Houston Methodist Researcher Recognized by AHA’s Circulation Research Editorial Board

Newswise — Research published by a Houston Methodist team led by John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., received high accolades at this year’s American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

The May 2016 paper, “Proton Pump Inhibitors Accelerate Endothelial Senescence,” was named one of the five Best Manuscript Awards in 2016 for AHA’s Circulation Research journal.

The journal’s editors chose Cooke’s paper because it met high standards of scientific excellence in terms of novelty, impact and methodology; it was widely read online following publication; and because the paper represented some of the best work published in Circulation Research.

The findings by a Houston Methodist Research Institute team are a progression of the work that began more than five years ago. The epidemiological and retrospective studies observing that associations between the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) sped up the aging of blood vessels, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, renal failure and dementia.

[Click here for video with John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., explaining the May 2016 published research]

PPIs like esomeprazole (Nexium) are widely used for the treatment of GERD. These medications are sold over the counter in the United States so medical supervision is not required. While these drugs are effective when taken as prescribed, they are not approved for long-term use and evidence suggests that up to 70 percent of PPI use may be inappropriate.

Cooke, the paper’s senior author and chair of the department of cardiovascular sciences at Houston Methodist Research Institute, and his team showed that chronic exposure to PPIs accelerated biological aging in human endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels. When healthy, human endothelial cells create a Teflon-like coating that prevents blood from sticking. When older and diseased, the endothelium becomes more like Velcro, with blood elements sticking to the vessel to form blockages.

Cooke wants to see more studies that focus on the impact of long-term use of these drugs on vascular health in a broader patient population.

Cooke, who holds the Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research, said while PPIs were shown to affect vascular aging, H2 blockers like ranitidine did not adversely affect the endothelium. Brand examples of H2 blockers are Zantac and Tagamet.

The FDA estimates about one in 14 Americans have used a PPI. In 2009, PPIs were the third-most taken type of drug in the U.S. and are believed to account for $13 billion in annual global sales. In addition to GERD and heartburn, PPIs treat a wide range of disorders, including infection by the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and Barrett's esophagus. PPIs come in a variety of forms, always ending with the suffix "-prazole," and other brand examples include Prilosec and Prevacid. To speak with John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., contact Gale Smith, Houston Methodist, at 281.627.0439 or [email protected]. For more information about Houston Methodist, visit houstonmethodist.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. -30- "Proton pump inhibitors accelerate endothelial senescence," by Cooke et al, Circulation Research (Online May 10, 2016)