Smooth muscle overexpression of PGC1α attenuates atherosclerosis in rabbits
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In a new study published in Circulation research, Chen-Yu Zhang and Xiaohong Jiang's group from Nanjing University and Dongjin Wang's group from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital reported a critical role of PGC1α in maintaining the contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and highlighted the therapeutic potential of PGC1α for atherosclerosis.
New findings from heart experts at Cincinnati Children's shed light on the molecular triggers of rapid cardiac atrophy. Findings have potential implications for space travel.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have discovered a master switch for fibrosis in the heart. When the heart is under stress, they found, the gene MEOX1 is turned on in cells called fibroblasts, spurring fibrosis. Their new study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that blocking this gene could prevent fibrosis in the heart--and other organs that can similarly fail from stiffening over time.
Children with obstructive sleep apnea are nearly three times more likely to develop high blood pressure when they become teenagers than children who never experience sleep apnea, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Researchers have identified a novel lncRNA, Caren, that is abundantly expressed in cardiomyocytes. It enhances energy production by increasing mitochondria in cardiomyocytes, and inhibits activation of the DNA damage response protein ATM, resulting in improvement of cardiac dysfunction. Caren RNA in cardiomyocytes is reduced by aging and hypertension, which can lead to heart failure, and markedly reduced in the hearts of heart failure patients. Caren activation could lead to new heart failure therapies.
Previously measured risk factors could help to prevent potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases and help in targeting preventive interventions.
A study involving virtual rather than real patients was as effective as traditional clinical trials in evaluating a medical device used to treat brain aneurysms, according to new research. The findings are proof of concept for what are called in-silico trials, where instead of recruiting people to a real-life clinical trial, researchers build digital simulations of patient groups, loosely akin to the way virtual populations are built in The Sims computer game.
Researchers remain perplexed on the role of the interplay between blood pressure and glucose status and the development of cardiovascular events like coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. In a first-of-its-kind study, published in Diabetes Care, Japanese researchers discovered that cardiovascular risks gradually rose with increases in blood pressure regardless of the presence of and degree of a blood glucose abnormality -- providing insight on BP targets for hypertensive patients according to glucose status.
Eating fruits with lunch, vegetables at dinner and a dairy snack in the evening was associated with a reduced risk of death by cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, according to a study of U.S. adults. Eating a Western lunch (typically containing a high quantity of refined grains, cheese and cured meat) was associated with an elevated risk of CVD and all-cause mortalities in the same study.
After a stroke, doctors can try to remove clots in blood vessels to keep blood flowing freely to the brain. But even though most of these procedures are successful, less than half of people have a successful recovery from the stroke. A new study published in the June 23, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, sheds light on why that may be.