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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening heart problems by opening small blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to research published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and the University of London, has identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This finding appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs – which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and energy – protect heart tissue from a condition known as “non-rebound.”
“In about half of all heart attack patients, the small blood vessels inside the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery has been removed during emergency treatment,” said Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, lead author of the study and senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, in a statement.
“This results in a problem known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood cannot reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In about half of all heart attack patients, the small capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrow even after the blocked large artery is cleared. (Stock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 drugs can prevent this, according to researchers.
How does this work
When the GLP-1 hormone is released from the gut or used as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in small cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, allowing the small blood vessels (capillaries) to expand and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart – confirming that they play an important role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 drugs, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could also be used as emergency treatments. (Stock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 drugs, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could also be used as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are needed to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway works simultaneously and effectively in humans.
Although research highlights the immediate benefits of the drug during a heart attack, it is not certain that long-term use of these drugs provides the level of protection that already exists. (Stock)
Additionally, although research highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it doesn’t confirm whether long-term use of the drug provides the same level of protection it already has.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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