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.
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