NIH-supported researchers find link between allergen in red meat and heart disease | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Only in recent years did scientists identify the main allergen in red
meat, called galactose-α-1,3-galactose, or alpha-Gal, a type of complex
sugar. They also found that a tick — the Lone Star tick — sensitizes
people to this allergen when it bites them. That is why red meat
allergies tend to be more common where these ticks are more prevalent,
such as the Southeastern United States, but also extending to other
areas, including Long Island, New York.


Researchers have suspected for some time that allergens can trigger
certain immunological changes that might be associated with plaque
buildup and artery blockages, but no one had identified a specific
substance that is responsible for this effect. In the current study,
researchers showed for the first time that a specific blood marker for
red meat allergy was associated with higher levels of arterial plaque,
or fatty deposits on the inner lining of the arteries. The blood marker
they identified is a type of antibody (immunoglobulin or IgE) that is
specific to the alpha-Gal allergen.

Immune Cells Mistake Heart Attacks for Viral Infections

 What is it about dying cells in the heart that stimulates the immune
system? To answer this, researchers looked deep inside thousands of
individual cardiac immune cells and mapped their individual
transcriptomes using a method called single cell RNA-Seq. This led to
the discovery that after a heart attack, DNA from dying cells
masquerades as a virus and activates an ancient antiviral program called
the type I interferon response in specialized immune cells. ¬¬ The
researchers named these "interferon inducible cells (IFNICs)."


When investigators blocked the interferon response, either
genetically or with a neutralizing antibody given after the heart
attack, there was less inflammation, less heart dysfunction, and
improved survival. Specifically, blocking antiviral responses in mice
improved survival from 60 percent to over 95 percent. These findings
reveal a new potential therapeutic opportunity to prevent heart attacks
from progressing to heart failure in patients.

Here's the paper:-

IRF3 and type I interferons fuel a fatal response to myocardial infarction

Periodontitis and Heart Disease: Researchers Connect the Molecular Dots

Periodontitis is a risk factor for heart disease. Now a team of researchers has shown that a periodontal pathogen causes changes in gene expression that boost inflammation and atherosclerosis in aortic smooth muscle cells. The research is published ahead of print in Infection and Immunity, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Gum disease bacteria may cause heart disease

A University of Florida study shows that the same bacteria that cause gum disease also promotes heart disease – a discovery that could change the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated. Researchers report their findings today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

"We report evidence that introduction of oral bacteria into the bloodstream in mice increased risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease. Our hope is that the American Heart Association will acknowledge causal links between oral disease and increased heart disease. That will change how physicians diagnose and treat heart disease patients," says Irina M. Velsko, a graduate student in the University of Florida's College of Medicine, who presented the data.

At The Forefront: A Test That Could Predict Heart Attacks

Cells known as endothelial cells line the walls of the arteries, and these cells have been strongly linked to ongoing heart attacks when circulating in the bloodstream. The new test works by looking for these circulating endothelial cells (CECs). They are thought to arrive in the blood stream when diseased plaque that has built up in arteries ruptures and ulcerates, causing inflammation. This damage can cause blood clots to form, which prevents blood from flowing through the arteries and ultimately results in a heart attack.

The TSRI team has developed a new "fluid biopsy" test, called the High-Definition Circulating Endothelial Cell (HD-CEC) assay, that can identify CECs in a patient's bloodstream. The team used it on the blood samples of 79 patients who had recently experienced a heart attack at the time of sampling. For comparison, they also used the assay on two control groups, which consisted of 25 healthy patients and seven patients undergoing treatment for vascular disease. The technique successfully distinguished the patients undergoing treatment for a recent heart attack from those in the healthy control group.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK -- similar to giving statins to everyone over 50 years who is not already taking them -- according to a study in the Christmas edition of The BMJ.

Study shows gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke

A microbial byproduct of intestinal bacteria contributes to heart disease and serves as an accurate screening tool for predicting future risks of heart attack, stroke and death in persons not otherwise identified by traditional risk factors and blood tests, according to Cleveland Clinic research published today in The New England Journal of Medicine."The current study is an extension of Dr. Hazen's previous work, in which he found that a chemical byproduct called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is produced when intestinal bacteria digest the nutrient phosphatidylcholine, commonly known as lecithin. The prior research showed that TMAO levels in the blood were associated with heart disease. Dr. Hazen and colleagues have now confirmed that gut flora are essential in forming TMAO in humans and demonstrated a relationship between TMAO levels and future cardiac events like heart attack, stroke, and death—even in those with no prior evidence of cardiac disease risk.

Biostatisticians identify genes linked to heart disease

 "Recently, large studies have identified some of the genetic basis for important common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, but most of the genetic contribution to them remains undiscovered. Now researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst led by biostatistician Andrea Foulkes have applied sophisticated statistical tools to existing large databases to reveal substantial new information about genes that cause such conditions as high cholesterol linked to heart disease."

