What helps endothelial function?

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Calcium channel blockers: These medications help relax and widen blood vessels. Statins: These drugs may help repair the endothelium. They also reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, which helps to prevent plaque build-up. Aspirin: Aspirin may prevent blood clots, which can cause a heart attack.

What affects endothelial function?

Cholesterol levels and coronary artery disease risk show a strong and linear relationship; hypercholesterolemia and high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol result in impaired endothelial function in both peripheral and coronary circulation (Creager et al 1990; Casino et al 1993).

What are the signs of endothelial dysfunction?

Symptoms

Chest pain, squeezing or discomfort (angina), which may get worse with activity or emotional stress.
Discomfort in the left arm, jaw, neck, back or abdomen along with chest pain.
Shortness of breath.
Tiredness and lack of energy.

What does improve endothelial function mean?

Treatments. Endothelial function can be improved by the lifestyle measures that are commonly urged on all of us to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease, including weight loss, exercise, smoking cessation, control of hypertension, and control of diabetes.

What causes damage to endothelial cells?

Endothelial dysfunction is likely to result from endothelial cell injury triggered via a number of different mechanisms, including the following [2]: bacterial or viral infection; oxidative stress through abnormal regulation of reactive oxygen species, hypoxia, turbulent blood flow and shear stress; environmental …

Can the endothelium be repaired?

Some ‘master’ or progenitor cells exist in the blood vessel wall, which can be turned into new endothelial cells that could repair the damaged endothelium. But these cells can also become other types of cells, such as smooth muscle cells.

Why is endothelial dysfunction important?

An important feature is that endothelial dysfunction precedes clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease; therefore endothelial dysfunction is a marker of atherosclerosis. Importantly, endothelial dysfunction of peripheral arteries correlates with alterations in coronary circulation.

What foods are good for the endothelium?

Preclinical studies have indicated that polyphenol-rich food and food-derived products such as grape-derived products, black and red berries, green and black teas and cocoa, and omega-3 fatty acids can trigger activating pathways in endothelial cells promoting an increased formation of nitric oxide and endothelium- …

Does sugar damage the endothelium?

Endothelial function deteriorates after glucose ingestion. This may be attributed to hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress.

Why are endothelial cells important?

The endothelium serves as a permeable barrier for the blood vessel and is involved in the regulation of blood flow. Within basic research, endothelial cells are pivotal to applications related to wound healing, angiogenesis, inflammatory processes, blood brain barriers, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.