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Heart attack risk is lower when immune system is more robust.
| Could a robust immune system protect against heart attack? After studying a group of patients with high blood pressure, researchers found those with higher levels of certain antibodies had a lower risk of heart attack - regardless of other risk factors. They suggest a blood test to measure antibody levels could help assess a person's risk of heart attack. |
| The study, discovered a link between blood levels of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and reduced chances of having a heart attack. |
| Linking a stronger, more robust immune system to protection from heart attacks is a really exciting finding. As well as improving the way we tell who is at the highest risk of a heart attack so that we can give them appropriate treatments, we now have a new avenue to follow in future work. |
| Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, and is caused by atherosclerosis, an inflammatory disease where plaque - deposits of cholesterol and other substances - builds up in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. |
| Various studies have shown that the immune system is involved in atherosclerosis, playing both helpful and unhelpful roles. IgG is the most abundant antibody in the immune system. It protects the body against infection by bacteria and viruses. |
| Researcher hope that they can use this new finding to study the factors that lead some people to have an immune system that helps protect from heart attacks, while others don't. We also hope to explore ways of strengthening the immune system to aid in protecting from heart disease." |