New marker to identify and understand cardiovascular disease better

Risk of heart attack, stroke and Co. even earlier and more precise determine

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Germany. Researchers have now succeeded in identifying a new marker. The insights gained could help to determine the risk of such diseases even earlier and more precisely.

More and more deaths from heart disease

According to a report by the German Heart Foundation, the number of deaths from heart disease has increased again. Cardiovascular disease is also one of the leading causes of death in other Western countries. A healthier lifestyle would prevent about one in two deaths, as experts recently reported. German researchers have now gained further new insights into cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases can severely limit life expectancy and quality of life. Researchers have now succeeded in identifying a new marker. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com)

Researchers were able to identify new markers

Especially the elderly are affected by cardiovascular diseases. In addition to life expectancy, cardiovascular diseases can also severely limit the quality of life.

Researchers at the German Institute for Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) have now succeeded in identifying a new marker.

Accordingly, the protein chemerin gives insights into the still unknown mechanisms of disease development and could in future be used to determine the risk of heart attack, stroke and Co. even earlier and more precisely.

The study results were published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Messenger substance is mainly formed in adipose tissue

As the DIfE explains in a communication, chemerin is a messenger substance (adipokine), which is mainly formed in adipose tissue as well as in the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

It contributes to the fact that the initially similar, undifferentiated cells of the adipose tissue specialize for certain tasks in function and shape.

In addition, chemerin lures immune cells to injured tissue, which trigger immediate inflammation there and thus ward off infections. The signal protein is thus part of the fine-regulated alarm system of the body.

"Unhinging the system, threatening arteriosclerosis, heart attack and stroke," explains Dr. Krasimira Aleksandrova, who examines at the DIfE how the interaction of diet, body composition and immune system influences age-related diseases.

Predict risk for cardiovascular disease more accurately

The exact relationships of inflammatory reactions and cardiovascular diseases have not been fully elucidated.

To shed more light, Aleksandrova's team analyzed blood samples from a total of 2,500 men and women. The investigations were based on data from the Potsdam EPIC study with more than 27,500 study participants.

The scientists observed for the first time that the concentration of chemerin in the blood is increased even before the onset of heart attacks and strokes.

Chemerin could thus be used as an indicator in the future in order to more accurately identify the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

"Our results confirm that the signaling protein chemerin plays an important role in both inflammatory processes and the development of cardiovascular disease," said Aleksandrova.

"This track should definitely be followed up. Understanding the exact functions of Chemerin could in future improve the search for new prevention therapies and medicines. "(Ad)