Scientists at New York University have made an important discovery about platelets—the tiny pieces of cells in our blood.
Most people know platelets as the parts of blood that help stop bleeding by forming clots. But this new study shows that they also play a surprising and harmful role in heart disease.
The research, led by Dr. Tessa Barrett and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, explains how platelets can actually make heart disease worse by causing inflammation inside the arteries. This adds to our understanding of how heart problems develop and get worse over time.
Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in many countries. A common form of it is called atherosclerosis. This happens when sticky plaques made from cholesterol, fats, calcium, and other things build up inside the arteries.
These plaques can make the arteries narrow and stiff, which blocks the flow of blood. If the blood flow is blocked enough, it can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
For many years, experts believed that high cholesterol was the main cause of these plaques. This idea is known as the “Lipid Hypothesis.” While cholesterol is clearly part of the problem, it’s not the only thing going on. The new study shows that platelets are also a major factor.
Researchers found that when platelets are active, they send out signals that attract immune cells called leukocytes to the blood vessels. These immune cells then stick to the walls of the arteries and move into the tissue. This process causes inflammation, which helps the plaques grow and become more dangerous.
A key part of the discovery is a protein called SOCS3, short for Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3. Platelets appear to control how much SOCS3 is made in the immune cells. This protein plays a role in speeding up plaque buildup.
The researchers found high levels of both SOCS3 and active platelets in people with heart disease, including women who had heart attacks and patients with blocked arteries in their legs.
One surprising result from the study is that this inflammation happens even when the platelets are not forming clots. This means that their role in causing inflammation is separate from their role in stopping bleeding. This hidden job of platelets is now thought to be a big part of why heart disease can become so serious.
These findings are important because they suggest new ways to treat or prevent heart disease. If scientists can find a way to lower the inflammation caused by platelets, it might help slow down or stop the growth of plaques in the arteries. That could mean fewer heart attacks and strokes in the future.
This new research helps us see that heart disease isn’t just about cholesterol—it’s also about how the immune system and platelets interact inside our blood vessels. Understanding these new details gives doctors and scientists better tools to fight this deadly condition and protect heart health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and Yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing Zinc and vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
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