Molecular Clock and Heart Attacks

In a recent study done by University of Pennsylvania, connections were shown between heart attacks and the internal molecular clock. In this study, mice were taken and the genes that control the internal molecular clock were cut. Since the blood pressure is on a 24 hour cycle of peaks and lows, when the genes were cut out this had a direct effect on the blood pressure. Since blood pressure usually spikes in the morning hours, cutting these genes out can help prevent the pressure from spiking, and thus decrease the chance of a heart attack.

As well as cutting down the blood pressure, these genes have a direct effect on epinephrine and norepinephrine. Since these drugs can dilate or constrict the vessels, these can also have a chance of creating larger risks for heart attacks. When the clock genes were suppressed, these drugs no longer carried an effect when stresses arrived in the normal day cycle. This also decreased the chances of heart attacks in response to stress.

So by shutting off these genes, heart attacks that were caused by early morning pressure spiking, and those that were caused by ep. and norep. drug levels during stress were dramatically decreased.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=63463

-Oliver Hunt