Researchers at the University of the Highlands and Islands found that in people with type-2 diabetes, platelet cells in blood clots are low in an antioxidant called glutathione.
They also showed that a once-daily dose of N-acetylcysteine helped to normalise levels of this antioxidant and reduce levels of clot formation indicators in the blood.
The findings could be beneficial for patients with diabetes, who get less cardio-protective benefit from aspirin than other people.
Lead researcher Professor Ian Megson, whose findings are published in the journal Diabetologia, said: 'There is an urgent need to find new drugs as alternatives to aspirin in this vulnerable group of patients.
'This study represents an important early step in finding just such a drug.'
The team now hope to conduct large-scale clinical trials with a view to determining the drug's benefits in people with both type-1 and type-2 diabetes.
Last month (August 15th), figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre revealed that the number of prescriptions for diabetes drugs in England has risen by 50 per cent in six years.