Tag: cardiovascular disease

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease ExerciseTags :

Health Benefits Appear Even with Fewer Steps per Day

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Contrary to previous belief, fewer numbers of daily steps are necessary for health benefits to appear, according to the largest analysis to investigate this. The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that walking at least 3967 steps a day started to reduce the risk of dying from any cause, and 2337 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The new analysis included 226 889 people from 17 different studies around the world. It showed that the risk of dying from any cause or from cardiovascular disease decreases significantly with every 500 to 1000 extra steps you walk. An increase of 1000 steps a day was associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from any cause, and an increase of 500 steps a day was associated with a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers, led by Maciej Banach, Professor of Cardiology at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, and Adjunct Professor at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, found that even if people walked as many as 20 000 steps a day, the health benefits continued to increase, with no upper limit found yet.

“Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better,” says Prof Banach. “We found that this applied to both men and women, irrespective of age, and irrespective of whether you live in a temperate, sub-tropical or sub-polar region of the world, or a region with a mixture of climates. In addition, our analysis indicates that as little as 4000 steps a day are needed to significantly reduce deaths from any cause, and even fewer to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease.”

According to World Health Organization data, insufficient physical activity is the fourth most frequent cause of death in the world, with 3.2 million deaths a year related to physical inactivity. The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a reduction in physical activity, and activity levels have not recovered two years on from it.

Dr Ibadete Bytyçi from the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo, senior author of the paper, says: “Until now, it’s not been clear what is the optimal number of steps, both in terms of the cut-off points over which we can start to see health benefits, and the upper limit, if any, and the role this plays in people’s health. However, I should emphasise that there were limited data available on step counts up to 20 000 a day, and so these results need to be confirmed in larger groups of people.”

This meta-analysis is the first not only to assess the effect of walking up to 20 000 steps a day, but also to look at whether there are any differences depending on age, sex or where in the world people live.

The studies analysed by the researchers followed up participants for a median (average) of seven years. The mean (average) age was 64, and 49% of participants were female.

In people aged 60 years or older, the size of the reduction in risk of death was smaller than that seen in people aged younger than 60 years. In the older adults, there was a 42% reduction in risk seen in those who walked 6000–10 000 steps a day, while there was a 49% reduction in risk in younger adults who walked 7000–13 000 steps a day.

Prof Banach says: “In a world where we have more and more advanced drugs to target specific conditions such as cardiovascular disease, I believe we should always emphasise that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, which was a main hero of our analysis, might be at least as, or even more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives. We still need good studies to investigate whether these benefits may exist for intensive types of exertion, such as marathon running and iron man challenges, and in different populations of different ages, and with different associated health problems. However, it seems that, as with pharmacological treatments, we should always think about personalising lifestyle changes.”

Strengths of the meta-analysis include its size and that it was not restricted to looking at studies limited to a maximum of 16 000 steps a day. Limitations include the observational nature of the study. The impact of step counts was not tested on people with different diseases; all the participants were generally healthy when they entered the studies analysed. The researchers were not able to account for differences in race and socioeconomic status, and the methods for counting steps were not identical in all the studies included in this meta-analysis.

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Categories : Ageing Metabolic DisordersTags :

Mouse Study Highlights Potential Therapeutic for Metabolic Syndrome

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Mopping up free radicals with antioxidants was a major health fad in the 1970s. In an effort to supposedly blunt the effects of aging and stave off chronic disease, people took huge amounts of antioxidants in the form of minerals and vitamins. Not only was this ineffective, it sometimes caused harm because untargeted antioxidants also compromised beneficial cellular signalling pathways. As theories of mitochondrial causes of disease fell out of favour, this health fad disappeared along with bell bottoms and disco.

Now, research recently published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine suggests a new way of dealing with free radicals: rather than mop them up, take a pill that selectively keeps them from being produced in the first place. Building on this work, collaborative research between the Buck and Calico Labs shows that specifically inhibiting free radical production at a particular mitochondrial site prevents and treats metabolic syndrome in mice, by preventing and reversing insulin resistance.

