More Evidence of Inflammation's Role in Heart Disease
(HealthDayNews, 12/15/04)

Two new studies confirm that inflammation may have a role in promoting cardiovascular disease. At the Harvard School of Public Health, Jennifer K. Pai , and team, reviewed data from two studies that tracked more than 120,000 health professionals for several years. The investigators looked at the levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, at the beginning of the study for the 239 women and 265 men who had heart attacks or died of heart disease over the next eight years. The researchers concluded that a high level of C-reactive protein was a strong predictor of coronary disease. Meanwhile, in Britain, Liam Smeeth, and fellow researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found that the inflammatory effect of common infections, like the flu, may increase heart attack and stroke risk over the next few days. Smeeth says that lab work done by Dr. Patrick Valliance of University College London had indicated that inflammation could harm the endothelium, the lining of blood vessels. Based on this work, Smeeth and team examined the record of infections for nearly 40,000 victims of stroke or heart attack. The scientists concluded that a systemic respiratory tract infection raised the risk of these events.

(New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 16, 2004)