Anti-inflammatory therapies for cardiovascular disease are nearing the clinic. But whether scientists understand how inflammation contributes to fatty-deposit buildup well enough to target it effectively is open to debate
High blood sugar levels reprogramme stem cells, study suggests
High blood sugar levels reprogramme stem cells, a study suggests (Peter Byrne/PA)
High blood sugar levels may reprogramme stem cells, leading to lasting increased risk of fat, cholesterol and other substances narrowing arteries and restricting blood flow, research suggests.
University of Oxford researchers found that high blood glucose, a hallmark of diabetes, alters stem cells in the bone marrow that go on to become white blood cells called macrophages.
As a result, these macrophages become inflammatory and contribute to the development of atherosclerotic plaques that can cause heart attacks.
Researchers say the findings explain why people with diabetes are at increased risk of heart attack, even after their blood glucose levels are brought back under control – a mystery that has troubled doctors for years.
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