Dangerous blood clots may be the latest risk from 'bad' cholesterol

LDL cholesterol – the so-called "bad" cholesterol – is known to narrow arteries, 哪些会导致心脏病发作和中风. It's also now suspected of contributing to venous thromboembolism, new research suggests.

初步研究, presented Tuesday at the 美国心脏协会's Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions, looked at genes and proteins that might influence venous thromboembolism, 或静脉血栓栓塞, a condition that causes potentially dangerous blood clots to form in the legs or arms that can break free and travel to the lungs.

Researchers studied DNA from people with and without VTE who took part in two large programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs' Million Veteran Program and UK Biobank. 在测试了1300万个基因变异后，发现了26个,静脉血栓栓塞066例, 研究人员发现了几个可能导致静脉血栓栓塞的新因素, 包括一种叫做纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂1的蛋白质.

他们还发现低密度脂蛋白胆固醇是静脉血栓栓塞的危险因素.

"We don't usually think of cholesterol as being important in venous disease, but our work on this study provides strong evidence that it may be predisposing people to venous thrombosis,该研究的一位主要作者说, Dr. 斯科特·达姆劳尔(Scott Damrauer)是一名血管外科医生. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Damrauer说 the study raises the possibility of using cholesterol-lowering statins to specifically reduce VTE risk, since past research suggests treating cholesterol with statins can also help prevent blood clots.

Dr. 杰弗里·巴恩斯, a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist who was not involved in the new study, 还需要更多的研究. 即便如此, he called it a significant study that could help identify potential new targets for prevention and treatment.

Venous thromboembolism is an important cause of cardiovascular death and disability in the United States and worldwide, 说巴, 他是密歇根大学安娜堡分校的助理教授. "So anything we can do to understand why it occurs and how to better treat it is really important."

据估计，美国约有100万人患有糖尿病.S. 在2014年接受静脉血栓栓塞治疗，基于 最新统计数据 来自美国心脏协会. 静脉血栓栓塞可以发生在任何年龄，但最常见于60岁及以上的成年人. 它是美国人可预防死亡的主要原因.S. 医院病人，根据 疾病控制和预防中心.

Damrauer called for more research to explore how VTE can best be detected and treated.

"This study shows how we can use genetics to try to more accurately understand who will go on to develop venous thromboembolism and who will not,他说.

Damrauer说 future genetic research will benefit greatly from huge medical databases such as the VA Million Veteran Program study, an ethnically diverse group of veterans who voluntarily gave their health information. 该项目提供了超过11个国家的基因数据,000名静脉血栓栓塞患者, Damrauer说.

"Because of this innovative program started by and funded by the VA, we were able to assemble the largest study of venous thromboembolism to date, 研究对象是之前研究的10倍,他说.

"Large projects like this will push the power of discovery and allow us to better understand the genetics of a whole host of diseases. I think ultimately, these projects will change how we look at health."