Eye Disease and Heart Attack/Stroke Link
Larrian on March 5th, 2008 | Filed under Heart
They say your eyes are the windows into your soul, but they may also be seeing an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes if you suffer from age-related macular degeneration. In a recent study researchers followed individuals beginning at age 49 and found their risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke doubled over the next 10 years. So what gives?
Researchers are stumped as well, though several logical explanations have been given: macular degeneration may represent a rapid aging process in the body due to inflammation caused by free radicals, those nasty little highly charged molecules that can zap the protective lining from small blood vessels, causing them to leak. But another, more sinister possibility was also explored - the new drugs ( anti-VEGF drug, such as Lucentis ) used to suppress abnormal capillary growth may be increasing cardiac disease.
As someone with more than a passing knowledge of angiogenesis ( the triggering of blood vessel growth) I can understand how selecting only to restrict capillary growth can spill over into other organs, preventing the necessary repair in cardiac disease. Mother Nature isn’t happy when we mess with her delicate balance in cells. So if you have AMD and are considering drug therapy, look out for your own best interests and get a full cardiac workup, including a Jupiter scan before you see your way to a face plant.
Age-related macular degeneration and mortality from cardiovascular disease or stroke.
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