News - Hypertension Week of July 20, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 29

Study to Focus on Role of Blood Pressure in Heart Attack and Stroke

A new study may help doctors more precisely identify the role of high blood pressure and blood flow overload in heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

University of California at Irvine biomedical engineer Ghassan Kassab has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to show how coronary arteries respond to conditions like high blood pressure.

"Coronary arteries respond to high blood pressure and overload by changing their shape, or what we refer to as remodeling," said Kassab. "We hope to learn more about the exact mechanics of the remodeling process by looking at changes in the collagen and elastin fibers in the arteries and by looking at how plaque forms."

Untreated high blood pressure damages the lining of the arteries, enabling fat and calcium to build up and form plaque, according to Kassab, who noted that this causes the artery to narrow and stiffen, reducing blood flow. Over time, he said decreased blood flow to certain organs in the body can cause damage leading to heart attack or stroke.

By quantifying the changes in the arteries, Kassab said physicians might be able to predict key risk factors for heart attack.

Other sources: University of California at Irvine