Midazolam is a potent medication primarily used for its sedative effects before surgeries. Its strength is such that patients often have no recollection of their surgical procedures.
However, a team from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus discovered an alarming link between midazolam and potential heart damage, but only when administered at night.
In an extensive study involving over 1.7 million cases where midazolam was administered, researchers found 16,404 instances of heart injury.
Significantly, the risk of heart damage was notably higher in surgeries performed at night, especially in generally healthy patients.
The Role of the PER2 Gene
The key to this mystery seems to lie with the PER2 gene, a crucial player in heart protection that operates on a light-controlled cycle.
Experiments involving mice revealed a connection between the administration of midazolam, the suppression of the PER2 gene, and the subsequent risk of heart injury.
Midazolam induces relaxation by boosting GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain. However, this increase in GABA at night appears to suppress the PER2 gene, thus leaving the heart more vulnerable to potential damage.
This finding emphasizes the importance of considering the timing of medication administration. It highlights how the effectiveness and safety of drugs can vary based on the time of day they are given.
Similar considerations have been made for other medications, like those for blood pressure, which often have optimal effects when taken at night.
Led by Tobias Eckle, this research is a significant step in understanding drug interactions with our circadian rhythms. It was published in the journal “Frontiers of Cardiovascular Medicine.”
The study underscores the need for tailored medication schedules to enhance patient safety and treatment efficacy.
It’s a clear example of the ongoing efforts in the medical field to improve healthcare outcomes through more personalized approaches.
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 information about heart health, please see recent studies about new way to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and results showing this drug for heart disease may reduce COVID-19 risk.
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