The link between severe influenza and heart damage: A study reveals the reasons
A recent medical study has revealed alarming details about the close relationship between severe cases of influenza and serious damage to the heart muscle, shedding light on a medical mystery that has long puzzled scientists about the high rates of heart attacks during respiratory virus seasons.
The "Trojan Horse" mechanism and attacking the heart
According to a report published by News Medical, researchers examining tissue samples from patients who died from flu complications discovered that the virus does not only infect the respiratory system. They found that a specific type of immune cell, which is supposed to defend the body, becomes infected within the lungs.
These infected cells act as a "Trojan horse," carrying the virus from the lungs directly to the heart muscle. Instead of performing their function of eliminating the virus, these cells secrete enormous quantities of type 1 interferon protein, causing direct damage and death to heart muscle cells and impairing their pumping ability.
Historical context and seasonal relationship
This study sheds light on a well-known medical phenomenon that has been observed for decades: global statistics show a significant increase in cardiovascular deaths during the winter months, coinciding with the peak of influenza activity. Previously, this was attributed to general inflammation, dehydration, or the strain of coughing, but the new discovery demonstrates a direct cellular attack on the heart.
The importance of discovery and the future of mRNA therapy
The significance of this discovery lies in its anticipated impact on treatment and prevention protocols worldwide. Laboratory experiments conducted on mice have shown that using messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutic techniques to control interferon activity has significantly reduced heart damage and enhanced the muscle's ability to pump blood.
The researchers emphasize that these findings reinforce the importance of annual influenza vaccination , not only for protecting the lungs, but also as a vital preventive measure to protect the heart from permanent damage, especially in the elderly and those with chronic diseases, thus opening the door to developing new treatments that prevent these serious complications in the future.
