Research presentation on Daiwa's "NKCP" and thrombosis prevention at the 29th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society of Biorheology

Research presentation on Daiwa's "NKCP" and thrombosis prevention at the 29th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society of Biorheology

The 29th annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Biorheology was held with the collaboration of Fukuoka-shi and the Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine on June 15th and 16th, 2006. A research presentation was made on “NKCP,” produced by Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan - President: Yasuo Ninomiya).

Assistant professor Masahito Hitosugi (Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Department of Legal Medicine) gave a presentation entitled, “To prevent sudden death from thrombosis,” and reported the latest results of his study in coordination with the Chiba University of Commerce.

Assistant professor Hitosugi is known for his research on pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) - the so-called economy class syndrome. He talked based on his analysis that there may be many undiagnosed PTE cases in Japan, because the cause of sudden death is investigated by anatomy in only a few cases. Meanwhile, 0.63 million people annually develop PTE, and 11% of them die within an hour of the onset in the U.S.

He investigated the cause of sudden death through hemorheology and found that the viscosity of the blood in the crus vein significantly increases by continued sitting. Next he investigated the effect of NKCP with “bacillopeptidase F” - Bacillus subtilis natto - secreted functional protein - as its main ingredient, on human blood coagulation/fibrinolysis parameters.

He discovered the action of preventing thrombus formation and the plasmin-independent action of lysing blood clots. In human clinical tests, an increase in fibrolytic activity, a decrease in blood viscosity, and a significant decrease of neck stiffness were seen. He concluded that NKCP can be expected to be an effective ingredient to prevent thrombosis.

The relationship of NKCP and thrombosis is being researched in the world. At the 5th annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Travel Medicine held in April, in a presentation titled “Long flight thrombosis,” Dr. Farrol Kahn of the Aviation Health Institute explained the symptoms known as economy-class syndrome and how to deal with them.

He emphasized the efficacy of NKCP's being better than aspirin, which is said to decrease the risk of lung embolism by functioning in the artery. Dr. Farrol, at the recommendation of the Aviation Health Institute, concluded with the preventative solution for DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis): parallel use of pressure stockings and aspirin, or a nutritional supplement, such as NKCP.

“NKCP” is a totally different type of nattokinase and called “the 2nd generation” nattokinase. It is most characteristic in its containing not conventional subtilisin protease, but bacillopeptidase F, and has the following three functions: 1) lysing of blood clots, 2) preventing thrombus formation, and 3) decreasing the viscosity of blood. NKCP is drawing attention from various quarters as a functional food which can lower thrombosis risk.

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