Monday, March 13, 2006

Aspirin-Blood Thinner Killer Combo

ATLANTA - Some people taking the blood thinner Plavix on top of aspirin to try to prevent heart attacks, as many doctors recommend, now have good reason to stop.

The drug combination not only didn't help most people in a newly released study, but it unexpectedly almost doubled the risk of death, heart attack or stroke for those with no clogged arteries but with worrisome conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

"They actually were harmed," said Dr. Eric Topol. "This was a trial to determine the boundaries of benefit, and it did. You don't use this drug for patients without coronary artery disease."