Vaccine that wants to reach the heart
2005/04/01 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
A couple of years ago, a prestigious medical journal, British Medical Journal, published an article on a drug to prevent heart attacks and diseases of the circulatory system. The authors proposed a treatment to prevent these pathologies, the Polypill. It contains a series of drugs against the agents causing these diseases, hence the name “polypilula”.
According to the authors, if men and women over 55 years old took Polypill, the risk of heart attacks and pathologies of the circulatory system would be reduced by 80%. To announce it, 750 studies were carried out with 400,000 people. The results were very satisfactory, on the one hand because they showed that it was really effective and on the other because the side effects were not very serious. It should be noted that Polypill is a preventive treatment so the doses are low and therefore does not produce significant side effects.
In addition, Polypill components are already used, so they are well known to doctors and many patients. For example, one of them is completely widespread, it is acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin. The other five are folic acid or vitamin B9, a cholesterol-lowering drug in the blood, and three medications that lower blood pressure.
However, it takes more time to know if they hurt for a long time and if they are consumed together, especially because from a certain age everyone proposed to take them. One of the criticisms that has been made is that to achieve the results that they announce should have been taken by the entire population of that age.
This can be dangerous, as over time undetected side effects can occur in research, especially in population groups. On the other hand, the extension of treatment to all would be very expensive.
From polypilula to polijana
Despite criticism, Polypill did not generally have a bad reception. However, the researchers continued to seek a substitute and in December 2004, in the same journal published by Polypill, a Dutch group proposed an alternative: Polymeal. That is, in the place of the `polypilula´, the `polijana´.
Just as Polypill includes six medications, Polymeal is a combination of heart-beneficial foods and blood circulation. Keep in mind that food directly influences these diseases. Thus, the ingredients of Polymea are: red wine, fish, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables, garlic and almonds. According to researchers, the menu they propose is much safer and more enjoyable than the cocktail of drugs, and is almost as effective as the other. It seems that the curative menu reduces by 70% the risk of suffering diseases of the circulatory system.
For the selection of the components, previously published studies have been consulted and have verified that the benefits of each menu item are well demonstrated. Then the proportions add up to them and measure their associated effect.
The study involved 5,209 volunteers, both men and women, some healthy and others with cardiovascular diseases. The quantity of each element, the absence of one or the other, have taken into account all the agents and have concluded that the menu is very beneficial.
For example, if you take more than each component the results do not improve, if you take less the menu is less efficient. Although some component is missing, efficiency decreases considerably. In fact, the worst is that the wine is removed; without wine the efficiency drops from 76% to 65%. If the other components are removed, it is not noticeable as much, although it always decreases slightly.
In turn, life expectancy is extended: the average life expectancy of men increases by more than 6 years; healthy men taking Polymeal would live 9 more years and those with some circulatory system disease 2.4 more years. In women the benefit is also appreciated, but it is not so evident.
As for side effects, Polymeal has hardly any harmful effects. In any case, some did not like the smell of garlic, and others commented that the stomach was damaged, but they did not show it. There was also some case of allergy. Otherwise, researchers claim that Polymeal is as efficient as it is safe. Although they admit that Polypill is even more effective, they bet on Polymeal as the best substitute.
Soon everything has its back
However, Polymeal also has less positive aspects. On the one hand, it is responsible daily for these foods to be taken in the proportion indicated to them. And there are many examples that show how difficult it is to change lives and habits for people, even when health and quality of life are at stake. On the other hand, the foods that make up Polymeal are not especially cheap. Therefore, maintaining this treatment can be too expensive for many.
In the USA various research has been carried out relating the economic level and health. It seems that the diet of people of low cultural and economic level is not beneficial for health. It seems that healthy food is too expensive for them; it is cheaper a burger they sell in any corner than the ingredients for a simple salad. Consequently, obesity and cardiovascular disease are more abundant than among the rich.
Therefore, it does not seem that Polymeal has many chances to succeed. Thus, many put hope in science and technology and expect a wonderful solution. Perhaps that miracle is not impossible.
Definitive solution: vaccine
At the same time that Polymeal was presented, a Swedish researcher proposed a vaccine to avoid cardiovascular problems at the British congress on genetics of these diseases.
Most problems in the circulatory system come from plaques that form in the blood vessels. These plaques progressively close the blood vessel, while the tissue of the vessel increases, making blood circulation difficult. In the end, the tube may become completely blocked and blood cannot reach the muscles and organs. This is how heart attacks and heart attacks occur.
Ten years ago this researcher, seeing that the immune system and lipoproteins LDL are the key in the formation of arteriosclerosis, introduced to mice an oxidized LDL in blood. Because oxidized LDL is the main component of plaques, the researcher expected mice to have more arteriosclerosis. But he was wrong.
Hence the idea of creating a vaccine against atherosclerosis was born. Apparently, the introduction of oxidized LDL fragments into the blood produces an immune system response. This prevents the creation of plates and also disappears 70% of existing plates. It seems that it can be given as a vaccine: a single puncture and lifelong protection. That is what is being investigated now. The project, carried out by the Swedish company Bio>, is expected to be tested in humans within two years. Are there volunteers?
