A natural compound produced by the body after consuming foods such as pomegranates can improve heart function by up to 80% in experimental models of a form of heart failure for which there are currently relatively few treatment options.
Researchers at King’s College London have found that urolithin A, produced by the body after eating foods like pomegranates, nuts and certain berries, can help the heart relax more effectively. The compound also reduced scarring and limited harmful enlargement of the heart.
A form of heart failure that is difficult to treat
The findings could potentially benefit almost half a million people in the UK suffering from a form of heart failure in which the heart can still pump blood effectively but becomes too stiff to relax properly between beats. As a result, the heart has more difficulty filling with blood.
This condition, known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, accounts for about half of all cases of heart failure. This can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise, and poorer overall quality of life.
Treatment options remain relatively limited. This condition is difficult to manage because many different factors can contribute to it, including aging, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Because the heart continues to pump normally but does not relax and fill properly, many traditional treatments for heart failure are less effective. Clinicians therefore tend to focus on treating underlying conditions and recommending lifestyle changes, including weight loss and better blood sugar control.
Dr Joseph Burgoyne, lead author of the study at King’s College London, said: “This type of heart failure is becoming increasingly common as the population ages and rates of obesity and diabetes rise. Despite its increasing burden, treatment options remain limited because the disease is complex and varies greatly between patients. »
How Urolithin A Affects the Heart
Scientists are increasingly interested in urolithin A because of its associations with healthy aging and mitochondrial function, a process in the body that generates energy.
For the first time, researchers discovered that urolithin A activates a protein called PKGlα, which plays an important role in the functioning of blood vessels and in the relaxation of the heart muscle. The compound acts on a specific amino acid within the protein, triggering a pathway associated with cardiovascular benefits.
In animal models, treatment with urolithin A improved measures of heart function by up to 80% compared to models that did not receive the compound. Laboratory experiments also showed that urolithin A helped heart tissue relax more effectively and reduced fibrosis, the harmful scarring that can interfere with normal heart function.
The compound also limited the enlargement of heart muscle cells compared to controls, helping the cells maintain more normal function.
Results in engineered human heart tissues
The team also tested urolithin A in human heart tissue created from human stem cells. It is a state-of-the-art laboratory model that closely mimics the structure and function of the human heart muscle.
Urolithin A significantly improved relaxation in engineered tissues, suggesting that the effects observed in animal models could potentially translate to human cardiac function.
Unlike many compounds being explored as experimental treatments, urolithin A has previously been studied in humans and shown a favorable safety profile.
More research will still be needed before the results can lead to treatments for patients. However, the results indicate both a promising therapeutic target and a naturally occurring compound that could help researchers address a significant unmet need in cardiovascular medicine.
A new potential therapeutic target
Dr Joseph Burgoyne, lead author of the study, said: “This type of heart failure remains one of the most difficult forms of heart disease to treat. Our results identify a completely new therapeutic target and show that urolithin A can activate this pathway to improve cardiac relaxation and reduce disease severity. This opens the possibility of developing new treatments that improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for people with this disease.
“While there is not enough evidence to suggest that people should eat pomegranates to treat heart failure, these results suggest the possibility that dietary approaches that enhance urolithin A production may help alleviate this disease.”
Dr Joseph Burgoyne is a cardiovascular scientist at King’s College London whose work focuses on the molecular processes that regulate the health of the heart and blood vessels. His research examines how cells respond to oxidative stress and helps reveal new mechanisms involved in blood pressure, heart function and vascular health. By identifying these fundamental biological processes, his work aims to support the development of new treatments for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.
Clinical trials are still needed
Professor James Leiper, director of research at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for around half of all cases of heart failure in the UK and can be debilitating. This preliminary study in experimental models suggests that urolithin A may help improve the ability of heart tissue to relax and fill with blood between beats, thereby reducing the harmful changes in heart muscle seen in HFpEF.
“While these results are promising, the benefits have so far been seen in animals and engineered human tissues. So clinical trials involving people are needed to test whether this approach is effective for patients. In the meantime, a healthy, balanced diet remains one of the best ways to take care of your heart. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is linked to better heart health, but it’s important to remember that no single food can prevent or treat heart disease.”
The study was published in Scientific advances and funded by the British Heart Foundation.
A compound produced in the body after eating pomegranates improves heart function by up to 80% in a type of heart failure with limited treatment options.
Scientists at King’s College London have discovered that urolithin A – a natural compound produced by the body after eating foods such as pomegranates, nuts and certain berries – improves the heart’s ability to relax, reduces scarring and prevents harmful enlargement of the heart.
The finding could give hope to almost half a million people in the UK who suffer from a type of heart failure in which the heart retains its ability to pump blood but becomes stiff and less able to relax between beats, making it harder to replenish blood. This is called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and accounts for about half of all cases of heart failure. This condition can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise, and poor overall quality of life.
Despite its increasing prevalence, effective treatments remain relatively limited. This disease is difficult to treat because it is caused by many different factors, including aging, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Because the heart can still pump normally but becomes stiff and does not fill properly, treatments for heart failure are less effective. Instead, clinicians focus on managing underlying conditions and advising lifestyle modifications, such as weight loss and blood sugar control.
Dr Joseph Burgoyne, lead author of the study at King’s College London, said: “This type of heart failure is becoming increasingly common as the population ages and rates of obesity and diabetes rise. Despite its increasing burden, treatment options remain limited because the disease is complex and varies greatly between patients. »
Urolithin A has attracted increasing interest in recent years due to its links to healthy aging and mitochondrial function, a process in the body that generates energy.
In initial research, scientists discovered that urolithin A activates a protein called PKGlα, which plays an important role in the functioning of blood vessels and in the relaxation of the heart muscle. Urolithin A targets a specific amino acid on the protein, activating a pathway leading to cardiovascular benefits.
Animal models treated with urolithin A improved measures of heart function by up to 80% compared to models not treated with urolithin A. The laboratory experiment found that urolithin A increased the ability of heart tissue to relax and reduced harmful scarring, also known as fibrosis, compared to controls. The compound also reduced the enlargement of heart muscle cells compared to controls, helping to preserve normal cell function.
The researchers also tested urolithin A in human heart tissue created from human stem cells. It is a state-of-the-art laboratory model that closely mimics the structure and function of the human heart muscle. Urolithin A significantly improved tissue relaxation in these cells, suggesting that the results could translate to human heart function.
Unlike many investigational compounds, urolithin A has already been evaluated in human studies and has a favorable safety profile.
Although additional research is needed before the findings can be translated into treatments for patients, the study identifies both a promising new drug target and a naturally occurring compound that could help address an important challenge in cardiovascular medicine.
Dr Joseph Burgoyne, lead author of the study, said: “This type of heart failure remains one of the most difficult forms of heart disease to treat. Our results identify a completely new therapeutic target and show that urolithin A can activate this pathway to improve cardiac relaxation and reduce disease severity. This raises the exciting possibility of developing new treatments that improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for…
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