Charcoal Treats Heart Disease?

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Charcoal may offer a new hope for treating heart disease in patients with kidney disease.

Many patients with advanced kidney disease also suffer from atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and even death as a result of the condition. Oral activated charcoal (AST-120) has traditionally been used as an emergency treatment for certain types of poisoning, but recent studies suggest it may also be beneficial for kidney patients with heart disease.

"We found that oral activated charcoal lessens atherosclerotic lesions in experimental mice with kidney damage," Valentina Kon, M.D., of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., was quoted as saying. "This is especially important because there is no effective treatment to reduce the high rate of cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease."

In mice, oral activated charcoal appeared to reduce atherosclerosis associated with kidney disease. The effect was seen at different levels of kidney function, in very advanced atherosclerosis, and even when treatment was delayed. More research will reveal whether AST-120 offers similar benefits to humans with kidney disease.

The researchers studied the effects of AST-120 in mice genetically engineered to develop atherosclerosis. In mice with profoundly reduced renal mass, treatment with AST-120 led to a dramatic decrease in atherosclerosis, even when charcoal treatment was delayed. The improvement in atherosclerosis was unrelated to changes in blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Rather, AST-120 appeared to reduce inflammation in the blood vessels.

SOURCE: Presented at the American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting, October 31, 2009, San Diego, Calif.