Heart disease is a major cause of death around the world. In the United States, it causes about one out of every four deaths. One of the most serious types is coronary artery disease.
This happens when plaque builds up inside the arteries and blocks blood from reaching the heart. If it’s not treated, it can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Researchers are always trying to learn more about what causes this disease and how to stop it. A new discovery from the University of Virginia Health may help create better treatments. The scientists looked at certain cells inside blood vessels and found that they might play a bigger role in the disease than previously thought.
Inside our blood vessels are smooth muscle cells. These cells help the arteries stay strong and flexible. When the arteries are healthy, these cells form a cover over plaque and help keep it in place. This stops the plaque from breaking off and causing a blockage.
But sometimes, these same cells start acting in a harmful way. Instead of helping, they seem to make the plaque grow, which makes the disease worse. Scientists have been trying to understand why this change happens.
Dr. Mete Civelek and his student Noah Perry led a team to study this question. They used smooth muscle cells from people who had heart transplants. They wanted to find out which genes might control how these cells behave.
They found that how the cells use nitrogen and a type of sugar called glycogen could be the key. Glycogen stores energy in the body, and problems with how it is used might cause the cells to change from helpful to harmful.
One sugar, called mannose, stood out in their research. It might be part of what causes these changes in the muscle cells. More studies are needed to be sure, but this is a good starting point for finding answers.
Understanding why smooth muscle cells turn harmful could lead to new ways to treat heart disease. If doctors know what triggers the change, they might be able to stop it. This could help prevent the disease or make it easier to treat.
Dr. Civelek said that while medicines like cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure pills are helpful, they don’t completely stop heart disease. So, it’s important to keep looking for new treatment options.
The research team—including Perry, Diana Albarracin, and Redouane Aherrahrou—is continuing to study this process. They hope their work will lead to big improvements in how we treat heart disease and help millions of people.
While scientists work on these new treatments, there are still things we can do to protect our hearts. Studies show that vitamin D might help lower inflammation, and vitamin K could reduce heart disease risk by up to one-third. Eating healthy, staying active, and managing stress are also important for heart health.
New research is always helping us understand how our daily choices affect the heart. This study gives hope that better treatments may be on the way.
The study was published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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