Sclerostin, a Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor involved in bone regulation, is also present in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and is elevated in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Elevated in T2D patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), its role in atherosclerosis remains unclear. To explore this, a study measured serum and vascular sclerostin levels in 139 T2D patients with and without CVD and 121 healthy controls and investigated sclerostin’s effects on VSMCs in a calcified environment to assess its potential protective role in atherosclerosis.
The study found that serum sclerostin levels were significantly higher in T2D patients with CVD (p < 0.001) and independently associated with CVD. Sclerostin was also elevated in calcified arteries (p = 0.003). In VSMCs, sclerostin overexpression reduced intracellular calcium (p = 0.001), calcium deposits (p < 0.001), and cell…
