Soon the first clinical trials at the Irccs Sacro Cuore of Negrar with the University of Verona
The Latins said that “wine makes good blood”, referring to the alleged therapeutic effects of this ancient drink. In fact, over the years there has been an increasing number of scientific evidences that have underlined the protective action on the body of some substances of the nectar of Bacchus, primarily the presence of antioxidants such as resveratrol which, among others, reduces aging mobile phone. But wine, especially red, would also have beneficial effects on the heart, not only because it is rich in polyphenols but also for its ability to counteract ceramides, particular lipids present in the blood which favor the deposition of ‘bad’ cholesterol (Ldl) in the wall of the arteries, thus contributing to atherosclerosis.
This is a new hypothesis that the researchers of the Irccs Sacro Cuore di Negrar in Verona are working on who, in collaboration with the University of Verona, will soon launch the first clinical trial within a research doctorate to verify the possible effect ‘shield’ of wine against ceramides. The planned study – reports a note – will allow for a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effect of wine and could pave the way for the identification of a new therapeutic target.
The announcement of the study, which will begin shortly, came directly from the researchers on the occasion of Vinitaly, an event which is ending in Verona. The aim of the research was to demonstrate that the light-moderate intake of wine can have beneficial cardiovascular effects by acting on the reduction of ceramides, fatty acids present in high quantities in the blood of patients affected several times by ischemic events such as heart attacks.
Ceramides have been the subject of research by the Sacred Heart and the University of Verona since 2018 – the note highlights – thanks to the use by the Negrar Laboratory of very sophisticated biochemical analysis methods available in few centers in the world. Studies published by the group in the international journals Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology and Metabolism Clinical and Experimental have shown that ceramides tend to increase the risk of coronary artery disease and recurrence of cardiac events such as heart attack, even in subjects treated pharmacologically in optimal way to reduce LDL cholesterol.
“The benefits of light-moderate wine consumption (12 grams of alcohol per day in women and 25 grams in men, corresponding respectively to one or two 125 ml glasses) – says cardiologist Stefano Bonapace, of the IRCCS Sacro Cuore – have been widely demonstrated, in particular the intake of red wine has been related to a lower risk of coronary heart disease. Epidemiological studies and meta-analyses have mainly attributed this result to the large variety of polyphenolic compounds present in red wine, such as resveratrol which inhibits the formation of inflammatory factors that cause cardiovascular diseases. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for its cardioprotective effects are not fully understood.”
“To date – continues Bonapace – the potential beneficial effect of wine consumed in a light to moderate way seems to be mainly linked to an increase in the blood of the ‘good’ cholesterol called Hdl and a reduction in the oxidation of the ‘bad’ cholesterol Ldl. Moreover, there are no data on the possible effect of wine on ceramides, which seem to have a facilitating role in the atherogenesis process by favoring the deposition of LDL cholesterol in the artery wall with various mechanisms, thus causing progressive obstruction”. to try to clarify, through an experimentally controlled intake of a certain quantity of wine, whether part of the beneficial effect of this popular drink on the cardiovascular system can also pass through the modification of these ceramides in the blood which, in perspective, could become a new therapeutic target’ he concludes.
Source-www.adnkronos.com