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Compound in fruits, vegetables fights blood clots

The compound rutin — found in many fruits and vegetables including apples, berries, citrus fruits and onions – can be effective in preventing blood clots, according to the Fox News report.

The report concerns a study out of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Researchers were looking for a compound that could block the action of a protein called disulfide isomerase (PDI), a clotting agent that’s rapidly secreted when a clot forms in a blood vessel.

But because PDI is necessary for the production of certain proteins, they had to find a compound that could block only certain PDI proteins. Rutin proved to be the most effective of more than 5,000 compounds.

The report quotes lead researcher Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft as saying that an estimated 1,255,000 heart attacks and 795,000 strokes occur each year, accounting for approximately one third of all deaths in the United States.

“It’s not always fully appreciated that the majority of Americans will die as the result of a blood clot in either their heart or their brain,” Flaumenhaft said.

The Mayo Clinic identifies a number of risk factors for blood clots, including surgery, pregnancy, long periods of physical inactivity (such as bed rest), and use of birth control pills.

Though all birth control pills can increase the risk of blood clots, a number of studies show oral contraceptives containing the compound drospirenone carry up to three times the risk of blood clots compared to other birth control pills. Pills with drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella.

Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries.

See more here: https://www.bidmc.org/News/InResearch/2012/May/Rutin_BloodClots.aspx