Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have found a possible new warning sign for heart disease in older women.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that low levels of a special anti-inflammatory antibody, called anti-PC, may increase the risk of heart attacks and other serious heart problems in women.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in Sweden. But until recently, most research has focused more on men, even though women also face serious risks—especially as they get older.
Women often develop heart disease later in life than men and tend to have more health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart failure.
This new study suggests that measuring the level of the anti-PC antibody could help doctors find out which women are at higher risk of developing heart disease.
The anti-PC antibody is known to protect the body from a condition called atherosclerosis. This happens when the walls of the blood vessels become inflamed and filled with fatty deposits, which can block blood flow and lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Previous research had already shown that low levels of anti-PC were linked to higher heart disease risk in men. This new study confirms that the same is true for women.
Professor Johan Frostegård, the lead researcher, said that they have now shown that low levels of anti-PC can be used as a risk marker for heart disease in women, even when other risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol are taken into account.
The researchers followed 932 women from the Swedish Mammography Cohort for 16 years. The women were, on average, 66 years old when the study began. During the study, 113 of the women developed cardiovascular disease.
The results showed that women with higher levels of the anti-PC antibody had a 25% lower chance of having a heart attack or developing heart disease compared to those with lower levels.
Even though the study shows a clear link between low anti-PC levels and heart disease, it doesn’t yet tell us what level of anti-PC is considered too low. The researchers are now planning a larger study that includes both men and women. Their goal is to figure out the exact level of anti-PC that can serve as a clear risk marker—similar to how doctors measure blood pressure or cholesterol.
The team also hopes that one day it might be possible to develop a vaccine that can boost anti-PC levels in people who have low amounts of this antibody. This could offer a new way to prevent atherosclerosis and lower the risk of heart disease.
This research could lead to better ways to protect women’s heart health and catch early signs of trouble before a heart attack happens.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about a big cause of heart failure, and common blood test could advance heart failure treatment.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about a new way to repair human heart, and results showing drinking coffee may help reduce heart failure risk.
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