Tag: Heart health

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The complex bioactivity of bilirubin in the context of CVD

Yang Yang1, Dongdong Wang1, 2, 3*

Contribution participating in the INPST 2018 Science Communication Awards contest.

Bilirubin, a major pigment in bile with specific antioxidant properties, is a standard serum biomarker of liver function, which has particular toxicity due to irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Inexplicably, it is inversely correlated with cardiovascular disease risk. Our group found that unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) decreases macrophage cholesterol efflux and reduces the expression of ATP binding cassette A1 (ABCA1). These novel data underscore the complex bioactivity of bilirubin in the context of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and may encourage further exploration of bilirubin’s effect on cholesterol metabolism and transport.

Macrophages essential cells for bilirubin metabolism and reverse transport of cholesterol with relevance for cardiovascular disease

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Pomegranate for heart health and the science behind it

By Dongdong Wang*

Contribution participating in the INPST 2018 Science Communication Awards contest.

Together with my academic associates, recently I have systematically reviewed the scientific research linking pomegranate intake with cardiovascular benefits in consumers and patients [Ref. 1]. Here I will briefly present some highlights and major findings from our analysis of the existing scientific literature on this topic.

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