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Does Control of Stress Hormone Link Heart Disease and Obesity?

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A regulator of stress hormones which help the body cope with short-term stress but could cause long term heart damage is the target a five year research programme launched on World Heart Day today by the British Heart Foundation.

(I-Newswire) - A staggering 2.6 million people are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease ( CHD ) in the UK today - a number that is rising year on year.

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are well known to be major risk factors for heart disease, but the biochemical mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear.

A team led by Professor Brian Walker at the University of Edinburgh has been awarded more than £800,000 from the BHF to study a fat cell enzyme called '11HSD1' which appears to influence how closely obesity and diabetes are linked to heart disease risk in people.

11HSD1 controls levels of cortisol ( a hormone involved in stress responses ) which helps the body adapt to short term stress, but high, sustained cortisol levels lead to metabolic problems, including hypertension and hyperlipidemia, that are associated with heart disease.

Consequently this cortisol controlling enzyme in fat cells is attracting interest as a potential predictor of heart problems and a target for cardiovascular medicines.

Leading the research, BHF Senior Fellow, Professor Brian Walker, said: "We will be investigating which genetic and environmental factors influence activity of the 11HSD1 enzyme in fat cells.

"By learning more about the regulation of cortisol in people we hope to identify which treatments are most effective at preventing heart and circulatory disease."

In this major new programme, the researchers will work with human volunteers to measure 11HSD1 activity and study how this relates to the patient’s risk of heart disease.

Early experiments have also shown that modifying 11HSD1 activity can protect against metabolic malfunctions that threaten heart health, including those that stem from obesity.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the BHF, said: "This research is shining a light on new ways in which we might protect the heart from metabolic complications and how better to regulate cortisol levels.

"However, for most people the advice for keeping your heart and body in good shape this World Heart Day is the same as ever - balance a healthy diet with regular exercise."

To take a snapshot of the UK’s heart health the BHF has launched the UK’s biggest ever Heart Survey which is being issued to more 175,000 people and can also be completed online at www.bhf.org.uk/heartsurvey

Professor Weissberg, said: "Completing the survey will only take a couple of minutes, but the information provided will be invaluable in helping us understand the nation’s heart health.

"We are also hoping that the heart survey will increase awareness of heart disease and encourage everyone to take greater responsibility for their own heart health." http://www.worldheartday.com/home/