Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in the world. In the United States alone, about one out of every four deaths is caused by this condition.
One of the most serious forms is called coronary artery disease. This happens when fat and other substances, called plaque, build up inside the arteries. These arteries are like tubes that carry blood to the heart. When they get clogged, it becomes harder for blood to flow. This can lead to heart attacks or strokes, which can be deadly.
Doctors and scientists have been trying for many years to understand why this disease happens and how to stop it. Now, researchers at the University of Virginia Health have discovered something new that could lead to better treatments.
Their study looked at cells that live in the walls of blood vessels. These cells are called smooth muscle cells. They usually help the arteries stay strong and stretchy.
Normally, these muscle cells create a layer over the plaque that protects the artery and keeps it from breaking apart. If the plaque breaks, it can suddenly block blood flow, causing a heart attack or stroke.
But scientists found that these same muscle cells can sometimes behave in the opposite way. Instead of helping, they can actually make the plaque worse and speed up the disease. This switch in behavior has puzzled researchers for a long time.
To find out more, a team led by Dr. Mete Civelek and his student Noah Perry studied smooth muscle cells taken from people who had heart transplants. They wanted to find out which genes affect how these cells act. They discovered that problems with how these cells use sugar and nitrogen might be to blame.
The body stores energy in the form of a sugar called glycogen. The study found that if something goes wrong when the cells use this sugar or process nitrogen, it can cause the muscle cells to change and start acting in harmful ways.
One sugar, called mannose, stood out to the researchers. They think it might have a special role in causing the harmful changes, but they still need to study it more to be sure.
This discovery is important because if scientists can understand what causes the smooth muscle cells to turn bad, they might be able to stop it. That means they could make new medicines that help prevent or treat heart disease more effectively.
Dr. Civelek explained that while current treatments—like medicine to lower cholesterol and blood pressure—can help, they are not always enough. Heart disease still affects many people. That’s why finding new ways to treat it is so important.
The research team, including Perry, Diana Albarracin, and Redouane Aherrahrou, is continuing their work to understand these cell changes. Their hope is to slow down or even stop the disease in the future, which could save many lives.
While scientists continue their studies, there are already ways people can protect their hearts. Getting enough vitamin D might lower inflammation, which is a cause of heart disease. Vitamin K might also reduce the risk by a third. Eating healthy food, exercising often, and managing stress are also good ways to care for your heart.
As more research is done, we may see exciting new treatments in the future. This study offers hope for better understanding and better care for people at risk of heart disease.
If you care about health, please read studies about the benefits of low-dose lithium supplements, and what we know about egg intake and heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies about potatoes and high blood pressure, and results showing 6 best breads for people with heart disease.
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