Heart failure When blood harms the heart

Uncovered association between altered blood stem cells and heart failure

In Germany, nearly two million patients suffer from chronic heart failure, the so-called heart failure. Researchers have now gained new insights that could lead to new ways of preventing them.

The most common diagnosis for inpatient hospital treatment

Approximately two million people in Germany suffer from chronic heart failure, the so-called heart failure. As a result of this disease, the heart is no longer able to provide the body with sufficient blood and oxygen. Chronic heart failure occurs especially after a heart attack or persistent high blood pressure disease and is currently the most common diagnosis for inpatient hospital treatment, the University Hospital Frankfurt reported in a statement. Scientists at the hospital have now gained new insights that could lead to new prevention options.

Around two million people in Germany suffer from chronic heart failure. Researchers have now gained new insights that could lead to new ways of preventing them. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

New findings could contribute to the prevention of the disease

Cardiac insufficiency causes shortness of breath, decreased performance, tiredness and water retention in the legs.

As a result, the quality of life is massively limited for many people affected. In addition, this heart disease is often associated with mental health problems.

In recent years, new approaches to the treatment of heart failure have been reported repeatedly.

And now German researchers have gained new insights that could help prevent the disease.

According to their own statements, the scientists of the University Hospital Frankfurt have for the first time proved that there is a connection between genetically modified blood stem cells and the occurrence of heart failure after infarcts.

The results of the study were recently published in the journal "JAMA Cardiology".

Genetically modified blood stem cells

As stated in the communication, individual blood stem cells produce more blood cells than non-altered stem cells through genetic modification.

"The fact that new cells are formed daily in the blood is made possible by the equal contribution of thousands of blood stem cells in the bone marrow," explains Prof. Michael Rieger, Head of Stem Cell Biology at the Department of Medicine II at the University Hospital Frankfurt.

"Most recently, state-of-the-art analytical methods have shown that as we grow older, individual stem cells can dominate hematopoiesis through gene alteration."

In such a case is spoken of clonal blood formation. Every tenth over 70 years is affected.

"Clonal blood formation is not a pathological change in the blood system, such as blood cancer. But common age-related diseases - such as arteriosclerosis - are apparently negatively influenced by clonal blood formation, "Prof. Rieger continues.

Clonal blood formation occurred significantly more frequently
Clonal blood formation is currently a much-watched topic in medical research.

The Frankfurt scientists have now been able to prove for the first time that chronic heart failure after infarction is also significantly influenced by clonal blood formation.

"We examined 200 patients with chronic heart failure at our hospital and found that clonal blood formation was significantly more common in them than in healthy people of the same age," explains Prof. Andreas Zeiher, Director of Cardiology at the University Hospital Frankfurt and co-initiator of the study.

The patients did not differ in the classic risk factors for heart failure.

However, if they had genetic alterations in the typical genes responsible for clonal blood formation DNMT3A or TET2 in their blood cells, they showed a significantly worse disease course, had to be hospitalized more frequently and died earlier than patients without these mutations.

Search for the causes of the worse course of the disease

The genetic changes leading to so-called clonal blood formation can already be detected from a normal blood sample.

In the future, this information could significantly contribute to improved precision medicine in heart failure patients.

"Now it is important to find out what causes these genetic changes in the blood cells in the heart and what are the causes of the poorer disease course," said Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler, co-author of the study.

"This will show ways to specifically treat patients with these genetic changes individually in order to prevent the negative consequences at an early stage." (Ad)