may one day be able to treat both heart and kidney disease at the same time. This could lead to completely new treatments that go beyond the usual focus on cholesterol and blood pressure.
Dr. Salim Hayek, the lead researcher, says that this discovery could mark the start of a new way to fight heart disease—one that focuses on the immune system and inflammation, not just fats and sugars in the blood.
While more research is still needed, this breakthrough is a big step forward. It’s a reminder that the human body is deeply connected and that sometimes, solving a health problem means looking in places we hadn’t thought to check before.
With every discovery like this, we move closer to a future where heart disease doesn’t have to be the top killer anymore.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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