Carbon monoxide's damaging role in heart rhythm found
Traffic is a common source of carbon monoxide
The
way that even low levels of carbon monoxide can be fatal, by disrupting
the heart's rhythm, has been unravelled by researchers in Leeds.
They found that levels common in heavy traffic could affect the way the heart resets itself after every beat.Their study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine showed a common angina drug may reverse the effect.
The British Heart Foundation said the research was a promising start.
Carbon monoxide is produced by faulty boilers, cigarettes and car exhausts.
It is deadly at high levels as it "shoulder-barges" oxygen out of the blood, meaning less is transported around the body. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 50 people in the UK each year and many more around the world.
However, studies have suggested that even low levels, such as that found in built-up cities with lots of traffic, may also damage the heart.
The University of Leeds research team
found that the gas kept sodium channels, which are important for
controlling the heartbeat, open for longer.
Disrupting the sodium channels can disrupt the heart's rhythm, leading to cardiac arrhythmia, which can be fatal.Solution In collaboration with researchers in France they tested an angina drug - which also affects the sodium channels - on rats.
Prof Chris Peers, from the University of Leeds, told the BBC: "It was very exciting for us. When we monitored rats exposed to levels of carbon monoxide similar to heavy pollution, they had the same heart problems and we could reverse them.
"At the moment no one knows how to treat this. We're saying look there's a drug on the shelf that might be able to help.
"Of course it needs clinical trials, but we believe it is a great start."
Dr Helene Wilson, a research adviser at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study is a good example of research being used to better understand the underlying causes of an abnormal heart rhythm and in this case it has uncovered the ability of an old drug to perform a new trick.
"Carbon monoxide poisoning is tragically common but hopefully these promising results can be replicated in people so that it saves lives in the future."
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ReplyDeleteThis is a global problem, especially in large cities densely populated. Not much different from Indonesia, the number of cars increasing day continues to increase as the population growth. Carbon Monoxid (CO) is a chemical element that caused the incomplete combustion of the gasoline engine. The solution is possible, reducing the use of motor vehicle (car, motorcycle or bajaj), repair and maintenance of combustion engine systems well, plant a tree. Perhaps this is a bit to reduce the adverse effects of CO. I am also researching associated with pollution, the exhaust gas filtration can reduce the content of CO, CH, and NOx in the exhaust gas
ReplyDeleteinformative post
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing