Heart Attack – Hot Peppers Become Part of Heart Research

Penn State researchers think that the same type of nerve receptors that register the burning sensation from hot peppers may cause the sensation of chest pain from a heart attack.

Penn State researchers think that the same type of nerve receptors that register the burning sensation from hot peppers may cause the sensation of chest pain from a heart attack.”Our study is the first to demonstrate that the ‘hot pepper’ receptor exists on the heart and may be responsible for triggering heart attack chest pain,” said Dr. Hui-Lin Pan. “Until now, the capsaicin, or ‘hot pepper’ receptor, was only known for sensing heat and pain from the skin. Our data suggest that the ‘hot pepper’ receptors could become a new target for treatment of some types of chronic chest pain, such as angina pectoris, that are resistant to other treatments.” When a heart attack occurs, the heart tissue releases chemicals that cause the blood vessels to enlarge in an attempt to increase blood flow to the heart. Those same chemicals are likely responsible for triggering symptoms of heart attack. “Chest pain is a warning signal that heart tissue may be damaged,” Pan explained. “Without this signal, we would not be able to detect the potential danger. We found that the hot pepper receptor is located only on the outermost layer of the heart. So if a person’s heart attack is causing damage only to the inner heart tissue, they may not have the telltale warning sign of chest pain.”The researchers plan to draw a definitive connection between the receptors and the triggering of chest pain, but searching for chemicals produced by the heart tissue during a heart attack and how those interact with the receptors. Pan hopes that these potential links will not only help doctors and patients better understand what happens during a heart attack, but give researchers new avenues to explore in the way of treatments.(Source: M.S.W.: ZoeMed: Cardiac Life Centre: 3rd September 2003)