Here are the top medical news for the day:
Can orange peel extract improve heart health? Study sheds light
New University of Florida-led research showed that Orange peels may hold a key to better cardiovascular health.
The findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups
Recent research has found that certain bacteria in our gut can contribute to heart disease. These bacteria produce a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) when they digest certain foods. The amount of TMAO in our bodies can be a sign of potential heart problems in the future.
Orange peel extract is good for your health, especially for your heart, according to previous research. It contains lots of antioxidants, which help protect body from damage. These antioxidants can reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol levels, and improve blood circulation. This helps keep the heart healthy and reduces the risk of heart disease. Additionally, orange peel extract has fibre, which is good for digestion and can help control blood sugar levels.
In the study, Yu Wang and her team investigated the potential of orange peel extracts -- rich in beneficial phytochemicals -- to reduce TMAO and trimethylamine (TMA) production. Scientists tested two types of extracts: a polar fraction and a non-polar fraction. To get the polar fractions, scientists used polar and non-polar solvents to extract the orange peel.
Results from the study showed that the orange peel non-polar fraction extract effectively inhibited the production of harmful chemicals. Researchers also identified a compound called feruloyl-putrescine in the orange peel polar fraction extract that also significantly inhibits the enzyme responsible for TMA production.
“This is a novel finding that highlights the previously unrecognized health potential of feruloyl-putrescine in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. These findings suggest that orange peels, often discarded as waste in the citrus industry, can be repurposed into valuable health-promoting ingredients, such as diet supplements or food ingredients. Our research paves the way for developing functional foods enriched with these bioactive compounds, providing new therapeutic strategies for heart health.” said Wang, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food science and human nutrition.
Reference: Hana Lee, Gar Yee Koh, Hanna Lee, Priscila Alves, Wallace Yokoyama, and Yu Wang; Discovery of a Novel Bioactive Compound in Orange Peel Polar Fraction on the Inhibition of Trimethylamine and Trimethylamine N-Oxide through Metabolomics Approaches and In Vitro and In Vivo Assays: Feruloylputrescine Inhibits Trimethylamine via Suppressing cntA/B Enzyme; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2024 72 (14), 7870-7881; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09005
Study shows heart-healthy behaviors may help reverse rapid cell aging
According to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the benefit of better heart health may be associated with the positive impact of heart healthy lifestyle factors on biological aging (the age of the body and its cells).
A healthy heart is crucial for a positive lifestyle and can help slow down the aging of cells. When the heart is healthy, it efficiently pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues. This improves overall energy levels. Regular physical activity, which supports heart health, also releases endorphins, enhancing your mood and reducing stress.
The study investigated how DNA methylation, a process that controls gene activity, might link heart health to cell aging and risk of death. DNA methylation levels are a key marker for estimating biological age, which is influenced by genes, lifestyle, and stress.
Researchers analysed data from 5,682 adults in the Framingham Heart Study, using interviews, exams, and lab tests. They used the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 tool to score heart health from 0 to 100, based on diet, exercise, sleep, smoking, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. They also used tools to estimate biological age from DNA methylation and genetic predisposition to faster aging. Participants were tracked for 11-14 years for heart disease and death.
The analysis found that:
1. For each 13-point increase in an individual’s Life’s Essential 8 score, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease for the first time was reduced by about 35%, death from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 36% and death from any cause was reduced by 29%.
2. In participants with a genetic risk profile making them more likely to have an accelerated biological age, the Life’s Essential 8 score had a larger impact on outcomes potentially via DNA methylation, i.e., DNA methylation accounted for 39%, 39%, and 78% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular death and all-cause death, respectively.
3. Overall, about 20% of the association between Life’s Essential 8 scores and cardiovascular outcomes was estimated to be due to the impact of cardiovascular health factors on DNA methylation; in contrast, for participants at higher genetic risk, the association was almost 40%.
“Our study findings tell us that no matter what your actual age is, better heart-healthy behaviours and managing heart disease risk factors were associated with a younger biological age and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, death from heart disease and stroke and death from any cause. The study highlighted how cardiovascular health can impact biological aging and has important implications for healthy ageing and prevention of cardiovascular disease and potentially other health conditions,” said Jiantao Ma, Ph.D., senior study author.
Reference: Jiantao Ma, Ph.D, et al.; Epigenetic Age Mediates the Association of Life’s Essential 8 With Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality; Journal of the American Heart Association; DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.0327431
Study finds link between heart failure and kidney disease
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, have found links between heart failure and kidney disease that could support new approaches for integrating the care of these conditions.
The results were published in JAMA Cardiology.
About two-thirds of older adults with heart failure have abnormal kidney function. However, few analyses to date have investigated the occurrence of clinically relevant kidney outcomes, such as hospitalisation for acute kidney injury or dialysis, in patients with heart failure. Evaluating these more recognisable and patient-centred outcomes may result in substantial changes to the way that heart and kidney disease are managed together in the clinic.
The study examined Medicare claims data from 85,298 patients over 65 who were hospitalized with heart failure between 2021 and 2024, using data from the Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry.
Researcherd found that 63 percent of these patients were discharged with significantly impaired kidney function, measured by their filtration rate.
They also discovered that patients with lower kidney function had a much higher risk of adverse kidney outcomes. One year after discharge, 6 percent of patients were on dialysis, and 7 percent were either on dialysis or had progressed to end-stage kidney disease.
The findings suggested that cardiologists should prioritize assessing kidney function – including measuring kidney filtration and looking for evidence of protein in the urine, also known as albuminuria – in all patients with heart failure.
More broadly, the study emphasized the need for systemic changes that better support the simultaneous management of heart and kidney disease, including establishing clinics focused on integrating these two care areas, and incorporating kidney outcomes into health care performance metrics for cardiovascular diseases.
“We know that heart and kidney health are highly interconnected, but management of heart and kidney disease remains relatively siloed, and kidney health often isn’t prioritized in patients with heart disease until advanced stages. Declining kidney function is often asymptomatic until late in the disease course, but even less advanced stages of kidney impairment can have important implications for cardiovascular health. Hence, there’s a need for analyses that assess kidney outcomes in people with heart failure,” said first author John Ostrominski, MD, a fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine and Obesity Medicine at the Brigham.
Reference: Ostrominski JW, Greene SJ, Patel RB, et al. Kidney Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries After Hospitalization for Heart Failure. JAMA Cardiol. Published online May 29, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.1108
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