Cardiovascular diseases, (CVD), are the major cause of early mortality,
accounting for almost 25% of deaths globally. CVD events are the net result of
integration of several risk factors namely; aging, obesity, hypercholesterolemia,
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and life style.
Saudi Arabia has gone through significant urbanization over the last 40 years
with significant improvement in social and economical status. This has led to change
in lifestyle, accommodating more of the Western habits with respect to diet and
physical activity. These factors have either led or augmented other risk factors of
CVD.
The aim of this study is to provide a helpful test that could be used for the early
diagnosis and prognosis of CVD by advancing age through studying plasma activity
of the enzyme Na
+
, K
+
-ATPase in different classes of CVD such as valvular heart
disease, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia and heart failure in relation to other
biochemical parameters as plasma glucose, urea, creatinine, triglyceride, cholesterol,
HDL, LDL, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl and P besides the relevant plasma enzymes as CK,
LDH, AST, ALT compared to a matched normal control group.
A total of 95 blood samples were collected from patients of different CVD, in
addition to 20 blood samples from normal controls. The age for both groups ranged
between 50 and 85 years of both sexes, (78 females and 37 males).
The results point to a statistically significant increase in Na+, K+-ATPase
activity in most of CVD patients groups under study. Other biochemical parameters
showed almost the well known clinically agreed upon pattern. It could be concluded
that Na+, K+-ATPase should be added as a predictor test for the diagnostic and
prognosis of cardiovascular diseases.