Are you aware that certain proteins in your blood could be directly impacting your blood pressure and heart health? A recent study published in the European Heart Journal sheds light on this fascinating connection. Researchers have identified four key plasma proteins that appear to play a causal role in regulating blood pressure (BP) and increasing the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke.
The study, led by Devendra Meena, DPhil, and colleagues, utilized a technique called Mendelian randomization (MR). This method uses genetic variations to explore the causal relationships between different factors. The team analyzed data from the UK Biobank, examining over 2,000 plasma proteins to determine their effects on systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP). They also conducted Bayesian co-localization analyses to see if the identified associations shared causal variants. Finally, they investigated the relationships between these proteins, BP, and cardiovascular events in UK Biobank participants.
The results were quite revealing. The study found that 242 proteins were associated with BP (specifically, 185 with SBP and 137 with DBP). Furthermore, 48 of these proteins were also linked to CAD or stroke. But here's where it gets interesting: four proteins – ACOX1, FGF5, FURIN, and MST1 – stood out as having potential causal roles. This was supported by genetic co-localization analyses.
The study also showed that genetically predicted FURIN and FGF5 were strongly linked to BP and stroke risk. ACOX1, FGF5, and MST1 might even have causal effects on CAD. And this is the part most people miss: network MR indicated that a significant portion of their impact on CAD and stroke (31%–78%) was mediated through BP regulation.
Meena and his team suggest that these findings offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms behind hypertension-related cardiovascular disease and highlight promising protein targets for further research.
In an accompanying editorial, Patricia B. Munroe, PhD, and colleagues emphasized that the study provides a framework for exploring causal relationships between plasma proteins, risk factors, and disease outcomes. They also noted that the findings offer a 'snapshot' of the role of BP proteins on cardiovascular outcomes, acknowledging that the datasets are limited to plasma and the proteome coverage is incomplete.
Could these findings change the way we approach heart health? What are your thoughts on the potential for targeting these proteins to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease? Share your opinions in the comments below!
