Most people think of platelets as the small cell fragments in our blood that help stop bleeding when we get hurt.
But scientists at New York University have now discovered that these tiny cells play a much bigger and more surprising role—they may also help cause heart disease.
The study, led by Dr. Tessa Barrett and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows that platelets are involved in triggering inflammation in the arteries, which can lead to a dangerous condition called atherosclerosis.
This new finding gives us a better understanding of how heart disease starts and gets worse over time.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in many countries. One of the most common types is atherosclerosis, which happens when fatty deposits, cholesterol, and other materials build up inside the walls of arteries.
These buildups are called plaques. As the plaques grow, they make the arteries narrower and stiffer, reducing blood flow and raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
For many years, scientists have believed that high cholesterol is the main reason why plaques form.
This idea, known as the “Lipid Hypothesis,” is still important. But researchers now know that cholesterol isn’t the only factor. Inflammation—when the body’s immune system reacts and causes swelling and damage—also plays a big role.
That’s where platelets come in. According to this new research, platelets do more than just stop bleeding. When they become active, they send out chemical signals that call immune cells to areas in the blood vessels where damage or stress is happening.
These immune cells, especially ones called leukocytes, stick to the vessel walls and move into the tissue, which increases inflammation and helps plaques form.
One of the most important discoveries from the study was about a protein called SOCS3, which stands for Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3. The scientists found that platelets can affect how much SOCS3 is made in immune cells.
When SOCS3 levels go up, it seems to speed up the process of plaque building. People with heart disease—such as women who had heart attacks or patients with blocked leg arteries—were found to have higher levels of SOCS3 and more active platelets.
What makes this finding even more interesting is that platelets were still causing inflammation even when they weren’t forming clots.
This shows that their role in heart disease is separate from their usual job of helping blood clot. Instead, they have a hidden role in making the inflammation worse and pushing the disease forward.
Understanding this new role of platelets could change how doctors think about and treat heart disease. If future treatments can target the inflammation caused by platelets—especially their link with the SOCS3 protein—it might be possible to slow down or even prevent the buildup of plaques.
This research opens the door to new ways of managing heart disease. It also reminds us that the causes of serious health problems are often more complex than they first appear. Platelets, once seen as simple helpers in stopping bleeding, may now be key players in one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
