Heart attacks are one of the leading causes of death around the world.
They usually happen when a blood clot blocks an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Doctors can often remove or dissolve these clots, but the treatments may increase the risk of serious bleeding.
A new study from Georgia Tech suggests that an inexpensive medicine already used in hospitals could offer a safer way to prevent dangerous blood clots from forming in the first place.
The medicine is called N-acetyl cysteine, or NAC, and it has been used for many years to treat acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose and several other medical conditions.
Because NAC is already approved for medical use, researchers hope it could reach patients much faster than a completely new drug. The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, found that NAC completely prevented blood clot formation in laboratory experiments.
Blood clots are an important part of the body’s natural healing process. When a blood vessel is injured, special proteins and blood cells work together to stop bleeding. However, if a clot forms inside a healthy artery, it can block blood flow to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
One of the key proteins involved is called von Willebrand factor, or VWF. Under normal conditions, this protein stays folded into a compact shape. When a blood vessel is damaged, it unfolds, becomes sticky, and helps platelets gather together to form a clot.
Most medicines used to prevent heart attacks work by reducing the ability of platelets to stick together. While these drugs can save lives, they also make it harder for the body to stop bleeding after an injury. This balance between preventing clots and avoiding dangerous bleeding has been a major challenge for doctors.
The Georgia Tech researchers found that NAC works in a different way. Instead of acting directly on platelets, it prevents the VWF protein from unfolding and becoming sticky. By stopping this early step, NAC may prevent harmful clots while lowering the chance of serious bleeding.
The team tested NAC in a laboratory model designed to copy the conditions inside a narrowed artery. After adding NAC, no blood clots formed. The researchers then tested the treatment in mice and found that it prevented clot formation without increasing bleeding. They also discovered that the protective effect lasted for about six hours, even after the medicine had left the bloodstream.
Lead researcher Dr. David Ku said these findings suggest NAC could become a useful treatment for people who have already had a heart attack or who are at high risk of another one. The medicine might be given as an injection during the critical hours after a heart attack and could later be taken as a daily tablet to help lower the risk of future heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers believe NAC may also help prevent other clot-related conditions, including embolisms.
Human clinical trials will be needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness for heart disease, but the results so far suggest that this familiar, low-cost medicine could become a valuable new tool for protecting heart health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how vitamin D influences cholesterol levels, and what we know about egg intake and heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies about best supplements for heart disease prevention, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
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