http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Global platelet reactivity is more effective than responsiveness to clopidogrel in identifying acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients at high risk of ischemic events, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-global-platelet-reactivity-high-acs.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:30:03 EST news265371036 Lifelong anticoagulation is necessary for the prevention of stroke in patients with rhythm disturbances and with mechanical valves. Patients who have a coronary stent implanted also need the antiplatelet drugs aspirin and clopidogrel to prevent the rare but lethal complication of stent thrombosis. For patients taking oral anticoagulant drugs (for atrial fibrillation or mechanical valve) who also have to undergo coronary stenting, the optimal antithrombotic treatment is still unknown, even though the use of all three drugs (oral anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel) seems logical for the prevention of stroke and stent thrombosis. However, treatment with all three drugs often causes serious bleeding complications and the frequent need to discontinue the aspirin and clopidogrel. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-omission-aspirin-antiplatelet-regimen-woest.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:20:01 EST news265370791 Personalized antiplatelet treatment leads to better outcomes than standard antiplatelet treatment in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation, according to results from the MADONNA study presented at ESC Congress 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-personalized-antiplatelet-treatment-outcome-pci.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:09:49 EST news265370983 The first trial to study the effect of platelet inhibition in patients with acute coronary syndromes managed medically without revascularisation has found no significant difference between prasugrel and clopidogrel in the prevention of death, myocardial infarction or stroke. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-prasugrel-clopidogrel-acs-patients-revascularisation.html Cardiology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:44:03 EST news265283032 According to new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), adding vorapaxar, an investigational platelet blocker, to standard antiplatelet therapy significantly reduces the long-term risk of recurrent cardiovascular events beyond one year in patients with a history of a prior heart attack. Researchers also identify a low-bleeding risk group among whom the clinical benefit of vorapaxar was particularly favorable. This research is presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2012 and published simultaneously in the Lancet. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-anti-platelet-therapy-cardiac-events-patients.html Cardiology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:10:01 EST news265280273 The first trial to study patients with acute coronary syndrome who do not undergo coronary stenting or bypass surgery found no significant difference between two anti-clotting drugs – prasugrel and clopidogrel – in preventing the first occurrence of death, heart attack or stroke, according to Duke University Medical Center cardiologists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-anti-clotting-drugs-yield-similar-results.html Cardiology Sun, 26 Aug 2012 04:05:08 EST news265172673 (HealthDay) -- Aspirin is still the first line of therapy for patients with unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ticagrelor can be used in place of clopidogrel or prasugrel instead of aspirin or as a second antiplatelet agent, according to a report from the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF)/American Heart Association (AHA) published online July 16 in Circulation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-aspirin-first-line-therapy-unstable-anginanstemi.html Cardiology Tue, 17 Jul 2012 03:31:44 EST news261714695 Ticagrelor, a blood-thinning drug approved by the FDA in 2011, should be considered along with older blood thinners clopidogrel and prasugrel for treating patients who are experiencing chest pain or some heart attacks, according to joint updated guidelines issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the American College of Cardiology (ACCF) Foundation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-ahaaccf-guidelines-unstable-angina-blood-thinning.html Cardiology Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:03:11 EST news261669774 (HealthDay) -- The first generic versions of Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-versions-plavix.html Medications Fri, 18 May 2012 03:55:05 EST news256532090 (HealthDay) -- The blockbuster drug Plavix (clopidogrel), used to prevent clotting in some heart patients, will go off patent in the United States on Thursday, making it considerably more affordable. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-plavix-status-boon-patients.html Medications Tue, 15 May 2012 16:20:01 EST news256316529 Developed in Canada and conducted by researchers from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, in partnership with Spartan Bioscience, the world's first bedside genetic test has received acknowledgment by The Lancet, the world's leading general medical journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-world-bedside-genetic-green-lancet.html Cardiology Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:21:58 EST news252238889 A study published Online First by the Lancet reports the successful validation and clinical application of the first point-of-care genetic test in medicine. The test successfully identifies the CYP2C19*2 allele: a common genetic variant associated with increased rates of major adverse events in individuals given clopidogrel after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), thus avoiding complications in those patients. The Article is by Dr Derek Y F So, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada, and colleagues. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-validation-point-of-care-genetic-medicine-antiplatelet.html Cardiology Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:30:01 EST news252152189 The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) today announced the initiation of the HORIZONS-AMI II randomized trial, evaluating Promus Element platinum-chromium everolimus-eluting stents versus Omega bare-metal stents in patients with heart attack undergoing primary angioplasty with bivalirudin anticoagulation. The HORIZONS-AMI II trial will also investigate the chronic use of the antiplatelet medications prasugrel versus clopidogrel in patients free of major events at 30 days. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cardiovascular-foundation-horizons-ami-ii-clinical.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:58:18 EST news252060971 Ticagrelor, a potent anti-platelet medication, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the summer of 2011 and is known to significantly reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, vascular death and death overall in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), which are characterized by symptoms related to obstruction in coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Now, new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) shows that the use of ticagrelor not only reduces the time to a first cardiovascular event (the metric used in most trials) but also significantly reduces the time to a second cardiovascular event or death, and reduces total events including cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, ischemic events and urgent revascularization. These findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions on March 25, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-ticagrelor-effective-recurrent-cardiovascular-events.