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How iron release may worsen heart failure
Written by James Kingsland on February 5, 2021 Fact checked by Hilary Guite, FFPH, MRCGP
Drazen Zigic/Getty Images
Iron-containing molecules play a wide range of essential roles in the body, including transporting oxygen in the bloodstream.
However, a study in mice suggests that in cases of heart failure, the release of stored iron in the heart may contribute to the death of heart muscle cells.
The study raises concerns about the prolonged use of iron supplements in people with heart failure.
Drugs that inhibit the release of stored iron from heart cells may be promising new treatments.
Apoptosis in Heart Failure Linked to Iron Release
Source: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
February 4, 2021
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A process that releases iron in response to stress may contribute to heart failure, and blocking this process could be a way of protecting the heart, suggests a study (“Iron derived from autophagy-mediated ferritin degradation induces cardiomyocyte death and heart failure in mice”) published in
eLife.
People with heart failure often have an iron deficiency, leading some scientists to suspect that problems with iron processing in the body may play a role in this condition. The study explains one way that iron processing may contribute to heart failure and suggests potential treatment approaches to protect the heart.
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A process that releases iron in response to stress may contribute to heart failure, and blocking this process could be a way of protecting the heart, suggests a study in mice published today in eLife.
People with heart failure often have an iron deficiency, leading some scientists to suspect that problems with iron processing in the body may play a role in this condition. The study explains one way that iron processing may contribute to heart failure and suggests potential treatment approaches to protect the heart.