“We think that mitochondrial radical production drives many chronic diseases of aging, and that blocking the production of free radicals is a viable disease-treating and anti-aging intervention,” said Martin Brand, PhD, Buck Professor Emeritus and senior investigator of the study. “We’ve found a way to selectively keep problematic free radicals in check without compromising normal energy production in the mitochondria. These compounds act like a cork in a wine bottle. They plug a specific site so that it doesn’t produce free radicals, without hindering the mitochondria’s critical function of energy metabolism. We look forward to continuing this groundbreaking area of research.”

The orally bioavailable compound that has been developed, S1QEL1.719 (a new “S1QEL” – Suppressor of site IQ Electron Leak), was given both prophylactically and therapeutically to mice fed a high-fat diet that causes metabolic syndrome. Treatment decreased fat accumulation, strongly protected against decreased glucose tolerance and prevented or reversed the increase in fasting insulin levels by protecting against the development of insulin resistance.

Acting on mitochondrial complex I highlights potential interventions for other conditions

S1QEL1s act on site IQin mitochondrial complex I. (The mitochondrial electron transport chain consists of four protein complexes integrated into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Together they carry out a multi-step process, oxidative phosphorylation, through which cells derive 90% of their energy.)

First author and Buck staff scientist Mark Watson, Ph.D., says current literature strongly implicates complex I in a number of different diseases, from metabolic syndrome to Alzheimer’s, fatty liver disease, and noise-induced hearing loss, as well as the underlying aging process itself.

“S1QELs don’t sequester oxidants or radicals. Rather, they specifically inhibit radical production at the IQ site on complex I without interfering with other sites,” Watson said. “So the normal redox signaling that we require in our cells will continue. S1QELs just modulate that one site. They are very clean, very specific, and do not disrupt mitochondrial functioning like inhibitors of mitochondria do.”

Brand says the data shows that free radical production from complex I is an essential driver of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, a major disease of poor lifestyle choices and of aging. He says this feature is a strong reason to revisit the mitochondrial theory of aging. “These compounds fine-tune mitochondrial production of free radicals,” he said. “And it’s really interesting; just inhibiting this specific site improves the whole redox environment and prevents metabolic disease, and that is amazing.”

Source: Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Diet and NutritionTags :

Steaks are OK? Global Study Challenges Current Advice on High-fat Diets

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In a study conducted across 80 countries, researchers found that unprocessed red meat and whole grains can be included or left out of a healthy diet. Published in the European Heart Journal, the findings showed that diets emphasising fruit, vegetables, dairy (mainly whole-fat), nuts, legumes and fish were linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature death in all world regions. The addition of unprocessed red meat or whole grains had little impact on outcomes.

“Low-fat foods have taken centre stage with the public, food industry and policymakers, with nutrition labels focused on reducing fat and saturated fat,” said study author Dr Andrew Mente of the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. “Our findings suggest that the priority should be increasing protective foods such as nuts (often avoided as too energy dense), fish and dairy, rather than restricting dairy (especially whole-fat) to very low amounts. Our results show that up to two servings a day of dairy, mainly whole-fat, can be included in a healthy diet. This is in keeping with modern nutrition science showing that dairy, particularly whole-fat, may protect against high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.”

The study examined the relationships between a new diet score and health outcomes in a global population. A healthy diet score was created based on six foods that have each been linked with longevity. The PURE diet included 2-3 servings of fruit per day, 2-3 servings of vegetables per day, 3-4 servings of legumes per week, 7 servings of nuts per week, 2-3 servings of fish per week, and 14 servings of dairy products (mainly whole fat but not including butter or whipped cream) per week. A score of 1 (healthy) was assigned for intake above the median in the group and a score of 0 (unhealthy) for intake at or below the median, for a total of 0 to 6. Dr Mente explained: “Participants in the top 50% of the population – an achievable level – on each of the six food components attained the maximum diet score of six.”

