For many years, doctors have focused on treating diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol to lower the risk of heart disease.
Medicines like aspirin and statins have helped many people. But heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States. Even when people manage their risk factors well, heart attacks still happen.
Now, scientists at the University of Michigan have found something new that might help explain why: a protein called suPAR. This protein is made by the immune system and may play a major role in a condition called atherosclerosis. That’s when arteries become hard and narrow, making it easier for heart attacks and strokes to happen.
Atherosclerosis affects over a billion people around the world. It happens when fatty deposits build up in the blood vessels. Doctors have known for a long time that high cholesterol and blood pressure can cause it. But this study shows that high levels of suPAR may also start the process.
SuPAR is made in the bone marrow and helps the immune system. But if too much of it is present, the immune system stays in “alert” mode all the time. This causes inflammation, which damages arteries and makes them more likely to collect plaque and harden.
Earlier studies showed that suPAR was linked to heart disease. But this new research is the first to show that suPAR can actually cause atherosclerosis.
To learn more, scientists studied health data from over 5,000 people who had never had heart disease. They found that people with higher levels of suPAR were much more likely to develop hardened arteries, even if their cholesterol and blood pressure were normal.
They also studied genetic data from 24,000 people and found that a gene called PLAUR controls suPAR levels. People with a certain version of this gene had more suPAR in their bodies and a higher risk of heart disease.
To be sure, they used a special method called Mendelian randomization on 500,000 people in the UK. This method helps scientists prove whether something actually causes disease. The results showed that suPAR is not just related to heart problems — it directly causes them.
The team then tested this in mice. Mice with higher suPAR levels developed more plaque in their arteries than those with normal levels. This gave even stronger proof that suPAR is harmful to the heart.
This discovery is very important because current heart treatments like statins don’t affect suPAR. Scientists are now trying to create new treatments that lower suPAR levels. If they succeed, this could help millions of people who still get heart disease even after following medical advice.
The study also showed a link between suPAR and kidney disease. Many people with kidney disease also have heart disease, and suPAR might be the reason why. Treating suPAR could improve both heart and kidney health at the same time.
This major discovery was led by Dr. Salim Hayek and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. It could change the way doctors treat heart disease in the future. By targeting suPAR, researchers hope to find new and better ways to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
