Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in developed countries. Pathological processes in the heart are associated with differential expression profile of genes know to be important for cardiac function. Current understanding of cardiac gene expression illustrates that transcriptional regulation is the major regulator, where transcription factors bind to regulatory enhancer/promoter sequences in order to activate gene expression. Nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is one of the main transcription factors that activates expression of genes whose products have a key role in the development of cardiovascular pathologies and inflammatory and/or viral diseases [20]. NF-kB is a redox-sensitive transcription factor found in most cell types with a common p50/65 heterodimer. Inactive NF-kB dimers bind to inhibitors of NF-kB proteins (IkBs) and remain in the cytosol. Stimuli, like reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other inflammatory factors, may play a role in the activation of NF-kB [20]. Excess activation of NF-κB has been implicated in human inflammatory diseases, like atherosclerosis. Due to the extensive involvement of NF-κB signaling in human pathologies, continuous efforts have been made to develop inhibitors for this pathway[21]. Reports suggest that processes of inflammation and angiogenesis are interlinked. Newly formed blood vessels participate in the continuous recruitment of inflammatory cells, resulting in the release a variety of cytokines and growth factors which promote angiogenesis. A series of positive feedback loops creates a vicious cycle that increases inflammation, transforming it into the chronic process. This concept of reciprocity also includes oxidative stress, which leads to chronic inflammation th...
... middle of paper ...
... DM [39].
SIRT1 is an NAD-dependent deacetylase involved in regulation of stress response pathways. SIRT1 modulates metabolism and hypoxic responses by deacetylating transcription factors and co-factors in pathways involved in cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases cancer, thus the regulation of SIRT1 has tremendous attention [40]. miR-34a expression in the heart and spleen are higher in older mice than those in younger mice. SIRT1 expression decreased with age. Data suggests that miR-34a regulators endothelial senescence. It also inhibits EPC mediated angiogenesis by induction of senescence [40] . MiR-34a also modulates FoxO1 a downstream target of SIRT1 enhancing senescence. MiR-34a targets SIRT1 and contributes to pluripotency of ESCs. Thus SIRT1 plays an important role in the cardiovascular system, and miR-34a in turn modulates SIRT1 expression [41].
Atherosclerosis is a pathological condition that underlies several important adverse vascular events such as stroke, cerebrovascular disease, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). etc. [1]. It is responsible for most of the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Western World currently [2]. As a result of the adoption of the western life style, its prevalence is increasing all over the world and could likely reach epidemic status in the coming future [2]. Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease of the arterial wall whose underlying pathogenesis involves an imbalanced lipid metabolism and a maladaptive immune response involving chronic inflammation of the arterial wall [1]. Leukocyte trafficking shapes the disturbed equilibrium of lipid accumulation, immune responses and their clearance and homeostasis, and this leukocyte trafficking is governed by chemokines and their receptors [1]. Chemokines are a superfamily of small structurally related chemotactic cytokines, which are involved in leukocyte trafficking and activation [3]. Chemokines have been found to play major roles in selectively recruiting monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, as well as in inducing chemotaxis through the activation of G-protein-coupled receptors [4]. Additionally, chemokines and their receptors have been identified as key players in the progression of atherosclerosis, thus they are explored in order to find therapeutic targets to prevent or treat Atherosclerosis and by targeting the chemokine system various entry points for a causative treatment are offered [5]. In this essay, the role of chemokine system in atherosclerosis is visited, the strategies employed to target chemokines as a therapeutic pathway for atherosclerosis and clinical trials undertaken ...
AGEs alter the mechanical properties of cells and tissues by crosslinking intracellular and extracellular proteins. They also bind to cell surface receptors called receptor for AGEs (RAGE), thus interrupting various cellular processes. Through laboratory experiments, scientists have shown that glycation of mitochondrial proteins, lipids and DNA may induce mitochondrial dysfunction due to a decrease in ATP production and increased free radical formation. The mitochondria are specialized...
Humans undergo several stages during their lifetime including growth, development, reproduction and senescence. Senescence is defined as the deteriorative biological changes that organisms experience as they age eventually leading to death. These changes include low metabolism, a weak immune system, memory loss, poor vision and loss of hearing. Senescence begins in humans during their post-reproductive years. However, gerontology research has shown that individuals who reproduce late have longer life spans compared to individuals who reproduce early. Nonetheless, it does not indicate that senescence is inevitable. All organisms experience senescence, but at different rates and time. Many genetic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease are prevalent in older individuals and the symptoms being to appear in middle adulthood. The causes of genetic diseases and disabilities in older individuals are explained by three evolutionary theories: antagonistic pleiotropy theory, mutation accumulation theory and disposable soma theory. These theories suggest that favorable natural selection and heavy allocation of resources for somatic maintenance during the reproductive period decreases the chances of genetic diseases in younger individuals.
Cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. It is responsible for one in four deaths every year, about 600,000 mortalities. This disease affects men and women, as well as every ethnic group. Coronary artery disease is the most common cardiovascular disease, representing approximately 400,000 deaths per year of the aforementioned 600,000 total deaths from cardiovascular diseases as a whole. In 2010 alone, coronary artery disease cost the United States $108.9 billion for health care services, medication, and lost productivity. These chilling statistics, published every year by the American Medical Association, demonstrate the immediate need for new and innovative ways to prevent, detect, and treat coronary heart disease. This paper will explore the molecular biology behind the disease while explaining the current treatments and prevention that are available today, why they work and what can be done to improve them.
