Heart Attack, Stroke May be Caused by Supposedly 'Good' Body Cells: Study

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It is well-known that the leading cause of death in the world is atherosclerosis or artery blockage, that is why most doctors try to prevent this by educating their patients. However, it looks like some facts doctors tell their patients could be false, as a study claims that heart attack and stroke may be actually caused by the good body cells.

International Business Times reports that according to a research conducted by the University of Virginia School of Medicine, the former notion that  smooth muscle cells provide a strong defense against plaque build-up may be incorrect, as findings show that majority of these cells are actually contributing to the build-up. The results, which were published in the journal Nature, incriminate medical science's knowledge about the  basic fundamentals of how and why arteries harden.

The study has remarkably disproved previous perception that smooth muscle cells, the cells responsible for the contraction and dilation of blood vessels, can stop fats from accumulating in the arteries, which often results in atherosclerotic plaque blockage. This has disproven the theory that the presence of more smooth muscle cells can stabilize the plaque and can lessen the danger of developing atherosclerosis.

Gary K. Owen of the University of Virginia Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center states that they have misidentified a small number of smooth muscles by means of immunostaining detection method, leading to an underestimation of the actual number of smooth muscle cells present inside the lesion.

NBC 29 writes that the team discovered the misconception through the use of mice. Laura S. Shankman, a researcher and student in the Owens lab, was able to conquer the difficulties of using traditional methods and has successfully genetically tagged smooth muscles during their early development stage.

Through this approach, the researchers were able to follow the changes in the smooth muscles and triumphantly identified the key gene called the Klf4.  It is said that this gene is responsible for the regulation of the changes in smooth muscle cells.

UPI notes that after the removal of the Klf4 gene, the plaque build-up in the arteries have impressively shrank, establishing an ideal treatment for atherosclerosis. Although the researchers have discovered no reduction in the number of cells, it has given them significant proof that the smooth muscles cells can make the condition worse, contrary to what most medical experts believe.