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:10:01 EST news251980805 Adding vorapaxar, an investigational platelet blocker, to standard antiplatelet therapy significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with known atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-class-platelet-blockers-effective-phase.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:24:14 EST news251972625 Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty or angioplasty, is a procedure used to treat acute coronary syndromes. PCI involves opening a blocked blood vessel by threading and inflating a balloon-tipped tube into the vessel. Sometimes a stent is also inserted to keep the blood vessel open. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-complications-patients-percutaneous-coronary-intervention.html Cardiology Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:01:40 EST news251834480 (HealthDay) -- Aspirin works as well as Plavix in patients with blocked leg arteries, a new European study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-aspirin-good-plavix-poor-leg.html Cardiology Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:10:01 EST news249151072 The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-clopidogrel-aspirin-doesnt-small-death.html Cardiology Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:40:02 EST news247490838 Patients who discontinued use of an antiplatelet agent such as clopidogrel prior to undergoing cardiac surgery to lower their bleeding risk and received intravenously the platelet inhibitor cangrelor achieved a higher rate of maintenance of platelet inhibition, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a study in the January 18 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-drug-platelet-inhibition-anti-clotting-prior.html Surgery Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:27:33 EST news246040043 Allergies to Plavix, also know by its chemical name, Clopidogrel occur in about six percent of patients given the drug, vital for the prevention of life-threatening stent thrombosis after angioplasty and percutaneous coronary interventions. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University found that a combination of steroids and antihistamines can successfully alleviate the allergic reaction and enable patients to remain on the drug. Until now, hypersensitivity required drug interruption, placing the patient at risk for restenosis or a major coronary event. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-allergy-plavix.html Medications Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:03:27 EST news245934198 A new study published Wednesday cast doubt on the usefulness of a genetic test for patients taking the anti-coagulant drug Plavix, calling into question last year's FDA warning about the blood thinner. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-genetic-plavix-unneeded.html Medications Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:56 EST news244357237 Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that a certain type of genetic testing (for the genotype CYP2C19) be considered before prescribing the drug clopidogrel to identify individuals who may be less responsive to the medication, a review and analysis of previous studies did not find an overall significant association between the CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-analysis-genetic-anti-clotting-drug.html Genetics Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:01 EST news244196798 Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-dosage-clopidogrel-patients-genetic-variation.html Cardiology Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:15:01 EST news240657289 A recent study found no significant difference in the outcome for patients who received carotid artery stenting (CAS) at more than 30 days post-transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke versus those who received CAS at 30 days or less post-event. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-impact-carotid-artery-stenting-transient.html Cardiology Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:48:40 EST news240486513 A clinical trial comparing prasugrel to clopidogrel for patients with high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HCPR) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was ended early due to relatively few occurrences of cardiac death or myocardial infarction – the primary endpoint – at six month follow up. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-trigger-pci-trial-tct.html Cardiology Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:26:07 EST news240078361 The relationship of platelet responsiveness to antiplatelet medications; and, the correlation of poor response, and overall platelet aggregation while on dual antiplatelet therapy to the risk of drug-eluting stent thrombosis after 30 days was examined in ADAPT-DES, the largest registry to date to fully examine these relationships. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-day-results-adapt-des-registry-tct.html Cardiology Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:10:20 EST news240077411 Tailored anti-platelet therapy, made possible through a novel point-of-care genetic test, optimizes treatment for patients who carry a common genetic variant, researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-world-bedside-genetic-effective.html Genetics Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:37:14 EST news240075419 In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent implantation in people with coronary artery disease. The team found that three of these variants were associated with impaired sensitivity to the common blood thinner clopidogrel, and a fourth that affects a blood platelet receptor involved in platelet aggregation and clot formation. Analyzing these gene variants will help researchers identify patients at risk for early stent thrombosis and take measures to prevent it. The data also provide a clinical and genomic score that indicates the best predictive accuracy for stent thrombosis risk. The findings are published in the Oct. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-gene-variants-stent-thrombosis-people.html Genetics Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:04:24 EST news238781047 People who suffer from acute stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA, a mini stroke) could get better treatment in the future thanks to the expansion of a large clinical trial of a new combination of drugs led by researchers at The University of Nottingham. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-tardis-trial-dimension-treatment.html Cardiology Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:24:47 EST news238062261 Heart attack patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in combination with antiplatelet therapy -- acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), clopidogrel or both (dual antiplatelet therapy) -- are at higher risk of bleeding than patients taking ASA alone, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-combined-ssris-antiplatelet-therapy-heart.html Medical research Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:26:59 EST news236258793