'via Blog this'

Viral reactivation a likely link between stress and heart disease

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study could provide the link that scientists have been looking for to confirm that reactivation of a latent herpes virus is a cause of some heart problems.

Looking at blood samples from 299 heart patients, researchers at Ohio State University found that those who had suffered a heart attack were the most likely to have inflammatory proteins circulating in their blood compared to patients with less acute symptoms. And having more of one of these proteins in the blood was linked to the presence of antibodies that signal a latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation.

To date, these relationships have been hard to find because scientists have been unable to detect evidence of a virus in diseased areas of the cardiovascular system.

In this study, however, the researchers instead looked for antibodies against a protein that can be produced even when only partial or incomplete reactivation of Epstein-Barr EBV occurs. And when this antibody was detected, it was associated with immune system malfunctions connected to inflammation – a known risk factor for heart disease.

Overlooked ugly cholesterol causes heart disease | BreakThrough Digest Medical News

The risk of ischaemic heart disease , a disease affecting some 150,000 Danes , is three times higher in persons with high levels of the so-called ‘ugly’ cholesterol. This is the finding of a new study of 73,000 Danes, which is shedding light on a long debate on this topic. The results have just been published in theJournal of the American College of CardiologyMost Danes are aware that high cholesterol is life-threatening. But very few know which type of cholesterol is the most frequent killer. Cholesterol is divided into ‘the good’ HDL cholesterol, ‘the bad’ LDL cholesterol and ‘the ugly’ cholesterol. It is the so-called ‘ugly cholesterol’ ? also called ‘remnant-like particle cholesterol’ ? that is the really bad guy.

Inflammation may be a cause of plaque buildup in heart vessels

Inflammation may be a cause of plaque buildup in heart vessels: "ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2012) — Fifteen new genetic regions associated with coronary artery disease have been identified by a large, international consortium of scientists -- including researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine -- taking a significant step forward in understanding the root causes of this deadly disease. The new research brings the total number of validated genetic links with heart disease discovered through genome-wide association studies to 46."

'via Blog this'

Genetic Influences on Disease Remain Hidden

The quest to find genes that strongly influence whether people will develop common diseases is turning out to be even more difficult than some researchers had expected. At the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, several huge DNA sequencing studies aimed at ferreting out genetic variants behind diseases such as diabetes and heart disease reported initial findings. This work shows that a popular hypothesis in the field—that the general population carries somewhat rare variants that greatly increase or decrease a person's disease risk—is not yet panning out.

Flu Vaccine Could Decrease Risk For Heart Disease And Death: MNT

A flu shot can prevent you from getting sick and also stop heart disease. It can lessen the risk of a major cardiac happening by 50 percent and deaths from a cardiac event by 40 percent, according to new research presented at the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Cause of high cholesterol discovered

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2012) — Canadian scientists have discovered that a protein called resistin, secreted by fat tissue, causes high levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL), increasing the risk of heart disease.

A vaccine for heart disease? New discovery points up this possibility

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have identified the specific type of immune cells (CD4 T cells) that orchestrate the inflammatory attack on the artery wall. Further, the researchers discovered that these immune cells behave as if they have previously seen the antigen that causes them to launch the attack. "The thing that excites me most about this finding is that these immune cells appear to have 'memory' of the molecule brought forth by the antigen-presenting cells," said Klaus Ley, M.D., a renowned expert in vascular immunology, who led the study in mouse models. "Immune memory is the underlying basis of successful vaccines. This means that conceptually it becomes possible to consider the development of a vaccine for heart disease."

Are cardiac risk factors linked to less blood flow to the brain?

Metabolic syndrome, a term used to describe a combination of risk factors that often lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, seems to be linked to lower blood flow to the brain, according to research by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Polypill Could Cut Heart Attacks And Strokes Dramatically: Medical News Today

A randomized trial finds that giving over-50s a four-in-one "Polypill" ((amlodipine , losartan  for lowering blood pressure and simvastatin, for reducing cholesterol. ) to cut their risk of heart attack and stroke, led to large drops in blood cholesterol and blood pressure, the main causes of these two diseases. The trial's lead investigator says the expected impact of the Polypill would be to cut heart attacks and strokes, both leading causes of death worldwide, by two-thirds.

UK Biobank opens to researchers

A unique data resource of the health and lifestyles of half a million Britons - including 26 000 people with diabetes and 50 000 with joint disorders, 41 000 teetotallers, and 11 000 heart attack patients - becomes available for research today.

Dental plaque bacteria may trigger blood clots

Oral bacteria that escape into the bloodstream (Streptococcus gordonii ) are able to cause blood clots and trigger life-threatening endocarditis. Further research could lead to new drugs to tackle infective heart disease, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week.

Bisphenol A exposure linked to increased risk of future onset of heart disease

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a controversial chemical widely used in the plastics industry. A new study followed people over a 10-year time period and shows that healthy people with higher urine concentrations of BPA were more likely to later develop heart disease. But researchers "can't be certain that BPA itself is responsible" -- more research needed to determine whether the link is causal.