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Important Inflammation Mediator May Play Role in MI
| Author: Tony Cappasso |
| Article Date: 4/12/2008 |
Cytokines have long been recognized as inflammatory mediators in the human body. Now researchers in the United Kingdom and Iceland have evidence that they may play a role in myocardial infarction morbidity and mortality.
Researchers in both countries followed both patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and health people with no symptoms of heart disease for more than 20 years in the Reykavik Study and the British Regional Heart Study. Teams in both countries followed a total of nearly 25,000 people.
During the study period, 2,138 participants had either a first-time non-fatal heart attack or died of CHD. The researchers measured baseline blood levels of a cytokine called IL-6 in these participants and in 4,267 similar participants who had not had a CHD event.
When the researchers analyzed their results, they found that long-term increased Il-6 levels in blood raised CHD risk for their study populations. The researchers also analyzed the results of 15 similar studies done previously. When they combined the findings from all the research, the results confirmed their original findings.
Study teams in both countries concluded that long-term elevated blood levels of Il-6 was as serious a risk for CHD as were the major risk factors – high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure – currently recognized. They cautioned, however, that unlike the case with blood pressure and cholesterol, how Il-6 contributes to heart attack has yet to be determined.
Researchers in both countries followed both patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and health people with no symptoms of heart disease for more than 20 years in the Reykavik Study and the British Regional Heart Study. Teams in both countries followed a total of nearly 25,000 people.
During the study period, 2,138 participants had either a first-time non-fatal heart attack or died of CHD. The researchers measured baseline blood levels of a cytokine called IL-6 in these participants and in 4,267 similar participants who had not had a CHD event.
When the researchers analyzed their results, they found that long-term increased Il-6 levels in blood raised CHD risk for their study populations. The researchers also analyzed the results of 15 similar studies done previously. When they combined the findings from all the research, the results confirmed their original findings.
Study teams in both countries concluded that long-term elevated blood levels of Il-6 was as serious a risk for CHD as were the major risk factors – high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure – currently recognized. They cautioned, however, that unlike the case with blood pressure and cholesterol, how Il-6 contributes to heart attack has yet to be determined.