Improving acute coronary syndrome care

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Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to a range of conditions that result in a sudden reduction of blood flow to the heart, such as a heart attack. It is primarily caused by a blockage of the heart’s coronary arteries due to a blood clot. ACS is responsible for over 150,000 hospitalisations and 33,000 deaths in the UK each year.

ACS is usually treated with blood thinners which aim to prevent blood clot formation by targeting essential components in this process. However, this puts patients at risk of excessive bleeding, as the time it takes for clots to form in the rest of the body is slower. This can result in patients bruising easily, vomiting blood, and losing lots of blood from small cuts. Therefore, not everybody can safely take these medications, and even for patients who do, they can still be at risk of further heart problems.

Fibrinolysis is the body’s natural way to break down clots, but in ACS patients, this process is impaired to the point where it cannot respond properly to multiple, large blood clots forming, increasing the risk of a severe heart problem occurring. However, Professor Nicola Mutch, Dr Claire Whyte, Professor Diana Gorog, and their team at the University of Aberdeen have identified a new treatment option for ACS that supports fibrinolysis to break down blood clots that may otherwise cause a blockage.

Building on their previous research funded by Heart Research UK, that developed a novel model for studying heart attacks and findings which indicate a potential target for improving fibrinolysis, the team will test a number of drugs aimed at this new target, in their model which replicates a blood clot in a diseased blood vessel. The aim of this research is to find which drugs work best in enhancing fibrinolysis, to develop new treatment options for ACS patients, to reduce their risk of repeat heart problems and improve their quality of life.