Second placed abstract winner Dr. Farshad Forouzandeh, MD, PhD, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine
Title :Metformin Beyond Diabetes: Metformin Attenuates Atherosclerosis and Vascular Aging Independent of Glucose Level Authors : Farshad Forouzandeh, MD, PhD, Gloria Salazar, PhD, Nikolay Patrushev, MD, Shiquin Xiong, PhD, Lula Hilenski, PhD, Robert Wayne Alexander, MD, PhD AffDivision of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine Background: Cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis, the main cause of morbidity and mortality in most of the world, can be further exacerbated by other age-related changes in blood vessels, including arterial stiffness mediated by angiotensin II (Ang II). Thus, strategies that can target atherosclerosis and vascular aging concomitantly are of special interest. Metformin was shown to attenuate all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction compared with other standard diabetes medications, even at similar glycemic control level. This finding suggests that metformin likely has protective effects in the cardiovascular system beyond its glucose control activities. However, the exact mechanism(s) of action for metformin that are beyond its antihyperglycemic effects are still unknown. Methods: Using six month-old non-diabetic ApoE-/- C57BL/6J mouse model, we tested whether metformin can diminish the progression of atherosclerosis and vascular aging in response to either high fat diet (HFD) or Ang II treatment. In metformin treatment groups animals received metformin (100 mg/kg/day, IP) for two weeks whereas control animals received saline as placebo. Ang II was delivered at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg/day by using osmotic minipumps subcutaneously. Statistical significance was accepted at p<0.05. Results: We found that metformin even at concentrations as low as 20 µM can decrease Ang II-induced senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells. Using the ApoE-/- mice, we convincingly found that both Ang II induced hypertension and vascular aging were almost completely abolished by metformin treatment. Moreover, metformin treated animals had significantly less atherosclerotic plaque area compared with control groups. Similar vasculoprotective effects were observed when metformin was given to the mice fed HFD (Fig. 1). However, the vasculoprotective findings in both models were not accompanied by significant differences in blood glucose or cholesterol levels. Based on our ongoing studies, these effects of metformin could be explained, at least in part, by its role in modulation of the mTOR pathway that plays a major role in response to nutrition status. Conclusion: Metformin can be useful as a primary or secondary preventive therapy for patients at risk of suffering cardiovascular disease even in the absence of diabetes.
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Dr. Andrea Natale
Dr. Andrea Natale is a board certified electrophysiology expert and practices at executive medical director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Dr. Natale also is the Senior Medical Director at Pacific Atrial Fib and Arrhythmia Center in San Francisco. He visits MetroHealth in Cleveland, and Akron General, Ohio. He has pioneered a new circumferential ultrasound vein-ablation system to correct atrial fibrillation and performed the procedure on the world's first five patients. For further details Please visit :Link
Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy
Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, MD, F.A.C.C, FHRS. is a board certified electrophysiology expert and practices at Mid-America Cardiology and The University of Kansas Hospital Clinics in Kansas City, KS, USA. He has several distinctions in clinical and research career to his credit and serves as an associate editor for Journal of Atrial Fibrillation.For further details Please visit :Link
