NEW DELHI — Insulin resistance can increase the risk of
aortic stenosis -- a common heart valve disease -- in men over the age of 45,
finds a study on Wednesday.
The study published in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of
Medicine may open doors for new treatments for aortic stenosis, which can lead
to life-threatening heart failure.
Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve narrows or does
not open fully, reducing blood flow from the heart to the body. If not
addressed timely, the valve will gradually thicken and stiffen, making the
heart work harder to pump blood.
Researchers from the Kuopio University Hospital, in Finland
identified several biomarkers -- fasting insulin, insulin at 30 minutes and 120
minutes, proinsulin, and serum C-peptide -- related to high insulin resistance
in people with aortic stenosis.
A person is said to be insulin resistant when his or her
body is unable to respond well to insulin. This prompts the body to produce
more insulin than normal to manage blood sugar levels.
Importantly, the team found that these biomarkers remained
significant predictors of aortic stenosis, even after adjusting for other known
risk factors, such as body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure, or
excluding participants with diabetes or an aortic valve malformation.
“This novel finding highlights that insulin resistance may
be a significant and modifiable risk factor for aortic stenosis,” said lead
author Dr Johanna Kuusisto, from the Kuopio University Hospital, in Finland.
As insulin resistance is becoming increasingly common,
“managing metabolic health could be a new approach to reduce the risk of aortic
stenosis and improve cardiovascular health in ageing populations”, Kuusisto
added.
For the study, the researchers analysed data from 10,144
Finnish men aged 45 to 73 years old, all initially free of AS. After an average
follow-up period of 10.8 years, 116 men (1.1 per cent) were diagnosed with
aortic stenosis.
While weight control and exercise are known to improve
insulin sensitivity, Kuusisto called for further studies to explore how these
lifestyle modifications can help prevent the heart condition.
