This discovery explains why there is an increase in cardiovascular disease cases during flu season and offers hope for new treatment methods. Preclinical studies have achieved a significant reduction in heart tissue damage.
Previous research has shown that the risk of heart attack after influenza increases fourfold. In the new study, scientists focused on the cellular mechanisms that link influenza viruses to cardiovascular diseases and determined how the infection damages heart tissue. The findings were published on the Mount Sinai Medical Center website.
Additionally, the researchers conducted an analysis of autopsies of 35 patients who died from influenza and found that 85% of them had at least one chronic cardiovascular disease, and most had several. This data confirms that cardiovascular pathologies may be a primary cause of mortality from influenza.
The researchers also identified a new group of white blood cells, named pro-dendritic cells 3. These cells migrate from the lungs to the heart and begin to produce a large amount of type 1 interferon. However, instead of protecting the heart from the virus, this leads to the death of cardiomyocytes.
Experiments showed that a drug targeting type 1 interferon successfully reduces heart damage and improves its functionality. Scientists intend to develop a treatment that will simultaneously reduce heart damage after viral infection and support the protective antiviral response of the immune system.
Moreover, other viruses, including COVID-19, significantly increase the risks of stroke and heart attack. In some cases, these risks can rise up to seven times, as shown by the results of another study.
