Could a common cough medicine protect the heart during a heart attack?
NCT ID NCT06850831
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether giving N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), a drug often used for coughs, directly into the heart arteries during emergency angioplasty can reduce damage caused by restoring blood flow. Researchers measured markers of stress, inflammation, and cell death in 70 heart attack patients. The goal is to see if this approach can limit heart muscle injury and improve recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to limit heart muscle damage during emergency angioplasty after a heart attack.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small Phase 2 trial with only 70 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The benefit of NAC given this way is unproven, and the study focuses on lab markers, not long-term outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
70 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2025
- Finished
-
Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
30 to 60 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. STEMI patients according to The Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction from the European Society of Cardiology, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and World Heart Federation Treated by Primary PCI. 2. Aged 30-60 years 3. Willing to participate in the study and sign informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with cardiogenic shock (SBP ≤ 80 mmHg, cold extremities, urine output \<0.5 ml/kg/hour) \<24 hours before randomization 2. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction 3. Patients with a history of chronic heart failure before the onset of AMI 4. Patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery 5. Patients with chronic renal failure or requiring dialysis 6. Patients with chronic inflammation 7. Patients with malignancy 8. Patients with a history of hyper/hypothyroidism 9. Patients with acute infection 10. Patients with sepsis 11. Patients with acute stroke 12. Patients with pulmonary fibrosis 13. Patients with a history of autoimmune disease 14. Patients with a history of anti-inflammatory / antioxidant supplementation 15. Patients with allergy to N-acetylcysteine 16. Pregnant and lactating patients
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Dr. Moewardi General Hospital
Surakarta, Central of Java, 57126, Indonesia
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