Increased risk of coronary heart disease among UK Indian Asians may be geneticApril 26, 1999The increased rates of premature coronary heart disease among UK Indian Asians may be due to genetic or other as yet undiscovered risk factors, rather than the usual suspects, suggests research in Heart. The rates of heart disease among this community, particularly in young men, are up to twice as high as those in European whites. Yet conventional risk factors, such as smoking, high cholesterol, and blood pressure are less common than they are in European whites. The endothelial function of the major artery (brachial) in the arm was studied in 26 healthy Indian Asian and in 18 European white men between the ages of 35 and 60 who had no heart disease. Endothelial function refers to the ability of the cells lining the artery walls to expand and contract according to blood flow. The results showed that endothelial function was impaired in Indian Asians, compared with European white men. This finding remained true whatever the level of substances, such as glucose, insulin, and cholesterol in their blood. Previous research has indicated that a substance called nitric oxide, which is released from the endothelial cells, affects the dilation of the artery walls. And the authors conclude that nitric oxide activity may be impaired in Indian Asians compared with European whites. Nitric oxide deficiency might contribute to tissue damage in the artery walls, creating the potential for inflammatory cells and the formation of life-threatening clots. The deficiency might itself be genetic, say the authors. AlphaGalileo Foundation |
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| Related Heart Disease Current Events and Heart Disease News Articles Drug for erectile dysfunction improves heart function in young heart-disease patients Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single-ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Study raises concerns about outdoor second-hand smoke Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard. Night Beat, Overtime and a Disrupted Sleep Pattern Can Harm Officers' Health A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good "night's" sleep. Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells. Vitamin B niacin offers no extra benefit to statin therapy in seniors already diagnosed with CAD The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows. Heart and bone damage from low vitamin D tied to declines in sex hormones Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. New study links vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular disease and death While mothers have known that feeding their kids milk builds strong bones, a new study by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City suggests that Vitamin D contributes to a strong and healthy heart as well - and that inadequate levels of the vitamin may significantly increase a person's risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who've never had heart disease. Early end to key study on benefits of niacin, a B vitamin, in keeping arteries open was premature Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. oo much selenium can increase your cholesterol A new study from the University of Warwick has discovered taking too much of the essential mineral selenium in your diet can increase your cholesterol by almost 10%. New evidence that dark chocolate helps ease emotional stress The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. More Heart Disease Current Events and Heart Disease News Articles |
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