Urolithin A shows promise in treating specific heart failure type

Researchers at King's College London have identified that urolithin A, a compound produced by gut bacteria after consuming pomegranates, walnuts, or berries, shows promise in treating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

HFpEF is a condition affecting approximately half of all heart failure patients, characterized by a stiffened heart that struggles to relax and fill with blood despite normal pumping strength. In animal models, urolithin A improved heart function by up to 80%, reduced scarring, and prevented harmful heart enlargement.

The study, published in Science Advances, suggests the compound works by activating a specific protein, PKG1α, which is essential for heart and blood vessel relaxation. While results in mice and lab-grown human heart tissue are encouraging, experts emphasize that these findings do not yet constitute a recommendation for pomegranate consumption as a medical treatment.