popular class weight loss drugs Opening up tiny blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack may prevent life-threatening heart complications, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
the studyA research team led by the University of Bristol and the University of London has identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
The discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs, which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite, protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
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“In almost half of all heart attack patients, the small blood vessels in the heart muscle remain narrowed even after the main arteries have cleared during the heart attack. emergency medical care” said Dr. Svetlana Mashitskaya, lead author of the study and senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, in a press release.
“This creates a complication known as ‘nonreflux,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 therapeutics Researchers say this can be prevented.
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the intestine or administered as a drug, it sends a signal. to the brainIt then sends a signal to the heart that turns on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
The researchers noted that when these channels open, pericytes relax and small blood vessels (capillaries) widen, improving blood flow to the heart muscle.
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The new study used animal models and cell imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channel, the drug was no longer able to protect the heart, confirming its important role.
The findings are based on the existing GLP-1 therapeuticsAlready used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, it could be repurposed as an emergency treatment to reduce tissue damage during or immediately after a heart attack.
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The researchers noted that the study had several limitations, including its reliance on an animal model.
Clinical trials are needed to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway works with the same timing and effectiveness in humans.
Additionally, while this study highlights the drug’s immediate effects during a heart attack, it has not been established whether long-term use of the drug improves existing symptoms. protection level.
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This research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
