Notch and soda please

We’ve all heard that moderate alcohol consumption can be beneficial to health. Now scientists have identified the molecule that makes those healthful benefits possible. It’s called Notch.

Scientists are hoping this new information could lead to groundbreaking treatments for heart disease. If they can come up with a program that mimics Notch’s beneficial influence, they would have a new way of treating heart disease.

“Any understanding of socially acceptable, modifiable activity that many people engage in, like drinking, is useful as we continue to search for new ways to improve health,” said Eileen M. Redmond, PhD, lead study author and associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Basic and Translational Research Division, at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “If we can figure out at the basic science level how alcohol is beneficial it wouldn’t translate to doctors prescribing people to drink, but hopefully will lead to the development of a new therapy for the millions of people with coronary heart disease.”

Cardiac death is 20 to 40 percent lower in light to moderate drinkers, compared to people who don’t drink. Moderate levels are considered to be one to three drinks a day. The drinks appear to inhibit Notch, and prevent the buildup of smooth muscle cells in blood vessels. These contribute to the narrowing of the arteries and lead to heart attack and stroke. Figuring out how Notch works will be key. But now they know where to look.

Source: University of Rochester, ScienceDaily