The hereditary risk factors for cardiovascular disease are primarily those of which individuals are unable to control, the ones for which they are born with. These risk factors would include an individual’s sex, race, age, and genetics. One out of every five males has some form of cardiovascular disease and the same applies for females. More women than men have cardiovascular disease in this country, but this is only due to the fact that there are more women within the U.S. population (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Men percentage wise are at a higher risk than women. There is a somewhat reduced probability for females to have cardiovascular disease before menopause. This is believed by medical researchers and scientists to be directly related to the natural hor...
Today, cardiovascular disease is “the number one killer in the United States and the developed world” (Sapolsky, 2004, p. 41). Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of cardiovascular disease, and is responsible for claiming an unreasonable amount of lives every year. CHD can begin to accumulate in young adults, but is prominently found in both men and women in their later adult lives. As a result of CHD, men typically experience heart attacks, whereas women present with chest pains, known as angina (Matthews, 2005).
Another study proposed that CR slowed aging process by increasing resistance to hyperoxidation. As aging progressed in yeast and other animals, the presence of free radicals increased in the cells. Usually, the levels of the...
One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. “Approximately every 29 seconds one American will have a heart attack, and once a minute one American will die from a heart attack” (Ford-Martin and Odle, 915). According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 are considered at risk for heart disease. Heart disease is a major cause of death. It is beneficial to individuals who seek to prevent heart disease to recognize the risks leading to heart attacks as they are one of the primary indications of developing heart disease; especially those that fall into the at risk age groups. These risks consist of some that cannot be changed such as heredity risks, or those that can change such as smoking habits. It is very important to know these specific risks for prevention and to understand the symptoms of heart attacks, such as sweating or the feeling of weakness so if these or other symptoms occur people are aware. Finally heart disease treatment is of vital importance if you experience a heart attack so you can learn how to prevent another one from occurring.
Oeseburg, H., de Boer, R.,A., van Gilst, W.,H., & van, d. H. (2010). Telomere biology in healthy aging and disease. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 459(2), 259-68. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0728-1
Throughout history, it seems that medicine and spirituality have been linked in many circumstances. In a study looking at the use of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac patients, spiritual healing was one of many practices patient sought to utilize. In another study, 29% of participants chose to use prayer or premeditation as a way to cope with their chronic illness. In both studies, prayer or meditation was more likely to be used by individuals who had a large social network, as well as support from another person in the same health situation. Based on these studies, it seems that many individuals (not just cardiovascular patients) turn to their spirituality in times of health distress.
Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, is a term used for diseases involving the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. The problems associated with cardiovascular disease are often a result of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is caused by a buildup of plaque in artery walls, which disrupts blood flow through the arteries (American Heart Association, 2011). Cardiovascular disease causes a variety of conditions including heart attacks, ischemic stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and heart valve problems (American Heart Association, 2011). These conditions lead to serious health related issues for individuals, including death. Every year there are around 600,000 individuals in the United States that die from cardiovascular disease, making heart disease the leading cause of death in both men and women (CDC, 2014). Although there are ways to decrease the risk of heart disease, the rate has been consistently increasing over the years, costing America billions of dollars in health care services annually. Contributing factors to the rise in heart disease includes the rate of obesity and a lack of physical activity (Dhaliwal, Welborn & Howat, 2013; Poirier, Giles, Bray, Hong, Pi-Sunyer & Eckel, 2006). These articles provide research that answers the question of how obesity and physical activity are linked to cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease is currently the nation’s leading non-communicable cause of morbidity and mortality. According to the American Heart Association, the most common form of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, a condition in which the heart’s blood supply is reduced due to a narrowing of the coronary arteries. These arteries play a significant role in regulating the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. As blood circulates through the arteries, it exerts a force against the vessel walls, known as blood pressure. To withstand this pressure, elastic fibers interspersed along the artery walls allow the arteries to expand and recoil. Abnormally high blood pressure, however, will cause these muscles to thicken as a result of tears in the damaged artery walls trapping particles that aggregate as plaque. Progressive build-up of plaque ultimately leads to a narrowing of the arteries, subsequently diminishing blood flow to the heart and other body organs. This cascade of events triggered by high blood pressure illustrates why hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Affecting 1 in every 3 adults in the United States alone, hypertension substantially raises the risk for heart disease in an affected individual who, most likely, does not show any signs or symptoms. In addition to the risks associated with this “silent killer,” comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol can drastically worsen health outcomes in hypertensive patients. Given the high prevalence and severe consequences of hypertension if undetected, researching this particular topic will increase our understanding of the causes of hypertension by identifying and narrowing down lead candidates for pot...
Aging occurs in every species. Over time a change occurs on a cellular level in a person’s body, which causes degenerative effects on the brain, muscles, organs, bones, hormones, and DNA. In 1991, the book Evolutionary Biology of Aging, offered the following definition of aging: a persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism due to internal physiological deterioration.1 Aging affects the body physically and mentally. Many people dread getting older due to the numerous changes the body goes through. The geriatric population experiences many pains and is inflicted with various diseases. There are a few who are lucky enough to not get diagnosed with a life altering disease, such as Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, macular degeneration, or some form of cancer. Studies have shown that genetics play a vital role in the aging process.
Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome may be generated through various genetic mutations. As mentioned before, there are four genes that can cause this condition to be brought about in an individual. The most frequent mutation of these is the BRAF gene, because it is responsible for approximately 75 to 80 percent of each case of the syndrome. The two genes, MEK1 and MEK2, are very much alike and together are the result of 10 to 15 percent of ...
Many research try to find new ways of stopping the aging process. Research discovered that the damage to the molecules which make up out cells is done by highly unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species. Humans need oxygen to stay alive, as this plays an important role in the energy production of cells. Normally the oxygen molecules are converted into water, but sometimes when they don’t take up enough electrons they become highly reactive. These reactive oxygen species which are left after the energy production process can damage the biological molecules, mutate genes, damage lipids which make up the cell membra...