Heart disease is still the number one cause of death across the world. In countries like the United States, about one in every four people dies from heart problems.
The most common type is called coronary artery disease. This disease happens when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart become narrow or blocked.
Over time, fatty material, cholesterol, and other substances build up inside the walls of these blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque. When plaque becomes too large, it can slow down or even stop blood flow.
If a plaque breaks open, it can form a blood clot, which may cause a heart attack or stroke. Because of this, scientists have been trying for many years to understand exactly how plaque forms and how it can be controlled.
Now, a research team from the University of Virginia Health has made an important discovery that may help explain part of this process. Their study looks closely at special cells inside blood vessels called smooth muscle cells. These cells are usually helpful. They support the structure of blood vessels and help control blood flow.
What makes these cells interesting is that they seem to have two very different roles. In some cases, they protect the body. They can form a strong covering over plaque, which helps keep it stable and lowers the chance of it breaking open. This protective layer is very important for preventing heart attacks and strokes.
However, these same cells can also act in a harmful way. They can change their behavior and start helping the plaque grow bigger. This has confused scientists for a long time. Why would cells that are meant to protect the body suddenly start doing the opposite?
To better understand this, a doctoral student named Noah Perry studied smooth muscle cells taken from heart transplant donors. He worked with Dr. Mete Civelek at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. They looked closely at the genes inside these cells to see what might cause them to switch from helpful to harmful.
Their findings suggest that the way these cells handle certain basic substances in the body may be the key. Two important factors stood out: nitrogen and glycogen.
Nitrogen is part of many important molecules in the body, and glycogen is how the body stores sugar for energy. If the way these cells use nitrogen and glycogen becomes unbalanced, it may push the cells toward harmful behavior.
The researchers also found something interesting about a type of sugar called mannose. It appears that mannose may be linked to the changes in these cells.
Although this finding is still early, it gives scientists a new direction to explore. They now want to understand exactly how mannose affects these cells and whether it can be used as a target for treatment.
This discovery is important because most current treatments for heart disease focus on lowering cholesterol or controlling blood pressure.
While these treatments help many people, they do not directly address how cells behave inside the blood vessels. If scientists can learn how to control these smooth muscle cells, they may be able to stop plaque from growing or becoming dangerous in the first place.
The research team, including Diana Albarracin and Redouane Aherrahrou, plans to continue studying this process. Their goal is to find new ways to prevent or treat heart disease by focusing on what happens at the cellular level.
At the same time, it is still important for people to take care of their heart health in daily life. Eating a balanced diet, staying physically active, and managing stress can all reduce the risk of heart disease. Some studies also suggest that nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin K may support heart health, although more research is needed.
This study was published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. It offers a new way of looking at how heart disease develops. While more work is needed before these findings can lead to new treatments, they provide fresh hope that scientists may one day better understand and control the hidden processes inside our blood vessels.
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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