Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Even though doctors have many treatments, like medicines to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease remains a major problem.
Now, a new discovery might change how we fight it.
For a long time, doctors have focused on things like cholesterol, blood pressure, and giving drugs like aspirin and statins. But even with all these efforts, heart disease continues to affect millions. It’s like trying to put out a huge fire with just a small bucket of water.
Researchers from the University of Michigan have found something new that might help. They discovered a protein in the body called suPAR. This protein plays a role in how the immune system works. But when there’s too much of it, it can cause problems.
Too much suPAR in the body can lead to a condition called atherosclerosis. This is when blood vessels become hard and narrow, making it harder for blood to flow. This can cause heart disease.
The researchers looked at health data from thousands of people and found that those with higher suPAR levels had a greater risk of heart disease, even if they didn’t have other risk factors. They also found that some people are born with a genetic version that makes their bodies produce more suPAR. This was confirmed in several large studies.
To see if this protein really caused problems, the team tested it in mice. Mice with higher levels of suPAR also had more signs of atherosclerosis. This shows that suPAR might not just be a warning sign, but something that actually causes damage.
Another exciting part of this discovery is how it links heart disease and kidney disease. Many Americans have kidney problems, and often those with kidney disease also have heart problems. The researchers think suPAR might be the missing link. If we can learn how to control it, we might be able to treat both conditions at the same time.
Dr. Salim Hayek and his team led this research. Their work offers new hope in the fight against heart disease. By focusing on suPAR, scientists may find better ways to treat or even prevent this illness.
This discovery could lead to treatments that do more than just lower cholesterol or blood pressure. It opens the door to a whole new way of understanding how heart disease starts and how to stop it.
As we learn more, we get closer to finding better solutions. It’s a reminder of how important it is to keep asking questions and exploring new ideas.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
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