Cardiovascular diseases: research, risk factors and prevention
Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of death in France. Each year, 150,000 people die from cardiovascular disease, 120,000 suffer a myocardial infarction (heart attack), and another 500,000 develop heart failure. In the Hauts-de-France region, the number of new cases is two to three times higher than in the rest of France.
These diseases develop “silently” (i.e., without symptoms), insidiously, and manifest clinically at an advanced stage of their development (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke).
Heart failure
We are talking aboutHeart Failure When the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood to meet the body's oxygen needs, those affected experience shortness of breath and fatigue more easily. This serious condition typically occurs in individuals whose health has been compromised for several years by heart or respiratory problems, or by high blood pressure. Approximately 40% of people who have had a heart attack suffer from it. It is a major cause of death among the elderly. In fact, the five-year survival rate after diagnosis is around 50%.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis combines the thickening of the walls of large arteries, a normal part of aging, with their obstruction by plaques (atheromatous plaques). Over the years, these deposits gradually become impregnated with lipids, fibrinogen, platelets, blood cells, and calcium, and harden. Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of most cardiovascular diseases: coronary artery disease, heart failure, strokes, etc.
Research into cardiovascular diseases at the Pasteur Institute of Lille
The strength of the Pasteur Institute of Lille is to bring together on one site complementary teams that work on all these risk factors, linked such as the heart, blood and arteries.
Professor Philippe Amouyel's team has developed an epidemiological research program aimed at better understanding the role of cardiovascular risk factors (genetics, overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, smoking, etc.). This involves, in particular, studying cardiovascular diseases at the population level.
The research relies on the Lille registry of ischemic heart disease and stroke morbidity. Physician researchers conduct investigations in healthcare settings such as hospitals, emergency medical services (SAMU), and clinics with cardiology or neurology departments. A biological resource center handles the logistics and storage of biological samples and tissues.
Dr. Florence Pinet, a proteomics specialist, in collaboration with Professor Christophe Bauters of the University Hospital, discovered a biological marker for left ventricular remodeling following a first heart attack. Since then, the researchers have been refining the antibodies to develop a assay usable in routine clinical practice and continue to search for new markers in order to offer a blood test that can measure the risk of developing heart failure with a simple blood sample.
The research in Professor Bart Staels' team focuses on the molecular pharmacology of diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. The unit specifically studies the regulation of genes involved in these pathologies and the consequences of their dysregulation, with a particular interest in nuclear receptors, which represent potential therapeutic targets, using functional genomics and molecular pharmacology techniques.
Risk factors
The main risk factors for cardiovascular disease are well-known: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. The combination of these factors, even at moderate levels, increases cardiovascular risk. These risk factors are steadily increasing, with the exception of smoking and high blood pressure, which remain stable.
How can we prevent it?
The objectives of ongoing studies are to better understand the role of cardiovascular risk factors (genetics, overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, smoking, etc.), their environmental and molecular determinants, their evolution within the population, and their management, through epidemiological surveys. To aid in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, it is also necessary to define new biological markers, for example, of heart and blood vessel remodeling, in order to intervene earlier to prevent complications. Similarly, the role of the immune system in the inflammatory process and atherosclerosis is the subject of much current research.
The research teams
Thematic files
