Heart disease and ischemic heart disease, caused by insufficient supply of blood and oxygen to the heart, are the leading cause of death worldwide. Understanding how to regulate and improve blood flow to the heart is essential to improving patient outcomes and countering this mortality.
We are well aware of ketones, these compounds that are formed in the body, in the case of intermittent fasting for example.when the body begins to burn fat rather than carbohydrates to create energy. This team from the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI, New York) reveals remarkable effects of ketones on heart health.
Lead author Dr. Matthew Nystoriak, professor of biomedical research and translational medicine at MMRI, demonstrates, with one team, how a ketone body called β-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB), produced by the liver during Breaking down fats optimizes blood flow to the heart.
High levels of 3-OHB improve cardiac blood flow
This ketone body, 3-OHB sees its levels increase during fasting, exercise, or with certain diabetes medications like SGLT2 inhibitors. Although ketones have long been associated with heart health, this effect has not been clear.
The study reveals that:
- heart muscle cells using 3-OHB as an energy source promote better blood flow, a process known as hyperemia;
- The heart’s ability to switch between energy sources, such as fats, sugars and ketones, plays a crucial role in maintaining its blood and oxygen supply.
A new therapeutic strategy? “These results suggest that the delivery of ketone bodies to the heart may represent a promising strategy to improve oxygen delivery in patients with ischemic heart disease. More broadly, our research highlights the potential of ketogenic approaches, such as lifestyle changes or targeted therapies, to improve cardiovascular health.”
In summary, These data open the new therapeutic pathway of ketones, one that could transform the care of patients suffering from ischemic heart disease.
