An international research team has discovered that bacteria can directly cause blood clots in human beings.
According to these scientists, the discovery could have important implications for how to deal with coagulation that takes place during bacterial infections.
Previously, it was thought that a persons immune and inflammatory systems were responsible for the coagulation of blood during sepsis or infections.
These new findings demonstrate that bacteria may be what cause blood clots to form, after which the clots tend to grow and multiply. Clotting is sometimes beneficial for protecting the body against bacteria, but it can also cause vascular damage.
Study co-author Christian Kastrup of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that the findings show that coagulation “can be controlled by changing the spatial distribution or clustering of bacteria.”
He added that the results provide hope for improving treatment of bacterial infections, as well as more serious conditions such as sepsis and anthrax.
Some people seeking improved circulation have turned to nutritional supplements containing nattokinase to help dissolve and flush away dangerous blood clots.