Professor Giovanna Bermano g.bermano@rgu.ac.uk
Professor
Exploring the relationship between age-related zinc deficiency and obesity and the extent of myocardial damage following acute myocardial infarction
People Involved
Dr Sarah Walsh s.walsh@rgu.ac.uk
Research Fellow
Professor Cherry Wainwright c.wainwright@rgu.ac.uk
Professor
Project Description
Zinc (Zn 2+) is a metal found in trace amounts in the body and plays an essential role in maintaining the healthy functioning of most organs, including the heart. The body does not store zinc in large quantities and so replenishment of Zn 2+ through consumption of foodstuffs such as red meat, liver, and hard cheese essential.
Individuals that have poor nutrition are at risk of developing Zn 2+ deficiency and elderly individuals in particular (>65 years of age) show a high incidence of dietary Zn 2+ deficiency. The impact of Zn 2+ deficiency on the cardiovascular system is associated with abnormal lipid profiles (dyslipidaemia), increased inflammation and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), which together put Zn 2+ deficient individuals at a higher risk of a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction; AMI).
Zn 2+ deficiency has also been associated with the development of obesity (a further risk for CHD) and a form of obesity seen specifically in the elderly (sarcopenic obesity), where the body mass index (BMI) falls within the normal range but the body composition changes to a lower lean muscle mass and a higher fat mass, is on the rise.
Thus, when combined with Zn 2+ deficiency, sarcopenic obesity could further increase the risk of an AMI in elderly individuals.
| Status | Project Complete |
|---|---|
| Funder(s) | Tenovus Scotland |
| Value | £11,970.00 |
| Project Dates | Oct 1, 2018 - Jan 1, 2021 |
You might also like
sFRPs as a novel modulator of diastolic heart failure Oct 1, 2017 - Dec 31, 2021
Following a heart attack, or because of persistently high blood pressure the heart is damaged and has to work harder to circulate blood around the body. This condition is known as heart failure. In the UK alone, 500,000 people have heart failure re...
Read More about sFRPs as a novel modulator of diastolic heart failure.
A human Glutathione Peroxidase 4 3 untranslated region knock-in mouse model to study susceptibility to colon cancer in obesity Apr 1, 2017 - Dec 31, 2021
Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is rising steadily and in parallel with increasing prevalence of obesity in Scotland. Recent data indicate that the highest incidence rates are in the North East. The increasing prevalence of obes...
Read More about A human Glutathione Peroxidase 4 3 untranslated region knock-in mouse model to study susceptibility to colon cancer in obesity.
Gα15 as a novel player in the complex signalling network connected with insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Jan 3, 2018 - Dec 31, 2021
Pancreatic Ductal AdenoCarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer (PaCa), is one of the most lethal diseases with less than 1% surviving for 10 or more years. In 2012, 8,875 people in the UK were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and...
Read More about Gα15 as a novel player in the complex signalling network connected with insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
The in vitro effect of natural products and anti-cancer agents: targeting the efflux transporter ABCG2 Jul 1, 2017 - Dec 31, 2019
Medicinal use of natural products, such as, extracts from plants have existed for many years particularly in China and are now widely available around the world. Several different types of cancer including breast cancer are becoming insensitive and r...
Read More about The in vitro effect of natural products and anti-cancer agents: targeting the efflux transporter ABCG2.