Associations of the score with mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke and total CVD (including fatal CVD and non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure) were tested in the PURE study which included 147 642 people from the general population in 21 countries. The analyses were adjusted for factors that could influence the relationships such as age, sex, waist-to-hip ratio, education level, income, urban or rural location, physical activity, smoking status, diabetes, use of statins or high blood pressure medications, and total energy intake.

The average diet score was 2.95. During a median follow-up of 9.3 years, there were 15 707 deaths and 40 764 cardiovascular events. Compared with the least healthy diet (score of 1 or less), the healthiest diet (score of 5 or more) was linked with a 30% lower risk of death, 18% lower likelihood of CVD, 14% lower risk of myocardial infarction and 19% lower risk of stroke. Associations between the healthy diet score and outcomes were confirmed in five independent studies including a total of 96 955 patients with CVD in 70 countries.

Dr Mente said: “This was by far the most diverse study of nutrition and health outcomes in the world and the only one with sufficient representation from high-, middle- and low-income countries. The connection between the PURE diet and health outcomes was found in generally healthy people, patients with CVD, patients with diabetes, and across economies.”

“The associations were strongest in areas with the poorest quality diet, including South Asia, China and Africa, where calorie intake was low and dominated by refined carbohydrates. This suggests that a large proportion of deaths and CVD in adults around the world may be due to undernutrition, that is, low intakes of energy and protective foods, rather than overnutrition. This challenges current beliefs,” said Professor Salim Yusuf, senior author and principal investigator of PURE.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, USA, stated: “The new results in PURE, in combination with prior reports, call for a re-evaluation of unrelenting guidelines to avoid whole-fat dairy products. Investigations such as the one by Mente and colleagues remind us of the continuing and devastating rise in diet-related chronic diseases globally, and of the power of protective foods to help address these burdens. It is time for national nutrition guidelines, private sector innovations, government tax policy and agricultural incentives, food procurement policies, labelling and other regulatory priorities, and food-based healthcare interventions to catch up to the science. Millions of lives depend on it.”

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Categories : Ageing Cardiovascular DiseaseTags :

Long-term Daily Aspirin Use in Older Adults Increases Anaemia Risk

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A new study analysing data from the landmark ASPREE trial has found that long-term daily aspirin use increases the risk of anaemia by 20% in people mostly aged 70 and over. The results, which are published in Annals of Internal Medicine, have prompted researchers to suggest considering regular monitoring for anaemia in older adults taking low-dose aspirin. In addition, they should discuss any concerns about their health or medications with their GP.

Anaemia is commonly experienced by older adults, potentially affecting overall function and increasing fatigue, disabilities, depressive symptoms and cognitive problems.

The Monash University-led study followed 18 153 initially healthy older adults in Australia and the USA and recorded incidents of anaemia over an average 4.7 years.

It was the largest study to investigate anaemia in older people as part of a randomised controlled trial, ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) – with half the participants taking a placebo and the other half a daily low dose (100mg) of aspirin.

The risk of developing anaemia was found to be 20% higher in the aspirin group compared to those in the placebo group.

In addition to a higher risk of anaemia, blood tests revealed a faster decline of haemoglobin and reduced ferritin (a protein that carries iron) levels in the aspirin group compared to the placebo group.

Lead author, Associate Professor Zoe McQuilten from Monash University, said that while bleeding was a known side-effect of aspirin, few previous studies had looked at the effect of prolonged aspirin use on the progressive development of anaemia in older adults.

“This study gives a clearer picture of the additional risk of becoming anaemic with aspirin use and the impact is likely to be greater in older adults with underlying diseases, such as kidney disease,” Associate Professor McQuilten said.

Associate Professor McQuilten said the new data gave doctors insight into the risk of anaemia from prolonged aspirin use by their older patients. “Older adults are more likely to become anaemic generally and now doctors can potentially identify patients at higher risk of developing anaemia,” she said.

