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Lee Swanson Research Update
D-Ribose Helps Preserve Heart Function Following Heart Attack
April 2007
D-Ribose, a simple five-carbon sugar, may delay the progression of congestive heart failure in patients who have had a heart attack, according to study findings presented at the Second Annual Academic Surgical Congress, sponsored by the Association for Academic Surgery and Society of University Surgeons.
Heart attacks frequently lead to the progressive onset of congestive heart failure. After a heart attack, the undamaged portions of the heart must work harder to compensate for the functional loss of damaged tissue. Eventually, the heart begins to fail, the chambers of the heart enlarge and weaken and the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively.
In a study conducted at the University of Minnesota, Dr. John Foker and his team found that administering D-Ribose significantly improved heart function following a heart attack. The study showed that the progression of heart failure after a heart attack begins with a fall in energy levels.
"D-Ribose is a unique sugar that serves as the foundation for many important compounds, including DNA, RNA and, most importantly, ATP, the 'energy currency' of the cells," Dr. Foker said. "ATP is critical to health and maintaining normal energy-dependent body functions. Stressed hearts, muscles and other tissues lack the metabolic machinery to quickly make D-Ribose and overcome progressive energy depletion. D-Ribose will significantly increase energy formation in stressed tissues."
According to Dr. Foker: "The energy level of the heart tissue that is not damaged by the heart attack appears to control the beginning events of heart failure. When ATP begins to fall, function will worsen, setting in motion the progression to chronic cardiac failure. Because supplementing with D-Ribose is known to increase energy in stressed hearts, the progression to heart failure can be greatly slowed, or, in some cases, prevented."
While the study is an early stage investigation using an animal model of heart failure, Dr. Foker is encouraged by the results. "Treating hearts with D-Ribose can improve the ATP concentration of the heart and, following a heart attack, it can prevent the loss of energy which appears to be a major contributor to disease progression."
