King's College London study finds compound improves heart failure function

Researchers at King's College London have discovered that urolithin A, a compound naturally produced by the body after digesting fruits like pomegranate, walnut, and blackberry, can improve organ function by up to 80% in a specific type of heart failure.

The study focused on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), a condition where the heart muscle becomes too stiff to relax and fill with blood between beats. This condition accounts for approximately half of all heart failure cases and often responds poorly to traditional medications.

Laboratory tests showed that urolithin A activates the PKGlα protein, which is critical for vascular health and heart muscle relaxation. The compound was shown to reduce tissue stiffness and prevent the harmful, uncontrolled growth of heart muscle cells. The effectiveness was also observed in bioengineered heart tissue developed from human stem cells.

While the findings do not suggest that eating pomegranate alone can treat heart failure, the research, supported by the British Heart Foundation, paves the way for clinical trials to develop a new generation of urolithin A-based drugs.