For more than a century, heart attacks have been the leading cause of death in the United States. They happen when blood flow to part of the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot.
Without oxygen, heart muscle begins to die, which can lead to permanent damage or death. Most treatments today focus on breaking up clots after they form, but by that time serious harm may already have occurred.
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a possible way to stop dangerous clots before they even begin. Their research centers on a medication called N-acetyl cysteine, or NAC.
This drug has been used safely for decades, mainly to treat people who overdose on acetaminophen, a common pain reliever. It is inexpensive and already available in hospitals around the world.
The new research shows that NAC may prevent blood clots from forming at all. This is important because clots can cause heart attacks, strokes, and sudden death. Current anti-clotting medications often thin the blood or prevent platelets from sticking together.
While these drugs can reduce the risk of heart attacks, they also increase the risk of serious bleeding. Even a small injury can become dangerous because the blood cannot clot properly.
Blood clots form when platelets, which are tiny blood cells, stick together to seal a damaged blood vessel. A protein called von Willebrand factor plays a major role in this process. Normally, this protein stays compact and inactive. When a blood vessel is injured, it stretches out and becomes sticky, capturing platelets and forming a clot to stop bleeding.
However, in narrowed or damaged arteries, this process can happen when it should not. Instead of protecting the body, clots can block blood flow to the heart or brain. Professor David Ku, who led the study, explained that current treatments must balance preventing clots with avoiding dangerous bleeding. This makes treatment complicated and sometimes risky.
The research team took a different approach. Instead of targeting platelets directly, they focused on the von Willebrand factor protein. They discovered that NAC can break apart the bonds that hold this protein in its sticky form. When these bonds are broken, the protein cannot trap platelets, and the clot cannot develop.
To test their idea, the scientists used a device that simulates blood flow through narrowed arteries, where clots often form. In this environment, NAC completely stopped clot formation.
The researchers then tested the drug in mice and observed the same protective effect. Surprisingly, the anti-clotting benefit lasted for several hours, even after the drug itself had mostly left the bloodstream.
This finding suggests that NAC could offer a safer way to prevent heart attacks and strokes, especially in people at high risk. Instead of taking strong blood thinners that increase bleeding risk, patients might one day receive NAC as an injection during emergencies or as a regular treatment to keep arteries clear.
Because NAC is already approved for other medical uses and has a long history of safety, it may move into clinical trials for this purpose more quickly than entirely new drugs. Researchers hope future studies in humans will confirm that it can prevent clots without causing dangerous side effects.
If successful, this approach could change how doctors protect patients from heart attacks. A simple, low-cost medication could help stop life-threatening clots before they form, reducing the need for risky blood-thinning drugs.
This discovery offers new hope for millions of people worldwide. By preventing clots at their earliest stage, doctors may one day be able to stop heart attacks and strokes before they happen, saving lives and reducing long-term damage.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
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