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A pomegranate byproduct offers a promising new approach for treatment of a common form of heart failure, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or HFpEF. A heart with this condition continues to pump blood effectively but becomes too stiff to relax and fill properly between beats.

Cardiologists at King’s College London find that urolithin A, a compound the body produces after consuming foods such as pomegranates, walnuts, and certain berries, improves measures of heart function by up to 80% in animal models of HFpEF.

The studies, published in Science Advances, demonstrate that urolithin A activates a protein involved in heart muscle relaxation. In experimental models, it also reduces harmful scarring and limits abnormal enlargement of heart muscle cells. The compound also improves relaxation in bioengineered human heart tissue.

*This study identifies a potential new treatment strategy for heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction, a condition affecting roughly half of heart failure patients. As always, clinical trials are needed to determine whether urolithin A from any source can safely improve outcomes.

The references for this report are available on my website.

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