Heart failure: Research into the development of age-related heart diseases
Millions of people live with one cardiac insufficiency (heart failure). With this disease, the body is no longer sufficiently supplied with blood and thus vital nutrients. In the advanced stage, the chance of survival is often poor. Researchers have now studied the emergence of age-related heart diseases studied and important new findings won.
Due to longer life expectancy, more and more people are suffering from heart failure (cardiac insufficiency). Researchers from the Medical University (Med Uni) Graz and an international team have their sights set on a specific mechanism in the body that may be responsible for increasing heart failure in old age. They have now gained new insights into this, which have been published in the specialist journal “Circulation‘ were published.
Consequences of increased or low IGF-1 receptor activation
According to Message the so-called “insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway” is the focus of research. Clinical and experimental studies show that IGF-1 in the heart plays an essential role in regulating growth, cardiac contractility and metabolism.
In addition, IGF-1 also appears to be related to aging functional limitations of the heart to be responsible.
Increased activity of the IGF-1 receptor is often detected in heart failure, which is why the Austrian researchers and an international team led and coordinated by Simon Sedej and Mahmoud Abdellatif have now investigated for the first time what consequences this increased IGF-1 activity in the mouse model can have over the course of a lifetime.
“Previous experimental studies in mice have shown that increased IGF-1 receptor activation in the heart can have both negative and positive effects on cardiac function. Despite the great relevance of the cardiac IGF-1 signaling pathway to cardiac function, these controversial results remained unexplained for a long time.”explained Simon Sedej.
To the consequences of increased or lower IGF-1 receptor activation over the course of a lifetime, two mouse models were investigated that showed increased and low IGF-1 signaling activity in the heart.
This enabled the scientists to directly compare how changes in normal IGF-1 signaling activity affect heart function over the course of life.
double game
The researchers found that young mice with increased IGF-1 signaling activity had better heart function, but it deteriorated at a faster rate over their lifetime than normal mice. This leads to heart failure earlier and ultimately to a lower life expectancy.
The young mice with reduced IGF-1 signaling activity, on the other hand, initially showed poorer heart function, but this improves with age and leads to a higher life expectancy contributed.
High IGF-1 signaling activity in the heart therefore has a positive effect on the mouse model heart muscle growth, the force of contraction and the metabolism in youth. In old age, on the other hand, lower IGF-1 signaling activity in the heart is more beneficial for cardiac function and increased life expectancy.
Important information on possible causes
As stated in the release, this work explains the controversial results to date and provides important clues to possible ones causes for the development of heart failure in advanced age, which should be further explored.
“Our study provides important insights into the crucial role of fine regulation of the cardiac IGF-1 signaling pathway: on the one hand for its advantages during the early stages of life and on the other hand to avoid harmful effects on the aging heart muscle”said Simon Sedej.
“Thus, this work opens up perspectives for the therapy of age-related heart diseases and lays an important foundation for future studies. These will show whether pharmacological inhibitors of the IGF-1 signaling pathway, currently used in cancer therapy, might prevent age-related heart disease.”, explains the expert. (ad)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the specifications of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Sources:
- Medical University of Graz: Cardiac insufficiency: Research into the development of cardiac diseases (accessed: 05.06.2022), Medical University of Graz
- Mahmoud Abdellatif, Viktoria Trummer-Herbst, Alexander Martin Heberle, Alina Humnig, Tobias Pendl, Sylvère Durand, Giulia Cerrato, Sebastian J. Hofer, Moydul Islam, Julia Voglhuber, José Miguel Ramos Pittol, Oliver Kepp, Gerald Hoefler, Albrecht Schmidt, Peter P. Rainer, Daniel Scherr, Dirk von Lewinski, Egbert Bisping, Julie R. McMullen, Abhinav Diwan, Tobias Eisenberg, Frank Madeo, Kathrin Thedieck, Guido Kroemer & Simon Sedej: Fine-Tuning Cardiac Insulin/Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor signaling to promote health and longevity; in: Circulation, (published: 05/26/2022), Circulation
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.
