Atherosclerosis evident in four ancient populations, including hunter-gatherers

CT scans of mummies from four geographical regions across a period of 4000 years suggest that atherosclerosis was more common in ancient populations than previously believed. Studying individuals from ancient Egypt, ancient Peru, ancestral Puebloans of southwestern America, and hunter-gatherers from the Aleutian Islands, researchers were able to identify atherosclerosis in more than one-third of the mummified specimens, raising the possibility that humans have a natural predisposition to the disease. "Our findings greatly increase the number of ancient people known to have atherosclerosis and show for the first time that the disease was common in several ancient cultures with varying lifestyles, diets, and genetics, across a wide geographical distance and over a very long span of human history," according to the researchers. "These findings suggest that our understanding of the causative factors of atherosclerosis is incomplete and that atherosclerosis could be inherent to the process of human aging." The study is published March 10, 2013 in the Lancet to coincide with a presentation here at the American College of Cardiology 2013 Scientific Sessions

Cholesterol-lowering medication accelerates depletion of plaque in arteries

In a new study, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have discovered how cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins promote the breakdown of plaque in the arteries. The study was published online by the journal PLoS One on December 6, 2011. The findings support a large clinical study that recently showed patients taking high-doses of the cholesterol-lowering medications not only reduced their cholesterol levels but also reduced the amount of plaque in their arteries. However, until now researchers did not fully understand how statins could reduce atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fat and cholesterol that hardens into plaque in arteries, a major cause of mortality in Western countries. High blood cholesterol is a major culprit in atherosclerosis. As a result of narrowing arteries, blood clots can form or plaque can break off causing blockages in vessels. This can lead to a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke. "Our new research shows statins actually promote the regression of atherosclerosis by altering the expression of a specific cell surface receptor within plaque cells," said co-author of the study, Edward Fisher, MD, PhD, Leon H. Charney Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and director of the Marc and Ruti Bell Vascular Biology Program at NYU Langone Medical Center. "This molecular phenomenon helps dissolve plaque by expelling coronary artery disease-causing cells from the plaque lining the arteries."

US AGAINST ATHERO (USA)

"US AGAINST ATHERO is a campaign sponsored by AstraZeneca to increase our nation’s awareness of atherosclerosis (or athero, as we call it), with hopes that all Americans will take steps to take care of their arteries. Through education and valuable information about atherosclerosis, we support people in becoming advocates for their own health and for the health of others"

Nano technology tackles heart disease

A molecule designed to find, latch onto, then treat hardened arteries could offer a new way to tackle heart disease, say its inventors. Nanoburrs, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), target only damaged cells in blood vessel walls. Once attached, they can release drugs in precisely the right place. But the British Heart Foundation warned the technology was some years from being used in patients. The hardening of the arteries which supply the heart, or atherosclerosis, can eventually lead to blockages which can cause heart attacks. The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal says specialists normally use tiny balloons to force open the vessels, then place a tube called a stent inside to keep it open

Stroke and heart disease trigger revealed (UK)

"Scientists have identified the trigger that leads to the arteries becoming damaged in the disease atherosclerosis, which causes heart attacks and strokes, in research published in the journal Circulation. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, say their findings suggest that the condition could potentially be treated by blocking the molecule that triggers the damage. The research also suggests that bacteria may be playing a part in the disease. In atherosclerosis, 'plaques' form in arteries that feed the brain and heart, obstructing the blood flow. The plaques are made of substances like fatty deposits and cholesterol. Immune cells are attracted into these plaques, which form inside the wall of the artery, leading to the artery becoming inflamed and to the artery wall being damaged. Sometimes, the plaque can burst as a result of this damage, causing a stroke or a heart attack. This research, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the European Commission, reveals the trigger that leads to the inflammation and damage to the artery wall. The researchers hope they can block this trigger in order to prevent damage to the artery and, ultimately, heart attacks and strokes. The trigger identified in the research is a molecule called TLR-2. This 'receptor' molecule lives on the surface of an immune cell and when it recognises harmful molecules and cells, including bacteria, it switches the immune cell into attack mode, to protect the body. It can also switch on the immune cells when the body is under stress" - ScienceDaily

See-through fish fed junk food diet develops early symptoms of heart disease

"A transparent fish that was fed junk food has allowed scientists to watch blood vessels furring up and narrowing. They hope the research will improve understanding of how heart disease develops in humans. The zebrafish were given a high cholesterol diet which led plaque deposits to build up in their blood vessels. In humans the same process, called atherosclerosis, causes the thickening and hardening of artery walls. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include high levels of 'bad' cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and a family history of the disease. Narrowed arteries increase the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke" - Mail Online

High phosphorus tied to early artery plaques

In healthy young adults, blood levels of phosphorus that fall within the high-normal range may be a risk factor for plaques or "atherosclerosis" in the coronary arteries that feed the heart, findings in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggest. Coronary atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for heart attacks. Levels of phosphorus correlate with the presence of atherosclerosis in animal studies and in humans with advanced kidney disease, noted Dr. Robert N. Foley, of the US Renal Data System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and colleagues. "But whether this relationship exists among individuals with normal kidney function is unknown." - Reuters

Heavy traffic can be heartbreaking

"The decline in highway traffic that was brought on by last summer's spike in gas prices may be a boon to heart health. That's because automobile emissions are among a long list of risk factors for heart disease and stroke. 'There's a very coherent and consistent body of data that links particulate air pollution with cardiovascular disease and premature death,' said Dr. Ted Schettler, science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, an environmental and public health advocacy group. Among the latest evidence: a German study published recently in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, which found that people who live near heavy traffic are more likely to develop atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which can boost the risk of heart disease" - HealthDay News

Research suggests why aspirin may prevent atherosclerosis

"Aspirin may prevent the build up of plaques in arteries by increasing expression of proteins that help breakdown lipids and remove of LDL cholesterol, new research suggests. Aspirin has been shown to prevent atherosclerosis in animal studies, but this is not accounted for by its known mechanisms of action. Researchers from Ohio State University showed that salicylate, the active by product of aspirin, increased the expression of the paraoxonase 1 protein, which helps break down toxic lipid peroxides, seven times and the expression of apolipoprotein A1, which removes LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream, 12 times in mice. These findings, together with previous studies linking HDL deficit to low PON1 expression, suggest that improved PON1 activators could be developed for use in the prevention of atherosclerosis, the researchers said" - Healthcare Republic

Statin use too low among elderly heart patients

"The use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs by elderly patients with clogged arteries or 'atherosclerosis' remains suboptimal despite improvements in the last 10 years, according to a study conducted in Canada. Many practice guidelines advocate the use of statins in people with atherosclerosis, but several studies have shown under utilization of statins in this population, the study team notes in the Journal of Vascular Surgery this month" - Reuters