They found genes that regulate platelets, these platelets are what make blood cells stick together in a blood clot. By being able to determine whose platelets are "stickier" could help us in treating cardiovascular disease.
Professor Ouwehand said "Studies in large number of NHS patients who experienced a heart attack and healthy controls suggests that genetic differences in the gene for this protein slightly modifies the risk for blood clots. This type of study will help us to unravel the complex question why some people have a higher risk of a heart attack than others. One day this type of research may lead to a new generation of drugs that can be used to reduce the risk of this devastating disease."
That is good finding genes that regulate platelets for blood clots. Not only can you try to find drugs to reduce heart attacks, but you can use the opposite knowledge for people who can't clot blood when they bleed and prevent them from bleeding to death.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool discovery. I hope that this study will lead to better drugs to treat this problem. I have a family member who is at risk for blood clots so he is on blood thinners. However, he needs surgery fairly often on his hip. Since he is on blood thinners, the incision wound does not heal very well and he tends to bleed out, which you can imagine is not a very good thing. So hopefully this study will help to better drug development for this problem.
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