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New Arena in Fight Against Heart Disease

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 12:00 CDT

U.S. medical researchers say they are focusing on a new approach in the fight against heart disease.

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology say statins -- cholesterol-lowering drugs -- have lowered the number of people who suffer from heart disease and heart attacks.

"We hope we can bite off another chunk by controlling the impact of inflammation-causing immune cells on the artery wall," said Dr. Klaus Ley, director of the institute's recently created Inflammation Biology Division.

"The scientific community used to think cholesterol alone led to plaque formation," Ley said. "While it is true that cholesterol plays a major role, it is not the whole story."

Ley said inflammation caused by the immune system also aids in plaque formation and weakening of the artery wall. As such, it offers a whole new therapeutic avenue for potential ways to combat heart disease.

Ley previously was director of the Berne Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Virginia. He was recently selected as the 2008 recipient of the Bonazinga Research Award from the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Source: United Press International

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