The University of Virginia Health System has conducted research on N-acetylcysteine (NAC), concluding there may may be previously unknown risks involved with the antioxidant.
NAC is commonly taken for bodybuilding purposes and to prevent disease, but this recent study had discovered it may cause blood cells to mistakenly believe they aren't receiving enough oxygen. Such a problem may lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension. The study also suggests that the body responds to nitrosothiols, (made when a decreased amount of oxygen is carried by red blood cells), rather than responding to the amount of oxygen dissolved in blood as previously thought. This discovery may lead to a better understanding of pathways in the pulmonary system.
