Inflammation and Heart Disease

Inflammation has been identified as playing an important role in the development and progression of coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis). Coronary inflammation leads to plaque rupture, thrombus formation and embolization of the blood vessels within the heart. This helps to explain why people with normal cholesterol levels can still suffer from a heart attack.

The inflammatory marker fibrinogen can induce a heart attack via several mechanisms. Increased platelet aggregation, hyper-coagulation and excessive blood thickening have all been identified as negative by-products of inflammatory induced fibrinogen production. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people who have high levels of fibrinogen are twice as likely to suffer from heart attack as those with normal levels.

(Rader DJ. Inflammatory markers of coronary risk. N Engl J Med 2000 Oct 19;343(16):1179-82).

The inflammatory response also stimulates large scale production of another marker, C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP production can lead to an increased risk of destabilized atherosclerotic plaque and arterial clotting. Destabilized arterial plaque can burst open and block the flow of blood through a coronary artery. The result is an acute heart attack. People with enhanced levels of CRP have been shown to be three times as likely to have a heart attack as those with normal CRP levels.

(Lindahl B, et al. Markers of myocardial damage and inflammation in relation to long-term mortality in unstable coronary artery disease. FRISC Study Group. Fragmin during
Instability in Coronary Artery Disease. N Engl J Med 2000 Oct 19;343(16):1139-47).

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine (a chemical which enables communication between cells) which is secreted by T Cells and macrophages as part of the immune inflammation response to trauma. The body makes CRP from IL-6. A recent study showed that IL-6 can, by itself, increase the risk of heart attack, even after adjustment for the elevation in CRP.

(Rader DJ. Inflammatory markers of coronary risk. N Engl J Med 2000 Oct 19;343(16):1179-82).

The best protection against coronary artery complication induced by inflammation markers is to endeavor to reduce the levels of fibrinogen, CRP and IL-6 in the body naturally. Vitamin K and DHEA have been shown to suppress IL-6.

(Kipper-Galperin M, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone selectively inhibits production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 [correction of interlukin-6] in astrocytes. Int J Dev Neurosci 1999 Dec;17(8):765-75).

(Reddi K, et al. Interleukin 6 production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human fibroblasts is potently inhibited by naphthoquinone (vitamin K) compounds. Cytokine 1995 Apr;7(3):287-90).