The study was published in November 2018 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian medicine for centuries, primarily to treat gastrointestinal ailments and skin wounds. Studies increasingly suggest that the compound may prevent or limit muscle wasting associated with a number of health conditions, including heart failure.

Heart failure affects more than 6 million people living in the U.S. People with heart failure have a reduced function of the left ventricle–the chamber of the heart that pumps blood out to the rest of the body–called reduced ejection fraction.

A decreased ability to exercise (exercise intolerance) is another significant characteristic of heart failure.

Previous research has found that higher than normal levels of oxidative stress–an imbalance of two different kinds of molecules that can result in cell damage–contribute to exercise intolerance in people with heart failure. Heart failure is also associated with lower than normal expression of antioxidant enzymes in the muscles, but the reason for this is unclear. Antioxidant enzymes both prevent and repair damage from oxidative stress. Boosting enzyme levels may improve exercise performance in people in heart failure.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers theorized that a reduction in the normal signaling of Nrf2, a protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes, may play a role in the impaired expression of antioxidant enzymes. They examined the effects of curcumin, which is known to promote activation of Nrf2, on a mouse model of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. One group of mice with heart failure received daily doses of curcumin for 12 weeks, and another group did not receive treatment. The heart failure groups were compared to a control group of healthy mice that received curcumin and an untreated control group.

The research team measured the exercise capacity of all the mice before and after curcumin treatment. The researchers also examined muscle fiber samples to assess enzyme expression levels. They found that expression of Nrf2 increased and levels of antioxidant enzymes improved in the animals with heart failure that were given curcumin. In addition, both groups that received curcumin–even the animals without heart failure–had improved exercise capacity when compared with the untreated groups, suggesting the effects of curcumin on skeletal muscle is not exclusive to heart failure.

“These data suggest that activation of Nrf2 in skeletal muscle may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve … quality of life” in people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the researchers wrote.

The model, developed at UCLA, can simulate tiny, subtle changes in the heart’s cells and tissues as well as the larger impact on the entire heart — the changes are then shown in a corresponding electrocardiogram, or ECG, a tool commonly used to diagnose heart abnormalities.

The research was published in PLOS Computational Biology.

One of the senior authors of the paper was William Klug, a UCLA mechanical and aerospace engineering professor who was killed by a gunman in his office on June 1.

“Bill led the ‘virtual heart’ project,” said study’s principal investigator Alan Garfinkel, who holds faculty appointments in integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College and in medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “His work will live on in this model, which can potentially help many who suffer from arrhythmias in congestive heart failure.”

Congestive heart failure, commonly referred to as CHF, occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood. It is a leading cause of death. Patients also die at an accelerated rate from electrical disturbances called arrhythmias, the subject of the UCLA study.

The model is based on a rabbit’s heart. It can show what happens to the heart cells and tissue when the levels and flow of calcium, potassium and sodium ions, all required for the heart to work, are changed. The model also shows, for the first time, what happens for the organ as a whole when various critical chemicals and electrophysiologic components of a healthy working heart are altered by disease.

The researchers said the invention could help doctors zero in on effective new drug therapies for heart failure because it should make it easier to understand how certain medications work, and when and where in the heart they can be most effective.

The study also revealed that ventricular fibrillation, a condition in which heart beat becomes fragmented and erratic, can be caused by a slowdown in cellular processes at the top of the heart during heart failure. The researchers also used their model to plan a new drug strategy against this heart failure form of fibrillation.

The study’s lead authors are Aditya Ponnaluri, a UCLA graduate student in mechanical engineering, and Luigi Perotti, a postdoctoral scholar in radiological sciences and in bioengineering. Other authors are Michael Liu, a graduate student in molecular, cellular and integrative physiology; Zhilin Qu, professor of medicine; Dr. James Weiss, chief of cardiology and professor of medicine; and Daniel Ennis, professor of radiology and bioengineering.

The condition develops gradually, experts say, as the pumping ability of the heart grows weaker. At that point, it can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Or the heart can’t pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people suffer from both problems.

Heart failure  is also known as congestive heart failure, systolic heart failure, diastolic heart failure, left-sided heart failure, or right-sided heart failure.

Here, the experts from SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are some recommendations on living with congestive heart failure:

Follow a Heart Healthy Diet

This is crucial. Not having a proper diet can make heart failure worse, the SeniorHealth experts say. A heart-healthy diet includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Restrict your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar.

A heart healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products. A healthy diet is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added sugar.

For more information about following a healthy diet, go to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH” and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ChooseMyPlate.gov Web site. Both resources provide general information about healthy eating.

Watch Fluid Intake

Excessive fluid intake can actually worsen heart failure, the SeniorHealth experts say. Talk to your doctor about the amount and types of fluid you should have each day. And monitor your weight, the experts say. Tell your doctor immediately if you have a sudden weigh gain, since that might be caused by extra fluid building up dangerously. Additionally, don’t drink alcohol.

Control Risk Factors

Heart failure can be control if you reduce risk factors for coronary artery disease, hypertension and diabetes. Ask your health-care team how you can control these conditions. Have your blood sugar level and blood pressure checked regularly. Ask how often you should take measurements at home.

The SeniorHealth experts also suggest that you:

Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese. Ask your health care team how to do that safely.

Exercise according to your doctor’s direction.

Quit smoking and avoid using illegal drugs., and try to avoid secondhand smoke.  For help to quit smoking, call toll-free, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Get enough rest.

For more information on senior-health issues, visit nih.seniorhealth.gov.