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SOLNA, Sweden — There may be another way of detecting red flags for heart disease before it’s too late. Researchers suggest that the next time women visit their doctor, they should ask about their phosphorylcholine (anti-PC) levels.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found a strong link between levels of this anti-inflammatory antibody in older women and their risk for coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
“We can show that a low level of the natural antibody to phosphorylcholine can be used as a risk marker for cardiovascular disease also in women, independent of previously known risk factors,” says Johan Frostegård, a professor of medicine at the Institute of Environmental Medicine and Head of the Immunology and Chronic Disease Unit for the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in a media release. “We have previously shown that the antibody has an anti-inflammatory effect, which means that it protects against atherosclerosis, which is a chronic inflammation of the vessel wall.”
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men globally. Older women often exhibit several risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart failure. Measuring the fatty substance phosphorylcholine could give doctors a clearer picture of a woman’s risk for heart problems later in life. The authors emphasize that a link does not mean low anti-PC antibody levels will trigger heart disease or heart attack — but there is an apparent connection.
The study recruited participants from the Swedish Mammography Cohort, which tracked the health of 932 women. These women had an average age of 66 at the start of the study and were tracked for 16 years. A total of 113 women out of the 932 developed heart disease. Additionally, there were 50 cases of ischemic stroke.
The researchers observed specific trends among women who developed heart disease versus those who did not. Women with high anti-PC antibody levels showed a 25% lower chance of coronary heart disease and heart attack. However, there was no correlation between anti-PC antibody levels and stroke.
According to the researchers, the anti-PC antibody levels could have some role in stopping the development of coronary heart disease in women. However, understanding the actual mechanism that protects against heart disease requires more research. Potential causes for anti-PC antibody levels lowering heart disease risk involve the substance’s anti-inflammatory properties, its ability to clear away dead cells, and its ability to stop cholesterol and other fatty materials from building up around the heart.
“We now need to go further to determine what level of anti-PC can be used as a risk level in a similar way to the levels found for high blood pressure, for example. We are now working on an even larger study that includes both men and women where we hope to establish such a level,” Frostegård concludes.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers looked at 932 women, around 66 years-old, from Sweden. They measured the levels of a special antibody called IgM anti-PC in these women’s blood. Then, they followed the women for 16 years to see who developed heart problems. They compared the women with high levels of IgM anti-PC to those with low levels to see if there was a difference in heart disease risk.
Key Results
The study found that women with higher levels of IgM anti-PC in their blood had a lower risk of heart problems. Specifically, women with the highest levels of IgM anti-PC were 58% less likely to get any type of heart disease compared to women with the lowest levels.
For heart attacks, the difference was even bigger. Women with the highest levels of IgM anti-PC were 73% less likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest levels. The link between IgM anti-PC and stroke wasn’t as clear, though there was still a slight protective effect.
Study Limitations
The study only looked at 932 women, which is a relatively small group. This means the results might not apply to all women or to men. All the women were from Sweden, so the findings might not be the same for people from other countries or backgrounds. While the researchers tried to account for other factors that might affect heart disease risk (like diet and exercise), there could be other things they didn’t consider that might explain the results.
Discussion & Takeaways
IgM anti-PC seems to be a protective factor against heart disease, especially heart attacks, in women. This antibody might be useful as a way to predict who is at higher risk for heart problems. The study suggests that finding ways to increase IgM anti-PC levels might help prevent heart disease, but more research is needed to confirm this. The protective effect of IgM anti-PC might explain why women tend to develop heart disease later in life than men.
Funding & Disclosures
The study was funded by several organizations, including the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Swedish Science Fund, King Gustav V 80-year fund, and CVDIMMUNE (EU).
One of the researchers, Johan Frostegård, is listed as an inventor on patents related to anti-PC. However, these patents don’t cover the specific associations with heart disease that were studied here. This means there might be a potential conflict of interest, but it doesn’t directly affect the findings of this particular study.