Associate Professor McQuilten urged patients to follow the advice of their doctor about their daily use of aspirin. She cautioned that for some older adults, aspirin was recommended as a valuable therapy to prevent recurring heart attacks or stroke. “Patients should not change their aspirin regimen without speaking to their GP,” she said.

Source: Monash University

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease HIVTags :

Statins Trial in HIV Patients Ended Early Due to Efficacy

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Colourised scanning electron micrograph of HIV (yellow) infecting a human T9 cell (blue). Credit: NIH

A large randomised controlled trial into using statins in people with HIV and low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk was stopped early due to clear benefits, according to an update posted online in JAMA Network. Participants, who were taking 4mg pitavastatin calcium daily, saw a 35% reduction in risk with no significant difference in adverse events compared to placebo, according to the National Institutes of Health.

This recommendation came after a planned interim analysis of data from the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) study, which enrolled 7769 participants, across 12 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa. Participants were aged 40–75 years, had 100 cells/mm3 of blood at enrollment, and had low-to-moderate traditional cardiovascular disease risk that would not typically be considered for statin treatment. 

It was not clear if statins would have the same effect in people living with HIV and who have premature cardiovascular disease despite having low-to-moderate traditional risk. The interim analysis was compelling enough that the study’s independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board recommended at its latest regular meeting that it be halted early given adequate evidence of efficacy.

The study participants are being notified of the findings and will continue to be monitored for several months. Study results from the review are expected to be published in the coming weeks.

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Emergency MedicineTags :

Better Survivor Outcomes One Year after Cardiac Arrest When Bystanders Perform Defibrillation

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Survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) who received initial bystander defibrillation with a nearby automated external defibrillator (AED) reported better outcomes at 12 months after arrest compared with those initially defibrillated by paramedics, according to a new study from Monash University which appears in Heart.

The retrospective study recruited adult non-traumatic OHCA with initial shockable rhythms between 2010 and 2019. Survivors at 12 months after arrest were invited to participate in structured telephone interviews. Outcomes were identified using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E), EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D), 12-Item Short Form Health Survey and living and work status-related questions.

Of 6050 patients, 3211 (53.1%) had a pulse on hospital arrival, while 1879 (31.1%) were discharged alive. Survival rates were highest with bystander defibrillation (52.8%), followed by dispatched first responders (36.7%) and paramedics (27.9%). Of the survivors, 1802 (29.8%) survived to 12-month post-arrest; of these 1520 (84.4%) were interviewed. 1088 (71.6%) were initially shocked by paramedics, 271 (17.8%) by first responders and 161 (10.6%) by bystanders. Bystander-shocked survivors reported higher rates of living at home without care (87.5%), upper good recovery (GOS-E=8) (41.7%) and EQ-5D visual analogue scale (VAS) ≥ 80 (64.9%) compared with first responder and paramedics, respectively. After adjustment, initial bystander defibrillation was associated with higher odds of EQ-5D VAS ≥ 80 (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.56), good functional recovery (GOS-E ≥ 7) (AOR 1.53), living at home without care (AOR 1.77) and returning to work (AOR 1.72) compared with paramedic defibrillation.

Categories : Cancer Cardiovascular DiseaseTags :

Study Identifies Risk Factors for CVD among Young Cancer Survivors

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Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors are at risk of experiencing treatment-related effects later in life, including cardiac damage. New research published in in CANCER has identified a number of sociodemographic and modifiable risk factors linked to these patients’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The study by investigators at Duke University and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center relied on 2009–2018 data from the National Health Interview Survey, which collects information on a broad range of health topics through personal interviews of US households. Responses from 4766 AYA cancer survivors and 47 660 controls (without a history of cancer) were included. 

The risk of CVD was significantly higher in survivors than controls by sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, smoking status, and physical activity.

In the AYA survivor population, male sex, Black race, household income under $50 000 a year, and current or former smoking were all associated with higher odds of CVD. Household income < $50 000 a year disproportionately increased the odds of CVD in survivors compared with controls.  Performing any moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity was associated with lower CVD odds.  

“These results highlight the importance of long-term surveillance of AYAs after cancer treatment to ensure that appropriate screenings are initiated to reduce the risk of CVD and to promote healthy behavioural changes, such as physical activity, which impact long-term CVD outcomes,” said lead author Amy Berkman, MD, of the Duke University School of Medicine. 

Source: Wiley

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions Pain ManagementTags :

Cluster Headaches are Linked to other Medical Conditions

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People with cluster headaches may be more than three times more likely to have other medical conditions such as heart disease, mental disorders and other neurologic diseases, according to a study published in Neurology.

Cluster headaches are short but extremely painful headaches that can occur many days, or even weeks, in a row. The headaches can last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours.

“Around the world, headaches have an incredibly negative impact on people’s quality of life, both economically and socially,” said study author Caroline Ran, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. “Our results show that people with cluster headaches not only have an increased risk of other illnesses, those with at least one additional illness missed four times as many days of work due to sickness and disability than those with just cluster headaches. They also have a higher chance of a long-term absence from work.”

The study involved 3240 people with cluster headaches ages 16–64 in Sweden who were compared to 16 200 matched controls. The majority were men, typical of cluster headache.

Researchers looked at work records and disability benefits to determine how many days during a year people were absent from work due to sickness and disability.

Among those with cluster headaches, 92%, or 2977 people, had at least one additional illness. Of those without cluster headaches, 78%, or 12 575 people, had two or more illnesses.

Of those with cluster headaches, more women had additional illnesses than men, 96% and 90% respectively.

The average number of days a person was absent due to sickness and disability was nearly twice as high among people with cluster headaches with 63 days compared to those without cluster headaches with 34 days.

People with cluster headaches and at least one additional illness had four times as many absence days compared to people with cluster headaches who did not have an additional illness.

“Increasing our understanding of the other conditions that affect people with cluster headache and how they impact their ability to work is very important,” added Ran. “This information can help us as we make decisions on treatments, prevention and prognoses.”

A limitation of the study was that information on personal data, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and BMI, which could affect the occurrence of diseases, was not available.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease Environmental EffectsTags :

Cardiovascular Risk from Extreme Hot and Cold Days

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Extremely hot and cold temperatures both increased the risk of death among people with cardiovascular diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure and arrhythmia, according to new research published today in journal Circulation.

Among the cardiovascular diseases examined in this study, heart failure was linked to the highest excess deaths from extreme hot and cold temperatures.

“The decline in cardiovascular death rates since the 1960s is a huge public health success story as cardiologists identified and addressed individual risk factors such as tobacco, physical inactivity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and others. The current challenge now is the environment and what climate change might hold for us,” said Barrak Alahmad, MD, MPH, PhD, research fellow at Harvard University and Kuwait University.

Researchers analysed health data for more than 32 million cardiovascular deaths that occurred in 567 cities in 27 countries on 5 continents between 1979 and 2019.

Climate change is associated with substantial swings in extreme hot and cold temperatures, so the researchers examined both in the current study. For this analysis, researchers compared cardiovascular deaths on the hottest and the coldest 2.5% of days for each city with cardiovascular deaths on the days that had optimal temperature (the temperature associated with the least rates of deaths) in the same city.

For every 1000 cardiovascular deaths, the researchers found that:

  • Extreme hot days accounted for 2.2 additional deaths.
  • Extreme cold days accounted for 9.1 additional deaths.
  • Of the types of heart diseases, the greatest number of additional deaths was found for people with heart failure (2.6 additional deaths on extreme hot days and 12.8 on extreme cold days).

“One in every 100 cardiovascular deaths may be attributed to extreme temperature days, and temperature effects were more pronounced when looking at heart failure deaths,” said Haitham Khraishah, MD, co-author of the study. “While we do not know the reason, this may be explained by the progressive nature of heart failure as a disease, rendering patients susceptible to temperature effects. This is an important finding since one out of four people with heart failure are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, and only 20% of patients with heart failure survive 10 years after diagnosis.”

