Heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, is one of the top causes of death around the world. In the United States, it causes about 25% of all deaths.
That’s why scientists are working hard to understand it better and find new ways to treat it.
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health have made a new discovery that might help. Their work could lead to better treatments for people with this serious condition.
Dr. Mete Civelek from the University of Virginia School of Medicine explained that smooth muscle cells, which line our blood vessels, are very important in this disease. Normally, these cells protect us. They form caps over dangerous plaque in the blood vessels, which helps prevent strokes and other problems.
But sometimes, these same cells seem to do the opposite. They help plaque grow, which can make the disease worse. Scientists have been wondering why this happens.
To find answers, Noah Perry, a PhD student in Civelek’s lab, studied smooth muscle cells taken from people who had heart transplants. He wanted to know which genes were involved in changing the behavior of these cells.
He found that the changes might be connected to how the body uses nitrogen and stores sugar as glycogen. One sugar, called mannose, stood out. It might play a role in causing the cells to switch from being helpful to being harmful. But the team says more research is needed to be sure.
This discovery could be very helpful for treating heart disease. If doctors can learn what causes smooth muscle cells to change in this harmful way, they might be able to stop it from happening. That could lead to new ways to treat or even prevent coronary artery disease.
Dr. Civelek said that while we already have good treatments like cholesterol-lowering drugs and ways to control blood pressure, we still need more options. Heart disease is still taking too many lives, and we need better ways to fight it.
The research team—Perry, Diana Albarracin, Redouane Aherrahrou, and Civelek—are continuing their work. They hope their findings will help people around the world who are affected by this disease.
If you’re interested in health, check out studies showing that vitamin D can help reduce inflammation and that vitamin K might lower the risk of heart disease by a third. You can also learn about foods that help keep your brain sharp, and how certain cooking methods may raise the risk of blindness.
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.
The study was published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.
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