Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis as a Development Factor of Coronary Heart Disease

Introduction. Coronary heart disease is a common pathology, playing a key role in cardiovascular mortality. Damage of circulatory system affects people of all ages, including the active population, which provides an adverse impact on the socio-economic state of society. In this research, we analyzed the processes of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and their effects on myocardial ischemic damage. Aim was to identify the role of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the development of coronary heart disease. Materials and Methods. A meta-analysis of 50 literary sources was performed in the PubMed database over the past 11 years. Results and Discussion. Meta-analysis has demonstrated that prevention of cardiomyocyte apoptosis is an extremely important therapeutic goal today. Ischemia/reperfusion, exercise- induced hypertrophy, and post-infarct myocardial remodeling are associated with myocyte apoptosis. This indicates that current treatments proven effective in these diseases may interfere with apoptosis. Conclusions. Studying apoptosis and its regulation is important for both understanding the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and developing new therapeutic approaches. Apoptosis, i. e., controlled cell death, is of great importance in cardiac pathology. For instance, it plays a key role in ischemia/reperfusion, myocardial hypertrophy, and post-infarct remodeling.