Why low iron might burst your aorta
Iron deficiency affects oxygen transport and activates HIF1 signaling pathway to regulate phenotypic transformation of VSMC in aortic dissection
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body needs iron to carry oxygen. If you don’t have enough iron, your blood can’t deliver oxygen well, which tricks your blood vessel cells into thinking they’re suffocating. This makes them change from strong, tight cells into weak, messy ones that can’t hold the aorta together.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 546 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body needs iron to carry oxygen. If you don’t have enough iron, your blood can’t deliver oxygen well, which tricks your blood vessel cells into thinking they’re suffocating. This makes them change from strong, tight cells into weak, messy ones that can’t hold the aorta together.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 546 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Chen Y, Li X, Wang Z, Yuan S, Shen X, Xie X, Xing K, Zhu Q
Related Content
Claims (6)
Low iron levels in the body are linked to higher levels of oxidative damage in the aorta and increased activity of the HIF1 protein, which may be a result of that oxidative damage.
Iron is a critical component in the blood that enables oxygen to be carried from the lungs to muscles and the brain.
When vascular smooth muscle cells lack iron, they produce more HIF1 protein and change from a stable, contractile state to a less stable, synthetic state, marked by reduced levels of α-SMA and SM-22α and increased levels of VEGF, OPN, and MMPs, which are associated with weakening of the aortic wall.
Low iron levels in humans and mice are linked to higher activity of the HIF1 protein in the aorta, increased signs of oxidative stress, and damage to the middle layer of the aorta, which may contribute to the development of aortic dissection.
In mice with a specific type of aortic tear caused by BAPN, low iron levels lead to shorter survival and more severe aortic damage, while a drug called PX478 that blocks HIF1 improves survival and reduces damage to the aorta.