A study led by researchers at the Nuffield Department of Population Health has identified 12 key proteins linked to ischemic heart disease (IHD) that could be targeted by future drug treatments. The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).
Heart disease or heart attack caused by blockage of the coronary arteries, known as IHD, is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for about 9 million deaths annually. East Asia, particularly China, has witnessed some of the largest increases in IHD prevalence and deaths in recent decades, highlighting the need for improved treatment and prevention strategies.
Proteins play a crucial role in regulating the cardiovascular system by controlling blood lipids (fatty substances in the bloodstream, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]), chronic inflammation and blood pressure, making them targets for new drugs to treat IHD.
The researchers used advanced tools called high throughput assays (using both Olink and SomaScan platforms) to measure levels of 9,500 proteins in blood samples collected at enrolment of 1,976 participants in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) who subsequently developed IHD. They compared them with samples from 2,001 participants who remained free of IHD during follow-up. They then used advanced genetic analyses to examine the likely causal associations of these proteins with IHD risk.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.