Specific Type of Fat Becomes Therapeutic Target for Heart Disease

There needs to be just the right amount of fats in the heart for optimal function - not too much and not too little. In a new study from the Sanford-Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, scientists look at the accumulation of a particular type of fat, ceramides, in the heart. Ceramides are a type of fat that provide both beneficial and harmful roles in the body. On the positive side, ceramides form cellular membranes and regulate cellular energy metabolism. In the skin, ceramides promote the barrier property of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. But if someone eats too much fat or eats too many calories, heart disease can develop.