Protein may protect failing heart and improve cardiac function
Heart attack is a cardiovascular complication feared by many Americans, millions of whom buy Lipitor to reduce their risk of experiencing this adverse event.
Heart attack is a cardiovascular complication feared by many Americans, millions of whom buy Lipitor to reduce their risk of experiencing this adverse event. This condition can lead to heart failure, wherein the organ fails to adequately pump blood throughout the body. In order to prevent this from occurring - or treat it if it has already taken place - physicians from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine are looking into a protein called SUMO1, which is found in lower levels in failing hearts. Injecting this compound into the heart appeared to significantly improve cardiac function.
Lead author Roger J. Hajjar and his team published their findings in the journal Nature. They explained that SUMO1 regulates a gene called SERCA2a, which helps stabilize the heart for a short time. Decreasing levels of SUMO1 resulted in dysfunctional SERCA2a, indicating the protein's protective effects.
"Dr. Hajjar and his team at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Mount Sinai are fundamentally changing how we think about and treat heart disease," said Valentin Fuster, MD, who serves as director of Mount Sinai Heart.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 5.8 million Americans suffer from heart failure each year. A total of 670,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and 1 in 5 individuals die from the condition within one year.
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