Triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy is a heart and blood vessel condition where plaque builds up in the arteries due to high levels of triglycerides, which can result in chest pain and difficulty breathing, as well as an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Researchers at Osaka University have discovered that daily consuming tricaprin reduces coronary artery plaque and improves symptoms in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy.
As kids, parents encouraged us to take vitamins to strengthen ourselves. Now, Japanese researchers have discovered that a particular supplement may even repair a broken heart.
Researchers from Osaka University discovered that a dietary supplement can significantly improve heart disease symptoms in a small group of patients, according to a recent article in the European Heart Journal.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death worldwide, with some patients becoming resistant to treatment. Despite the existence of medications such as cholesterol-lowering medications and drug-eluting stents, a new stent technology for local medication delivery, the disease remains prevalent.
Ken-ichi Hirano, "Remarkable regression of diffuse coronary atherosclerosis with triglyceride (TG) deposition in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy," European Heart Journal, vol.
Ken-ichi Hirano, the lead author of the study, believes this mechanism makes TGCV distinct from classical cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis and fits patients who are resistant to standard treatments for CAD.
Researchers had developed diagnostic criteria for TGCV, and found that this condition is most common among diabetic mellitus patients and those who have undergone hemodialysis. However, a suitable therapy for these patients has yet to be discovered.
Ken-ichi Hirano: “We now know that two TGCV patients had a remarkable improvement in diffuse coronary atherosclerosis.”
Ken-ichi Hirano, Remarkable regression of diffuse coronary atherosclerosis in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (panel A) Color-coded short-axis CT images before (A) and after (on-treatment) (B) tricaprin treatment
Tricaprin is a commercially available food supplement that helps repair heart muscle cells' lipid breakdown. In addition to relieving these patients' anxious and painful symptoms, tricaprin also resulted in remarkable reduction in the heart's triglyceride build-up.
"This is the first report of regression due to increased triglyceride lipolysis within cells, and as such is a conceptually novel therapy for coronary atherosclerosis," according to Ken-ichi Hirano.
The findings of this study suggest that not all patients would benefit from current CAD therapies. Patients who otherwise would not be affected would benefit from the devastating effects of this illness.
Ken-ichi Hirano, Masahiro Higashi, and Kenichi Nakajima, "Remarkable regression of diffuse coronary atherosclerosis in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy," European Heart Journal. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac762.
The research was funded by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, and by Nihon Medi-physics Co., Ltd.
