Overactive Platelets in Type 2 Diabetes: New Study Reveals Pathway
- For the 1.2 million Australians - and hundreds of millions worldwide - living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the risk of cardiovascular disease is substantially elevated.
- "Individuals living with type 2 diabetes are vulnerable to increased risk of blood clots," explains Professor freda Passam, MD, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from the Central Clinical School.
- Platelets, the smallest components of blood, are essential for stopping bleeding when injury occurs.
New Hope for Preventing Heart Attack and Stroke in Type 2 diabetes
Table of Contents
Published August 20,2025
The silent Threat: Blood Clots and type 2 Diabetes
For the 1.2 million Australians - and hundreds of millions worldwide – living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the risk of cardiovascular disease is substantially elevated. A key, and frequently enough underestimated, contributor too this risk is an increased propensity for dangerous blood clots. These clots can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other life-threatening complications. Conventional blood thinners ofen prove less effective in individuals with T2D, creating a critical need for new preventative strategies. Recent research,published in the Journal of Clinical Inquiry,has pinpointed a specific protein,SEC61B,as a central player in this process,offering a promising new avenue for intervention.
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“Individuals living with type 2 diabetes are vulnerable to increased risk of blood clots,” explains Professor freda Passam, MD, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, from the Central Clinical School. “These exciting findings identify a whole new way to reduce this risk and help prevent life-threatening complications like heart attack and stroke.”
How Platelets and Diabetes Intertwine
Platelets, the smallest components of blood, are essential for stopping bleeding when injury occurs. They rush to the site of damage, forming a plug and initiating the clotting process. Though, in individuals with diabetes, these platelets frequently enough become hyperreactive
- overly sensitive and prone to clumping even when no injury is present. This heightened activity significantly increases the risk of unwanted blood clots.
This is notably concerning because cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death among people with T2D. The increased platelet sensitivity also diminishes the effectiveness of traditional anticoagulant medications, leaving fewer options for risk reduction. This disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those living in rural and regional areas of Australia, where T2D prevalence is higher.
Unlocking the SEC61B Pathway
Researchers at the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney employed a sophisticated proteomic platform to investigate the underlying causes of this platelet hyperactivity. By comparing platelets from individuals with T2D and coronary artery disease to those of individuals with similar risk factors but without diabetes, they identified a critical difference: elevated levels of the protein SEC61B.
The study, involving 76 participants (42 with T2D and 34 without) between 2020 and 2021, revealed that SEC61B levels were consistently higher in individuals with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Further investigation showed that this protein disrupts the delicate calcium balance within platelets, triggering them to clump together and form clots.Importantly, the increase in SEC61B was specific; other related proteins, SEC61A and SEC61G, remained unchanged.
These findings were corroborated in animal models, confirming that increased SEC61B levels in both human and mouse platelets, as well as in cells that produce platelets (megakaryocytes), directly contribute to increased platelet reactivity.
What This Means for the Future of Diabetes Care
The discovery of SEC61B’s role in platelet hyperactivity represents a significant step forward in understanding and potentially preventing cardiovascular complications in people with T2D. While treatments specifically targeting SEC61B are still in the early stages of development, the research team is optimistic.
Preclinical animal trials are anticipated to begin within the next 1-2 years,paving the way for potential therapies for human patients within the next decade. This research offers a beacon of hope for millions living with type 2 diabetes, promising a future where the risk of heart attack and stroke can be significantly reduced.