Active Blood Platelets May Elevate Heart Attack Risk Despite Standard Treatment

Recent research from the University of Augsburg has identified a highly reactive subgroup of blood platelets that could contribute to heart attacks in patients with coronary heart disease, even when they are undergoing conventional medication. These platelets, known as reticulated platelets, are particularly young, RNA-rich, and highly responsive thrombocytes. The study highlights their crucial role in the formation of blood clots that can lead to cardiac events.

Professor Dr. Dario Bongiovanni, a leading researcher at Augsburg University Hospital, explains that their team conducted a comprehensive analysis of blood samples from over 90 patients with coronary heart disease, revealing that these young platelets possess a large number of activating signaling pathways. This biological characteristic makes them more sensitive and reactive than mature platelets, which explains their persistent activity despite drug therapy.

Coronary heart disease, caused by the narrowing of coronary arteries due to fat deposits, restricts oxygen supply to the heart and can result in chest pain, heart attacks, or sudden cardiac death. The findings are significant because they point to specific pathways, such as GPVI and PI3K, that could be targeted with new therapies. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that inhibiting these pathways can effectively reduce platelet hyperactivity.

This insight opens the door to personalized treatment options, where therapies could be tailored to the individual's platelet activity profile. The research, published in the European Heart Journal and presented at the ESC Congress 2025, marks a promising step toward reducing heart attack risk in patients who do not respond fully to existing medications.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-hyperactive-blood-platelets-linked-heart.html