Researchers suggest targeted warning systems and advice for vulnerable people may be needed to prevent cardiovascular deaths during temperature extremes.

“We need to be on top of emerging environmental exposures. I call upon the professional cardiology organisations to commission guidelines and scientific statements on the intersection of extreme temperatures and cardiovascular health. In such statements, we may provide more direction to health care professionals, as well as identify clinical data gaps and future priorities for research,” Alahmad said.

The underrepresentation of data from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa limits the ability to apply these findings to make global estimates about the impact of extreme temperatures on cardiovascular deaths.

Source: American Heart Association

Categories : Cardiovascular DiseaseTags :

Parkinson’s Drug Improved BP in Young T1D Patients

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Young people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) who took bromocriptine, a medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes, had lower blood pressure and less stiff arteries after one month of treatment compared to taking placebo, according to a small study published today in Hypertension.

Hypertension and stiff arteries contribute to the development of heart disease, for which those with T1D are at higher risk. Those diagnosed with T1D as children have even higher risks for heart disease than people diagnosed in adulthood. Therefore, researchers are interested in ways to slow down the onset of vascular disease in children with T1D.

“We know that abnormalities in the large vessels around the heart, the aorta and its primary branches, begin to develop in early childhood in people with Type 1 diabetes,” said lead study author Michal Schäfer, PhD, a researcher and fourth-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “We found that bromocriptine has the potential to slow down the development of those abnormalities and decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease in this population.”

The multidisciplinary team conducted this study to examine the impact of bromocriptine on blood pressure and aortic stiffness compared with a placebo in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Bromocriptine is in a class of medications called dopamine receptor agonists. It increases levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain, which leads to an increase in the body’s responsiveness to insulin, called insulin sensitivity. Bromocriptine has been FDA-approved since 2009 to treat adults with Type 2 diabetes due to its effect on insulin sensitivity.

The study included 34 participants (13 male, 21 female) aged 12 to 21 years who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes for at least a year, and their HbA1c was 12% or less. An HbA1c level of 6.5% or higher indicates diabetes. They were randomly divided into two groups of 17, with one group receiving bromocriptine quick-release therapy and the other receiving a placebo once daily. The study was conducted in two phases. Participants took the first treatment or placebo for 4 weeks in phase 1, then had no treatment for a 4-week “wash-out” period, followed by phase 2 with 4 weeks on the opposite treatment. In this “crossover” design, each participant served as their own control for comparison.

Blood pressure and aortic stiffness were measured at the start of the study and at the end of each phase. Aortic stiffness was determined by assessing the large arteries with cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a measurement of the velocity of the blood pressure pulse called pulse wave velocity.

The study found:

  • Compared to placebo, blood pressure was significantly decreased with bromocriptine. On average, bromocriptine therapy resulted in a systolic blood pressure decrease of 5 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure decrease of 2 mm Hg at the end of 4 weeks of treatment.
  • Aortic stiffness was also reduced with bromocriptine therapy. The improvement in aortic stiffness was most pronounced in the ascending aorta with a lowered pulse wave velocity of about 0.4 meters/second, and an increase in distensibility, or elasticity, of 8%. In the thoraco-abdominal aorta, bromocriptine was associated with a lowered pulse wave velocity of about 0.2 meters/second, with a 5% increase in distensibility.

“A stiff aorta predisposes a patient to other health issues, such as organ dysfunction or atherosclerosis and higher stress or strain on cardiac muscle,” Schäfer said. “We were able to take it a notch further and show, using more sophisticated metrics, that these central large arteries are impaired, and impairment among adolescents and young adults with Type 1 diabetes may be decelerated with this drug.”

The study’s small size is a limitation. However, the researchers note that further research into bromocriptine’s impact on vascular health in a greater number of people with Type 1 diabetes is warranted; they are planning larger trials.

Source: American Heart Association