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A drug candidate, previously successful at treating severe fatty liver disease, reduces atherosclerosis—a primary driver of cardiovascular death worldwide—in large mammals, a study suggests. DT-109 limited the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in both the aorta and coronary arteries of nonhuman primates. This glycine-based tripeptide also stopped critical processes that lead to vascular calcification, a significant catalyst of arterial stiffening and plaque instability. Said Eugene Chen, M.D., Ph.D., "DT-109 has demonstrated a remarkable ability to counteract the progression of atherosclerosis, an achievement that holds immense therapeutic potential." Chen's team developed DT-109 in 2019 after it was discovered that impaired glycine metabolism...

New research shows that aspartame, one of the most common sugar substitutes, may impact vascular health. The team found aspartame triggers increased insulin levels in animals, which in turn contributes to atherosclerosis—buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which can lead to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke over time. The researchers fed mice daily doses of food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 weeks—an amount that corresponds to consuming about three cans of diet soda each day for humans. Compared to mice without a sweetener-infused diet, aspartame-fed mice developed larger and more fatty...

Turmeric has been a healing remedy in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It comes from the rhizome (root) of the Curcuma longa plant and has a warm, earthy flavor. Turmeric's active compound, curcumin, is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with many health benefits, from soothing joint pain to enhancing digestion and immunity. 1. Arthritis (Joint Pain) Arthritis is a broad term that describes over 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation, pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, typically develops due to age-related "wear and tear." Other types, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic...

Researchers have identified a new target to treat atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque clogs arteries and causes major cardiac issues, including stroke and heart attack. In a study, the team identified an inflammation-reducing molecule—called itaconate (ITA)—that could be the foundation of a new approach to treat such a common and deadly disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medications help but don't completely protect patients from cardiovascular risk. So, doctors also recommend lifestyle changes, such as a...

Metal exposure from environmental pollution is associated with increased buildup of calcium in the coronary arteries at a level that is comparable to traditional risk factors like smoking and diabetes, according to a study. The findings support the fact that metals in the body are associated with the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a condition where the arteries become narrowed and hardened due to a buildup of plaque. It's an underlying cause of heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease (PAD), the most common forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Atherosclerosis causes coronary artery calcium (CAC). Researchers...

Ray Liotta’s cause of death has been revealed one year after he passed away suddenly in the Dominican Republic. The “Goodfellas” star died from heart and respiratory issues, according to TMZ. Documents obtained by the outlet cite pulmonary edema — or fluid in the lungs — as well as respiratory insufficiency and acute heart failure as the specific causes. Medical authorities also listed atherosclerosis — a thickening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining — as an underlying issue. Liotta died in his sleep in May 2022 while filming “Dangerous Waters” on the island...

Most medical textbooks claim that atherosclerosis — the process by which plaque accumulates inside blood vessels and slowly chokes off blood flow, eventually leading to heart attack or stroke — is irreversible. This claim may not be accurate. In a landmark study, research has established a therapeutic role for an obscure herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, berberine, for the treatment and even possible reversal of arterial plaque, one of the main drivers of heart disease. The presumed mechanism by which berberine may reduce atherosclerosis is by tamping down production of a compound called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) that has been...

A major risk factor for diabetes, insulin resistance occurs when the cells of the body do not respond to insulin and cannot make use of the glucose (sugar) in the blood stream. The condition is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. George King, MD, identified a pathway in which the cells lining the blood vessels—called endothelial cells—drive the body's metabolism. In a reversal of scientific dogma, the findings suggest that vascular dysfunction may itself be the cause of undesirable metabolic changes that can lead to diabetes, not an effect as previously thought. In addition to being...

A receptor activated by substances formed from omega-3 fatty acids plays a vital role in preventing inflammation in blood vessels and reducing atherosclerosis, a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reports. The discovery can pave the way for new strategies for treating and preventing cardiovascular disease using omega-3 fatty acids. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death globally and a serious public health problem. Atherosclerosis is associated with chronic inflammation in the blood vessels. Inflammation is normally controlled by stop signals called resolvins, which switch off the inflammation and stimulate tissue healing and repair through a process...

An antioxidant drug reverses atherosclerosis and could be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes due to clots. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. When a type of fat called LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized and builds up to form plaques in the artery walls, inflammation and damage increase which can cause the plaques to rupture and cause blood to clot. These clots can block vital arteries that allow blood to flow to the heart, causing a heart attack, or to the brain causing a stroke. Previously, researchers at the University of Reading discovered that LDL cholesterol...

