Italians discover molecule that 'brakes' heart disease

(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.