- Blood clot formation can contribute to life threatening events like strokes and heart attacks.
- Experts are interested in ways to decrease people’s risk for blood clots.
- A study found that intermittent fasting may help minimize components of the blood clotting process by enhancing the production of indole-3-propionic acid by gut microorganisms.
Blood clots can be dangerous and
A study published in Life Metabolism examined the effects of intermittent fasting on components of blood clotting.
Researchers, using 160 study participants, human blood samples, and mice, found that intermittent fasting appears to help stop platelet activation and clot formation. The results suggest that it does this by enhancing the gut microorganisms’ production of indole-3-propionic acid, which then affects clotting.
Further examination of mice revealed that intermittent fasting may also help minimize brain and heart damage related to a loss and then return of blood flow.
These findings could be very helpful for future research and potential implementation of intermittent fasting in clinical practice.
Researchers of the current study wanted to understand more about how intermittent fasting affects components of blood clotting. Intermittent fasting involves limiting or not eating food during certain time windows while eating normally at other times.
Blood clots happen through a complex process that involves platelet activation and, ultimately, the formation of a thrombus or blood clot.
This research involved people and mice.
Researchers recruited 160 participants who had coronary artery disease. They excluded participants who had been taking antiplatelet medications for the last two weeks, as well as participants with certain conditions like anemia or heart failure. Participants were taking aspirin.
They then randomly divided participants into two groups: one participated in intermittent fasting while the other followed an ad libitum diet. This intervention time lasted ten days. Researchers collected blood samples before and after the intervention.
The intervention was similar for the mice, with one group doing intermittent fasting while the other group just had an ad libitum diet.
Overall, researchers saw distinct benefits related to intermittent fasting. The results from analyses of the mice and the blood of human participants indicated that intermittent fasting helps inhibit platelet activation and blood clot formation.
Researchers also observed that intermittent fasting inhibited platelet aggregation in human participants and mice, another component that ultimately leads to blood clot formation.
Further mice analyses revealed that the likely key metabolite affecting blood clotting processes was indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). Researchers detected IPA in higher levels in the serum for the people and mice who had engaged in intermittent fasting.
Examination of human participant samples and IPA further supported that “IPA directly inhibits human platelet activation in vitro.”
To perform additional analyses in mice, researchers also gave mice injections of IPA, and these mice experienced a prolonged clotting time in a way that was similar to a 5 mg/kg dose of the antithrombotic drug clopidogrel. They found the results were even more significant in mice who received both IPA and clopidogrel.
Further analysis of mouse platelets also suggested that IPA acts on a specific platelet component called the pregnane X receptor to have its effect on platelet activation. Findings from human and mouse samples suggested that the effect of IPA on platelet activation is also related to pregnane X receptor signaling pathways.
Researchers noted that IPA is a metabolite that is produced in the gut, and in mice, it is mainly produced by a type of bacteria called C. sporogenes. Mice who did intermittent fasting had higher levels of C. sporogenes. Additionally, antibiotic treatment greatly minimized the antiplatelet aggregation impact of intermittent fasting in mice.
Mice also received a broth containing C. sporogenes, and these mice had notably higher IPA levels. Mice who received C. sporogenes and mice who received IPA had longer clotting times and a lower platelet aggregation ratio. Ultimately, the results suggest intermittent fasting affects blood clotting through a metabolite produced in the gut.
Researchers also tested the response of mice to experiencing cerebral ischemia, a cutting off of blood flow to the brain, and myocardial ischemia, a cutting off of blood flow to the heart, both followed by a return to blood flow. They found that mice who had done intermittent fasting experienced better heart and brain outcomes than mice who had not.
Christopher Yi, MD, a board-certified vascular surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who was not involved in the study, commented with his thoughts on the findings to Medical News Today:
“This is a very interesting study that suggests a novel non-pharmacologic approach to managing thrombosis risk. [I]PA showed antithrombotic efficacy comparable to clopidogrel, which is a commonly used antiplatelet medication. Together, both can act synergistically to reduce platelet aggregation and lower thrombosis risk, important factors in the treatment of vascular and cardiovascular disease. This can potentially provide a novel therapy pathway for the physicians, which is very exciting.”
While part of this research included people, it also used mice, meaning that more research is needed to fully understand the impact on people and whether it indeed compares to the results found in mice.
More research is also required to confirm the findings, the underlying mechanisms that researchers sought to identify, and other possible contributing factors.
The work that did include human participants also had limitations. For one, the intervention time was only ten days, so it does not address the long-term effects of intermittent fasting on people. It also looked at a specific form of intermittent fasting, so it is unclear if the effects would be the same with other intermittent fasting patterns.
Additionally, while participants were instructed to follow the intermittent fasting pattern, it’s possible that participants did not fully adhere to the instructions and participants could not be blinded to the intervention. It’s also likely that researchers did not account for certain factors that could have affected the observed results.
Information regarding participants in the report was limited. Future research could work with additional groups to include a wide variety of individuals, likely including greater diversity.
The procedures and methods used, such as using different types of mice or indole, could have affected the results, so replicating the findings and conducting additional research may be helpful.
One author noted a conflict of interest but “was blinded from reviewing or making decisions from the manuscript.” Additionally, researchers received study funding from several grants.
Researchers acknowledge that more research is required regarding intermittent fasting as a potential treatment for coronary artery disease.
This research implies another potential benefit of intermittent fasting, even though future research will need to confirm the findings.
Yi noted the following regarding the study’s clinical implications:
“Intermittent fasting could be a lifestyle-based intervention to reduce cardiovascular risks in patients who are at high risk of stroke and heart attack. It can provide an adjunct therapy to the management of cardiovascular disease, to go along with current medications available.”
It further highlights the role of gut health and how it may influence other areas of bodily function. People can work with their doctors and specialists to find the best strategies for intermittent fasting and promoting gut health.
As Patrick Kee, MD, PhD, a cardiologist with Vital Heart & Vein, who was also not involved in the study, noted to Medical News Today that following a healthful diet was important, along with the potential beneficial effects of intermitttent fasting.
“Intermittent fasting not only promotes a healthy gut bacteria population, as demonstrated in this study, but also leads to significant weight reduction, improved diabetes control and insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation in the body. To further enhance gut health, a diet rich in fiber, leafy greens, legumes, and yogurt provides an optimal environment for beneficial bacteria to thrive.”
— Patrick Kee, M.D., Ph.D
“Conversely, avoiding pro-inflammatory diets, such as those containing red meat, saturated fat, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol, helps prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria that may generate undesirable substances affecting cardiovascular health,” he added.
