New approach to blood vessels could lead to novel atherosclerosis drugs
Medical patients looking for a cost-efficient way to protect their coronary arteries from the dangerous effects of high cholesterol can buy Canadian Lipitor at a fraction of its American price.
Medical patients looking for a cost-efficient way to protect their coronary arteries from the dangerous effects of high cholesterol can buy Canadian Lipitor at a fraction of its American price. While this drug can help people who already developed atherosclerosis, researchers from Cornell University were more interested in developing a drug that can prevent the blood vessels from hardening in the first place.
According to new research published Dec. 7 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the scientists may have discovered the best anatomical target to achieve this goal.
"One of the things we wanted to do was understand how aging is linked to atherosclerosis, and how the mechanism of vessel stiffening plays into this link," said researcher Cynthia Reinhart-King.
If the endothelial cells that line the affected arteries are "tricked" into thinking that the blood vessels are not stiff, they are less likely to launch an inflammatory response to their environment, thereby reducing the negative effects of aging, the researchers said.
Besides high cholesterol, other risk factors for atherosclerosis include smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and a family history of early heart disease, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
|
