(ANSA) - Rome, October 17 - Italian researchers have
discovered a molecule that can help prevent heart attacks in
patients with arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a
team of cardiologists at Rome's La Cattolica University said
Friday.
People with hardened arteries have a buildup inside their
blood vessels called atherosclerotic plaques.
When they rupture, they can choke off the blood flow to the heart, causing cardiac arrest. The molecule called CD31 prevents the plaques from rupturing, the scientists found. It is already found in the body, and now that scientists know how it works, they can develop medication that can power it up in patients with hardened arteries. The research results are to be published in a medical journal called Basic Research in Cardiology.
When they rupture, they can choke off the blood flow to the heart, causing cardiac arrest. The molecule called CD31 prevents the plaques from rupturing, the scientists found. It is already found in the body, and now that scientists know how it works, they can develop medication that can power it up in patients with hardened arteries. The research results are to be published in a medical journal called Basic Research in Cardiology.
