A recent study unveiled at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session highlights a potential connection between heart disease and a virus commonly transmitted through intimate interactions.
This research, overseen by Stephen Akinfenwa, MD, an internal medicine resident at UConn School of Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut, aimed to delve deeper into evidence suggesting that human papillomavirus (HPV) might elevate the risk of cardiovascular complications.
HPV is a prevalent infection, often asymptomatic, though certain strains can lead to warts or cause abnormal cell growth that may develop into cancer.
With evidence pointing to a link between HPV and cardiovascular disease, the study’s authors consolidated data from numerous international studies, encompassing nearly 250,000 participants. Akinfenwa remarked: “Our study shows that clearly there is an association of some kind between HPV and cardiovascular disease. The biological mechanism has not been determined but is hypothesized to be related to chronic inflammation. We would ultimately like to see if reducing HPV via vaccination could reduce cardiovascular risk.”
In the United States, many children and teenagers are safeguarded against HPV-related cancers through vaccination, as recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nonetheless, many American adults missed the chance to receive the vaccine, having surpassed the recommended age by the time it became available in 2006.
The vaccine, however, does not fully prevent infection.
HPV typically transmits through sexual contact, and the World Health Organization notes that most sexually active individuals will contract the virus at some stage, often without symptoms.
The virus impacts the skin, genital regions, and throat, and although condoms reduce transmission risk, they do not provide complete protection as they do not cover all genital skin areas.
The researchers employed various statistical methods to examine the relationship between HPV and conditions like heart disease, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure, considering confounding factors such as smoking, diabetes, and other known heart disease risks.
The study found that individuals with HPV had a 40 percent greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease and double the risk of coronary artery disease compared to those without HPV.
The link between HPV and cardiovascular disease persisted even when accounting for medical history and lifestyle factors, though no significant association was found with high blood pressure.
Akinfenwa stated: “We always talk about cardiovascular risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and so on, but we know that about 20 percent of cardiovascular disease cannot be explained by these conventional risk factors. This makes it important to identify non-conventional risk factors like HPV that could potentially be targeted.”
The study’s lead author now suggests that healthcare providers might consider increased heart health monitoring for individuals testing positive for HPV.