PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Danish researchers predict risk of valvular heart disease

2013-11-13
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Pia Rørbæk Kamstrup
Pia.Roerbaek.Kamstrup@regionh.dk
45-50-56-73-05
University of Copenhagen
Danish researchers predict risk of valvular heart disease Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital and Rigshospitalet have identified a clear link between narrowed heart valves and a special lipoprotein in the blood. In the long term, the research may well help to prevent valvular heart disease. The new findings have just been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) – in which the opening of the aortic valve is narrowed – affects 2-7% of the Danish population aged over 65 years. The disease can be fatal, and the only effective treatment at the moment is valve surgery. The condition can be inherited.

Danish researchers predict risk of valvular heart disease

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital and Rigshospitalet have identified a clear link between narrowed heart valves and a special protein in the blood. In the long term, the research may well help to prevent valvular heart disease. The new findings have just been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) – in which the opening of the aortic valve is narrowed – affects 2-7% of the Danish population aged over 65 years. The disease can be fatal, and the only effective treatment at the moment is valve surgery. The condition is often inherited.

"Based on extensive population surveys, we have shown that high levels of lipoprotein(a) in the blood constitute a significant risk factor for developing aortic stenosis in the general Danish population. Thus, the 10% of the population with the highest levels of lipoprotein(a) in their blood are two to three times more likely to develop the disease simply on these grounds," says Clinical Professor at the University of Copenhagen and consultant at Rigshospitalet, Anne Tybjærg-Hansen.

The researchers have also shown that the risk of developing aortic stenosis is greatest among people born with a special variant of the so-called LPA gene, a gene variation which means increased levels of lipoprotein(a) throughout a person's entire life. Genetic studies in Denmark support previous international research in the area which shows that the LPA gene plays a key role in the development of aortic stenosis.

Better prevention and fewer surgical interventions

The researchers are hoping that the new research findings can be used to help prevent demanding treatments for aortic stenosis in the population:

"In the short term, we are hoping that our research will inspire the pharmaceutical industry to conduct clinical trials which investigate the effect of reducing lipoprotein(a) levels in the body in relation to aortic stenosis and also coronary heart disease – including coronary thrombosis. Previous studies suggest a causal relationship between blood clots and lipoprotein(a)," says Pia Rørbæk Kamstrup, a consultant at Herlev Hospital, adding:

"Preventative treatments targeted at individuals with very high levels of lipoprotein(a) in their blood can hopefully reduce the number of patients requiring valve surgery and the risks always associated with surgical procedures."

The researchers took the Copenhagen General Population Study as their starting point. They had lipoprotein(a) measurements for approx. 29,000 participants, and studied the LPA gene of approx. 77,500 people. The participants were monitored for five years on average, but up to 20 years to monitor the development of aortic stenosis. For following up, the researchers used diagnoses from the Danish National Patient Register (Landspatientregistret) and the Cause of Death Register (Dødsårsagsregistret) as well as operation codes from the Danish Health and Medicines Authority's registers of surgical interventions – including aortic valve surgery.

### Contact: Consultant
Pia Rørbæk Kamstrup
Mobile: +45 5056 7305

FACTS: Aortic valve stenosis affects approx. 2-7% of the Danish population aged 65 years and over. The disease is often discovered when a doctor detects a heart murmur during a physical examination. Once the disease is so advanced that other symptoms occur (shortness of breath, chest pains and dizziness), the death rate quickly increases. At present nothing can be done to halt the disease, and the only treatment which can improve the prognosis is heart valve surgery.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New look identifies crucial clumping of diabetes-causing proteins

2013-11-12
New look identifies crucial clumping of diabetes-causing proteins MADISON — People get type 2 diabetes. So do cats. But rats don't, and neither do dogs. Subtle differences in the shape of proteins protect some and endanger others. "All mammals make ...

First dual-protection intravaginal ring design shows promise in long-term HIV and pregnancy prevention

2013-11-12
First dual-protection intravaginal ring design shows promise in long-term HIV and pregnancy prevention Research to advance to phase 1 of clinical trials in early 2014 Arlington, Va. — A new intravaginal ring (IVR) has been developed for the sustained ...

Successful grant applications and scholarly impact in neurosurgery

2013-11-12
Successful grant applications and scholarly impact in neurosurgery Charlottesville, VA (November 12, 2013). Researchers have found a strong relationship between scholarly impact and success in receiving awards from the National Institutes ...

Study finds aerobic exercise improves memory, brain function and physical fitness

2013-11-12
Study finds aerobic exercise improves memory, brain function and physical fitness New brain imaging techniques allowed researchers to detect brain changes earlier A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of ...

CONRAD presents new technology combining contraception, HIV and herpes simplex virus-2 prevention

2013-11-12
CONRAD presents new technology combining contraception, HIV and herpes simplex virus-2 prevention Multipurpose prevention technologies featured at AAPS Annual Meeting and International Conference on Family Planning Arlington, Va. — CONRAD Head of drug delivery, Meredith Clark, PhD, ...

Politicization of health care preventing real changes to out-of-control system, researchers suggest

2013-11-12
Politicization of health care preventing real changes to out-of-control system, researchers suggest Meanwhile, United States has much higher medical costs and worse outcomes than Over the last decade, the biggest driver of the high health care costs in the ...

Analysis of health care in US indicates that improvement in outcomes has slowed

2013-11-12
Analysis of health care in US indicates that improvement in outcomes has slowed An examination of health care in the U.S. finds that despite the extraordinary economic success of many of its participants, the health care system has performed relatively poorly ...

A longitudinal study of grapheme-color synaesthesia in childhood

2013-11-12
A longitudinal study of grapheme-color synaesthesia in childhood What colour is H? Is 4 brighter than 9? For most people these questions might seem baffling, but not for people with grapheme-color synesthesia. In the first long-term childhood study on grapheme-color synesthesia, ...

Penn Medicine researcher calls for halt of US health care spending spiral

2013-11-12
Penn Medicine researcher calls for halt of US health care spending spiral Per capita health care costs should grow no faster than economy as a whole Philadelphia – In order to evoke a true transformation, the U.S. health care system ...

Die-hard sports fans view ads associated with rival teams negatively, regardless of the message

2013-11-12
Die-hard sports fans view ads associated with rival teams negatively, regardless of the message CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study concludes that it doesn't matter how compelling an advertisement may be, most die-hard Oregon State Beavers fans will simply ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP

Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among the general population nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024

PLOS One study: In adolescent lab animals exposed to cocaine, High-Intensity Interval Training boosts aversion to the drug

Scientists identify four ways our bodies respond to COVID-19 vaccines

Stronger together: A new fusion protein boosts cancer immunotherapy

Hidden brain waves as triggers for post-seizure wandering

Music training can help the brain focus

Researcher develop the first hydride ion prototype battery

[Press-News.org] Danish researchers predict risk of valvular heart disease