A common bacterium may contribute to cardiovascular disease. C. pneumoniae, a relative of the bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia, may fuel the process that leads to hardening of the arteries. Hardening of the arteries increases the risk of blood clots which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Chlamydia pneumoniae has long been known to cause acute respiratory problems such as sinus infection, pneumonia and bronchitis, is not sexually transmitted, and is a common illness. It is present in half of adults by the age of thirty.
Hanna Kälvegren of Linköping University has shown that the C. pneumoniae bacterium stimulates the formation of free radicals that oxidize and cause damage to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol. Scientists believe the oxidation triggers arteriosclerosis.
Kälvegren’s research isn’t the first to suggest a link between the bacteria and heart disease. Researchers in Maryland and Wisconsin studied young men in the military and found that high levels of C pneumoniae in the blood were associated with an increased risk of heart attack.
Kälvegren believes that vaccinating to prevent C. pneumoniae would help cut the risk of developing heart disease.
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