Heart attack and stroke, two dangerous circumstances that seriously endanger our lives. Sometimes we hear of sudden attacks affecting apparently healthy people. Now the discovery of a new serious risk factor could explain the phenomenon.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Stuff out of shots, two dangerous circumstances that seriously endanger our lives. Sometimes we hear of sudden attacks affecting apparently healthy people. Now the discovery of a new serious risk factor could explain the phenomenon.
Few people, even in the medical field, have heard of CHIP but what is emerging on a scientific level is that it would be precisely this, which in technical terms is known as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, to be one of the main causes of heart attack and stroke. fulminating and deadly. It is essentially a mutation of some stem cells that would increase the risk of being in these unpleasant circumstances by as much as 40-50%.
The fundamental discovery could go to explain those cases of stroke and heart attack in young and apparently very healthy people who until now had remained somewhat mysterious. In fact, we hear stories of patients in whom, despite having normal levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, no history of smoking or diabetes or familiarity with cardiovascular disease, one suddenly finds oneself struggling with heart attack and stroke that lead to death.
According to the experts who have identified the mutation (several independent research groups), CHIP is actually a more dangerous risk factor than high cholesterol. This is why we speak of a discovery of fundamental importance in the field of cardiology even like that of statins useful precisely for lowering cholesterol.
Dr. Benjamin Ebert, president of medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was the first to note the link between CHIP and increased heart attack risk. The big surprise came when the researchers looked at the medical records of people with these white blood cell mutations and found a 54% increase in the odds of dying within the next decade from a heart attack or stroke compared to people without. CHIP. The risk was even increased fourfold in those who had already suffered heart attacks in their life.
Among other things, Dr. Ebert believes it is plausible that CHIP could be involved in other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
Unfortunately, scholars argue that this mutation is not such a rare condition and that it becomes more likely as we age. Up to 20% of people over 60 have it and probably 50% of those who reach 80 years of age.
As Kenneth Walsh, who heads the Hematovascular Biology Center at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, stated:
"There seem to be only two types of people in the world: those with clonal hematopoiesis and those who are about to develop clonal hematopoiesis"
Experts believe that the mutations are acquired, not inherited, probably due to exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke and other pollutants. Patients therefore have little chance of defending themselves. For now, doctors advise against testing for CHIP, since there is nothing specific that can be done to reduce the increased risk of heart disease.
On the risk of heart attack and stroke, you may also be interested in:
- These blood groups are more at risk of heart attack from pollution
- Heart attack: to know if you are at risk, a blood test will suffice
- Playing sports when you are angry or stressed triples the risk of a heart attack
- Stroke: A simple balance test to assess risk
