Anaemia drug could help recovery after a heart attack: Study
Wednesday - August 29, 2018 2:10 pm ,
Category : HEALTH
London Aug 29 (IANS) Drugs currently undergoing development to treat anaemia -- lack of blood -- could be repurposed to help prevent people with Type-2 diabetes from developing heart failure according to a new research.
Researchers found that after a heart attack a protein called HIF acts to help heart cells survive.
In people with diabetes fats accumulate within the heart muscle and stop the HIF protein from becoming active. This means that a person is more likely to suffer lasting heart muscle damage and develop heart failure after a heart attack.
"After a heart attack people with Type-2 diabetes are more likely to develop heart failure more quickly but we have not fully understood the reasons why that is the case " said lead researcher Lisa Heather research student at the University of Oxford in the UK.
"What we have shown with this research is that the metabolism of people with Type-2 diabetes means they have higher levels of fatty acids in the heart. This prevents signals going to the heart protective protein telling it to kick-in after a heart attack " she added.
In the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology the team treated diabetic rats with a drug known to activate the HIF protein and were able to encourage the heart to recover after a heart attack.
However these initial results suggest that several drugs known to activate HIF and currently undergoing phase-III clinical trials to treat people with anaemia could potentially be given to people with diabetes immediately after a heart attack in the future the researchers said.
"This research in rats has not only identified the mechanism that could explain why people with Type-2 diabetes have poorer outcomes after a heart attack but also a practical way this might be prevented " the researchers explained.
However further studies will be needed to confirm if the same benefits are seen in humans they noted.
--IANS rt/mag/sed
Researchers found that after a heart attack a protein called HIF acts to help heart cells survive.
In people with diabetes fats accumulate within the heart muscle and stop the HIF protein from becoming active. This means that a person is more likely to suffer lasting heart muscle damage and develop heart failure after a heart attack.
"After a heart attack people with Type-2 diabetes are more likely to develop heart failure more quickly but we have not fully understood the reasons why that is the case " said lead researcher Lisa Heather research student at the University of Oxford in the UK.
"What we have shown with this research is that the metabolism of people with Type-2 diabetes means they have higher levels of fatty acids in the heart. This prevents signals going to the heart protective protein telling it to kick-in after a heart attack " she added.
In the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology the team treated diabetic rats with a drug known to activate the HIF protein and were able to encourage the heart to recover after a heart attack.
However these initial results suggest that several drugs known to activate HIF and currently undergoing phase-III clinical trials to treat people with anaemia could potentially be given to people with diabetes immediately after a heart attack in the future the researchers said.
"This research in rats has not only identified the mechanism that could explain why people with Type-2 diabetes have poorer outcomes after a heart attack but also a practical way this might be prevented " the researchers explained.
However further studies will be needed to confirm if the same benefits are seen in humans they noted.
--IANS rt/mag/sed