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health (MOH) has said that there was no indication that a 72-year-old woman who died a day after she received her first Covid-19 jab had had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. It was responding on Saturday (June 19) to media queries about a Facebook post by Mr Andrew Tan, who questioned if his mother's death could have been caused by the vaccine. Madam Doreen Chan received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on June 3, and "everything seemed fine except for a sore arm", said Mr Tan in his post that had gone...

Scans of mummified Inuits from 16th-century Greenland revealed that the ancient hunters suffered from clogged-up arteries despite a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Atherosclerosis — the build-up of plaques of fat, cholesterol and calcium in one's arteries — is a leading cause of death today in the world's wealthier countries. While often seen as a product of modern lifestyles, evidence of the condition has been found in human remains dating back as far as around 4,000 BC. However, none of these examples enjoyed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which has been suggested can help protect against plaque...

Modern diets and sedentary lifestyles leading to obesity are largely blamed for the disease in modern culture but a new University of Texas study, published in the American Heart Journal , found cholesterol buildup in the arteries of five mummies dating back to 2000 BC. [S]canning the preserved arteries of ancient mummies revealed that heart disease and high cholesterol have for a long time been part of the human condition. Although processed high-fat foods leading to high-cholesterol are so often blamed for heart disease today, this new study found signs of the same kind of cholesterol-clogged arteries seen in modern...

Gut bacteria may convert a nutrient found in red meat into a compound that can damage the heartThe link between red meat and poor heart health has traditionally been blamed on cholesterol, but new evidence suggests this isn't the whole story. US researchers found that carnitine, a nutrient found in red meat, is converted into a metabolite that promotes cardiovascular disease by gut bacteria. This may mean that the popular practice of taking carnitine supplements to build muscle is unwise.‘The cholesterol and saturated fat content of red meat is not sufficient to account for increased cardiac risk,’ says lead author...

However, study found those serving in Afghanistan, Iraq still had beginnings of heart diseaseHealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan had been healthier than troops in previous wars, military researchers report.Although almost 9 percent of those autopsied had some degree of atherosclerosis (or "hardening") of their coronary arteries, which can lead to heart disease, this was far lower than seen in soldiers who died in Vietnam or Korea, researchers say.Similar studies had shown that 77 percent of soldiers in the Korean War and 45 percent in the Vietnam War had atherosclerosis,...

Antioxidant-producing microbes may keep atherosclerotic plaques in place Though atherosclerosis is an artery problem, microscopic denizens of the intestines may play a surprising role in how the disease plays out. A new study suggests that different mixes of intestinal microbes may determine whether people will have heart attacks or strokes brought on by break-away plaque from the arteries. Compared with healthy people, heart disease patients who have had strokes or other complications of atherosclerosis carry fewer microbes that make anti-inflammatory compounds. These patients also have more bacteria that produce inflammation-triggering molecules, researchers report online December 4 in Nature Communications. Inflammation...

TORONTO — A single junk-food meal rich in saturated fat is detrimental to the health of the arteries, researchers in Canada said. Dr. Anil Nigam and colleagues at the University of Montreal-affiliated EPIC Center of the Montreal Heart Institute compared the effects of a junk-food meal and a typical Mediterranean meal on the vascular endothelium, the inner lining of the blood vessels. Endothelial function is closely linked to the long-term risk of developing coronary artery disease.

New study reveals molecular mechanism promoting the breakdown of plaque by statinsIn 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 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...

Enterobacter hormaechei -- normally associated with pneumonia and sepsis -- found in excised atherosclerotic plaque tissueDr. Emil Kozarov and a team of researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have identified specific bacteria that may have a key role in vascular pathogenesis, specifically atherosclerosis, or what is commonly referred to as "hardening of the arteries" – the number one cause of death in the United States. Fully understanding the role of infections in cardiovascular diseases has been challenging because researchers have previously been unable to isolate live bacteria from atherosclerotic tissue. Using tissue specimens from the Department of...

Eat less saturated fat: that has been the take-home message from the U.S. government for the past 30 years. But while Americans have dutifully reduced the percentage of daily calories from saturated fat since 1970, the obesity rate during that time has more than doubled, diabetes has tripled, and heart disease is still the country’s biggest killer. Now a spate of new research, including a meta-analysis of nearly two dozen studies, suggests a reason why: investigators may have picked the wrong culprit. Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes...